Inspire 3 Firmware Update 210.26

[LizzyFitbit]

We’re excited to announce that a firmware update version 210.26 for Inspire 3 has been released to all our members. Some of you might already have this update available. If you installed it, let us know what you think!

We release updates to customers in phases. If you don’t see it, check the Fitbit app in a few days, and you’ll see a message when you can install the update. We appreciate your patience while we get this update to all of our customers.

*Firmware releases are not distributed based on region or location and can reach anyone no matter where you reside. We do not recommend performing a factory reset to force the update to your device as your data will be lost and you may not get the update. Please be patient and wait until you see the update banner inside of the Fitbit app to begin the firmware download.

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

• You can now easily check the time while in exercise mode.
• Your device can now auto-recognize 6 workout types: running, walking, biking, elliptical, rowing, and spinning.
  
• All exercise modes are now available in the Exercise app, and your most recently used modes appear at the top. For more information, go to How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?
• We changed the names of the heart-rate zones for clarity. For more information, see How do I track heart rate with my Fitbit device?
• Thanks to advanced Google ML, heart rate tracking accuracy during exercise has been improved to provide you with more precise info on important metrics.
• This release includes bug fixes and improvements.

Full release notes can be found here.

HOW DO I UPDATE?
See How do I update my Fitbit device? for step by step instructions for updating your Inspire 3. If you run into difficulty updating, review these Why can't I update my Fitbit device?

We’re interested in hearing your feedback on this update! Let us know what you like! If you encounter unexpected behavior during or after your update, please post the details below.

[Meredithc2032]

Is anyone else experiencing very inaccurate heart rate measurements since the update? For example, during my workout today my Inspire 3 was showing a HR of 106bpm. I took my HR manually and it was actually 140 bpm.

Similarly, I sat down to read this evening and my Fitbit showed a heart rate of 128 bpm but when I took it manually, it was 75 bpm. 

This issue started *immediately* after updating yesterday. 

[Mumsy53]

@Meredithc2032 yes, apparently on my brisk walk, a mile in 18 minutes, my average heart rate was 69bpm, when sitting still it's normally higher than that. New update has caused so many anomalies it's unbelievable and no-one from fitbit seems to want to respond or help

[RachelLJ]

Agree - this update is an absolute disaster! Years of previously logged data have been lost or randomly appear then disappear. Device keeps detecting so called exercise (eg just walked up a flight of 6 stairs) and assigning zone minutes but ignoring genuine exercise (1 hr brisk walk) and not logging any zone minutes at all.

customer support have been no help at all and can only suggest logging out and back in again - which does nothing. Promised follow up emails never arrive!

Have resorted to Twitter (X) shaming in the hope that a more public dressing down might to resort to action - although somehow I doubt it!

Fitbit - do you really want us to dump our devices and switch to alternative providers? Because I can assure you, that is what will happen! No-one will be prepared to continue with a device that refuses to log all their hard-earned data!

[RachelLJ]

UPDATE - I have just been contacted by the support team on response to my Twitter (X) post!!. 

I have directed them to this Community site to prove that it is a common and persistent issue.

I will continue to update here if they provide me with anything remotely useful!

[RachelLJ]

FURTHER UPDATE

This is the reply I have just received:

Thanks for the info. I have reviewed your cases and there was a delay with the email since it was being handled by the Higher support team. And this was their response. "Thanks for letting us know about this issue. We’re aware of it and are working to identify a resolution as quickly as possible. We're sorry for any trouble. We appreciate your patience and look forward to getting you back on track.”

Watch this space …!

[InspireUser_]

I am on new firmware now. Recent update seems to be just a cosmetic change  !! Heart rate is still erratic. Don't see any effort from fitbit as well tobfix the issue from August. 

Having a fitbit now is like having a wrist watch ! 

[Lizziecard]

This is the most awful update ever. My Aspire 3 was recording fine but since updating it is not recording steps, app shows one thing Fitbit another, it does not accurately record active minutes and will not let me add + anything that it has missed. I did a forced restart and things seemed better for a few days but it’s back to nonsense today. App has tracked my walk but the Fitbit hasn’t. How can an update make things so much worse 🙄

[TCKInspire3]

I dislike the new update. First, it has not been transferring tracked workouts to the app properly (sometimes does not transfer at all). Second, I am not a fan of the updated workouts menu. While I like that you can choose from the entire workout menu directly from the device, I liked having my 6 shortcuts. Now it only has three, but I do a lot of different activities. I have to go digging every time I workout. 

