Clock-Fit Support

[DrRobin]

Hi,

I am DrRobin, the creator of Clock-Fit and have started this thread to provide support on Clock-Fit and Clock-Fit-Versa.

The first post is about setting 12/24 hour mode, please see the following

12/24Hr Mode

When I wrote Clock-Fit I didn't realise that Fitbit's global settings overrides what is set locally, so you can change between 12 and 24 hour mode as follows:
 
Clock-Fit picks up it's time format from your profile settings, it's towards the bottom of the web page using the following link.
 
https://www.fitbit.com/settings/profile

You will need to log in, then just set 12 or 24 hour mode and press submit. Now sync your Fitbit with you mobile and the display will change.

Unfortunately, this setting is not available in the iPhone/Android app, so you need to log in to the website to make the change.

Email or post if you have any questions.

[DrRobin]

Hi Mike,

Does your Versa 2 run for longer if you select a different clock face, perhaps one of the Fitbit ones or is it only with Clock-Fit?  If it goes flat quickly with any clock face then it must be a fault with Fitbit's OS and not Clock-Fit.

Is anyone else experiencing problems with Versa 2?  Does the short battery life go if you choose a different clock face?

I suspect they have done something in the latest firmware release, unfortunately I don't have a Versa 2 to test here, just the simulator and that won't show these type of problems.

Robin

[Schroeder1959]

Update:

I tried doing what Fitbit told me to do to my Versa 2, and it bricked my device, won’t even turn on.  They gave me a 35% discount so I now have a brand new Versa 2.   I finally was able to get Clock-fit-Versa installed and working, but I can only get two days worth of battery with any of the versions.  Before the latest update I would get five and sometimes six days of battery life.  Not sure what they did with this new update, but I am very frustrated to say the least.  Your clock face was the one I used since I found it when I purchased my original Versa 2.  I just wanted to update you with these sad findings!   Your clock face is THE BEST!!!

Sincerely,

Mike

[Schroeder1959]

Yes sir, I tried a basic analog clock face and it lasted 6+ days.   I will attach a photo of the clock face.   I would much rather be using your clock face, for it is the best one out there!

 

[solarado]

OK, I have been wearing my new Sense on one wrist and my old Versa 2 on my other for the last 24 hours.  I put a standard Fitbit clock face (Waveform) on the Versa 2, can can confirm Schroeder1959's experience that it does not drain the battery at the heavy rate that I've observed lately using Clock-Fit.  It's used only 12% of the power in 24 hours, which would last a about a week between charges, instead of the 1-2 day battery life I have experienced lately with Clock-Fit.  What I have not done yet is try any of Doc Robin's special versions of Clock-Fit, just the one I originally downloaded when I got the Versa 2, and I have made no effort to update it.  Heck, I didn't even know about these other versions or this discussion thread until a couple days ago.

I'll try to experiment further with the low power fix versions of Clock-Fit.  In the meantime, I hold out hope that Robin can port this clock face to the new Sense.  Like everyone else here, I adore this clock face, because it makes my life easier.

   - brian

[DrRobin]

Thanks Brian, that is helpful.

How old is you version of Clock-Fit?  Perhaps it auto-updated?  If you have a really old version, i.e. no choice of clock face or other settings through the mobile app and battery life is really poor there must be something in the latest firmware for the Versa 2 that is causing a heavy battery drain on all versions.  This would be really bad news, it will be very hard to find.  If all of your versions are new then it must be one of the new features, I suspect the settings on the phone, keeping Bluetooth active, but my Ionic doesn't do it.

This is a fairly old version, but created last year and includes Versa 2.

https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/59b1bf4a-8d0a-4b5b-92ba-9bdd40991375

This is the latest dev version, but Mike is running that

https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/47dd2bcc-92ff-43da-8328-9b627ac949ab

This is the published version

https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/2dade537-c4f5-4b30-8aff-9466b8fd2322

I would have to try and find some earlier versions on my hard drive and put them up as new links, but not sure they will run on the Versa 2.

