Problem with automatic and manual activity logs

[goister]

Hi,

I've a few problems with my Versa 3.

I have a 3rd party app that accesses my Fitbit data (steps, heart rate, activities) and awards me points and rewards based on my physical activities, including maintaining an average heart rate for a prolonged duration. The way it does so is to detect my activity log and the associated time and average heart rate (silly I know, they should just look at the heart rate data directly, but go figure).

When I go to the gym for weight training, my heart rate is elevated, but my Versa 3 doesn't detect that I'm doing weight training. There's no activity log for the period where my heart rate is elevated. Because of this, the 3rd party app doesn't detect the elevated heart rate, and doesn't award me points. I asked Fitbit chat and they advised me to follow the instructions at https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1935.htm?Highlight=exercise and add the activity under my Exercises page in "Exercise shortcuts" in order to have my device automatically detect the activity. However, there's no such entry in the mobile app nor web portal dashboard.

FYI, in the Exercises app in my Versa 3 device, I can find "Weights"

I tried to manually add the activity in the web portal dashboard and I'm able to do so to fulfil the requirements of my 3rd party app, but it doesn't get logged either. When I asked them why, they claim they detected workouts that are from an "unverified source", which includes any manual input or workout data, which is what I did.

My questions are:

1. How can 3rd party apps discern between automatically logged activities, and manually logged activities?

2. How can I make my Versa 3 automatically detect my weights activities? In fact, it doesn't even have to accurately detect it as "weights". As long as it detects some activity for the duration of my weight training, as well as the associated heart rate, that'd be fine.

3. If I start a "Weights" exercise session on my Versa 3 device, does it have the same manual activity log status as when I log it on the Fitbit portal dashboard?

4. Can I have it such that my manually logged activities have the same status as the automatically logged activities, so that the 3rd party app cannot discern between the 2?

Thanks.

[LZeeW]

@goister   To answer your questions:

1. Third party app behavior depends on that app's programming.  Look for an FAQ page in that app's support section for answers.
2. Your Versa 3 cannot automatically detect weights.  No Fitbit automatically detects weights.
3. There is a Weights exercise shortcut on the Versa 3.  Scroll all the way to the bottom of the exercise list after tapping on your Exercise app icon on your Versa 3.  It is next to last, but will move to your list of Recent exercises after you use it.  There is no need to log it on your dashboard.  As a matter of fact, don't log anything manually after the fact if you were wearing your Fitbit at the time.  It will change the calorie burn.
4. Not sure how to answer this one.  If you use the Weights shortcut on your Versa 3, your problem will solve itself.

[goister]

Hi, thanks for the reply. Yes I noticed the Versa 3 exercise shortcut. OK, I'll try that. Hopefully, the 3rd party app doesn't detect that as an "unverified source".