Allow us to choose between "Active minutes" or "Active zone minutes"

[ophelialnc]

Please include a data field for real time active minutes, an essential metric you took away to replace with Active Zone Minutes or be able to choose which I want to see. I had to return my Charge 4 because it was missing this info. I just need a field that tells me how many total real minutes in a day I spent in active heart range. I cannot use active zone minutes in the same way.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MaxBrennan]

Need active minutes back on my watch.   I know, I know, you can still see them by logging into a computer.  BUT WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO DO THAT?  We didn't ask for this change and many of us use active minutes every day to measure activity.  I'm speaking specifically of Versa 2 but applies to all that you changed.

[Was65536]

The forced upgrade to the os that only recognizes zone minutes has made the versa2 totally useless. Your company has made a unilateral decision when the customers of these products are all different. You have charged a premium price for a product that is now a useless hunk of junk. Your company has my money and I now have nothing.

[mmcall]

I can’t stand the zone minutes. I’m done. We’ve had a lot of FitBits over the years, from a Zip to a Charge 2, an Ace, an Inspire HR, Versa 2, etc. I’m done...today was so frustrating. I worked out twice, and I got three  minutes for my second workout. 

[pohlcat01]

Since zone minutes is actually a made-up point system instead of a real tangible measurement my suggestion is to change it's name to reference that.
Bring active minutes back since minutes are a tangible measurable thing.
I want to see an accurate account of my minutes not some made up statistic

[Laura441986]

I bought the Versa 2 to keep track of active minutes (as this is what all other smartwatch track!!!) and enter a competition. Thanks to the latest update where active minutes have been replaced this smartwatch its now useless to me. Above all I think you cannot remove a feature that all smartwatch has.if you want to add a new one in addition it's much appreciated, but removing one is not correct as there are people that bought the watch also for it. Really hope you will reverse the update before me returning the watch. Thanks 

[Sammyjeff]

I agree. I updated my fitbit versa 2 yesterday and the active minutes have now disappeared. I've just walked over 6 miles in around 1 hour 45 minutes but the app shows that I've only got 4 zone minutes today. I find the new way the app records exercise less motivational and would like the option to track active minutes again instead. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Was65536. Thanks for sharing this suggestion about being able to see your Active Minutes in the Fitbit app with us. This idea was already requested in the Feature Suggestions board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to keep the forums organized and make sure the suggestions don't get confused, or split a popular vote. Click on the thumbs-up to show your support and keep adding your suggestions.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @pohlcat01. Thanks for sharing this suggestion about being able to track your Active Minutes with us. This idea was already requested in the Feature Suggestions board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to keep the forums organized and make sure the suggestions don't get confused, or split a popular vote. Click on the thumbs-up to show your support and keep adding your suggestions.

[SunsetRunner]

Well looks like I'm going have to leave Fitbit after years of being happy. Im struggling with Zone minutes as they no longer apply to my slow heat rate, I was fine with Activity mins but now this is going to be a dangerous challenge for me to get into the Zones. Im really disappointed that Fitbit didn't take into account us with Heart issues trying

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @SunsetRunner, thanks for explaining why you would like to have the option to include "Active Minutes" in addition to "Active Zone Minutes". Thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request.  A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon.

[OldPapaMike]

I have been using fitbit since December 2017, Father's day last year I upgraded by beat up Blaze for a Versa just before Versa 2 was released. It works for a 60's guy like me. My primary exercise is walking and yardwork, low impact, long duration, good for Active minutes, sucks for AZM. I am using the watcha face BusinessWatch by Irma Houtzager. This face displays Active minutes along with the other stats, so Active minutes are still being measured, please make them available to be displayed on the app. I have no use for "female stats" so they are hidden, just give the option in the app to add Active minutes. I now get them by looking at AZM, going to week, and scrolling down to the last active minute entry, selecting the graph, and scrolling up to today. Please fit this soon, I may have to dig out my Blaze. 

[SunsetRunner]

Anyone recommend another tracker, Apple Garmin or Polar?

[iHiker]

@SunsetRunner. I'm looking into the new Apple Watch 6. New watch is to be officially announced Sept 15. Apparently there is a new watchOS 7 that I believe is still in Beta. There's a lot of information available on the internet. I won't get into features here, but the Apple Watch is extremely customizable and most likely will require some apps to provide what is baked into the Fitbit.  From what I've read so far, the soon to be released Apple Watch 6 loaded with the watchOS7 appears to be an amazing device, and the solution for me. Others might consider the price to be prohibitive. After release, I'll be waiting for reviews and feature comparison before making a move. I just want to make sure there's no "worms in the Apple." For me, the move from Fitbit is not an "if" but a "when"!

