My steps are not syncing correctly with challenges

[pbrennan]

my steps in the work week challenge are not registering correctly. It seems to be caught by 2/3rds. The single day challenges reflect the same number of steps as the dashboard. This is getting frustrating as I look my of a loser than in just weight 😭 help!

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity 

[Lollypoplawyer]

Yes same!! So frustrating I even bought a new Fitbit and now same problems with some challenges! I mean I work for my steps and it's distressing to look like you're struggling when really your missing steps

[Ayana]

Hi Lollypop,
I found a solution to the non syncing problem when I contacted fitbit
customer service. My steps didn't sync because I added my steps to the
Fitbit daily exercise section on my dashboard. Steps added to your Fitbit
exercise will not sync into the daily total.

Going to the gym and walking on the treadmill and adding those steps to
the exercise section will not sync into the daily step total. Don't add
walking, jogging, running in your daily exercise, if you want these steps
to sync into your totally daily steps.
Ayana

Moderator Edit: Format

[Lollypoplawyer]

I did not add them manually under exercise section... None of them.

Sent from my iPhone

[Brandi1]

Let your Fitbit on your wrist sync all the way, then make sure your sync is completed on the home page before you go to the challenge page. If you go to the challenge page before you are completely synced on the homepage, it will short you. I literally count to 10 after I sync before going to the challenges page. Haven't had an issue since.

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[cotamonica]

Sent from my iPhone

[Walt002]

I have the same problem, it's very frustrating. I had several discussions with fitbit techs and they could not resolve 😞

[SuzyCute]

None of those solutions apply to me. Are Fitbit developers/troubleshooters looking into this since it seems to be a widespread issue. I checked this morning and the challenge status shows less steps today for me that yesterday (Weekend Warrior). It is all over the place and seems to be related to syncing since I messaged one of my challengers and he said that he sees a completely different number of steps for me!

Moderator Edit: Format

[SuzyCute]

Brandi--what do you mean by let your wrist Fitbit sync all the way? Do you mean go to the website, to the dashboard or do you mean plug in your fit bit computer to the USB port of the computer? I have an iPad and it brings up the Fitbit app. I go to my dashboard and check the steps there and then I go to the challenge page and the steps are different. I have even gone back the next day and it still doesn't straighten out. I walked nearly 31,000 steps during the Weekend Warrior Challenge and that is reflected on my dashboard but two days later the challenge board shows I walked a little over 29,000 steps. It seems silly to get hung up on the number of steps since I did exercise, which is the point. However, the unreliable data makes me wonder if even those numbers are close to what I had actually walked!!

[Taiye]

Try plugging your Fitbit to power. Then hold button for 12 seconds. Then turn off Bluetooth on phone. Then go to app. Select your device. Then select add device then select mobile track. Then turn your fit bit back on. This worked for me. I received a huge boost. Don't know if this fix is permanent but at least I don't look like a slacker anymore!

[AngelaMa]

Hello everyone! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. Please notice that challenges can be affected by the timezone of the members who are in it as well as any logged activities on your account, this includes MobileRun, manual logs and third party logging. In this case, it's best to use your tracked steps (without mobile run or manual log) while stepping. Using any kind of manual logging when running or walking will not count towards your challenges. If none of this apply to your case please reach out to our support team for assistance. 

If you are encountering problems syncing as a whole (not just your steps for challenges), please check this page with steps to correct this problem.

Hope this helps! 😉  

[Stacijo711]

So I am in not the 1st challenge with just 1 friend living around the corner from me. Same time zones. I do not use anything other than my blaze to track my steps. It is currently M-F shorting me on roughly 9000 steps. Why?

[MarreFitbit]

It's great to have you aboard @Stacijo711 , how's everything going? Hmmmm...Below are possible reasons for this issue: 

1. Your steps have fully synced to our database but you're not viewing the mobile app dashboard in Live Data Mode. (Live data mode would show the word "connected" under your tracker tile). 
2. You manually logged an activity. Steps from manually logged activities do not count toward challenges; only steps recorded by your tracker or MobileTrack are counted toward challenges. 
3. You used MobileRun to track GPS data with your app. Only steps recorded by a tracker or MobileTrack are counted toward challenges. 
4. All challenge participants are not in the same time zone.

I also recommend waiting 15 minutes after syncing your Fitbit data to see if your challenge updates.

Give it a shot and let me know the outcome! 

[bhavyak]

I have a similar problem. Especially since the last iOS fitbit update. For example, I joined a Weekend Warrior yesterday, and since this morning my dashboard shows over 7k steps. But when I check my steps in the challenge, it shows only around 878 steps. I'm falling behind. I should be in second place, but I'm one of the last ones in the challenge! I didn't use to have this problem before!

I don't manually log steps, or use a 3rd party app. Even if I were in another time zone, the challenge has already begun on a Friday morning and I joined Thursday night, so at least since then my steps should have been counted. But no, they're not. I've even waited 15 minutes after I last checked my steps. Again, it didn't work. What else can I do?

[Stacijo711]

I really wish someone would read my post and my issue. I have received this canned response so many times it is annoying. I am not using a 3rd party. I am not manually adding, My 1 other person that is in the challenge is in the same time zone. My fitbit dashboard is syncing fine. It is just to the challenge it is not. I am not doing anything above and beyond my Blaze counting the steps.

[MarreFitbit]

Hey guys @Stacijo711 @bhavyak, thanks for getting back! If you have checked the tips we have shared here, but they don't apply for your issue my best suggestion would be to get in touch with Customer Support directly so they can do a deeper investigation and see where the issue is coming from. 

Don't forget to mention what you've checked already.

Share with us the outcome!

[cbloyer81]

I can't wear my FitBit at work, it's a security violation.  So, I wear a basic pedometer and then enter my walk.  This totally messes up my challenges.  I see that people could easily cheat manually entering data, but it sure makes me look lazy on challenges! 

[AlvaroFitbit]

Hi @cbloyer81. You can try voting for the idea of having manually logged steps count for Challenges in the Feature request board. The more votes an idea gets the more likely the developers will try to implement it.

Let me know how it goes!

[ashroad]

Although my water intake, my weight etc., seem to be syncing with fitbit suddenly my steps stopped this morning.  Can anyone help me to get my flex syncing my steps again. Thanks in advance

[MarreFitbit]

It's great to see you around @ashroad !  Are you having syncing issues in general or just your steps are not syncing with your Challenges?

If it's about challenges, please refer to this post of mine to make sure that any of that is affecting your steps. 

On the other hand, if you're having syncing issues in general I'd recommend taking a look at this post and follow the troubleshooting steps provided. 

Let me know how it goes! 

[pandaissad]

I noticed that my steps were not registering on the Fitbit challenges. The dashboard would register the steps correctly, but they would not show up in the Fitbit challenges started by my friends. (IF I started a challenge myself, they would show up.)

Recently I linked MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun apps to my Fitbit. 

I have concurrent challenges on Fitbit with one group of people and on MyFitnessPal with another group.

I would like to be able to participate in both group challenges.

What I believe is the conflict is:

- MyFitnessPal/MapMyRun apps would 'log' the workouts and send them to FitBit app.

- Because they show up as activities (active minutes) and exercise, they do not register as "steps" on challenges.

I've read in this topic thread and on the rest of the forum the following troubleshooting points (and if communicating with the FitBit staff, they will tell you the same). I've added my comments to elaborate on them:

1. Your steps have fully synced to our database but you're not viewing the mobile app dashboard in Live Data Mode. (Live data mode would show the word "connected" under your tracker tile). 

- If you are using an iPhone, this is different. Go to your Fitbit mobile app dashboard, tap on the icon of your Fitbit in the top left hand corner, make sure "All-Day Sync" is turned on.

- (Be aware, all day sync will be a drain the battery life of your tracker.)

* This is unrelated to my issue of steps not syncing in challenges. All-Day Sync has been turned on since day one. My battery life is fine - I charge it consistently. Basically, I *am* viewing the mobile app dashboard in 'live data mode' every time I open the FitBit app.

2. You manually logged an activity. Steps from manually logged activities do not count toward challenges; only steps recorded by your tracker or MobileTrack are counted toward challenges. 

- I think that there are semantic issues with this point. I have *not* manually logged activity on the FitBit app, nor have I 'manually' logged activities on MapMyRun/MyFitnessPal.

- If you have these apps connected to the FitBit app, (under More > "Connect Apps and Devices") they will 'log' workouts in Fitbit under "Active Minutes"/Activity History/Exercise. You will still see that you've taken whatever number of steps, but these steps will not show up in the Fitbit Challenges you've joined (or there will be some weird discrepancy.)

* I think the confusion lies in the words "manually log" and "steps recorded by your tracker or Mobiletrack." I was under the impression that the Fitbit automatically and independently tracks steps in tandem with the other apps. Which it technically does.  What I believe is happening is the 3rd party apps are logging activity and considering them 'manually logged' under active minutes/exercise. The Fitbit *is* also tracking steps, but 'logged' activity from the 3rd party apps override something and the challenges won't accept the steps from these logged activities.

You still see all the steps you took - but the Fitbit sees the activity as logged, and they don't go towards the challenge. 

3. You used MobileRun to track GPS data with your app. Only steps recorded by a tracker or MobileTrack are counted toward challenges. 

- I don't use MobileRun - but I do use MapMyRun or MyFitnessPal and the GPS to route my workouts. - - - Same as point 2: Technically, MobileTrack should still be tracking my steps, but because the third party apps were using GPS, and put them under active minutes, they don't show up in challenges.

4. All challenge participants are not in the same time zone.

- This is definitely not the issue in this case. I've participated in Fitbit challenges with the same group who live all over in several different time zones with no problems.

Final verdict:

Prior to linking these 3rd party apps, I had no problems with my steps registering in FitBit challenges.

I am disconnecting the Fitbit app under "Connect Apps and Devices" under MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun and I will follow up with the results here in this thread.

Moderator Edit: Format