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Good point regarding alarms on 2 Flexes. Save that one for the Flex User with 2 Flexes. I'll jump on the over generalization band wagon ... the vast majority of users here are requesting this for Charge HR or Charge 2.
I did not join the Community until I made the 2 same tracker request to FitBit and they directed me to the Community. So ... No, I did not read the 2 year old Community announcement. Silly me for expecting FitBit to include such a simple succinct statement in their Support or Help and not just in the Community. By the way, the announcement was last edited last July ... wonder what changed. I did read the help article and the "... one of each model ..." certainly could arguably serve as CYA for FitBit though adding the succinct clarification of no 2 same would have helped
the many users "... misled by the way we read ...". By the way, the help was last edited 3/13/17 ... wonder what changed?
I agree most of the "heavy lifting" was formatting 2 of any tracker to be on the same account. There should be no complication to the platforms if the trackers are the same (All Fitbits have an ID#). Wouldn't 2 simple user edited fields allow us to distinguish our trackers? We can worry about the rest.
... to other user comments ...
"Act like a lawyer." No Thanks! I'll remain a customer (perhaps ex-customer). We users don't perceive our request as crying nor do we feel our reasons are not compelling ... as those with countering opinions likely don't perceive themselves as merely trying to distract or dismiss the need for 2 same trackers.
I DON'T CONSIDER THIS "OUT OF CONTROL." IT IS A DEBATE. REQUESTERS HAVE ASKED FOR A FEATURE MODIFICATION AND A FEW HAVE OFFERED COUNTER SUGGESTIONS. NEITHER SIDE HAVE PROVIDED COMPELLING ARGUMENTS IN THE EYES OF THE OTHER BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT. FITBIT SENT US HERE. WE VOLLEY AND FITBIT CAN STAY AT ARMS LENGTH. FITBIT'S MISTAKE IS ASSUMING THIS WOULD ABSOLVE THEM FROM REPERCUSSION FOR DOING NOTHING. BOTTOM LINE: FITBIT WILL NOT ACCOMMODATE THIS MODIFICATION. THEY MUST FEEL THE NEGATIVE IMPACT WILL BE MINIMAL AND WE WILL ALL EVENTUALLY GO OFF AND BUY THEIR NEW TRACKERS ANYWAY.
Fitbit sends you here to that they may be able to tabulate the interest in each feature. What is key here is the number of votes, not the time when the feature suggestion was submitted. Each one of us, independent of how many times we may happen to post or IF WE POST IN ALL CAPS, gets one vote. Make your peace with that.
The posts with the most votes are the ones that will get the most attention. ~300 votes are not that many. If you look at feature suggestions sort by rank, this sits on the fourthpage. You want Fitbit give this more attention, get as many people as you can to vote. If your friends with Fitbits can't be bothered to log on to the forums, find this thread to vote for it, at least entertain the idea that this may not be that important to most Fitbit users.
If you're one user that really really REALLY REALLY wants this feature and posted it ten years ago. You still only get one vote.
Okay, I understand that you want the ability to wear a tracker when you're doing something where it may get either beat up or dirty. Let's for a minute forget the fact that you already have two of one tracker... If you were to ask me which tracker you should have in addition to your existing tracker for this scenario, it wouldn't be another one of the same (Flex or Charge 2), it would be either a One or even a Zip. Allow me to explain:
The One and Zip are clip-on models. You'd either put it in your pocket or clip it on to your waist (or in your bra for women). Practically no chance of it getting dirty or damaged.
Being clip-on models, you won't suffer from inflated step counts from manual activities (like gardening or working on a car); your step count will be more accurate. I read a recent account where a user got about 2,000 steps standing in one spot from making bread; he was debating wearing it on his ankle (which would introduce another set of problems).
Depending on which model you have, you can very likely sell it used, get the Zip (about $50 on Amazon) and make money.
