Premium subscription required to see sleep data

[sammybammy]

I just got a versa 2 a few days ago and had absolutely no idea or indication that my sleep information would be withheld behind an incredibly expensive paywall. I will be replacing it with a polar band, which does not withold any of the information it records. This kind of ruthless greediness is why people leave companies and seek jailbreaking options for devices that are limited only by a paywall. I'm genuinely so floored that information my fitbit already records is withheld from me. Fitbit is able to sell this information to third parties but I can't use it to help sleep better unless I pay them even more than I already have?

I'm beginning to ramble, but the point is that I am so unimpressed with my first experience with Fitbit, and I can absolutely understand why fitbit no longer has a stronghold on the activity tracker market. I would advise any people curious about fitbits to look for a different device until fitbit fixes this major usability issue.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @sammybammy. Welcome to the Community Forums. I'm sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts about the Premium features and let me help you with your inquiries. As you may know, Fitbit Premium is a new and optional service for those who want to enjoy a personalized training, insights, and other features, that are not offered on the normal account. Let me clarify that no feature have been removed from the non Premium accounts and moved to Premium. This means that you'll have access to the same features offered to any Fitbit Family member, such as the sleep patterns, sleep stages, sleep scores and the time spent on each sleep stage

The Premium members will receive the same information too, with the difference that they'll see sleeping heart rate, restlessness and the analysis of that data. That way these members will have a better overview, tips and information of their data. For more information about the Premium subscription, check this help article. If you are not interested in Fitbit Premium, you can always continue using the Fitbit app as you have been doing until now!

I'll be around if you have any other question.

[GrannyWV]

I PAY for Fitbit Premium and this morning when I checked my sleep patterns, it wouldn't work.  This is the second time it has happened to me.  I have afib and it's very important to me to watch my restoration sleep and heart rate.  Getting frustrated paying for something that doesn't work.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @GrannyWV. Welcome on board and I'm sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks for letting me know that you're not getting sleeping heart rate and restoration despite being subscribed to Premium. I understand how important this data is for you and let me help you with this matter. Since you mentioned to see your sleep patterns, may I know if your watch also generated your sleep stages? I'm asking this as it's necessary to receive sleep stages in order to receive the rest of your sleep details.

If that's correct, please take a look to the factors described in this help article which prevent you from getting sleep stages. Also, try restarting your Fitbit device and make sure you're getting heart rate readings before sleeping.

I'll be around, keep me posted.

[rdbitak]

I just purchased a Fitbit Sense.  I haven't unboxed it yet.  I was already disappointed that I found out I can't check my oxygen saturation while awake. If we are worried about accuracy, then what is the point? It isn't useful.   But then, I find out you have to pay to see data analytics.  There is no way I am going to pay extra to see analytics on the data you are collecting on me.  You should be able to make enough money using all the data you are collecting to offer social health trend analytics in general.  But for 300 plus dollars, I should have access to Dashboards and analytics on my health data without paying a monthly fee.  That is what I bought it for.    While you say anyone can see sleep patterns, stages etc, the delineation of sleeping hear rate, restless and analysis is deceptive and unnecessary.  Why is that in the premium?  That is my health data isn't it?  I would be fine if you charged for the health advice and tips, and all that exercise routine rigamarole.  But my basic health data and trends should be free.  When I found that out after my purchase, that became and instant deal breaker. 

Now I am frustrated even more about this brand by having to waste my time going through the process of returning it for a refund. 

The world is looking for a health monitoring device that collects data since our medical community is failing at doing it effectively.  Paying for a doctors appointment to monitor health statistics over time, which is the only effective way of doing it,  is not cost effective for public health. We need monitors daily that can collect that data that we can then review with doctors.  Someone solves that problem and they will have a gold mine of loyal customers.  That is what people want.  Half way is not useful and is then just a trendy fashion item. 