[JonErrington]

What i find more astonishing than the inept development team developing this "feature" and the inept project management team approving the  deployment of this utterly p***poor "feature", is that someone with a degree of authority hasn't turned around and instructed a roll-back of the feature!

I work in IT and during any feature update, if you suddenly find a negative reaction that was not expected, YOU ROLL BACK!!! I looked at the original request that this awful feature was based on, it was from way back in September 2017, it has nothing to do with removing Active minutes, it was to do with having a "heart rate zone" notification feature allowing users to see when they hit certain levels of activity. Instead, the **ahem**s who came up with this AZM crap have completely missed the brief of the request, yet announced that it had been completed and rolled out! The request made no mention of fictional statistics, or removing normal, healthy exercise monitoring from devices, or even to adjust the zones to higher levels so only those who seriously workout can achieve their goals, it was simply for an alert on their devices when they reached a zone. 

This needs to be rolled back immediately. If i have to wait more than a few more weeks for it to happen rolled back, Fitbit's reputation in my eyes will be irreparably damaged and i will buy an Apple watch. This has to be resolved now. Moderators, do your jobs and report this up to whoever is in charge and get it done. We bought and paid for our devices and do not deserve to be so cavalierly dismissed. Hoping we will just get used to it is not going to happen. We will just leave Fitbit.

To those who like the new feature, good for you. Next time Fitbit deploy a forced feature change on your device, i hope you like that one too. And the next. And the next. But when you buy a product, you should be able to expect it to remain the product you bought for the duration of it's life expectancy. My Ionic no longer is the product i bought and doesn't do what i need or want from it, so Fitbit should refund me my money.

[Thomac3]

Wholeheartedly agree with this.

Sent from my iPhone

[beardown82]

Exactly! There’s probably 100 plus people on this forum that vehemently oppose the AZM feature, and yet....nothing! Insanity! Like everyone else here (I’m sure), I check for updates every day, and nothing. Fitbit bleeds cash (see their balance sheet in investor relations) and one can see why - they’re behind the times and they don’t listen to their customers. Not sure if they’re praying that Google bails them out or what (if anything they’ll liquidate product development and roll it over into distribution/operations management).

So...my Apple Watch arrives today. Hey maybe we can all start an Apple Watch forum here.

[themightylayman]

Give us back our active minutes, please.

[OldPapaMike]

This is an interesting thread, it seems that many people are upset that Active minutes don't show up in the app. I stated in my earlier post that they are still visible on my Versa and are shown on my dashboard on fitbit.com. I can even see them by looking at the AZM page, selecting week, and scrolling to the last time Active minutes were logged and sideswiping the graphs. The only difference was tp the app with the addition of AZM and hiding Active minutes. This should not be difficult to reactiveate the active minutes page as an option on the home screen, it should be relatively simple to show both. thanks

[themightylayman]

Hi Fitbit,

Could you give us some idea when a decision will be made whether or not Active Minutes will be restored? My Versa 2 is now more or less useless for my needs, and if there is no resolution forthcoming in a satisfying time period, I will have no choice but to seek out a different brand of fitness tracker. 

Please restore the longtime feature of Active Minutes that is so valuable to so many of your customers, and do so soon.

[Michellelaroche]

I sent this feedback through Facebook and they said that I should post it here

I just wanted to pass on some feedback on the new update to zone minutes from active minutes. As someone with severe depression the zoned minutes are very demotivating to someone like myself who has a hard time finding energy to exercise in any form but especially at the pace to reach the heart rate required for zone minutes. The active minutes on the other hand were a very positive number for people like myself because it meant that I had actually done something that day, even if it was for just a few minutes, now that positivity is gone. I understand the zone minutes and how useful they are to people, maybe a new update could allow people to choose whether they want active or zone minutes. Thank you for your time.

[ME59]

I would like to be able to go back to active minutes. Many people take medication that can cause the zone minutes not to work. My personal problem is if I have to much caffeine my heart starts to beat to fast. I have taken my Fitbit off and am now researching other brands of trackers.

[SimonTournay]

Provide the option to revert back to active minutes.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @SimonTournay. Thanks for sharing this suggestion being able to choose tracking your active minutes with us. This idea was already requested in the Feature Suggestions board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to keep the forums organized and make sure the suggestions don't get confused, or split a popular vote. Click on the thumbs-up to show your support and keep adding your suggestions.

[LZeeW]

There are many users who have employer sponsored wellness programs.  These users get monetary rewards for meeting active minute goals.  These programs use active minutes, not zone minutes.  These programs allow users to choose among many different brands of fitness trackers.  If Fitbit doesn't allow users to choose between active minutes and zone minutes, they will vote with their wallets and leave Fitbit.

[Zonkersmom]

Agreed!! Give us the choice!