"...and yes, if I had two espresso machines, I would at least have the option of using both of them if I so desired; and I do not believe the company would tell me, 'sorry, you can only use one at a time'!!"
Sorry, but this is a very bad analogy on your part. Fitbit is not preventing you from using two Fitbits, they work just fine the way they were intended... each of the individual Fitbits on their own account OR as the description says, "one of each tracker model" on multiple tracker accounts.
This would be a more accurate representation of the situation:
You already have one espresso machine.
You somehow got a second espresso machine.
You decided that the second espresso machine would be a great way to brew tea. The espresso machine was never designed to brew tea.
Instead of getting rid of this second espresso machine (either returning it where you bought it or giving it to someone who may use it), you decide to log on to their website and post incessantly about how it's pretty much the same (pushing hot water through ground stuff) and demand that the espresso machine manufacturer needs to make this work simply because you're asking for it.
I'm always on Fitbit's side? Really? Let's see here, you've made a total of three posts; all of them on this thread. In addition to my activity on this thread, I've also posted a number of feature suggestions (far more than your three posts):
So a feature suggestion is the polite way of telling Fitbit, "Hey, your stuff can be even better this way..." So that is effectively, not on Fitbit's side. However, as @Rich_Laue mentions, there's a constructive way to make a case for a feature request, these are not it:
"We should have it just because we ask for it." Not even close.
"It's got so many votes." At 303? No, it doesn't.
"It's been suggested for literally years." So? How long did customers ask Apple of a radio tuner on their iPods? Is Apple a crappy company for ignoring its users?
The 'Team Option for Challenges' above has a longer history and more votes than this one. Do you see me on that thread (excuse me for being blunt) posting everysingleday about how Fitbit owes it to me to implement it (or a response or explanation)? No. I posted the suggestion and made a case for it. If people like it, they'll find it and vote. Once it gets enough votes Fitbit (and if it aligns with the way they want to grow the products), it'll be implemented. You need to be Zen about this kind of thing.
Do I think that each of these should be implemented? Absolutely! However, I don't spend my time complaining that my crystal slippers are too snug.
Now, obviously you're not illiterate, but let's just say that perhaps you suffer from selective reading. First, you missed the 'one tracker of each model' clause (in two places, the announcement and the help article).
Next, you assert, "Save that one for the Flex User with 2 Flexes". Umm… There are two users (CEConti and Sharrald) on this page alone that have Flexes.
Uhmm… Are we really splitting hairs over the phrasing that "…one of each tracker…" is not the same as "…no 2 of the same model…"?
So now you're insinuating that maybe Fitbit didn't really list this initially and maybe allege ("the help was last edited 3/13/17 ... wonder what changed?") that it was added after the fact. Well, even if the original post and the help article were updated, the first two responses:
…were not. I've selected the date and the text to assist in your selective reading. Of course, now you'll likely allege that Fitbit altered the dates on these post simply to spite you. Of course they did.
Can you at least now concede that Fitbit did not willfully mislead you, but it was your lack of attention to detail that put you in this position?
Next, you suggest that "Wouldn't 2 simple user edited fields allow us to distinguish our trackers?" Uhmm… Sure, allow users to change the name of the trackers to say 'Bert' and 'Ernie'… Why not? Where would put these 'simple user edited fields'? To account for all users, wouldn't it have to be on:
The online dashboard
Windows: desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone
Android: tablet and phone
iOS: tablet and phone
Sure, that sounds trivially simple and it doesn't sound like a lot of technical resources at all. Oh, but you want people to be able to simply type a name for their trackers. Well, they'll likely have to add a column to the database for trackers, which will increase the size of the table, but that's just small potatoes, right?
And the name you pick for the tracker should be added to the database, right? As innocuous as that may seem, it's a potential way to be hacked, here's a cartoon that pokes fun at it. Why would anyone do that? Because if hackers can, they will to syphon out account information to hack you. So you'll need someone who is familiar with sanitizing database inputs to do this code… Again on 9 platforms.
