Find my phone feature

[daniionescubv]

Hi,

The competitors have a feature called "Find my phone". It is a very simple thing and very usefull. If you lost your phone there should be an option "Find my phone" on the Fitbit wristbands that will enable a sound to your phone to easily find it.

Please implement it via firmware/software updates an all wristbands and smart watches!

[LHL1]

Here's the second part of the tutorial to have your Fitbit Ionic & Versa call your phone when you need to find it.

1. Install (Switchr) into watch through
Fitbit apps inn your phone.

2. Install (IFTTT) on your phone from
your phone's app store and create an
account.

3. On you phone, go into (IFTTT) and click
on the (+) on the top right to create your
applet.


4. Now you will see "if +this then that".
click on the +this.


5. On the next screen click in the search
services and type in (Webhooks)


6. Type in (Webhooks). Webhooks will
appear with triangular logo and you
click into it.


7. The next screen will show
(Receive a web request). Click it.


8. On the next screen it will ask you for an
(Event Name). Here you want to input
something like "dialphone, findphone,
ringphone, etc...) Anything like these
will work. Make sure there are no
spaces or use (_) to separate words.
Make sure you remember the event
name you entered and exactly how
how you entered it. After you enter
the name, click on (create trigger).


9. After clicking (create trigger),
It will take you to a screen
"If this then +that" click on
(+that)


10. Here it will ask you to (search
services). You can search by
entering (Phone Call). Click on the icon
(Phone Call US only).

11. Now you will get a screen with select
action. At the bottom, click
(Call my phone).

12. On this next screen you will complete
action. Go to where it says
(Event Name) and enter whatever
name you put in step 8.

13. In this example I entered dial_phone.
Then click (Create action).

14. After clicking (Create action)
It will work on creating it and
you will then get a blue screen
with your applet preview. Click
(Finish) at the bottom.


15. After you click (Finish) another
screen comes up letting you know
that your applet has been turned on.
From here, just click the back arrow
button.


16. When you click the back arrow
It will show you your completed
applet and that it's on. On the top
right is a gear icon. If you click on
It, it will show you your settings for
the applet you just created. Click
the back arrow here as well.


17. After clicking the back arrow it takes
you to (My Applets) screen. In here
do a search again for (Webhooks).


18. Click Webhooks icon



19. When you get to this screen, click
on the gear icon that's on the top
right.

20. It opens up a webpage to your
Webhooks settings. The important
thing to look at here is the URL:
which is in blue. You need to click
on it.
Do Not click on (Edit connection) you
only click on that if your having
connection issues and it will give you
a new key.


21. Once you click on the URL from
the previous page, you will get this
screen. The top shows you're key
but what you really need to look at
is underneath where it says
(To trigger an Event)
(Make a Post or Get web request to)
Where it shows {event}, you will click
inside and enter the event name you
originally created.


22. After you enter the event name,
scroll down and copy the entire
https: which will include your
event name and key.


23. Once you have copied the entire
https:, go to your Fitbit app on your
phone and look for your (Switchr)
app that you had previously installed.
Click the gear icon on the right to
enter settings.

24. In settings you have four buttons that
You can use in your Ionic or Versa
watch. Pick whichever you want
and click on it. This will open up
Some settings and options.

25. Under URL, past the URL that you had
copied earlier from Webhooks.
Under button name you can enter
whatever you'd like so you know
what that button is for. It will appear
on your watch in Switchr. As for the
button color, that's up to you as well.
Give it a few moments and check
your watch. The button you just
created should appear. Give it a try
by tapping the button and your phone
should ring. I recommend saving the
number that shows up on your caller
ID in your contacts and label it
something like "Find my phone".

This tutorial was to get your Fitbit watch and Switchr app to call your phone.

[deborahdwilkins]

wow... I got it to work. Thank you very much.!!!!!!
I did not know what I was doing and wish that I named this something different.  Is it possible to change the name?
God Bless,Deborah
💖 "+" 💖

[LHL1]

It does have many steps but that's because I tried to make them as clear and as simple to follow as possible. I actually have pictures with this tutorial but it didn't allow me to put them here.

[Marysbond]

This. Is. Amazing.

Thank you thank you thank you!
--
Mary

Moderator Edit: Format

[LHL1]

Any time. Glad I could help.