I haven't had any time to look at a version for the Sense, but did create this test version, I can't remember how many features it had in it or if it has the low power mods (probably not), but if you want to give it a try and let me know what it does?

https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/86c9871b-c267-43ec-85d3-bbc3c2ce5fee

Unfortunately the day job is rather hectic just now, I am not sure when I will get chance to look at Clock-Fit again, I will try to find sometime on a weekend.

Robin

[DrRobin]

Not wanting to add more woes, but my Ionic is starting to play up, every couple of weeks something happens and when I try to go back to the [Clock-Fit] screen by pressing the back button, it displays a blank screen.  Clock-Fit is still running, just the screen is blank.  Usually if you open another app and then close it Clock-Fit displays again, but last week I had to do a soft reset to get it back.

I have no idea why this has just started happening and can't remember if I am running the published or a dev version, I think it is a dev version, but it is slightly annoying.  So if you see a blank screen, don't panic, just try running a app, close it and Clock-fit should be restored, otherwise just do a soft reset.

Robin

[solarado]

Well, it looks like I have some experimenting to do!  You've put it all in one place for me, including a trial Sense version. I guess I'm going to be wearing two watches for the near future!

Robin, you and your clock face are the best!

Regards,

  - brian

[Schroeder1959]

I hear ya Brian!   I did use the new updated battery friendly versions of Clock-Fit-V-Dev and it also drained my battery, but this never happened until this most recent update from Fitbit.  I could go 5+ days using Mucho.  I currently have Clock-Fit-V-Dev on my new Versa 2, and I am experiencing the same battery drain.  This is no fault of the good Dr. Robin's, his watch faces were working just fine before the new Fitbit update.  I am not a programmer, though I played one as a Technology Director for our local school district for three years.  Clock-Fit is by far the best clock face out there, but unfortunately it no longer lasts like it did before the update.  I am hoping that someday there is a fix for this, and I place the responsibility on Fitbit.  It seems that they are trying to make us all use just the Fitbit clock faces, but I don't like any of them.   

Just for the sake of science, I am trying Clock-Fit-V-Dev / Mucho again with a full battery.  I will update tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Mike

[DrRobin]

Hi Mike,

Okay, I might have it, you and Brian have just given me a clue.  Clock-Fit (all recent versions since middle of 2020) were compiled against libraries V4.2, this matched the Fitbit tracker firmware up until they released the Sense, when they moved the library files to V5.0.  For Ionic and Versa I have the option of V4.2 or V5, but kept it as V4.2 as this always worked.

I originally started the Ionic and Versa on V2, then moved to V3 and finally last year to V4.2.  V4.2 supports the Ionic and Versa 1 - 2, but not Versa 3 or the Sense.  V5.0 doesn't support the Ionic or possibly the original Versa.

I suspect that as you are now using the new tracker firmware if I re-compile against library V5 it will fix the problem.  I need to make a few changes to the code to compile with V5, but already have these for the Sense as that has to use V5.

I know it is a lot of numbers but it makes sense (no pun intended) I need to compile against the latest library to match the latest firmware in the tracker.  I will put up a direct download link, but only use this if you are running the latest tracker firmware and suffering from battery drain problems.

Robin

[Schroeder1959]

You are the BEST!   I can't wait!  Thank you for all that you do for all the loyal users of your wonderful clock face!

Sincerely,

Mike

[DrRobin]

Okay, bad news, V5 libraries are only for Versa 3 & Sense.  For Versa 2 (and Versa 1, lite) and Ionic, I have to use V4.2, which is what has been used all along.

All the versions I have compiled for Versa 2 used V4.2 libraries, the first time I compiled this was 23/10/20.  Previously the published version compiled on 23/05/18 was for Versa only.  Was anyone using a Versa 2 and Clock-Fit before October 2020?

This is the version compiled in October 2020, the first version for Versa 2

https://gallery.fitbit.com/details/59b1bf4a-8d0a-4b5b-92ba-9bdd40991375

As far as I can tell it was the original which worked before I started messing with different screens and power saving techniques.  If this doesn't make the battery last longer then it is the new Versa 2 firmware which is causing the battery drain and apart from stripping stuff out of Clock-Fit until we find what it is I don't know how to solve it.  If this does run for longer then it is something I have added mainly settings and different screens.