Oh, and that's just on the list of devices on your account. What about the little icon on the bottom that tells you which device has synced? Should Fitbit also allow you to pick a different icon for one Charge 2 and the other Charge 2? Oh, sure, that's not going to take technical resources on 9 different platforms at all.
So let's say that Fitbit does spend the man-hours to implement all of these changes across 9 platforms. Great, now you can distinguish the two trackers apart, in the Fitbit App or dashboard. What about the actual physical trackers? Let's say that you want to wear 'Ernie' to work and leave 'Bert' at home, here are pictures of Bert and Ernie (as Flexes, Ones and Alta HR's) side by side:
Can you tell which one is Bert and which one is Ernie? Yeah, I didn't think so. I imagine that you'll claim something like "with two devices the vast majority of people will have different colors", and thus they'd be easy to tell them apart. That's not necessarily true; many users want a second one to 'keep one always charged' (and they're fairly likely to have two of the same color in very similar condition). Yes, hence the reason I ask folks 'why do you feel you need this feature?'.
The setting the alarm scenario was just one instance that is broken. I have multiple trackers paired to my account and often loan them out to friends so that they may test drive them. So say that I'm wearing Ernie and remove Bert from my account and hand it to my friend Harry… Except that I removed Ernie from my account by mistake and none of the steps I had today counted on my dashboard. That's just two scenarios that are broken. I'm sure that I can come up with more.
Finally, you lackadaisically state that "We can worry about the rest." Oh, really? So if there's some other strange quirkiness with this scenario (losing steps, for instance) you are going to commit to not post incessantly on the forums? Do you also speak on behalf of the remaining users who may encounter strange issues with the corner cases?
No? Well, that means that it puts more stress on the support folks. They'll have to be trained to know about this scenario… And there's the additional calls/chats that may occur due to this feature… Oh, and let's not forget about the additional questions here in the forum.
You're absolutely right. This all sounds trivially simple and Fitbit should absolutely put development resources into this because you happened to have ended up with an extra tracker of the same model.
SORRY ABOUT USING ALL CAPS. I’LL TRY TO … oops! I mean … I’ll try to avoid such an awful violation of forum etiquette.
The suggestion to sell one of the 2-same-model could work … maybe sell both! … though, I am not so sure about making money on this.
The back and forth banter has been great. Perhaps I can continue contributing to the incessant posts in future posts but indulge me as I divert for a moment back to the original issue/request …
Is there a way for 2-same-model owners to use both trackers on the same account? (Is bold OK?)
We know FitBit won’t accommodate 2-same-model use. Is there a workaround for us 2-same-model owners? IDK (I mean idk) … yet … but it is worth a look. I call on my fellow 2-same-model owners to search the internet.
Is there a surrogate 2nd party app that can communicate with a FitBit device that would allow 2-same-model? Likely not but it is worth a look.
Alternatively, a quick search has shown the existence of a number of 2nd party apps that can consolidate multiple tracker / multiple manufacturer’s app activity data such as MyFitnessPal (MFP) and/or Nudge. For example sake let’s use MFP and 2 Charge HRs. You would create a 2nd FitBit account for the 2nd HR and then link both HR accounts to MFP. MFP then becomes your primary source for viewing your consolidated activity. POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE (sorry about the caps): 1) Syncing appears to be one-way from FitBit to MFP so your FitBit app (and HR) would only reflect data from the HR linked to that account. 2) A few users have experienced syncing error between HR (and other FitBit trackers) with FitBit software. A 2nd party app may add complexity and unfortunately provides a convenient excuse for FitBit to finger-point. 3) Users would still need to use the respective FitBit app/account to adjust their HRs settings, etc. POTENTIAL UPSIDE (sorry): 1) We have our consolidated information via MFP. 2) MFP can consolidate other manufacturer’s tracker data in addition to FitBit. When the HR#1 conks out, you can get that Garmin you had your eye on, get the Garmin app and link to MFP to continue to get consolidated data from the Garmin and HR#2. If you want a second tracker when the HR#2 quits, you can add any MFP supported manufacturer’s tracker. Add a third if you wish … forth … so on.
