Fitbit Flex counting arm movements as steps

[BR67]

I was very excited to get my Fitbit. I noticed today that everything was double my normal amount of steps. They just are realizing cuz I'm sitting at my desk typing and reaching for files and move it around and talking to my clients started showing as a step. Called customer service and they could not get the concept that moving an arm is not a step. Very very disappointed with this product.

Moderator edit: Updated title for clarity

[BlissEternal]

I actually went back to my old Fitbit knock off. So, no. I have not found a
way to make my Fitbit accurate. It's possible that I don't know what I am
doing but should it be this challenging?

[Mcknic]

I've been noticing that  every movement of arm in and out equals steps. Folding laundry or picking up the remote while sitting on my butt still equals steps. I have the watch on my dominant hand, and have chosen that option. It's frustrating and disappointing that it's not accurate.

Is there any fixes for this. 

[Walkforlife2020]

Does not matter, I wear mine on my non-dominant and it still records steps!

[Fosmi]

The device has GPS! For goodness sake! I've been sitting on my rear, hardly moving at all since initiating this Charge 4, and it says I have 100 steps! When I tried another fitbit two years ago, I returned it. Crawling out of my basement and riding my motorcycle to work, by the time I rode the elevator up my goals for the day were all met. Ribbons and confetti, woohoo! My opinion is that one is rather self satisfied who claims "For the vast majority of customers," bla, bla, bla. Cow patties! Two years ago it had been a known issue for four, five years, or so. So I got this device not for the ribbons and confetti, but for the 24/7 heartrate tracking... figuring someday Google will yet fix the dumb issues Fitbit has not. 

Please. Just tell me how to stop the display of step, ribbons, and confetti.

Typing that paragraph gave me another 100 steps! Woohooo!

I found that using my non-dominant hand at the loo counted as steps. Overcounting steps is a long known issue that Fitbit has never dealt with, even with GPS on the devices.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[colecat]

can i wear it on my ankle for better accountability?

[Haroldhb]

Negligible is an understatement.i clocked 2519 steps from 12am to 4am just sitting at my desk playing videogames. I walked a mile and barely got 4500 steps. 

[Mpakpg]

What happens when you are ambidextrous? I use both hands almost equally throughout the day. I am a lefty but not with everything. I wear my fitbit on my right wrist and set it is mom-dominant but not sure it helps. 

[LizLancaster]

I have given up on the Fitbit HR for counting steps. It’s ok for heart rate and it nudges me at 10 minutes to the hour so I don’t sit too long with out moving about. I use a free iPhone app to count steps. End of my query.


Sent from my iPhone

[RayGator1]

So, the inference is to wear the Fitbit on your non-dominant arm so your arm movements don’t get counted as steps, is that what I read? It sounds like the algorithm has too much variability. If I’m walking my arms swinging, if I’m eating my arm is moving, if I’m moving my arm across my desk back-and-forth all of which record steps. Pretty crude assessment compared to a pedometer that is often given away.

[SunsetRunner]

Couldn’t agree more. I have both a charge hr2 on my non dominant wrist and a charge hr4 on my dominant hand.  The older version doesn’t count these spurious “steps” and for example, yestrday I reached 8,630 on my hr2 and 11,374 on the hr4.  That’s a BIG difference!

[amheyman]

I'm an artist and crafter. Fitbit Sense is counting my work movements as steps. Then last night I cut my own hair. Fitbit gave me over 1,000 steps for doing that. It's set for non dominant arm but apparently I use both arms equally because it has never mattered which arm I set the watch to. Today it already is telling me I have over 4,000 steps and I have not left the house.... just done a couple of projects using mainly my arms. A bit of walking around but mostly arm movements. I'm thinking I should wear the watch on my ankle instead.