[steveygti1978]

It's been well over 2 years since this suggestion has been made. Any updates? Thanks. (sorry if there are newer posts about this. please point me in the right directions if that is the case.)

@daniionescubv - great suggestion!

I've been wishing for this feature since i bought the Fitbit Blaze back in 2016. I just got the Ionic a few days ago and am still dreaming about being able to "ping" my phone every time i misplace it.  My wife has the Apple Watch paired with her iPhone and she teases me often about being able to ping her phone.... since i misplace my iPhone more than she does.

I did  find a "work around" for the Blaze & Ionic that has helped me find my smartphone whenever I have misplaced it. Simply turn on your music really loud on your smartphone using your Fitbit. Heres how it works:

For the Fitbit Ionic:

1) Simply go to the music app in your FitBit

2) Tap the button menu (the 3 dots located on the bottom of the screen)

3) Tap the phone icon to connect to your phone as the preferred bluetooth source.

4) Press the button on the left side of the Fitbit to go back one screen

5) Press the "play" button on your Fitbit and turn up the volume all the way with the top right button on the side of your Fitbit, and the music will play on your phone (don't worry, the music will override the mute button and still play loud...(caveat: this happens with the iPhone; I'm not sure if this is true on other devices).

There are a lot less steps to do this process with the Fitbit Blaze.

1) Simply turn on the screen on your Fitbit Blaze;

2) then touch and drag down from the top of your screen and you will have your play button available for music. Press play and crank up the volume.

This works and i have been using this method for the past 2 years. Its easy to find your phone in local areas, but if you've forgotten it in a distant place, well then, yeah, you won't be able to locate it or find it on a map like "Find my iPhone." 

I'm willing to pay for an app that enables Fitbit users to ping their smartphone with their Fitbit and vice versa. Please let me know. This forum is awesome. I just recently stumbled upon it after i returned my New Galaxy Watch and exchanged it for a Fitbit Ionic the other day. I have no regrets. Thank you Fitbit community!

-Steven PG

Moderator Edit: Merged User's Posts

[deborahdwilkins]

Hello, I appreciate your suggestion, however, another contact sent me step by step directions using IFTTT  on my android phone and switchr on my versa. It was time consuming to go through the steps, but it worked.  The steps included turning on the sound if I had my phone on silent mode and then ringing loudly so I could hear where i left it.
I no longer have this problem,  can now find my phone by touching a button on my watch.
God Bless,Deborah
💖 "+" 💖

[Marysbond]

I did the steps also and it only works intermittently for me. Not sure why.
Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. Sometimes it'll work 20 minutes
after I pressed the button. Rather annoying work around for a feature that
should already exist on these watches FOR FREE. 😕

[mrc1984]

agreed

[SantiR]

@SunsetRunner @Pjsbend Welcome to the Fitbit family! Thanks for sharing your input regarding a Find my Phone feature.

I'd recommend voting for the following Feature Suggestion asking for the same:

• Find my Phone (Under Consideration)

As you can see the idea is marked as "Under Consideration" which is a great sign. Please add your vote to it and comment as well. 

@Mihai13 It's great to see you in the Fitbit forums! Thanks for sharing that information about clock faces that will stay on permanently. This is a feature for Fitbit watches only. 

@Jasper887 Thanks for sharing your help on this thread.

@LHL1 @steveygti1978 I hope you're doing well! Thanks for taking the time to share all of the steps that helped you out with this. I'm sure this will be very helpful for other users too. Thanks for your contribution. 

@mrc1984 @deborahdwilkins @Marysbond Thanks for sharing your feedback regarding the workaround and the experience you have had with this. 

Please feel free to vote for the suggestion I linked above! 

Keep me posted! 

[Charles2807]

These steps to make your phone play music with the fitbit controllers are a great idea, actually this is how I found my phone in a pile of leaves while I went hiking once.

However, after one of the major updates now my fitbit doesn't START music on my phone, the controllers only work if the phone is already playing music or was paused recently... In fact these is what I suggested fitbit to re-integrate again after I found out it was taken out.

Also to the moderators, please mark this post as unresolved as it hasn't been solved yet. The original post is asking to implement the feature, considering not having the feature as a bug, the post doesn't ask if the feature exists. While this post is marked as solved, all entrance are being ignored and considered as references, what we want is for fitbit to understand that this is something that is bothering their users and needs to be approached ASAP.

