Update Fitbit One to display "IF FOUND" message

[PureEvil]

One of the frequent struggles with Fitbit One users is the loss of the device.  If you drop your fitbit while running in a trail or at the mall, the chances of your getting the Fitbit back are effectively none.  Even if the fitbit was found and the finder knew what it was, there is no means to unite it back with its owner.

How difficult would it be to update the fitbit to display an "IF FOUND" message along with the rest of the information?  It would work like the silent alarm, if you see the "IF FOUND" and continue to click through, then you won't see the remainder of the message.  If you see the "IF FOUND" and stop, you'll see the remainder of the message.  I used the greeting to mock it up, and it'd look something like this:

You'll still be at the mercy of the finder, but I think most folks who found the device would be willing to return it, turn it in to the local 'lost & found', or both.  I'd probably do both, "Hey, I found your fitbit at Subway, leaving it with the cashier."

If nothing else, at least expand the greeting to accomodate more than 8 characters, possibly 14 characters to accomodate area code & phone number:  (XXX) XXX-XXXX

-Frank.

[SunsetRunner]

Like the idea .. but only one small problem. How is the unit going to know it is lost .. and having this on all the time would be a pain in the ***. That is the only issue I see .. but otherwise good idea, and not only for the One, the Force could benefit from this as people do tend to lose that model too .. but due to it's recalled status we will surely never see this.

[PureEvil]

The unit generally doesn't know, so it would be on all the time.  Basically it'd work like this:

<click>Flower

<click>Time

<click>Alarm Day<wait>Alarm Time

<click>If found<wait>Remainder of 'if found' message

<click>Steps

<click>Floors

<click>Distance

<click>Calories

So the key here is the <wait>, most owners of the unit would just click right through, and then you'd only have to click once.  Finders click until they see "if found" and would likely think "oh, wait a minute this is interesting..." and then see the remainder of the message.

OR the unit can have some heuristics that speculates that it fell off ('impact' of hitting the ground) or lack of activity (no movement at all for > 1 hour), and then turn on this mode until turned off (maybe like putting it in activity mode).

-Frank.

[SunsetRunner]

A nice thought, however would a non-fitbit user know how to get to the 'if found' information? It'd be chance that the fitbit was at that point in the cycle when it was found. Perhaps instead a small sticker on the back where the same information could be written?

[PureEvil]

With the Fitbit One, the interface is simple and button prominent enough that I think most folks will simply click on it until they see something that helps them out.  The other suggestion I've made to folks (and one I've done myself) is precisely that, label the unit so that if it's found, the finder will know.  Here's what mine looks like:

I used a Brother p-touch labeler and "white on clear" tape.  My labeler is fancier (connects to PC and allows different fonts), but you can certainly make a label that gets the job done with such a $30 labeler from CostCo... And I've created similar labels for all my friends with Fitbits.

In that respect, I don't necessarily need this feature, but I'm sympathetic to all the folks who report lost fitbits on the forum.  Setting up this message is better than nothing at all.

-Frank.

[DavidHowdon]

A good idea.  Just expanding the setting to allow more than eight characters would probably be enough, I've just lost mine and would have liked to get it back rather than have to buy another one.

But I'm definitly going to get some sort of label on the new one.

[Mary17]

I used black electrical tape around my band as I have lost it twice but able to find it!!! I have suggested them to make a watch type band for the felx   HOPEFULLY!!!!!!!

---

@PureEvil wrote:

One of the frequent struggles with Fitbit One users is the loss of the device.  If you drop your fitbit while running in a trail or at the mall, the chances of your getting the Fitbit back are effectively none.  Even if the fitbit was found and the finder knew what it was, there is no means to unite it back with its owner.

How difficult would it be to update the fitbit to display an "IF FOUND" message along with the rest of the information?  It would work like the silent alarm, if you see the "IF FOUND" and continue to click through, then you won't see the remainder of the message.  If you see the "IF FOUND" and stop, you'll see the remainder of the message.  I used the greeting to mock it up, and it'd look something like this:

You'll still be at the mercy of the finder, but I think most folks who found the device would be willing to return it, turn it in to the local 'lost & found', or both.  I'd probably do both, "Hey, I found your fitbit at Subway, leaving it with the cashier."

If nothing else, at least expand the greeting to accomodate more than 8 characters, possibly 14 characters to accomodate area code & phone number:  (XXX) XXX-XXXX

-Frank.

---

[Mary17]

I have lost mine twice but able to find it I now use black electrical tape around the band I have suggested to Fitbit to make a watch band for the flex   HOPEFULLY!!!!!!!

[PureEvil]

Well, this only works while you sleep.  The Fitbit One is not supposed to be worn on the wrist during the day.  It's supposed to be worn on your torso (pocket, hip or bra) during the day.

Naturally, you can wear it whereever you want, but it only measures accurately from your torse.

-Frank.

[rockmuller]

I lost one, so I am totally for this idea.

Even just contact info that can be entered when syncing the first time would help

[Fannie-]

Why not just fix the wristband so that it doesn't pop off? I have lost mine twice and now I put a piece from an old watchband and it works great.

[kensaudio]

These ideas are more intricate than what I had in mind... I was just going to suggest that the greeting stay visible a little longer than it does now (on the One).  If I didn't know what it said, I'm pretty sure most others who pick mine up would blink and miss the greeting.

Now, having lost one (that is, lost a 'One'), I'm totally in favor of growing the greeting functionality so that some owners might be more likely to get theirs back.

One option to make the extended greeting more intuitive/visible/available to a novice who picks it up might be: have a single press of the button display the (first page of the) greeting, while we owners would double-click the button to display the (first page of the) statistics.

To elaborate:

unit sleeping

single press -> 'greeting page 1'

press or wait -> greeting next page'

repeat.

Unit sleeping or awake:

Double-press of button -> 'statistics page 1'

single press -> statistics next page

repeat

Looking forward to holding on to this One.

 - K

[AmritaFitbit]

Thanks for sharing this awesome idea!  

[Turnippi]

I think this would be a key feature addition to Fitbit One since it is way too easy to lose. It drops even when used properly (in clip in pocket inwards). 

Thanks for the idea for the sticker! If I still had my Fitbit One, I would do that immediately.

Also Fitbit knows the individual IDs of the devices, so it should be possible to mark it as lost device on the website and then if someone registers the device, then Fitbit could notify them that they have a lost device.

[rob42]

I just lost my FitBit One for the first time.  I've had it for less than two months.  The way I was wearing it, it was probably inevitable.  Luckily, I was able to find it with the FitBit app and a BlueTooth scanner.  It was at the bottom of a grocery cart full of restock items at a thrift store!

I would really like lost-and-found information to be just another selectable option on the FitBit display.  I disable nearly every option, and display only steps and the time.  I would like to add "If found" information to that list.  This should be easy.

I really don't want to replace my "friendly" given name with my phone number -- that's lame!  "Let's move! ... 800-555-1212"!!!

FitBit could render FitBits unsyncable once reported stolen.  This would be good for FitBit users, and is really The Right Thing to Do, but it would sell fewer FitBits.

 /// Rob

[daynanyberg]

They don't care that you lost your fitbit!!! I have emailed them and asked if perhaps mine was turned in or if there was a way someone could turn it into them. Do you think they would even email me back? Course not. I am beginning to dispise this whole joke of a so called fitness company. They are just money hungry. Thers is no sense of customer service here that I have found. Sadly.......

[smittycdm]

@PureEvil, I should have known if there was an intelligent discussion, you would be here. Sad to say, after all my struggles with syncing & firing back up strong I lost 'my friend' today at SCP (South Coast Plaza, Nordstroms, Men's Dept. I figure it's gone for good. Which device, besides the One, would you suggest I try? And thanks again for all your help.

[PureEvil]

@smittycdm,

Ha!  Thanks for the comment!    I'm still mostly a Fitbit One guy.  I love the Surge and it's my 2nd tracker, but I have a desk treadmill at work and steps don't register properly on wrist-based trackers.

Get in touch with Fitbit Support, you never know what they'd say.

Once you get a replacement, label it.  I have a Zip for a loaner and got a text just yesterday because the friend I loaned it to dropped it.  The label works. 

[smittycdm]

@PureEvil thx again, I'm sticking with with the One. I have 2 diff Bro P-Touch, But I like ur idea, labeling the outside, white on clear. Will definitely do that. But I live in SoCal by the Beach and it's "Summer". Even if I label my little friend, there's less than a 50/50 chance I'd get it back. Human nature. I will make certain next time to remove my pal, b4 going into stores. 👍

[daynanyberg]

Gosh, I can't believe the unkind remarks...:( Aren't we all here to be supportive? Who doesn't wear theirs in a store? This is pretty sad when we can't all be kind to each other on here. Makes me for one not want to post. I hope these were jokes. 

[smittycdm]

@PureEvil, u will never believe, after all I said about "living at the Beach, in the Summer" blah blah. Yes, someone, turned my little Fitbit One into the SCP Nordstrom Lost & Found. There are actually honest people in The OC, lol. Now husband can can have his own "One"., because I went into withdrawl w/o my FB One & went ahead bought a new "one". PS. What unkind remarks? You know if you go w/o ur FB too long, these things happen!

[smittycdm]

Sent from my iPad

[rob42]

When I lost mine in a thrift store, the manager said "Given the nature of this place and who shops here, if you lost anything of value in here, it's probably gone."  Nevertheless, I recovered it later that day.

No point in guessing one way or the other.  If you know about where you lost it, go out and try to pair with it.  If you can't, it's gone.  If you can, track it down further with a Bluetooth strength meter app.  The FitBit helps showed me exactly how to do it.

Also, I don't want to promise anything on behalf of FitBit, but they opened a case for my lost One, and I got the impression that they might very well have sent me a replacement had I not found it.  Maybe call them on the phone and tell them about your circumstances, rather than complain about how much life sucks.  

I must say, it's a really weird feeling to walk into a store and see your phone app suddenly say "Connected", and the step count jump by 1,500 steps!  "WHERE ARE YOU, LIL' FITBIT?!?!!"

[Katnap]

I love this idea. Having lost two Fitbits now, I think it could help. Not everyone who finds the item knows they can contact Fitbit Support to report a found device. As long as the battery is still alive when found, It could grab the finder's attention and get a person reunited with their little buddy.

Fitbit replaced my first one because it was under warranty, but not the second one, sadly.

[Paul1717]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this earlier but in your local area you don't really need the area code so you can just enter your phone number 123-4567 instead of Hi Paul.  If there are multiple area codes you can keep trying until you find the user who lost the device.  This works with my ONE but my wife has a Charge HR and there is no greeting.

[tedhowell]

 @rob42 says: FitBit could render FitBits unsyncable once reported stolen.  This would be good for FitBit users, and is really The Right Thing to Do, but it would sell fewer FitBits.

Bravo for spotting the source of the problem! Fitbit does not acknowledge this as the fundamental reason why those who find a Fitbit (or steal one) can benefit from keeping it rather than returning it. Along with the other point that having a crowd based Fitbit finder (see Tile and similar products) could easily be built in to the existing devices.

Personally I have moved on to a device that does feature anti-theft & find features.