Change exercise options - no gear icon in activity tile

[Kristin2023]

I want to change the list of activities my Fitbit automatically tracks. The manual and every post I’m seeing describe how to do it on the new app. I keep finding instructions to tap the activity tile and then the gear icon and change my shortcuts or to click the Fitbit icon at the top and scroll down to find it. I have tried all those and clicked any and every possible item related to any movement on my app and all the related settings on those. I cannot find how to do it. The Fitbit page is also giving instructions for the old app from everything I look up related to exercise options. What do I do? I use a charge 6 if that helps.

[mikey_pdx]

You can change your goal and choose which exercises are auto-recognized, but you can't set your exercise shortcuts on the Charge 6. It will populate a most-recently used list for you, based on the ones you choose most often. 

In the iOS app, you can tap the activity tile, then the 3 dots in the top right, then "Activity Settings". You can get to the same screen under "Activity & Wellness" in the Fitbit settings, then go to "Exercise".

[Kristin2023]

Hi. Thanks for the response. I do that and get a screen with only 7 options of exercises to auto recognize. I can turn them on and off but I can’t edit them. Are some exercises just not detected so you can have an auto recognize for them and have to manually input them?

[mikey_pdx]

Yeah, the only exercises that can be auto-recognized are on that list. Everything else would have to be started manually on-device, or entered afterward in the app or web. 

[RiekoC · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kristin2023 

As @mikey_pdx pointed out, there are currently only the 7 listed exercises that are auto-recognized by Fitbit devices. Right now, there isn't a way to edit the auto-recognized list to use one of the other exercises. 

After you manually start & end a specific workout, it should show up at the top as a recent activity so you don't have to scroll through the entire list to select it again. I know you can have a certain number of recent/favorite exercises that show up at the top of the list, but I don't remember the exact number. I think it might be 4. 

[Kristin2023]

@mikey_pdx 

Thank you both!

[Gibbler]

I have had about 5 fitbits over the last 8 years, the fitbit charge 6 has BY FAR been the most frustrating.  All previous fitbits were easy to set up and manage exercise activities, i have a very specific workout schedule and this charge 6 is not great for what i need.  I wish google hadn't changed so many things without doing their research first.  

[Kristin2023]

Agreed. I’ve had Fitbits for ten years. My last one was the Inspire 2. This one has caused me so many headaches, the app has problems, and even this community site doesn’t function on my phone (it freezes every few seconds and won’t allow scrolling). I also didn’t know I would have to switch my account to Google to use it. I would have kept my old one for both those reasons if I’d known.