Sync with Bluetooth USB Dongle

[JamieLogical]

If I buy a normal Bluetooth USB dongle, can I sync my FitBit Blaze to my desktop PC without using the charging cable? Or do I need to buy the FitBit branded wireless dongle? I am asking because I do not have a cell phone, so the only way to sync throughout the day while I am at work is if I have a dongle for my desktop PC. I don't want to have to buy an extra charging cable to keep at work or transport the one from home every day. And the FitBit branded dongles would take a few days to get here. Would love to just stop into a brick and mortar store tonight and buy a generic Bluetooth USB dongle tonight.

[SteveH]

It has to be a fitbit dongle I'm afraid. The only exception is that if you are running Windows 10 then you can use the fitbit app and that can use the PC's native bluetooth.

[JamieLogical]

Well that's unfortunate. I spoke with support live chat yesterday afternoon and they told me it WOULD work, so I went out and bought a USB Bluetooth dongle. I had planned to set it up on my work PC this morning. So you are saying I'm better off returning it and not even trying? Not sure BestBuy will let me return it once I've opened it.

[SteveH]

Well, I'm not going to say that I'm right and a fitbit employee is wrong so I guess you'll have to take the gamble and open the box!

[JamieLogical]

Turns out the packaging was such that I was able to gt the dongle out without damaging the packaging at all. I plugged it in, installed the drivers, then tried to run the FitBit set-up for "PC". I got to a page in FitBit set-up where it wanted me to plug in the FitBit dongle and couldn't get past that point. So it will not work. Maybe the FitBit employee I spoke with assumed I was on Windows 10? In any case, I will return it and I guess I'll have to wait patiently until sometime next week for the FitBit branded dongle, since no one can ship it to me in any reasonable amount of time.

[Rich_Laue]

If you are able to find a dongle that has Low Energy support, then the Win10 app might be able to use it. So far i have not seen a dongle that is advertised as LE compatabke.

[PureEvil]

@JamieLogical,

Yes, this is precisely what they meant.  The Windows 10 Fitbit App will work with a bluetooth dongle provided that it supports bluetooth 4.0 (bluetooth LE).  This is the configuration that I have set up on one of my older desktop computers.  This is the USB bluetooth adapter that I'm using and it works like a charm.

I hope this helps.

[JamieLogical]

Well, since I'm running Windows 7 at work and have no authority to upgrade my OS, this isn't an option for me.

[cloggs]

About a month ago the dongle for my Fitbit Surge got broke and my Surge stopped working. I`d read on the website that any Bluetooth USB Dongle could work as a replacement, so a buddy offered me his. He has either a Charge 2 or a Blaze and was able able to sync his watch with his computer without using his dongle. I tried his only to find out that his is a USB 2.0 but my laptop is 3.0, my laptop wouldn`t recognize his dongle. Now I need to find a store here in Seattle that carries Fitbit Surge Bluetooth USB 3.0 dongle.

[Rich_Laue]

@cloggs, fitbit only makes one model dongle, therefore sny Fitbit dongle will wotk. As for syncing the Win10 Fitbit app is designed to sync through a computers 4.0 Low Energy  version of Bluetooth. 

@JamieLogical, a Widows 7 machine requires a Genuine Fitbit Bluetooth Dongle. The best place to purchase onr would be at their store., it is $6,95

[cloggs]

where do I find a driver for the dongle? where can I find a repair shop
because half the watch strap fell off. Theo

[PureEvil]

@cloggs

While the Fitbit will sync through Bluetooth LE, @Rich_Laue is correct that you'll need Windows 10 in order to sync with your Fitbit this way through the Fitbit App.  I've done precisely this on a computer that does not have built-in Bluetooth and it works, but again I'm running Windows 10.

And I didn't need a driver to download.  The moment I plugged it in Windows downloaded a driver on my behalf and I was running in minutes.

As for the band coming loose (assuming that you're using a Blaze, since it's that part of the forum), the bands for the Blaze are quick connect/disconnect from the frame.  This is how they (Fitbit) also sells replaceable bands of different colors and styles.  The best way to think of them are like a latch on a gate, much like this:

You don't need a repair shop.  It should only take about 30 seconds to put it back in.

I hope this helps.

[cloggs]

Thank you . Actually my Fitbit is a Surge, when Bob ( close friend) looked
at the break/tear points it looked caroded . Apparently a lot of sweat had
gotten under the plastic and it looked torn some how which is strange, it
had been in my laptop bag since it stopped working. I was hoping I could
find someone I could speak with face to face. My Surge is/was a Christmas (
this past) gift from my church. I'll look for a new dongle, the strap
doesn't hold. My church wanted me to be able to monitor my heart among
other things. Since a million people can probably read this I'll stop here.
Theo

[PureEvil]

@cloggs

If it was indeed a Christmas present, then they (both the tracker and the dongle) both should be covered under warranty (assuming it came from an authorized dealer), which spans a year in the US.

I would contact Fitbit support.

[mrthnmn]

That's a shame and, I have to believe, unnecessary. I have to connect my Fitbit Surge with a cable to charge it. Why would you not make it so the cable can carry data? I have to wonder where developers' heads are when developing these "smart" devices.

[Rich_Laue]

@mrthnmn you're Surge's cable is able to sync the data through thr USB with a Win 10 machine.  Im not sure about the Blaze which is thre subject is this thread. 

[mrthnmn]

Thanks Rich. Apparently I have to install (and presumably use) a face-recognition program in order to use my Surge on Windows 10, though.

What's that about?!

[Rich_Laue]

Why would a person need or use a face recognition program on a desktop computer. This also would require a camera, not a dongle 

No one else has reported this