[buckcreek]

I think the basic is supposed to include analysis of deep and REM sleep stages, but I don't get that.  I have been chatting with FitBit over the past month about this. I was just now told by FitBit that I don't have sleep information since I don't have a premium subscription.  So I am confused. What is right?  I only know that I used to get sleep data and now I don't. And I don't have a sleep tile.

[buckcreek]

Addendum to my post:  after chatting with several FitBit help folks over the last 6 weeks (and getting erroneous advice), I finally got one that knows what she's talking about.  Go to Today, then edit (you may have to hit the right arrow there at the top).  This is an editor for the Today page. There you can add or delete tiles (toggle down so you don't miss anything).  I did this, added the Sleep tile, now I can see my sleep data.

[DrewFl]

Totally agree on this one.

Brought the Fitbit sense, a rather expensive device. They give you 6 months of premium free so it seems like the product itself tracks all kinds of things, then when the overpriced premium ends, they pull the rug from you and suddenly you can't see basic breakdowns of information the device already tracks, but won't give you access to. 

To make things worse, all that additional insight on your scores that you had access to for the first 6 months, which I paid for, is behind a paywall. So you Fitbit robs you of the data you already paid for.

Top it with an extremely buggy OS that requires me to constantly delete and re-add the device so it synchronizes with your phone. My google assistant on it hasn't worked in several months no matter how many times I delete and add the device 

Yet if you re-subscribe, you suddenly have access to the breakdown data. So they collect the data that costs them nothing to show you, they just won't show it to you unless pay them 13$ a month??? (Netflix cost 13$ a month and they pay hundreds of millions of dollars in licensing)

My Fitbit purchase was a huge disappointment 

[JillDinMN]

That is not true.  We no longer have access to the sleep info that we originally  did.  I've decided that not only am I NOT renewing my membership,  I will never buy another Fitbit.  You are charging for basic info that is part of basic stats.    Pure GREED and crappiest "customer service" I've ever dealt with.  I've had a fitbit almost since your first device.   No more. Found a better tracker with MORE features and NO "premium" charges.

[buckcreek]

I don't have Premium and I do have detailed sleep data.  It's something else.  Try changing the sleep setting from normal to sensitive.

[GrannyWV]

Which tracker did you purchase?  I'm fed up with Fitbit .. I tried to check my sleep and they've changed the format and I can't make 'heads or tails' out of it.  I also had to sign in which I've never had to do before.  I have afib and it's very important to check my heart rate and quality of sleep.

[buckcreek]

I have Fitbit Charge 4.  I don't have premium; it's not required for sleep data. My Fitbit misses sleep data only rarely, like once a month.  It doesn't seem to matter where it's on the wrist.  Maybe reset it and make sure it's charged.

[ArcticWX]

From my personal experience, even a “Premium Subscription” doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your sleep data. My Fitbit came with 6 months free Premium. 

Before June 15 my sleep data was routinely available (around 90% of the time), between June 15 and June 28 the availability dropped below 50%, since June 28 it’s been completely unavailable. This is because the app unsubscribes me from Premium every night and also turns off my “Premium Insights Consent” every night. 

So, even having a Premium Account does not guarantee that you’ll get the features you’re paying for. 

Needless to say, I do not plan on resubscribing to “Premium” once my trial period ends. 

[ArcticWX]

@LizzyFitbit

Lizzy, a disagreement to your post.

I am a Premium Subscriber. I have not received/had access to sleeping heart rate, restlessness, Stress Management Score breakdowns, etc. since June 28. 

This missing data access also means that my sleep does not get logged… therefore I also do not get a Sleep Profile (another so-called “Premium” benefit). 

As a reminder, June 28 was the day when no one with a Google account (the old Fitbit logins were fine) could log in or synch over Wi-Fi. 

The problem here is much more than the price of Premium… the Premium, in my experience, simply does not work.

I’m the guy who started the “Getting Logged Out of Premium Every Night” thread in the Premium group if you want screenshots.