Thoughts on the graphs update.

[StaryerGazer]

I have always liked the Fitbit graphs.  I wondered why some could show you history past a week and some could not; I wondered why some were line graphs and some were bar graphs and some were not, but I liked them. 

The feature I used most was scrolling sideways to center the time period of interest on the screen.  With steps especially, this even provided a customizable daily average over the desired time period. 

After the new update (most of which is growing on me), I cannot do this.  I am locked into viewing a calendar-defined section of data, which usually includes the empty future. (Screenshot of any graph showing a year, and another showing a week.)  I can no longer display a custom range of data. 

For example, I got sick recently, and it significantly affected my resting heart rate.  The event crosses a month transition.  While I can examine that from the 3-month view, if I want to zoom closer with the 1-month view I can either look at one side or the other, but not both.  (Screenshots of resting heart rate, 1-month view, June and July.) 

In looking up this issue, I learned how to long-hold and find individual data points.  While similar to what you could do on the previous graphs, it is still helpful.  However, if I want that, I could also scroll down the history to those days. 

Your update fixed a glitch where the heart rate charts rarely showed a full day; it always looked like it stopped recording at some random time.  Now my history is full of complete day-long graphs.  Thanks.

In addition: This post is incomplete because I cannot find how to attach an image. And yes, I read

How To: Add An Image To Your Post

under Community Basics.  I get something different than they say.  What I get is - Well, I can't show you. 

It is a pop-up box, titled "Insert/edit image", with four lines to type in. Above each line is what they are for; "Source", "Image descriptions," "Dimensions," "x." Below that on the left is a checkbox for "Constrain proportions." At the bottom right is a dark gray "Cancel" button and a dark blue "Ok" button.

[Angelamk]

My fiance snores like crazy so I sleep with earplugs in so I knew it wasn't that!  

[BillJ99x]

I don't mind the look of the new graphs. My complaint is how buggy they are. Really surprised that Fitbit would release an update with so many obvious bugs. 

[charleskn]

There are some improvements, such as being able to slide my finger along the chart to read different data points, but that is about it. The biggest problem, IMO, is the data being locked to a specific week, month, etc. Not the last 7 days or 30 days or 12 months.

NOT an improvement, IMO

[Krystalkerrie]

My problems; not being able to find out what time frame the steps happened in and how hard I was working to make them happen, not being able to expand the minuscule graph with 4 hour windows that don't show what time frame the steps happened in. Apparent I no longer have any weight trends but I've lost 10 kilos! Zone minutes, where do I even find when I did them? I used to be able to track what I was doing at the time. The spo2 mess. I want my money back! The app is the reason I bought the fitness tracker and it no longer provides the data I bought it for. Therefore it is no longer "fit for purpose". Are there actually any improvements, because I haven't found any yet?

Moderator edit: format

[stacybird]

I hadn't posted about the update yet because there's been too much going on in life

The only reason I was using the Fitbit app at all and sticking with products was the amazing scale and dynamic nature of the graphs.  Maybe not everybody loved them and the fact that they auto resized but I did. It meant that I could see the scale and difference in steps or in weight no matter what time scale I was looking at and make it dynamic based on what I needed to look at, whether it was trend over time trend for a few years trend for a year trend for 3 months.  The update was definitely not an update.  Besides the lack of auto scale and the fact that the first of the year has made it apparent again, why I should change providers. The scaling dynamically was also a lot better for screen readers than this is.  The new format is very very small and in order to zoom in, you don't get to see much of the screen at a time.  Not that I use this feature, but I think about it for all of the friends I have that do.   I'm looking at ways to export my data to a new format and maybe get a different tracker. The tracker itself has been pretty consistent, although they only last for a year anymore which isn't worth it to spend over $100 a year.  Too bad really. The graphs alone were a great product last year. It was the only reason I was sticking with it.  

Now, I develop software and do platform engineering. So if you want help, message me on LinkedIn. I'd be happy to give you some ideas for where you could improve software, dev process and feedback cycles.  I bet you'd have fewer support requests and keep customers.  Unless the goal is just sell as many watches as possible, in which case, Good luck and I or others will develop something open source and usable in the next few years causing your company to be irrelevant.  

Of course, I'm a programmer and I choose easy over more work. So if you fix the graphs you'd probably keep me and a lot of other people.

Cheers

Stacy, platform engineer elsewhere