Exercise tracking in app - no heart rate data

[robynarthur]

Hi!

I just upgraded to the Charge 2 (from a One) and am trying out the different exercise tracking options.

I'm used to tracking a run from the fitbit app on my iphone.

My question is regarding the heart rate tracking.  If I track my run from the Charge 2 I see my heart rate data in real time during the run (on the Charge 2 screen) and a summary afterwards in the fitbit app.  But if I track a run from the app I don't see any heart rate data - during the run or in the summary afterwards.  I assume the Charge 2 is tracking heart rate during the run regardless, so why doesn't it show me that data in the app as part of the exercise summary?

As I run without my glasses, I find it easier to see my run stats in large font on my phone than on the small Charge 2 screen.  But does this mean I can't record heart rate data for my run unless I track the run from the Charge 2?

Thanks for any help!

Robyn

[AlvaroFitbit]

Hello everyone. Thank you for your input about the missing heart rate data. As you know this issue is being investigated by our team so hopefully they will have a solution for this. Still I appreciate your patience in this matter.

I'll be around.

[siul1979]

Thank you for your update. 

Please note that many of us use this heart rate information as a way to measure our training effort in other apps.  For example, I use my the fitbit data in conjunction with Strava to track my effort while running.  Missing this heart rate information is critical.  I'm hesitant to purchase more fitbit products and to be honest, I have been researching other products.

[SunsetRunner]

No, this is it. I’ve had it. This has way past my boundaries of loyalty now. Tomorrow I’ve got a day of and I will reward that loyalty all by myself with a brand new toy. But this will not be a Fitbit, not for at least a decade. And I will explain everybody why and how this brand new device has made it around my wrist. Fitbit was able to turn me around from an ambassador into a passionate Fitbit hater. I know such big software club is a hell to manage and keep it delivering, but now, after this time and such lack of communication you have failed painfully. Bye Fitbit.

[RunnerMcRunface]

Sorry, but this reflects pretty poor quality assurance with Fitbit. The most important feature of all your gear are those flashing lights recording your heart rate. Who hadn't bought a Fitbit watch to record their heart rates during workouts? To make a software update to render this feature useless on your watches is ridiculous.

[SunriseRun56432]

This is beyond reasonable. A month now with this issue, which should have been fixed with an over night patch/update. I paid for a Charge 'HR'. What does HR stand for if the heart rate feature doesnt work without some ridiculous work around? "Fitness tracker" that doesnt actually track anything, and requires you to go back and log the data yourself?? I didnt pay for a fitness logger. This is starting to feel like a bait and switch/false advertising scam now. Get it together, Fitbit, you're losing support and customers, fast!

[CLP1949]

Mr Moderator

Please respond to this post, the community is waiting for answers

On August 21st Fitbit entered into a deal with Singapore to provide its citizens with a free Inspire when commenting to a year of the Premium service at $10 a month. This is a huge deal, with one million of the population of 5.8 million expected to participate in this program.
I believe that everything that has happen in the last 4 or 5 weeks, intentioned or unintentional, directly or indirectly, and what has been done or not done by Fitbit is a result of putting together a proposal for Singapore. I believe that Fitbit directed all its resources, money, energy or whatever to produce this winning proposal. I also believe Fitbit will continue this focus to ensure that the rollout of this program, sometime in October is successful.
However, that leaves us, the loyal users here in the US and probably in other country’s as just collateral damage for Fitbits greater good. I believe all the update activity in July and August supports this theory. In addition, earlier this week they made a change to the home screen, although it doesn’t look much different, but with the new discovery icon it is really geared for the new user. Anybody thinking the citizens of Singapore? I will admit that I like the new feature showing the battery level as a percentage instead of a colored bar.
For those of us who choose to stay with Fitbit all we can do now is hope that something good will come out of this and we won’t have to buy the new premium service to find out what it is.

[AndyH11378]

This needs to be fixed immediately.   As a recovering heart patient, I need the heart rate data for my exercise regimen.   This is unacceptable, and has gone on too long unfixed.

They broke it with their software update in July, and over a month has gone by with no resolution.

This is a vital function of the software and should have been fixed the very next day, in my opinion.

Can anyone recommend a different fitness tracker? I have no choice but to switch.

[Non-runner-lol]

Everybody please leave a 1 star rating on the Fitbit app and leave a review stating this problem. Maybe if their rating goes down they might sit up and take notice!!

[Mojo_MS]

I don’t believe this is a bug but as many people have pointed out it’s part of a plan for a premium service. Personally I use the App for exercise tracking for the voice cues but I have to launch other 3 more apps to track my route and the reason I still stuck with Fitbit App was for the HR in the exercise (that’s why I bought a Charge “HR”) as one cannot even zoom in the HR view (my HR data is there but buried. With so many other devices with real-time tracking (Garmin, Polar) and even better looking (Oura) I liked Fitbit for the App, but I am having a hard time liking the new view and this “issue” seems to be sending me a message that I might need to switch.

[Zephyrette]

Letsfit on Amazon is only $30 & gets good reviews.

Get Outlook for iOS

[Misetak]

That doesn't work if you want to use the GPS.  

