Ability to change goals per day, without changing all past days.

[msbroberts]

We should be able to change our goals without changing all of our past goals.
For example, on holiday break I was happy to lower my goal to 5,000 steps. Or converter, some days I want to do more and want to up my goal to 15,000 or even 20,000...but then It changes all the past days.

Moderator edit: added labels

[j8cruzen]

I agree completely! For three years users have asked and been ignored. Talk about lousy customer service! I’m looking at getting a Garmin. Garmin let’s you set all kinds of goals and does not change all past goals. Fitbit is lazy and ignores its customers! Garmin has more options, fits your life style, and is responsive. If you want a fitness tracker that actually tracks YOUR fitness goals check out Garmin!

Sent from my iPhone

[ABK33]

After 3 weeks with the fitbit, I'm ready to up my step goal, as I've been trying to do the "slow and steady" approach to becoming active. So incredibly disappointing to see all the past goal achievement stars disappear. This makes me wonder if I should have looked into the other tracking brands harder and gone another direction. I also see that this thread is years old, I'm concerned about fitbit's interest in customer satisfaction if this still has not been resolved.

[takajiinouye]

I think we are all still waiting for a software upgrade from FitBit to meet
our concerns. I was blessed to receive a Blaze for Christmas from my
brother. It allows for the 250 steps/hour for certain days to be disabled,
but not the ability to customize the number of steps we choose to benchmark
our daily routines. I am glad we are keeping this chain going.

[Goosse1962]

@ABK33 and @takajiinouye,

I am saddened to read your comments. I take it that you are new to Fitbit. As a customer for several years who has upgraded my tracker twice, I have seen Fitbit continue to improve the tracker hardware and software, dashboard, Android app, and general infrastructure. I have also seen them continually respond to Android system upgrades and updates.

Your posts are in a suggestion forum. My understanding is that Fitbit looks at the number of votes for each suggestion and the amount of resources it would take to implement. If you want this to be implemented, then vote for it and convince your friends to vote for it as well.

My guess, from an IT background, is that saving past goal data takes more hardware resources than calculating from the current goal specifications. As a result, i think this suggestion might require more votes than some others have been recently implemented.

Have a Terrific day!

[gigglebyte66]

I posted here simply because that’s what the “help” at FitBit told me to do
if I ever hoped to see them make changes.

I’ve been using FitBit for years, but certainly expected a bit more than
losing my past days of reaching my daily goal just because I’ve improved my
health and decided that I want to increase my daily goal. All I’m saying
is, when I’ve been using FitBit to track 10,000 steps per my goal each day
for nearly 2 years, and I finally decide, since I’m surpassing that goal on
a daily basis, to increase it to 15,750, I shouldn’t lose allllll those
past days of reaching my 10,000 step goal every day for the past 18 months,
simply because I increased my daily goal. So, now all my history prior to
the moment I increased my goal now shows as not reaching my goal for any
day in those 18 months...that cannot be THAT difficult to figure out.

[LinkeLoutje]

@Goosse1962 Not sure what your IT background is, but with respect to databasing I'd estimate that, depending on their implementation, this shouldn't be the issue. But let's get into that in more detail. Let's take a GUID for the ID field of every user. Then each row calculates to a maximum of 37 bytes. 16 for the ID, 8 for the from and until dates of each goal and 5 bytes for the actual goal. 

Fitbits user base currently is around 25 million customers. Since not every user is constantly updating their targets let's estimate you set 100 different goals each year (that's almost every 3 days). Even then the table needed to facilitate that data per year should be below 10GB in size. 

(25 million X 100 X 37 bytes)

Taking into account that a server SSD of around 500gb can be purchased for around 500-600 this should be a no brainer when facilitating 25 million customers. They should be able to store 50! years of data on each drive. 

Performance is somewhat more difficult to estimate, since the one join will be getting more complex, but I do not expect them to calculate the scores on the fly and only updating the limited amount of your fixed records in their fact table when the goal is changed. Can't imagine it would require that much extra performance that costs are indeed a factor. 

[j8cruzen]

Other fitness trackers do it, the Garmin has it. Garmin allows for multiple goals and does not change past goals.

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

That’s an interesting idea and could be useful, thanks for sharing this suggestion.

[Goosse1962]

@gigglebyte66,

I like your latest post. You clearly and concisely stated the issue. However, you didn't 'technically' lose anything. You still have the health gains you made. The raw data is still there. The issue is that the reports don't reflect things the way you want.

I dealt with similar issues in the corporate world. Two decades ago I was printing and filing weekly reports so that I could look back at data with the goals of the period reported. It was easier than writing more complicated reports. In the last decade I did the same thing with reports that I had no control over. This is one solution. Restore the setting you were using before, print for your records (or your warm and fuzzy), and then set for you new goals and track going forward.

