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Manually logged steps don't count for challenges or lifetime

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I think this needs to be reconsidered FitBit!
 
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Fitbit-com-Dashboard/Manually-Logged-Steps-Not-Counting-Towards-Lead...
 
Manually logged steps do not count towards your 7-day leaderboards, in addition to Activity Groups. This change was implemented in order to mirror the behavior of Challenges, where only tracker data is pulled into the equation- this helps keep things fair.
 
I think it is BS that you are looking to cater towards the small number of people who will cheat just to win a challenge that proves nothing. When a company is tailoring it's product ideas towards cheaters and not towards the thousands of dedicated and motivated fitness users subscribed to their product, the company should take a long hard look at themselves.
 
You are greatly affecting people who use other methods of exercise other than "Steps". For example, swimming, cycling, treadmill and any others that appear in the above post.
 
I have also emailed you a formula to use when adding steps for Swimming and Cycling, as used by the Global Corporate Challenge.

 

Moderator edit: Format & updated subject for clarity

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118 REPLIES 118

Hey there @enkerkee. Welcome to the Fitbit Community!

 

I totally understand where you are coming from, however, as stated in @EmersonFitbit post, this was all taken into consideration and the decision was made considering all these factors. This decision doesn't mean we're tailoring product ideas towards people who might cheat (I personally don't like that word being used in this situation) but that rather, we're trying to ensure that data keeps as objective as possible.

 

Now, keep in mind that Challenges until now, are stepped based. This doesn't mean that activities other than step based don't count because Fitbit offers ways to track these for users to get the credit they deserve for their effort.

 

Challenges are a relatively new feature and though currently they are only stepped based, you could suggest creating challenges for activities that are not necessarily step based in our Feature Suggestion board where other users with the same inquietude can vote for it and the more votes it gets, the more changes it will be considered to be implemented in the future.

 

Thank you for bringing this to our attention and I hope I made myself clear above. If you have any doubt, let me know!

Ferdin | Community Moderator, Fitbit

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I too am extremely unhappy with this change.  I own two trackers and have always promoted fitbit to my friends.  I had up to 17 friends and almost half of them have left because of various reasons.  I'm always trying to get those folks to come back to fitbit but I won't be doing that anymore. 

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I think it needs to be revised, and it looks like I am not alone!

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@enkerkee -- I ride a bike and also like to participate in challenges.  I took a look at GCC's conversion formula for cycling 'steps' and, as it turns out, it is pretty close to the number of steps I get from various fitbit trackers (One, Charge HR and Blaze) when I put them in my front pocket while riding my bike (400-500 steps/mi for me).  You might want to experiement with this yourself.  (Obviously you will lose HR data and some of the tracking features you would get from a Surge/Charge HR/Blaze worn on the wrist, but you should get close to the step count that GCC says is correct). 

 

I personally agree with Fitbit's decision to use only tracker-recorded steps in challenges and leaderboard. I've been in these forums for years and passions regarding cheating with respect to manually entered steps run very high.  True, people can still cheat in other ways (check out "unfitbits.com") but manually entered steps makes it a lot easier and cheating is more common when that is allowed. 

Scott | Baltimore MD

Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro

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Does manually entered steps count towards lifetime goal ?

I noticed when i manually entered an activity, my lifetime steps werent reflected.

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@enkerkee At this moment they will not count towards your lifetime goal pretty much for the same reasons presented above.

Ferdin | Community Moderator, Fitbit

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Wow, time to look for a new activity tracker i think.

 

Unbelievable that FitBit caters towards cheaters and people trying to float their achievements, rather than dedicated fitness users. I am dumbfounded by this response, utterly dumbfounded.

 

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@Baltoscott

But seriously, who are you cheating ? Yourself! The challenges mean nothing, you dont win any prizes for the challenges, so who else is it hurting?

 

 

It is funny you mention the GCC formulas as there is a link in my original post for their formulas and it is what i use when swimming.

 

It is piss poor from FitBit, when the GCC, can produce a cheat pedometer, but give you the option of converting different types of exercise into steps.

 

If people want to cheat, let them cheat, just dont punish the people who want to use it properly.

 

*sigh 😞

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@Baltoscott

That's funny because one of my fitbit buddies who rides his bike to and from work left fitbit because it was not clocking his 'steps' properly.  I totally agree because I tested it with my own fitbit when I rode my own bike.  That thing barely moved so I stopped wearing it and manually entered the converted steps. 

 

I also do kickboxing and Zumba and both my trackers don't give me the steps I should be getting.  I get a better workout doing those for 30 minutes than going on a treadmill for the same amount of time.  Am I going to stick to just walking now so I can be more competitive with my friends on the leaderboard and challenges.  Nope, that's ok.  I do it because I am working out for me.

 

@enkerkee said it best, “...the cheaters are just cheating themselves!”

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LOL:

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/fitbit-shorted-hardware-software-china-194042060.html 

 

Maybe if they allowed for integration accross platforms shareholders wouldn't be shorting FitBit as much. 

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I've also noticed an issue with group/friends steps totals. Even if I use the Fitbit app to track an exercise such as a walk (not manually add steps but use the track exercise feature of the app) the steps only appear in my steps total and are not added to my total in the friends list. As this is using the gps function in the Fitbit app, surely these steps should be shown as they are legitimate steps, or is this a bug?
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Okay, forget that post, I've just read that exercise tracked through iOS app doesn't count towards challenges so I assume this also means friends listing..
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@Mwildin1 wrote:
I've also noticed an issue with group/friends steps totals. Even if I use the Fitbit app to track an exercise such as a walk (not manually add steps but use the track exercise feature of the app) the steps only appear in my steps total and are not added to my total in the friends list. As this is using the gps function in the Fitbit app, surely these steps should be shown as they are legitimate steps, or is this a bug?

Hi @Mwildin1 If you have your fitbit with you when you use "track exercise" on your iPhone the steps recorded by the fibit will count in your friend's 7-day totals, as well as your own dashboard totals (And the mileage calculation is done by your iPhone's GPS).  If you don't have your fitbit with you, and you use track exercise from the iPhone app, it divides the mileage recorded by your stride length and 'estimates' your steps, which are then entered the same as if you entered them manually (and they won't count in group totals including your 7 day friend totals, but will count in your dashboard totals).  

 

It is possible to set up your iPhone (5S or newer) as a backup tracker -- (or even your primary tracker if you don't have a fitbit), by using "mobile track."  If you have it set up, mobile track uses your iPhone step sensor, (same one that is used for the health app), and those steps WILL count in your 7 day friends and group leaderboard totals. 

Scott | Baltimore MD

Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro

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Hi Scott, thanks for the heads up. I only have a 4s so I'll try your first suggestion and see how that works. Appreciate the help.
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I understand why you dont want the manaul entries to count towards a challenge (way to easy to cheat). However, I had 2.75 mile run this morning on a treadmill & my tracker only counted it as 11 steps. I am most postitive that it was more than that. After much research I found out it was due to the treadmill (however my garmin counted my steps fine) & I will do the stride length update tomorrow. If I could go in and edit my morning activity to add my miles, then it should count toward the steps, however I am not able to edit my current activity. I love the challenges & I kept looking & syncing all day to compete. It was great motivation, but now I am bummed that it shows I am behind more than I really am. I want counted for my 4,950 steps that I really took.

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Good luck! FitBit would rather cater towards cheaters than dedicated
fitness users like you and I.
Come on FitBit, listen to what your customers are saying !!!
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Fitbit this decision is rubbish, if people want to cheat then let them, they are only cheating themselves. There are other ways to cheat if they really want to, such as just shaking the unit, how are you going to go about defeating those cheaters?

I did a muddy 5km race at the weekend and there was no way I was wearing my fitbit for it to get lost in a muddy bog!

At the end of the race I manually entered the 5km but that doesn't count towards my leadboard stats. To that end there is no point in having a leadboard if it's not actually accurate. Likewise what's the point in sending out weekly update emails if they aren't factual.

Very disappointed 😞
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Yep! Absolute rubbish! They would rather cater to the cheaters than hard
workers like you and I!!!
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@enkerkee wrote:
Yep! Absolute rubbish! They would rather cater to the cheaters than hard
workers like you and I!!!

Explain to me how not allowing manually entered steps catering to cheaters?  You have been ranting about cheating when the only steps that would be counted is steps that come directly from the tracker.  Explain to me how it is easier to cheat?

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