Now … haven’t confirmed this will work … and no, this may not work 100% automatically. MFP was used for explanation sake so don’t confuse this as an endorsement. Perhaps someone has done this research already so I encourage my fellow 2-same-model owners to join me in checking the internal and external forums on this option or for alternatives. Maybe some app out there can 2-way sync or even talk to a FitBit device directly.
How about this... Knowing that the help article and the announcements both mention that it's one of each model tracker, can you at least concede that Fitbit did not willfully mislead you into believing that it supported two of the same model in one account and you simply did not read the description?
Forgo the lengthy response, the answer to this is yes or no.
In re: "Fitbit did not willfully mislead you into believing that it supported two of the same model in one account" I give you the same advert that I posted a year ago:
Nowhere in this ad does it say that it has to be a different model, so I say "Yes, Fitbit did willfully mislead me into thinking it supported two of the same model tracker on one account."
The ad specifically refers to the fact that there is no need to limit your choice to one model of a Fitbit. Since you can now have more than one (implied model) connected to a single fitbit account.
Of course there where people using two different trackers long before this option existed.
Why would a person buy 2 of the same model, if they are debating on which of two models to buy? This is ehat the add implies.
My ideal combo would have been the Surge and the Charge HR. Certainly would not purchase two of the most expensive models, let alone any two of the same model.
BTW: the original posted suggestion was for the ability to add two different models to a single account
I have two Altas and love it. I would like to be able to have both in the app so I can switch between them when the other is charging.
Please update the app so we have the ability to have two or more Fitbit of the same model. Perhaps you could give us the ability to name the Fitbit when we add them.
I am feeling very let down by this issue of not being able to have two of the same device on the same account. I want to buy the rose gold Charge 2. However, I just invested in a very expensive leather strap for my regular (silver) Charge 2. It has a silver buckle. Come on Fitbit. What is this about? What are you trying to prevent? As I see it, you just prevented me from investing another $229 in one of your items.
I can't understand why Fitbit won't allow two of the same trackers to be linked to the same account. Unless there's some overriding technical reason that I can't think of, facilitating this would sell more trackers to people that would like to charge one while using a spare or having one for exercising (when it may get damaged) and one for normal wear. Come on Fitbit - increase your sales !!
I can't understand why nobody is trying to present their case for two of the same model to Fitbit. Or since this is so needed how is their 386 comments, but only 305 votes . It has been more than ten days since a vote was added.
From reading this thread, most people fall under one (or more) of these categories:
I want another one so that I may always have on while the other charges.
I want one that I may wear during 'dirty jobs', so that my nice one doesn't get beat up.
I happened to have gotten an extra one and want to use it, and I'm either unable or unwilling to return it.
I want another one of a different color so that I may accessorize.
That said, I think many of these folks have not used the multiple trackers on the same account feature, since it does take a fair bit of discipline to keep all your trackers synced with the appropriate steps. It's not as trivial as "you take one off and you put the other one on". First you explicitly sync the tracker you're taking off, then you explicitly sync the tracker you're putting on. Trust me... I do have multiple trackers on the same account, and this is precisely what I do when I switch them.
There are reasonable workarounds for all of the above:
Charge when you're not actually stepping. If you plug it in while you shower or drive (you can charge with a battery pack), you can keep the charge indefinitely by charging 15-20 minutes a day. I simply wear the battery down and charge it when it needs to, and I've maintained 20k+ steps for 40+ consecutive days this way... That's at least five charges.
Instead of getting another wrist tracker (that would get dirty), get a clip-on tracker. It's not going to get dirty sitting in your pocket and it'll count steps more accurately if you're doing manual work (like gardening or working on your car).