Most recently, I dealt with similar issues by copying and pasting the reports to MS Word, MS Excel, HTML, and several other formats for electronic storage and later review using the parameters at the time. I have found that some of the Fitbit reports are easily copied and pasted while others are not. This may be an option.

For my personal goals, I, at one time, was printing monthly calendars and sticking on stars when I met goals. That is also an option, all be it a very old one, and very manual.

Personally, I had originally been upset when I saw how Fitbit reporting worked. But then I looked at what I really wanted, and needed. For me, I realized that it didn't make much difference. I am most interested in seeing graphs over time showing improvement. The stars for reaching goals only matter to me for very recent history. I.E. reaching a goal today or this week, and a little bit of the past few weeks. More than a month ago is not very useful except for trending, definitely not for meeting goals.

My suggestion is to take a look at what you really want. Then look at what is available to achieve it. Maybe one of my solutions above will help you. If you really need the change in reporting by Fitbit, then definitely vote for this item and encourage everyone you know to vote for it. For me it is only a 'nice to have'. 

Good luck and have a Terrific day!

[Goosse1962]

@LinkeLoutje,

My IT background is extensive and does include databases. Besides designing, implementing, and converting databases, I spent a lot of time writing reports from databases and helping DBAs with the storage issues. Your math is impressive. I didn't verify it for accuracy. I expect it to be close enough to accurate to not be an issue if your guess at the implementation is close. You certainly know something about databases.

My background includes, systems, business, and scientific: analysis, design, and programming. I have worked on mainframes, servers, mini-servers, PCs, and small devices.

I can easily think of five different ways to implement this feature. From what I have seen, I am guessing that the raw data collected is stored, as well as account settings, including for reports. When report parameters are changed, the display of the data is recalculated when displayed on a device. If that is the case, then the developers have two major options for this feature: store the report parameters with the date range to apply and to calculate as needed, or to store the report results permanently after calculation. Now for each method, look at the implementation on the back end (server) and each device platform (Web, Windows, Android, Apple) and all variations of browser, computer, and phone. There is a lot to look at. How many phone and computer models are out there to take into account. Then look at operating systems and other running software that might need to be handled.

Now what do the developers do for those customers that want changed parameters to affect the past? Do you lock report changes, or spend the resources to allow customers to choose if a change is retroactive? What is the expese when considering all target display platforms?

I have worked with Fitbit Support Services providing info to help them figure out the root cause of issues on the Android platform. I am happy that after a few months of reporting what I see, Fitbit making software changes, and repeat; that they fixed issues affecting me. However I see on the forums, that some issues still occur for at least one line of Android phones, a very popular one. Many customers want Fitbit resources applied to that issue.

One of the things I discovered in working with Fitbit Support Services is that data calculated in the cloud is then stored on the display device. Now take your database calculations and convert them to each end-user device for amount of data storage and/or processing on said device. Do all devices have enough memory and/or processing or data transer to display the data in a resonable time from the customer perspective?

I see this as another case of people focusing on a single tree, and not being aware of the extensive surounding forest.

From my perspective, and others on the forums, there are other issues of more importance for the developers and programmers to work on. It took many months for the Android app to work with the phone for GPS tracking, with one major phone line and one tracker still not working. That is more important to some of us than this feature request.

This is one of many 'items' that are more complex than is obvious. If you want Fitbit resources spent on it, please cast your vote and get others to do the same. Saying it is a simple solution doesn't help. Although I would like to see this implemented, there are other issues and features that I see as more valuable to me at this time.

I have seen many things work that I thought shouldn't. I don't want to discurage you. If you're ideas are truely valid, then please work with Fitbit support on this. You may have a solution they haven't considered that could make this work with less effort.

Keep posting and have a Terrific day!

[gigglebyte66]

Why not just submit your own request instead of bashing my suggestion(along
with others with the same or similar suggestions?

What’s important to you is obviously not the same as what is important to
me, and that doesn’t mean one is less important than the other.

I’ve never understood the inherent desire in some people to try to make
themselves or their issues more important than anybody else’s. If you don’t
agree with my post, move on and make your own. It’s really quite simple.

This response is actually meant for a couple of the responders. I’m sure
you will instantly know who you are.

Thank you,

Respectfully,

Shawn

[Molly10]

There are 359 comments going back years. It was marked as "under consideration" in 2014. They won't change it as they don't obviously want to. If they wanted to, they would have done it. They are busy designing new products and not taking into consideration their many loyal customers (some who will look for other companies who are interested in providing what they want). 

I hope people still put forward their requests as I think this is a good idea. I'd stopped posting on Fitbit community as this is the only forum where moderators are able to change/merge/etc. comments and I don't agree with this.