[CLP1949]

I’m sure some of this has been discussed in other posts of this thread but maybe not all of it, hopefully this be of benefit for some people.
There are three methods to get HR data and still have the GPS data. In each method you still use the Track function in the Fitbit app to get real time data: time, distance and pace as well as the voice cues.
In this first method you use the Track function to start and stop your exercise, when you are done you have an exercise with just GPS data, from this you have time, distance and start time if go to the Log function in the app and put these 3 pieces of data in the appropriate places and save, you will get another exercise that has just heart rate data. For me this is the least preferred.
Method #2: Setup your Fitbit for auto recognize for your exercise, once again use the Track function to start and stop your exercise. When you are done you will have two exercises, one with HR data and one with GPS data. As stated in the first method you still have your real time data and voice cues
Method #3: After trying all three methods, this is the one I’ve been using.
In the app, go to Exercise Shortcuts and add the exercise or exercises that you want to track. If you turn on Connected GPS you will get GPS data from your Fitbit (I’m pretty sure you have to turn off auto recognize for this to work). Now you should be ready. On your Fitbit select your exercise and hold the button in until it vibrates to start the exercise and do the same to end the exercise. I also use the Track function for the real time data and voice cues. If you don’t want to use the Track function you will still get GPS data from the Fitbit as well as the HR data.
Only thing I don’t like about this method is that you have start and stop your exercise from both your Fitbit and phone at the same time. Although these methods are only workarounds they should provide everyone with the data they want and need.
Now we can only hope that FITBIT WILL DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX THE PROBLEM!!!


Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[SunriseRun56432]

Method 2 does not work this way.  I have auto recognize and tracked a 7.5k run and I only got gps data without heart rate. We are all getting screwed here, everyone. It's been repeated over and over, as well as it being an intentional move. Moderators are reading and not correcting anyone. Time to move on!

[CLP1949]

Method two should work as described, I don’t know of any setup issues that would prevent it from working. If your Fitbit recognizes your run you should have two exercises in your summary, one with the HR data and another with just GPS data. I would still recommend method three, although you still get two exercises, the one created from the Fitbit has both HR data and GPS data.
I would like to move on because Fitbit's customer service sucks, but I have 3 Fitbit devices and one is less than 2 months old. Although the workaround I use is not ideal, it does provide the data I want and it doesn’t cost me anymore money.

Sent from my iPad

[i-love-running]

This bug has been the last nail in the coffin. I've had my Fitbit Charge 2 for more than two years and even though I like the device itself, when it comes to software it has been a never ending struggle with bugs:

- some runs disappear or get completely messed up

- runs show nonsensical data sometimes, e.g. it's beyond me why my wife and I can run the same distance, the same time, track everything with iPhone where this data is identical but then then the pace is vastly different

- now there is also no heart rate which is an important feature and it took me forever to find this thread

- family feature never really ended up working for us: we both have a stuck invitation and once in a while, it will send a notification about it (dated a year or so old), I'll click "join" and it will error out

- sleep always gets messed up if you cross time zones

- etc etc etc

At this point, I can't wait for my Fitbit to die to move to Garmin or something. It seems like all the work gets put into making the new devices and I just don't care about integrating my watch with Alexa or whatever the latest "thing" is. I want to have consistent tracking so that I can adjust my training. As opposed to e.g. my wife and I running together, staring at vastly different numbers and not knowing whether to go faster or slower. I'd even pay a monthly subscription if it meant I could have a nice functioning app (which I do for Strava anyway, but now I can't even have heartbeat there).

[SunsetRunner]

This will be my last reply (closing all Fit**ahem** stuff). I bought an Apple watch 3 now (about 280 here now, since the release of the 4). Painfull moment when paying, but need to move on. Did not run yet, but  it’s all looking all very neat! Bye 

[KarshisGmail]

I’ve got the same problem. Used to always sync heart rate with my runs. Now: never. 

Time to try the iwatch?!

😮

not yet. But this should be fixed. Hope someone trolls these comments. 

[IrBr]

I have also been using the tracking method whereof I start my run simultaneously from Fitbit and from the app. BUT I get completely different pace in the two summaries! For some stretches the discrepancy is as much as 30 sec! Does anyone experienced this? Which one provides the more accurate pace info - the Fitbit device or the app?...

[i-love-running]

We track with app only (i.e. through iPhone) and we end up with different paces fairly often which is among my top annoyances with Fitbit. For instance we can be running, have identical distances, identical times and my Fitbit would say I am going at 8:40 while my wife’s would show 9:00.

I wish they ironed out all these bugs because stuff like this is pushing us towards Garmin. 8:40 vs 9:00 is not a minor tracking error, it’s basically sending us completely different signals - in that situation I want to slow down while my wife wants to speed up.

[CLP1949]

I use the GPS data from the app, the data that I get suggests that there is a lag between the two devices, probably due to the Bluetooth Communication. So I believe the data from the app is more accurate. With respect to big differences in the pace I don't know, I only see small differences across the board (time, distance, pace). Another post talked about big differences in pace, so there may a separate issue with pace that I’m not seeing.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10