Well, I would return it, sell it, or give it to someone I know who's interested in Fitbit. What else would you do with something that you don't have a need for two of the same, like a lawnmower?
This is mostly addressed by the newer models, which have replaceable bands. That said, there are some models which have special editions (Alta, Alta HR, Charge 2, Blaze). Honestly, this is the only corner case which sounds remotely legitimate.
Also note that #1 and #2, may easily be addressed by having two on your account of different models. Also note, that if you absolutely had to, you can just replace one tracker with the other to swap them out. Yes, it's a little more work, but it doesn't take that long. I was able to do it in about 105 seconds... It takes me more time to put on a tie.
So considering the amount of sweeping changes that would need to be made to the UI across many platforms (website & fitbit app X tablet, phone, laptop, desktop X OS), honestly... none of the above reasons seem compelling enough to warrant the amount of work to enable this.
All that said, as @Rich_Laue points out, unless you can either come up with another compelling scenario (not mentioned above) or many more votes, I personally don't see this changing.
I am one of the "Special Edition whiners." I love my Charge2 and ordered the pink leather strap at close to $100 with tax. Then the SE rose gold and lavender strap came out. It is beautiful and I would love to buy it. There are no pink leather straps with rose gold hardware, which would solve the problem. --
Still no software updates to enable users to pair 2 same type of trackers? I believe many of the reasons stated above are valid scenarios that are experienced by different ppl around the world. If it's not a legitimate need, there won't be so many users commenting on the same topic and requesting for the same feature to be enabled.
Could Fitbit Moderator just step out and elaborate what is actually stopping them from enabling this capability? Is it a hardware limitation or software limitation or basically, what is stopping you from developing it?
I apologize for sounding repetitive, but I'll just copy contents of my earlier posts. From reading this thread, most people fall under one (or more) of these categories:
I want another one so that I may always have on while the other charges.
I want one that I may wear during 'dirty jobs', so that my nice one doesn't get beat up.
I happened to have gotten an extra one and want to use it, and I'm either unable or unwilling to return it.
I want another one of a different color so that I may accessorize.
Most of these can be or have been addressed by the suggestions that I listed above. I trust that you can scroll up and read them. I personally don't necessarily find some of these scenarios valid (some folks bought a second one and are unable/unwilling to return it), but that's strictly my baggage.
You suggested that there are many users commenting on the same topic. There really aren't... First, there may be many comments (long thread), but there are some users that have disproportionately large number of posts (some folks have over a dozen posts on this thread). Second, there are folks, like me, posting on this thread that may not necessarily think that it should be implemented. So citing the length of the thread (and hence my posts) as a measure of its popularity is not really legit.
Additionally, the length of the discussion does not contribute to its rank; the number of votes does. This currently sits at around 300 votes, which puts it roughly at about 100th rank. So effectively there are close to 100 other feature requests that precede it.
Last but not least, there are a number of issues that you'd introduce with the ambiguity of two of the same trackers on one account. For instance (and this is just one example), if you have two Flexes and you set the alarm on one, which one do you wear to bed? They are indistinguishable (the tracker itself is black), and there's no display, so you can't look at the alarms set on the actual tracker.
Personally i would not be getting two of the same tracker, when i only want a second to get dirty. Id wait until i find a sale like the Fitbit One I saw for 25.00 at Models. Yea for 25 who cates if it gets dirty or damaged. To buy a second $250 Surge that's simply ....
Here's my problem. I subscribed to this thread to get updates in hopes this would be fixed. Instead I've had to suffer through over a year of @PureEvil tired and repetitive responses. We get what you're saying. Can you please pack up and take your comments somewhere else. I understand your point, but people are going to continue to ask for this. To be honest I don't know why Fitbit would create different colors and "limited edition" gold plated bands. People will want to buy them for whatever reason they fancy, and in my opinion it would've been smart to capitalize on that by allowing multiple trackers. It means more money in their pocket because someone wants two trackers. Let the stupid person who can't figure out which tracker they wear to bed with their alarm oversleep. That's that customer's problem. Use a phone like most people I know.