Do you guys have your tracker on 'All Day Sync' that certainly drains the battery.  If you have a look through settings on the tracker are there any new features which might causing more battery power to be used?  E.g. Internet, Bluetooth, location?

Finally has anyone with a Versa or Versa Lite got the same problem?

Robin

[Schroeder1959]

I was using Versa 2 since 2019, and Fitbit was my first clock-face I selected. 

[DrRobin]

Hi Mike,

This doesn't get any clearer, I didn't compile a version of Clock-Fit for Versa 2 until 23rd Oct 2020, see the version history below of when I submitted compiled versions to Fitbit.  The SDK is the libraries I compile against.

================================================================================================================

ID: 0x0a386bbda648bc7c
Supports: Versa, Versa 2, Versa Lite

Version
V4.2.0v
Notes for reviewers
Updated version to show distance and calories. Updated to SDK 4.2 Updated to include Versa, Lite & Versa 2
Published 10/26/2020 10:49 AM
Approved 10/26/2020 10:45 AM
Uploaded 10/23/2020 3:42 PM

================================================================================================================

ID: 0x03362b74d538f479
Supports: Versa

Version
V2.0.1v
Published 05/14/2018 6:11 PM
Approved 05/15/2018 2:03 PM
Uploaded 05/14/2018 6:11 PM

================================================================================================================

If you were running Clock-Fit on a Versa 2 before 23rd October 2020, then Fitbit must have allowed you to install the version compiled for the older Versa and not for Versa, Versa Lite and Versa 2. 

I compile Clock-Fit against an SDK, the 2018 version of Clock-Fit was compiled against SDK V2.  Support for Versa 2 didn't come in until the release of SDK V4.0 (which was Sept 2019), but I didn't compile Clock-Fit against SDK V4.2 until Oct 2020.

This is the mystery, how you were able to download and install Clock-Fit to a Versa 2 prior to October 2020, yet I see your first post in this thread was from Dec 2019.  Perhaps you exploited a loop hole that Fitbit have now plugged.

Anyway back to the real problem, I assume that some of the later versions i.e. with Mucho worked okay, so since I now cannot go back to a SDK before V4.2 Fitbit must have changed something in the latest tracker firmware which Clock-Fit doesn't work well with.  I did a search and there are a lot of people complaining, people not using Clock-Fit, so it might be a wider Fitbit issue.

I wish there was some way to roll back the tracker firmware, but don't think this is possible.  Not wanting to rub it in but I have one of the first Versas to be available, it's 3 years old or more and hasn't been used for over a year.  I charged it yesterday afternoon to 100% and has now been running 15 hours, it is showing 92% with an old version of Clock-Fit running.  I am just going to leave it until it goes flat, then might update the firmware to see what happens.

Robin

[Schroeder1959]

It was the end of 2019, maybe the very beginning of 2020.  I have attached a photo of Clock-Fit on my Versa 2 that I took on January 7th, 2020. 
Hope this helps. 

Mike

 

[DrRobin]

Hi Mike,

Then it was the original version (Ver 2.01), built on SDK V2.  This was only ever compiled for Versa, not Versa 2 and how you were able to install it I don't know.  Unfortunately Fitbit have removed all the old versions and there doesn't appear to be any way to restore them.  I can only compile with SDK V4.2, the direct download links above are all compiled with V4.2, so if none of those work I am not sure what to suggest.

I did a search through the Versa 2 documentation to see if there is anything different, or if you have to do anything different to Versa for clock faces, nothing showed up. 

You could ask Fitbit if they will make the old tracker firmware available and roll back to something that worked.

Robin

[solarado]

Mike and I are clearly cut from the same cloth.

I received my Versa 2 in Dec 2019 too, and probably discovered and installed Clock-Fit not long after that.