Moderator edit: Merged replies

[SunsetRunner]

I gave up on waiting for Fitbit to add this should have been standard included as a default or system app / feature from day one and returned my Versa and bought a Garmin Vivo Active 3 and it is Much Better, it has the find my phone feature as part of the watches built in System App, so no need to install a widget or optional app from the Garmin Connect Store. Got tired of Fitbit not supporting their customers and providing them with the features and Apps they desire.

Actually I wanted to order the Vivo Active 3 Music but mistakenly ordered the regular Non Music Vivo Active 3 and am going to try to return it or exchange it for the Vivo Active 3 Music.

[FerdinandFitbit]

Hi @Charles2807 @SunsetRunner, great to have you both in the Forums! 🙂

@Charles2807, thanks a lot for your input and feedback about this. Now, I assume that you're not using a Fitbit Charge HR but you're using a Blaze, an Ionic or a Versa because the Charge HR doesn't have this feature. In these cases, these devices are not capable to start playing media on your phone if the media has not been started previously.

In order to control the music on your phone, first start playing the music on your phone and after that, you should be able to control it from your device. If you're having problems with this, you can check the article Why can't I control music with my Fitbit device?

Now, on another note, the fact that a thread is marked as Solved, doesn't necessarily mean that there is a solution for what is being discussed but that the response selected as Solved is the most acceptable answer even if it doesn't offer a solution. Hope this makes sense.

@SunsetRunner, there is already a feature suggestion for this that you can check here. It seems that the suggestion is under consideration, so I would think we might be seeing this feature implemented in a near future but this is not a guarantee that it will happen like that, We'll have to wait and see.

If you guys need anything else, I'm around!

[Charles2807]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

Indeed I have the Fitbit Ionic, and as you mentioned, it doesn't start playing media on the phone if the media has not been started previously, but I remember that it used to do it before the "major" update. So one big help for the "Find my Iphone thread" would be to make the devices capable of starting media on the phone, again.

As per the Threads Solved status, I understand your point, but there's not just ain't a solution, also the response selected it's not really acceptable.

I understand that in this case the best option is to open a new thread then, better explaining the concern and not accepting a response until it makes it point.

Regards,

Carlos F.

[mrc1984]

Just want to be able to Find My Phone, or vice versa, Find my Watch...just like every orher smart watch can already do and thisi should not be taking years for Fitbit to solve.


Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[Charles2807]

Hello fellow fitbiteros [ fitbit users 🙂 ]

Since this thread is marked as solved, it won't get any impactful attention.

I opened the thread: "Ping my phone feature" under Ionic forum, please let's reply and vote under that one and keep it open till the ISSUE is addressed.

Regards,

Carlos F.

[Marysbond]

How long does it stay under consideration before it's actually implemented?

[FerdinandFitbit]

Thanks a lot for getting back @Charles2807! 

Huh, that's strange. The Fitbit Ionic is not my area of expertise to be honest but I have used the Fitbit Blaze which works very similar to the other trackers that have this feature and I don't really recall it being able to start playing media from my phone without it being started before.

If this was an option before on the Ionic, I'm sorry, it seems that it's not an option any longer 😕

Now, when it comes to the solved status, I really appreciate your feedback on this. I myself don't have the option to change the way the accepted solutions option is used but I can sure pass your suggestion along to our team for them to take it into consideration.

@mrc1984, good to see you around! Feel free to vote for the suggestion on this link.

@Marysbond, good to see you around as well! There is no a specific time frame for suggestions to keep their status, so I wouldn't be able to tell you how long more this suggestion will remain like that.

If you guys need anything else, I'm always around!

[bogdanims]

For Ionic & Versa, I just got the approval of "Find My Phone" application - https://gam.fitbit.com/gallery/app/25f6c80d-60ae-4d80-8a54-d3e5775e4ae1

It requires an one time configuration. For now it works only on Android smartphones, but it is a matter of days until the iOS version will be available too. I'm waiting for your feedback.

Enjoy it!

[deborahdwilkins]

Hello, I have one problem with this app.  It is giving a one sound media bing and not  typical phone ring.The issue is-- if i need to find my phone, I am having to tap my watch numerous times before I hear the phone. Is there a fix for this?DeborahSent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone