How do I stop an exercise on Charge 3?

[Yeokatie]

I accidentally started a running timer and can't switch it off. My fitfit thinks ive been running for over 4 hours and ive bearly moved from my seat trying to switch it off. Help! 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Yeokatie, it's nice to see you here! To end the workout, press the button again and tap Finish. Swipe up to see your workout summary. 

For certain Fitbit devices, if you stop moving during the run or bike exercises—such as at a traffic light—your exercise pauses automatically while you’re still (known as auto-pause). You’ll feel your device vibrate indicating that activity tracking paused. 

To continue, resume your run or bike ride; you’ll feel your device vibrate indicating that activity tracking continued. For runs, if your watch doesn’t detect a run for 10 consecutive minutes, you’ll see a message asking if you want to end the exercise.

To turn off auto-pause:

1. On your device, open the Exercise app > Run. 
2. Tap the gear icon, or swipe up on Charge 3.
3. Find Auto-Pause and change the setting to Off.
4. Press the back button to return to the exercise screen.
5. Tap the exercise screen and then tap the play icon to start the workout.

If you want to delete this activity that was tracked by mistake, see How do I edit or delete Fitbit data and activities?

Hope this helps, I'll be around if you need further assistance! 

[OldBob3301]

I've always been frustrated by the procedure to stop an exercise.  Today, I followed your instructions and when I tapped the button the exercise just restarted.  I took the device off and after about 13 minutes I was able to access the finish button and stop the exercise.  There are many design issues with this device.  For most things it works fine, but managing the exercises is not it's strong suit.  It seems to be designed for 20 somethings that have good eyesight.  If all of the text was bright it would help, but the gray on black with small print is too much for me.  

[MarreFitbit]

Hi @OldBob3301, thanks for jumping in here! Sorry to hear you've been having difficulties stopping your exercises. 

I'd recommend taking a look at: How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?

I'd like to give thanks for the feedback you've provided towards our product. Please know that we provide feedback to our team based on community posts and we are always working on improving our devices and overall environment based on that feedback.

For anything else you would like to see implemented in the future, consider visiting our Feature Suggestions board. This is a space where Community users can post features, ideas, and suggestions that they'd like to see in future Fitbit products, accessories, and software and top-voted suggestions get relayed to our product team for review.

We're constantly striving to improve Fitbit products and services, and we very much appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers.

Our product team looks forward to reading and incorporating your suggestions into future versions of Fitbit trackers and apps.

Let me know if there's anything else I may assist you with.

[Katherine13]

Total frustration..the message keeps coming up that I should press the button to stop the exercise nut that just takes me to a screen that says Screen wake/notifications...so I have now been lifting weights for almost 20 minutes trying to figure this out so I’m not doing that all night...and I can’t even view the time...HELP!

[Murrle]

Total frustration for me too. I press the button, it says paused, touch button to turn off. Screen changes to screen awake and I can’t access time. 

[Mkm03]

I’m having exactly the same problem. Meanwhile it’s been running for 2 hours over my actual work out...

[Mjhd]

This is my 4th Fitbit and had Charge 2's before getting Charge 3's. Just sent a new Charge 3 back because it stopped monitoring. This is the new Charge 3 replacement and the side buttons for exercise on both of them do not work well. It is very difficult to get the exercise to shut off. You have to get the button just right and is irritating.

I like the others have spent a lot of time on this.

[runningkim]

i run all day and don't get anywhere. i finally turned off the run last night when i just swiped and pushed buttons in no particular fashion and it finally came up to end exercise. goes either to pauses or wake or notification.  just got yesterday, but i'm ready to flush it. fortunately i ran with my good old trusty timex running watch. HELP

[runningkim]

sorry but when i do that , the icons you say should come up don't at all! got this thing friday and i'm thinking if my granddaughter hadn't drawn on box it would be returned!

[OldBob3301]

It took me a while but I finally discovered how to actually stop an exercise reliably.  It's been working for me for some time now and I am remiss in not reporting my solution.  It seems that I need to tap the "button" twice with not much time between the taps.  If I wait too long all kinds of strange things happen.  Anyway, when I finish the exercie I push the button.  As soon as I see the "pause" message, I push the button again.  That's it.  If I wait too long after pause appears I get back to the exercise ... or into some strange configuration.  It's too bad that fitbit works on a "you figure it out" method as opposed to a simple downloadable online guide with pictures.

[SpecialKE]

THANK YOU!!!!  Definitely not intuitive. I finally got my “run” to shut off after 8 hours.  

[runningkim]

Thanks soooo much

[amtojsingh88]

just swipe down the touch button on the side of the device multiple times. it will first pause the workout and then give you an option to stop it.

[Jaclack]

None of the suggested methods will make my Fitbit charge 3 stop tracking my walk. Either nothing happens when I push the bottom (not even the pause function) or I get the screen wake/notification screen. 

[DebraJH]

I agree 100% with all your comments, I am getting really frustrated not being able to stop the timer after a run hence my watch still logs me running ages after I have finished and my run time is therefore not accurate showing my time a lot slower than I am actually running.  I also struggle to read any text as it is far too small.

[Jaclack]

Thanks for the moral support.  I reset my Charge 3 - put it in the charger and then, when it's charging, hold down the button until it turns off and back on again. After it reset I synched it , then I edited the activity by adjusting the end time to actual and it updated all my stats.  It hasn't happened again....

As for small text, I wear glasses 24/7 so I can read it without too much difficulty.  To be honest, I usually read it on the app, not the watch.

To quote my optician, we can't stop the march of time....

[Amiboo]

Sorry MarreFitbit but I found OldBob3313's response on 6/22 way more helpful than your suggestions.  The AutoPause situation has nothing to do with getting the thing to stop an exercise.  You can swipe it six ways to Sunday and it won't stop an exercise.  Pushing the button twice quickly, kind of a double click, is what brings up Finish on the screen.  I've had this for over a month and had no idea double clicking the button would do anything. Now I wonder what else it might do that I haven't figured out.  Considering how popular the Fitbits are I would think there would be a decent user manual explaining such things. BTW, Thanks OldBob!!   

[Nuri58]

Same happened to me don't know how, but following the instructions well I cannot as I can only see split times and God knows what. From the app no help. Wonder how it can be made soo complicated. Already now I regret going back to Fitbit.

Som clear step by step instructions is needed or a link to a manual

[Nuri58]

1. On your device, open the Exercise app > Run. 

First issue I fail to find anything named run. 

1. Tap the gear icon, or swipe up on Charge 3.

Gear icon is which

1. Find Auto-Pause and change the setting to Off

Im near anything like this

1. Press the back button to return to the exercise screen.
2. Tap the exercise screen and then tap the play icon to start the workout.