[Pascal666]

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@LizzyFitbit wrote:

• Your device can now auto-recognize 6 workout types: running, walking, biking, elliptical, rowing, and spinning.
  

I hate this new "feature".  How do I disable it?  If that is not possible, how do I downgrade the firmware?

I am constantly walking throughout the day, so my Fitbit is now constantly tracking a walk.  This makes the displayed time too small for me to read and doesn't display the date anymore.  Those are the only two things I want to see on my wrist.  I can see all the exercise info in the app, but I need my Fitbit to be a functional watch throughout the day, which it no longer is.

[SunsetRunner]

I have the opposite problem. my zone minutes have doubled or tripled, and there has been no change in my activities.  Email communications with Fitbit have not been helpful, as they refuse to acknowledge that the change started with the firmware update.   The issue seems to be with the heart rate monitor. Mine is exaggerating my heart rate, yours might be failing to recognize when your heart rate moves into the appropriate zone.  Fitbit sent me a long list of things that might have caused my heart rate to change, but none of those things apply.  The problem is with their update, but I can't get them to acknowledge it.  Very frustrating, particularly since Fitbit has been a reliable, useful device for years for me.

[AMYAR]

Agree.  I should be able to exit back to the watch face without ending a workout.  Couldn't find a way around it.  Reliable functionality has been nearly reduced to just telling time, and now I can't see the clock when I want to???

[Pascal666]

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@LizzyFitbit wrote:

• Your device can now auto-recognize 6 workout types: running, walking, biking, elliptical, rowing, and spinning.
  

I finally figured out how to turn this off:

• Wake your Inspire 3
• Swipe right on your Inspire 3 screen four times.  The screen should now say: Exercise Walk
• Tap the screen.  It should now show a Start button.
• Swipe up about five times to Auto Start under Settings
• Tap the on/off selector.  "Auto Start" should now be scrolling from right to left at the top.
• Swipe up and tap GOT IT
• Touch both sides of your Inspire 3 to get back to the main page.

[AMYAR]

Thanks so much for sharing!! 

[tcisinpc]

HELP! My Inspire 3 hasnt posted any data to the app. When I try to sync there is a grayed out bar that says Update tracker Software, but I have no way to do it!

[RachelLJ]

Amazing - thank you so much for sharing!🙌

I have repeated these steps for all potential exercises, as my device had taken to detecting things like vacuuming as Spinning or Eliptical! 😂

If it’s that simple, why couldn’t the Support Team have posted this????

At least that’s one of the frustrations sorted - now all we have to do is stabilise our heart rates and figure out how to get our disappearing data back!!

[Imalobster]

I just pasted a pic of an article that said Fitbit is now giving everyone the readiness score, not just those with premium, but then told me I was not allowed to do that.

So why give us the option to add pics, if it's not actually an option?

And also, when does this readiness score change happen? 

[taichi.yoga]

I have the same problem as many had posted. After the update, the same exercises that used to record 20 some minutes now records less than 10 minutes. Very demotivating. If it is now more accurate, how should I set new goals with this new algorithm? Should Fitbit change its heartbeat levels (lower the heartbeat rates for moderate, vigorous and peak)? 

[mtusnow]

Please help.  My device has received the updateand is having issues.  As of 9/14, my fitbit has had trouble syncing.  On 9/15, I unpaired it and then reconnected it to my phone and the app.  It was able to sync properly for a while during the day but only the 9/15 data, it never synced for 9/14. Overnight it stopped syncing again,  so no sleep data and also no data from today,  9/16. Please help!

[dme0821]

I'm having trouble syncing my new inspire 3 since I updated. I have also done all the trouble shooting. Please help!!

[mac1000]

I had an older Inspire and when its last update occurred the Display was Turned Off and wouldn't come back on. It did still connect to my account and displayed my data on my laptop. I'm just wondering if some of these Updates are designed to force us to upgrade to newer models?  That would be a pretty sleazy thing to do don't ya think?  Also, I work on Navy ships and we aren't allowed to have any devices using GOOGLE in Classified Spaces. Google tracks everything around it.