Add iOS shortcuts integration for quick log

[lflspinstar]

I am loving the iOS shortcut that lets me quickly log water without having to open any app. Fitbit does not connect with Apple Health, so it can’t read my water log. MFP - which I use for tracking food because FitBit would have me manually adding almost everything I eat and drink as custom items - can read AH but not water, so I can’t pull it indirectly from there into FitBit. These shortcuts are new, but many apps are already jumping in. Where is FitBit? I am so much better about logging water now that I am not using the app. I would love a shortcut that logs my water in Fitbit instead of Apple Health, rather than a sync with AH, but maybe some people could use both?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity and label

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @lflspinstar. Thanks for taking the time to share your suggestion about adding iOS shortcuts so you can quickly log your data in the Fitbit app. This is a great idea! We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If your suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates! In the meantime, try visiting our Lifestyle Discussion Forum to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[na27]

Definitely want to push for iOS shortcut integration for FitBit app. I've got an "exercise" shortcut that starts playing music, starts Strava activity, and it would be nice to start a Fitbit activity at the same time.  When my wake up alarm is stopped, a shortcut starts playing music and then opens Fitbit to check sleep score.  The possibilities are endless from logging water, food, or weight to sharing goals, badges, and/or activities.  Anything that is done frequently that takes multiple steps could/should be automated.

Additionally, I have to take my Charge 2 off (almost daily) which leads to phantom active minutes.  The recommended work around is about 5 steps to turn off the heart rate (HR) monitor.  Then I have to remember to re-trace those steps to re-enable when I put it back on.  So I either have useless data skewed by phantom active minutes or no data because I forget to turn the HR monitor back on.  I've got a shortcut that triggers a number of other actions around the time I take off my device, a Fitbit HR toggle could be just one more automatic step.  

Thanks for your time.

[Luzmo84]

I also would like to have this feature!

[belloj]

@lflspinstar @LizzyFitbit Please can you share how to use iOS Shortcuts to quickly log water without having to open the Fitbit app. Thanks. John

[N.Ban]

Pls push for this feature pls . Thank you . 

[Sawood]

This is a great idea and I would really encourage Fitbit to add support for quick actions / 3D touch actions to iOS Shortcuts please.

My intention is to use an NFC tag on my water bottles which can trigger an iOS Shortcut, and then this could directly log the correct amount of water in Fitbit. Currently I don't use water logging in Fitbit because it is cumbersome.

Without native iOS Shortcuts integration, I will need to somehow write a Shortcut to authenticate into a custom/developer Fitbit app and then log water via a web API call. This is literally a 30-step Shortcut prone to errors/timeouts versus a 2-step Shortcut if Fitbit adds this natively.

Lots of other apps have succeeded in this space now such as Instagram, Roku and Whatsapp, so hopefully it is straightforward to add.

[Kermit-The-Frog]

@lflspinstar ,

TL;DR: Using various 3rd party apps and clever workarounds, I’m able to log a fair amount of recurring data relatively quickly.  However, the processes I use can seem a bit like a Rube Goldberg cartoon.

Full response:

To log hydration, there are several workarounds that, after years of tweaking, appear to work well with Fitbit and AH.

1.  I use WaterMinder to log my beverage intake.

2. I use myFitnessSync to exchange info between Fitbit and AH.

NB: This process may cost more money than the convenience it offers. I think both of these apps use a subscription model.  I purchased them when it was a one-time thing so am grandfathered.

3. I log liquid intake in WM -> Allow AH to read WM (but not other way).  mFS aids in the process of both reading and writing between Fitbit and AH. For most of my fitness data, I have Fitbit overwrite AH. For hydration, I have AH write to Fitbit.  The transfer processes usually occur in < 5 minutes from initial data entry.  The result is:

- Fitbit (and AH) show my hydration according to WM.

- AH shows most of my Fitbit data. (After using third party apps for nutrition, I’ve gone back to Fitbit. Their database is sufficient for what I consume.)

All apps get what they need and I know where to look for what info.

Incidentally, I’m partial to Fitbit’s sleep tracking. While I use a completely different app for meditation and marking when I get to bed, I retroactively adjust Fitbit’s sleep tracking window to reflect the actual time I went to bed and the actual time I awoke. Then AH reads that adjusted data from Fitbit. A time tracking app I use reads the revised time from AH. Then I manually make changes to the sleep category in my time tracker to account for time to fall asleep and any insomnia I have during the night.

IMO, Fitbit has excellent sleep tracking, sufficient exercise tracking and superior battery life to A Watch. This is how I use my watch so I don’t need anything with extra stuff.  Using iOS Shortcuts with 3rd party apps and lots of workarounds as to which app reads what data, everything seems to work well enough.

Apologies for the long post.

@LizzyFitbit , Please feel free to edit this post if I accidentally violate any rules.  If so, I will try to repost with different wording that passes muster.

ps. I would be thrilled if Fitbit developed a more streamlined way to communicate with AH and integrate with iOS shortcuts!

[Gianlou]

Yes, I second the suggestion to add iOS shortcut integration

[Iohannus]

Somebody please tell me how to add Fitbit to shortcuts.

[Luciano---]

How many more votes does the idea need to push the feature into production? It’s been 2 years…

[LadyLina]

I also would like iOS shortcut integration.  I have to tap way too many times to enter a value for water i've had. Need shortcuts to easily update and add data to fitbit app.

[sai-manoj-kumar]

@LizzyFitbit Any updates on this feature request. This has been asked more than 3 years ago.

[RGrhm]

Exactly, what’s the update here