How to set up an Inspire HR for a child

[Wethree3]

I’m trying to set up an Inspire HR for a child (11).  X2

It looks like I can only set up a child’s account with an Ace.  Is this correct?

I can’t work out how to create an account for an 11 year old with the inspire hr and add it to my family.  

I’ve  tried adding it to my device / Fitbit account but then I can’t add an info for the child.  

Any my advice?

[Currah]

Seems like you nailed it from what I can tell.  Fitbit should invest in understanding their customers experience more.

Agree.  How could they not consider something so obvious.  Need to hire a few parents to help them.

Please respond to the actual issue that applies to a broad spectrum of your customers... or go into politics where only answering questions you want to answer is acceptable.  

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Mattybesq]

• We have the exact same problem.  This is ridiculous.  Just want to be able to simply monitor 10 and 8 year old activity and heart rate.  Returning and never buying a Fitbit product again.

[DL74]

My son is 12 and he received a Fitbit Inspire for Christmas so he can participate in family step challenges and so I can be aware of his activity (or lack of). Luckily, his birthday is around the corner so I think we are going to wait until he turns the magical age of 13 to re-create his Fitbit account since at age 12.9 he can only have an Ace according to Fitbit. It's a bummer he has to wait another month but that doesn't help the other people on this forum are stuck with either buying the Ace or lying about their child's age to set up an account.

Hey Fitbit! FWIW: 12-year-olds don't want to wear bright devices with dancing monsters on them. Luckily my 10yo got the first version of the Ace so it doesn't look "babyish" even if it isn't waterproof. The Ace 2 might be great for ages 5-9, but no 10-12 year old I know would be seen wearing it. How about some parental controls on something like the Inspire which looks more mature? 

[apache05]

still no response or fix by Fitbit ... when companies like this drink cool-aid , then best to hand them their product back and tell them to go sod off ....   

[beanieg112]

His cardiologist recommended getting one to get a general heart rate, not monitor a serious heart condition. It wasn’t a situation of being in distress and using the wrong equipment, it was a jumping off point.  My son is preteen and 5’4”, not a small child.  I felt his cardiologist gave a reasonable recommendation for the situation.  

[LZeeW]

@beanieg112   The fundamental issue that keeps children from having an Inspire HR or any other tracker that isn't an Ace/Ace2 is the existence of federal internet privacy protection laws.  A child that is under the age of digital consent cannot have their own Fitbit account for the same reason they can't have their own Facebook account.

I also feel that your son's cardiologist made a reasonable recommendation.  It just runs afoul of federal law.

[Currah]

Are you suggesting there is not a programming solution? Blaming the government is absolutely ridiculous. This is only about not caring about what your customers want. If you did there would be a solution implemented before the end of the week. Accommodate your customers, it is a good business practice. Will Google be more responsive?

Rob

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[Baboon007]

Can I use a fitbit inspire hr for my 11 year old on the family account. It only gives me an Ace option

[DL74]

No. You have to either lie about their age or get them an Ace.

[Bekka_C]

I would like to do the same. The Ace is too "kiddie" for my 10 yo. The Inspire is just right but I'd like to set up and account for him with my family account.

[Currah]

Unfortunately Fitbit doesn't provide what you are looking for.  I was reading online that at Amazon they have many competitors that will fit the bill.

[LZeeW]

---

@Bekka_C wrote:

I would like to do the same. The Ace is too "kiddie" for my 10 yo. The Inspire is just right but I'd like to set up and account for him with my family account.

---

You mention the Ace.  Fitbit doesn't sell the Ace anymore since it released the Ace 2.  It is my understanding that you can put an Inspire band on an Ace 2.

[Currah]

It would be so easy if Fitbit just allowed customers to set up whatever kind of account they wanted for any device they want to get their kid.  Not sure why it is worth it to ignore customers, but must be worth it.

[4SamanthaM]

Try setting up the birthdate as your own. That’s what I did for my child’s inspire

[Currah]

Yes, Fitbit will allow lying to work.

[cestlaolivie]

Yess, exactly! Those kind of things would kill someone in middle school. Fitbit really didn't think this through.

[123DCP]

I've got a disappointed son too.  Thanks for ruining his birthday, jerks.  I'm returning his fitbit.  If possible, I'm returning my daughters too.  My Fitbit is way past it's return deadline, so it's going to have a nasty run-in with a very large hammer.

Then I'm getting something from Garmin or WearOS for them and me.  This is not the first time Fitbit has tried to make a device useless for me.   I will never buy anything from Fitbit again.

Throw away all your family's Fitbits and look for something from a company that doesn't have screwing customers as it's primary goal.

And they can't make other trackers work with a child's account (no social networking) because?

There's nothing magical about an Ace that does something an inspire can't.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[ARP003]

This is all so ridiculous. It is the account, not the device that complies with internet “laws” for kids. The Inspire is literally recommended online as being for “older children and teens” but yet they can’t use it because they have to be 18 to have an account but can’t have a child account under family because it’s not an Ace or Ace 2?  WTF this is maddening. 

[CustomerX]

If FitBit's real concern was the protection of children they'd sort this in an instant.  The current situation is counter-productive as it leaves children using Inspires vulnerable,  FitBit will argue that's down to parental choice but they are complicit.  I'm also perplexed that so many reviews recommend Inspires for older kids, when the reviewers must know about this limitation.  Who's pulling who's strings, I wonder...

[JohnTerrence]

Another reason to steer towards another vendor. Fitbit has so many warts like this without much of a roadmap to fix them. 

Disappointed we bought this thing and I’ll keep steering people away from Fitbit unfortunately. Now I’m lying about my kids age creating an adult account