[gigglebyte66]

I know. I only posted because when I said something that’s pretty much what
they instructed me to do. I saw the newest they are releasing....they need
to get things right instead of moving on 😞

[j8cruzen]

Thank you for the alternate ways to track old data. The pint of the Fitbit is that it tracks it for you electronically so you do t have to go through additional step of manually tracking progress. I used to use a manual tracking system using a manual step counter and calendar. The point of paying for a Fitbit was to use the software option. I had a watch I loved and a manual system that worked. I switch to the Fitbit to make it easier and quicker to track the data. An easier solution is the Garmin or other fitness tracker that does allow for different goals without losing your previous achievements.

Sent from my iPhone

[j8cruzen]

Shawn,

When I submitted my request to not lose past goals Fitbit consolidated my post with others so it is one stream. If you try to make a separate post about goals, Fitbit will send you an email telling you this subject already exists and to search for similar ideas before submitting your own idea. So basically you can’t submit a separate post about this they all end up tied together. It’s just the way they do things.

Sent from my iPhone

[j8cruzen]

Agreed. And I know people I’ve talked too off this post who are leaving Fitbit for reasons like this. Including myself

Sent from my iPhone

[Lexy81]

I have been a fit bitter since Fit Bit came to life in 2009.  Fitbit has seen me through a wedding, two pregnancies, and now my journey to lose all the baby weight.  February 2017 I decided it was time to get serious with this journey.  As of today I was down 28 pounds, 50% of my weight loss goal.  After a visit with my doctor she set some new goals for me and so I decided to update my Fitbit goals.  Since doing that, now my weight loss tile on the dashboard is reset.  Support says there is no way to fix this.  I dislike this tremendously!!  In 9 YEARS, this is the first time I have been very disappointed with Fitbit.  I have been working on this goal for a year now and God only know what kind of struggle and journey it has been.  To not be able to put things back to show the beginning of my journey is disheartening and if someone is not mentally prepared to see this happen then this could potentially be a set back for them.  I would love to see Fitbit create a fix for this.  Give us an option to start fresh with the goals when they are changed or keep your journey starting from a certain date.  I have high hopes that Fitbit will fix this and I am a veteran user.

[LinkeLoutje]

@Goosse1962

Naturally there are multiple ways leading to Rome. For example... When calculating the daily total (which happens anyway) the query could join with the stored target table and fill an extra column with a binary. The extra performance needed is negligible. Then every app can simply request whether a star should be displayed. This should easily avoid any platform issues. In any case, every app and platform will probably request the data via some kind of SQL request. This request can be updated (and is platform independent) to calculate the stars on the fly, every modern device should be able to perform this calculation within a reasonable amount of time. If not, the user probably doesn't care as much about performance as we do 😉

Anyway. Looking at the amount of votes and messages on this forum, this seems one of the more popular feature request, while being relatively easy to solve. But you're right that more issues exist. Actually, I'm quite disappointed with the feature set of the Charge and I believe that if Fitbit will not up it's game it will be the next Blackberry. 

[SunsetRunner]

I would like to be able to disable the app on the days that I am not wearing the device. It is not helpful to have incomplete data on days when I am not wearing it as it makes the averages wrong. Seeing that you reached your goal on 3/5 days isn’t helpful if you had no goal for 2 of those days because you aren’t wearing it rather than not being active. Also it would be good to be able to turn the device off. Finally, it would be good to not have it light up when I move my arm at night as this disturbs my sleep

[SunsetRunner]

I don't think this is the same thing at all. I want to be able to turn it off altogether. No data collection. No battery use. Sit in my bag, turned off, until I turn it on because I want to wear it.

[j8cruzen]

Good morning, I don’t know of anyway to do that. All I can think of is just put it in you bag and disconnect it from your phone so it doesn’t collect data.

Sent from my iPhone

[BrianHoover]

That's simple enough. On the watch, swipe to and select "Settings." Scroll
down to "Shutdown." Confirm "Yes."

[SunsetRunner]

The charge 2 does not have this function

[219Liz]

I have used my fitbit since 2012. After birth of my LO, I have had to go back and re-loose weight. I am sure others out there for one reason or another have gained back some as well. I dont want to loose my history of how far I have come, so when I reset my goal I keep all of my old history. When I go to my weight stats, I can see how much i have lost in the last week, month, year, and all. It would be very nice to be able to have the option to see what my starts are since the last time i reset my goal. or even to be able to name our goals each time to make them all options to see how we did. ( but most important to me would be able to see my current goal, which was about 3 months ago at this point)

[daakrd]

I'd like for the Fitbit app to maintain a record of the days I reached my daily goal on any aspect, whether is active minutes, steps or else, when I decide to change it to tougher challenge. 

It could be shown with a star of another color to symbolize that your goal was met, reminding you of your success record, but also differentiating it from your current goal without it being taking away your achievement completely just because on today's challenge it would not have been enough.