Peak BPM during exercise removed from new app

[tompabes]

The new app is a huge step back in usability, UI/UX and available data. But I'm not gonna discuss that here (I know it would be useless), I hope that the major tech websites and reviewers bash the new app so hard that Google understands the damage they've done.

However, there is one thing that is beyond my comprehension: why the MAXIMUM BPM that you find when you look at certain exercises (e.g. running) has been removed in favor of a meaningless AVERAGE BPM.

After a run, it's important to know the maximum heart rate that you've achieved. Much more important than the avg, because the max heart rate tells you if you've exercised too hard and if you're putting yourself in danger.

Besides completing the translations (it's unbelievable that a company like Google releases a new app where some words have not been translated in all languates yet, and so my interface is half Italian and half English, but I'm not going to complain about that either), can Google reconsider at least this tiny but important change and bring back the maximum BPM, or at least both values? 

[Deedeeee13]

100% agree, and I'm a senior so I want to be extra aware of my heart rate fluctuations during exercise! 

[LokeAa]

It is still there - as a graph. Hold and drag on the graph, and you see how your HR rise and fall during workout.

[Triletics]

@LokeAa you want users to search for max HR during activity manually? 🤣 for longer activities with this tiny resolution of chart? Max HR was there before. It's gone now.

[LokeAa]

No, and for the record, if you are between 95 and 100% the last thing on your mind is to check your HR. Most people do not know their max HR. Above 95% of your max HR every fiber in your body scream "stop" 

When you exercise, exercise, and check your stats after. If you absolutely have to check, set HR on your clockface. But, if you want an inaccurate HR reading, glance at your watch frequently. Bending the arm supress your blood stream and reading gets inaccurate.

And peak is still there. The zones are now:

Light - Moderate - Vigorous - and Peak 

 

[Triletics]

@LokeAa you don't understand what "max HR" was in the old on the very same chart. It was a value in the exercise detail chart. It was a maximum HR that user reached during the activity (so it could be lot below highest possible, depends on intensity), not a maximum possible HR (because like you said, rarely it's even known and that changes anyway). It was displayed just next to the average BPM before:

Not there anymore. This is a minor problem. Removing seconds from start time and duration is a much bigger issue.

[LokeAa]

Yepp, and tht was better, but it is gone. Then we have to use what we have. The fact that max during training is not displayed could also be a bug🤔

[Triletics]

@LokeAa when doing all-out stress test knowing max HR during workout is a way to substitute max HR in the zones settings (220-age won't work for most people). It can be used for a progress tracking (with training the max will start dropping and less drifting towards higher end of training zone occurs while avg may stay same), it may be used to gauge intensity of training, can be used for testing LT. Data field was there, has been removed. Every platform I used provides max HR during activity but Fitbit decided suddenly not to. When other platforms add data (for example, RecoveryHR, Pw:HR, Pa:HR, weighted HR) Fitbit removes metrics. It's fine that you find it ok (you may not be using particular metric, you may not know how to use it, I don't know) but don't expect the same thing from other users 🤷

Edit: I wrote this while you were posting your response so we may have kind of desynchronized. I also hope it's a bit but about missing seconds somebody got an aswer from CS that it's by a design.

[LokeAa]

Again, it might be a bug. I am almost certain they have suspended rolling out the new appver. I performed a factory reset and deleted app. Then I should have gotten the new version. But Google Play store installed 3.90. I was curious, so installed new app with the file extension we are not allowed to mention...

[Triletics]

@LokeAa it feels less like a bug and more like an unfinished app rushed out the door. See another thing. They renamed zones in the exercise view. Now, we have Light, Moderate, Vigorous, and Peak. However, the app and HR zones settings use the old app view with Fat Burn, Cardio, and Peak (so the old colour scheme and layout do not match the new app; ran out of time to replace it before release?). I believe "Below Zones" now is "Light" so users don't feel like they don't exercise at all (?) when HR is lower than Moderate (Fat Burn). The help article about AZM still uses Fat Burn, Cardio, and Peak to explain how AZM is counted. Now AZM are 2x(peak+vigorous)+moderate. It will certainly confuse some users.

Here's an example from my yesterday race (btw. the actual time is 1:30:32 so Fitbit doesn't only remove seconds but rounds up).

AZM match what I wrote above. The app has been released too early. Also, the map (after expanding) has no landmarks or labels. I believe it could be due to privacy (?) but looks rather empty that way. Not sure why I wouldn't be able to see that in my own activities. The markers after expanding (white dots) show no miles/kms anymore (unless tapped). Looking at the map I can't tell which way I was going forward. Not sure if bug but change for worse. This all looks like rushed and unfinished (which is kind of a theme for Fitbit releases).

[tompabes]

Are you serious? 🙂 Yes, it's the first thing I did, but did you try to do it and did you notice how difficult it is? That's not a solution... it's a workaround... a bad workaround. I understand that you wanted to be helpful and I thank you for that, but Fitbit has to fix this.

Fitbit charges a premium price for their trackers and subscriptions. This can't be a solution: the app must be in line with the best competitors like Garmin. Instead, here we are seeing issues that we might expect (maybe...) from cheap Chinese brands...

[Deedeeee13]

Much less user friendly and less specific. 

[Deedeeee13]

Yes we have to use what we have but this forum is here so we can say we don't like not having it! 

[TobiasF]

typical Google approach to sell babyfied technologies as innovation, they simple removed like the battery percentage, the cumulated week totals and lot of other stuff. Keaves you wonder: people who did this "redesign " are they really using Fitbit devices and apps daily like most of us? I seriously doubt it.

[TobiasF]

it's not a bug, it's simply Google removed a useful feature without any adequate replacement making rhe product less useful aka the opposite of product development. By the way, the OP is not talking about HRmax during training but in the post exercise summary as it was always there and today only average HR is displayed there. (that is less useful and shows how little Google developers use their own app probably)

[TobiasF]

if you ever took a look how aweful and blant Google Fit (not Fitbit but Google Fit ) is designed and for years didn't got any single feature update then you know it's not a bug but simple Google inability to make appealing UI. Justftake a look at these aweful colour cosing you can't even visual differentiate between Zone 3 and 4 because the colors are so similar in hue. Amateur mistake.