One of your questions, Doc, was whether we were doing an "all day sync".  My answer is no, I sync manually only when I open the app.  But in reading up on this "all day sync" option, it seems Fitbit has taken this switch away from the app in Android phones, like I use.  The stated reason was we were missing what Fitbit determined were important notifications, or some such, when "all day sync" was turned off.  So they took this switch away, and do some sneaky syncing without our knowledge, evidently.  Fitbit claimed their testing showed minimal power drain by syncing more often.  Anyway, this change has generated some user complaints about power drain, so not everyone agrees that this change was harmless.  Perhaps part of our story?

The good news I have is that Clock-Fit runs flawlessly on my new Sense.  It's used up only 15% of the battery in a bit more than a day.  In this same period, the published version of Clock-Fit has used 48% of my Versa 2 battery.  I'll continue to play with the different versions I can get to run on the Versa 2.

  - brian

[DrRobin]

Hi Brian,

I suspected that some sort of sync is going on between the Versa 2 and phone, the only thing Clock-Fit is using is the settings and this might keep running every time the comms link between phone and Versa wakes up.  I use an iPhone and the ‘all day sync’ option is still there, so interesting it has been removed on Android, unless it is a Versa 2 thing.  The Ionic is a legacy product now, so perhaps Fitbit have stopped messing with it?

Even turning off ‘all day sync’ might not clos3 all of the comms, on my iPhone it still keeps notifications and other settings going, so I think you are on to something.

Does the Versa 2 allow you to have several clock faces installed, my Ionic allows 5 faces in the iPhone app, if it does, remove all of them, then install Clock-Fit from the link in the my post above, the original version compiled for Versa 2 from October 2020.  The reason for removing all the other versions is something might be left over, like the settings which are stored in the watch memory, not the clock face memory.  After removing Clock ck-Fit a reset would probably help.

The original version from October 2020 shouldn’t contain the settings code or any of the other features of later versions and should be as close as it can be to the original.  It’s still strange you could install Clock-Fit in 2019, Fitbit must have allowed apps for Versa to be installed in Versa 2, I bet they don’t now.

Finally good news about the Sense, I don’t have one so you are the first to try it.  I will look to see what needs doing to finish the full version, I think it is just screen layouts.

i charged my Ionic and old Versa at the same time on Thursday evening, my Ionic is on my wrist, the Versa sitting on a desk, both are at 82% after a day and a half.

Robin

[solarado]

That worked!

I followed your instructions and removed all the other clock faces except for Clock-Fit-Versa-Old from October 2020, did a soft (not factory) reset to clear whatever settings are stored, and ran my Versa 2 for 24 hours.  Success!  It used only 10% of the battery in a full day!  Try it, Mike!

I now switched over to the published version, Clock-Fit-Versa -- again eliminating all other clock faces including Clock-Fit-Versa-Old, and will try for another day.

I bow to your debugging skills, Doc!

   - brian

[Schroeder1959]

Brian,

Can you please send me step by step instructions.  I tried this all before and Fitbit wanted me to do a Factory Reset and it bricked my Versa 2.   I will do what you said, but I just want to be sure I am following the exact instructions.  

Thank you!

Mike

[DrRobin]

It was a lucky guess Brian.

Actually. I suspect the problem isn’t fixed, it’s the [user] settings in more recent versions which is draining the battery, not the fact that you have multiple versions added in the app.  I would love for you to prove me wrong, but I suspect a problem with user settings in Versa 2 with the new firmware.  The old version didn’t use settings and only had one clock face, that has been the major change.

if that is the case I will need to remove them out of the new version and compile face specific versions for each clock face.  I know Mike wants Mucho, not sure which face anyone else wants?  This would be a temporary fix until Fitbit fix whatever is going on with settings in clock faces.  Certainly my Ionic doesn’t seem to suffer from this problem, but do others users have the same issue with Ionic, Versa or Versa lite?

Anyway great detective work Brian.  If you could post your steps here for Mike and others that would be great.

I have been busy with the full version for the Sense, it’s not quite finished, but will be soon, available as a direct download link here. 

Robin