All I'm asking is that you stop next time someone comments and think to yourself, "is it worth it?" You're already copy and pasting your previous answers. We don't need to continually see the same thing over and over again. Let people comment and move on. Please!
Sadly, it's not that simple. Many folks here in the forum do not read the thread history before posting a comment. Here's an example on the topic of doing a factory reset of the Charge 2. I had literally posted the same advice three times with the same photo because new posters do not read the thread. I'm sure that I can come up with many more examples, but at least you get the point.
@macbit12 is new to the thread and generally new to the forums (yes, I checked his post history before responding), I'm not sure if he read my suggestions from before. If you check my post history, you'll see that many (most?) of my posts are targeted at helping folks get unblocked. This is also the reason why I ask folks why it is that they want this feature. Yes, the reason matters. It doesn't occur to some folks to simply plug in their tracker when they shower, which easily addresses the first issue.
Generally, if you've been on this thread, I'm happy to let you vent in relative peace... well, as long as you don't refer to me directly or don't post something that is outright incorrect or misleading... Like 'Fitbit never stated there was a one-per-tracker-model restriction'. It was there from the very beginning. Trust me.
I'd like to think that I'm pretty familiar with the Fitbit products, their software, and how it works... so I may be able to make suggestions that other folks may not be able to be able to make.
There are legit reasons why people will use a silent alarm on their instead of their phone... For instance, their spouse may be a light sleeper not need to wake up for hours; waking up without making noise may simply be a kind gesture.
"Let the stupid person who can't figure out which tracker they wear to bed with their alarm oversleep."... Oh, really? Can you tell the difference between these trackers of the same model?:
No? Does that make you stupid? Also keep in mind that even when Fitbit fully documents something (like the one-of-each-model-tracker restriction or how to restart a tracker), people don't bother to read or look it up. What do they do? They call support, which drives up Fitbit's support cost.
Lastly this is after all a forum, and is in its essence a place where "ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged". I have as much right to be here as you do, and need I point out that there are community guidelines. Does "pack up and take your comments somewhere else" qualify as being polite and respectful?
And incidentally @IMB2507, I am not a Fitbit employee, their forum names end with 'Fitbit'.
@SumGuyInMN, and no... It's not as simple as more sales is more profit. So let's say that everyone who voted for this feature gets an extra Fitbit. And let's say that when you deduct the cost of goods, say each Fitbit is about $120 in profit on average. That's say an extra $40k for the company... but then let's say that it cost them $10k to train all their support folks to account for this. So only $30k profit for the company. Then there's the issue of doing the development work on this across 9 platforms (web, Windows & Android & iOS, desktop & laptop & tablet & phone)... You don't think that'll easily span the remaining $30k?
Even if this feature didn't inherently (and badly) break some corner cases (which I believe it would, like the alarm example), to put it bluntly, it doesn't have the votes. There are nearly 100 other feature suggestions that outrank it.
I don't have the time or the patience to deal with you. There's an argument and counter for each of your points, but why sit here and battle opinions with you. You will respond to this because you must have the last word. I understand forums and how they work. Do you know what happens in every other forum I've been a part of where someone posts a question that has been answered before? They're referred back to reading the history of the thread. If you read the history of the thread this isn't the first time I've battled with you. I'm just tired of getting your updates. If you don't work for Fitbit then why do you care so much? Clearly I'm not that only one that's frustrated with you. I'm sure most people, like me, were directed here to drop off their opinion and hope for a response. Let us do just that. You come across as a know it all and it's frustrating. You have to realize that with a name like PureEvil you look like a troll. If that was your intent then well done. If that was not your intent then move on.
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