Find my Fitbit (track location of device through app)

[Blairichards]

The other day I didn't have my band on right and my Fitbit fell off in my car. I searched for about an hour before I realized where it came off at.. The ability to track the location of your Fitbit through your iPhone would be awesome. (Kind of like the find my iPhone app, only a little more precise) Skip a few heart attacks 😉 

Thank you! 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity and labels.

[tedhowell]

I found a Fitbit Alta in Tacoma Washington and contacted Fitbit today to return it to them so they could re-unite it with the owner. While I was chatting with Amanda at Fitbit I informed her that Fitbit has no method for tracking a lost Fitbit and that anyone who finds one is allowed to simply keep it and use as their own. Unfortunately Amanda, who works for Fitbit, is of the belief that it would be too complicated to have any other policy. I pointed out that many Bluetooth devices, such as the Tile tracker, have a very simple way where a lost item is noted by anyone in the vicinity with the app and a message is sent to the owner. This is done in the background with no personal information revealed.  

Amanda at Fitbit said that it is not often that people lose a Fitbit. I think she actually believes that. Here are just a few of the posts about a lost Fitbit:

I have listed links to a few of the many similar threads of many people who have lost their Fitbit and who make suggestions for a tracking feature. Many come to find out that their identifiable device has been paired to a new account. Yet Fitbit will not implement the obviously technically possible tracking and prevention of activating a known lost device. At least one user was encouraged by Fitbit Customer Support to simply keep and use the device they found!

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Found-a-good-Blaze-claimed-a-faulty-one/m-p/1595262

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Flex/Lost/m-p/1829480?nobounce#M165317

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Flex/Lost/m-p/1612911

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/One/Lost/m-p/1375754

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Zip/Lost-Fitbit/m-p/1508470

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Anti-lost/m-p/1566658

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge/Lost-Fitbit-Charge/td-p/1210008/page/2

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/One/Found-Fitbit/m-p/1078561

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Ability-to-locate-find-a-lost-Fitbit/idi-p/98069...

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Blaze-Lost-Seattle-Airport-Who-Found/m-p/1829771

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Brick-a-lost-device/idc-p/1831470#M96549

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Lost-blaze/m-p/1815538#M46317

One time I called Fitbit tech support and announced that I had stolen a Fitbit and could they help me set it up as my own? The CS agent said "Sure, I can help you with that"

Try it yourself. Ask yourself if you want to support a company with this policy?

I see threads with similar suggestions for not allowing someone to use a Fitbit they found and implementing a "find" feature that go back over 3 - 4 years with no action by Fitbit. No indication that anyone is actually listening. All the CS agents and moderators deflect the comments as "too complicated to implement" or don't have an actual cogent argument as to why Fitbit continues to not improve/change this policy. If you are someone who has lost a Fitbit and stumble on to one of these posts I encourage you to:

1. Post that you are in favor of Fitbit not allowing someone who finds a Fitbit to pair it with their own email and use it.

2. Post that you are in favor of Fitbit implementing a "Find" feature the works in the same manner as devices like the Tile tracker: Any Fitbit app running on a phone will detect a nearby lost Fitbit and send a notification to the owner regarding the location where is was spotted. This is done in the background with no personal information revealed.

3. Refuse to purchase another Fitbit until Fitbit makes these changes

4. Actively tell others about this short-coming of the Fitbit device. It is something prone to loss due to it's nature of being on a moving & active user. Without some simple and easily implemented safeguards in place it is a poor investment as your money will be lost once someone finds it and keeps it or simply steals it because it can easily be re-sold.

[Shedfit]

Despite all, I really enjoyed my Fitbit. It was the BEST gift. However the Fitbit was flawed and caused irritation. It peeled off patches and discoloured the skin on my wrist. I tried wearing it on clothing and loosely on my wrist to reduce the pressure and contact with skin, and that is when I lost my band.

As originally posted in 2016 when this happened, I received no help from Fitbit.

I no longer endorse this product, which is prone to harming the wearer until it falls apart or falls off and is likely lost forever. All this time has passed, and still Fitbit provides no way to locate the owner, or for the owner to locate their Fitbit.

[jju]

Just like "find my iPhone" app, Fitbit app should have a function to make fitbit constantly vibrate for some time so it's easier to find it. 

[JohnJK2012]

Agreed with all. My strap came undone at a concert and I was able to see someone was walking around with it as it would sync. Even tracked them down to a merchandise line at the end of the show. My sister texted and called, meaning the individual was alerted via BT notifications. They choose to steal the Fitbit and Fitbit essentially allows this by not pairing the serial number to your account and allowing people to lock stolen devices.

Fitbit should implement:

1) Find my Fitbit - vibration feature with text message.

2) Report missing or stolen - lock the Fitbit preventing others from registering it.

This is a major flaw and will make me less likely to recommend this product to others.

[spatel]

say you forget your phone in a car your fitbit will vibrate so you know that you left it it should also give you were you left your phone or you could use it the otherv way around and track yor fitbit

Moderator Edit: Added Labels/Title for Clarity

[Thebluebell]

I lose my fit bit all the time. I have a fit bit one which you clip to your clothes so it's easy to misplace or leave on clothes. My idea is to have a "find" or "locate fitbit" button on the app so that if you can't find your fitbit and are in Bluetooth range then you could pres's the locate button and your fitbit beeps. That really would have helped me today. I was close to tears as I've only had it 3 months and it was a gift. 

[Areazel]

I was thinking a useful little addition to the app would be an ability to activate the Fitbit Blaze (or any Fitbit) to vibrate from the phone. It would help if the tracker was misplaced. When I need to find mine I call my phone from another phone then follow the sound/feel of the tracker vibration. It could be a lot easier and much more convienent if there was just an option in the app that would just activate the vibration.   

[Purrstachio]

Interesting thought, but I lose my phone way more often than I lose my Blaze. The Blaze is either on the charger or on my wrist. The phone could be anywhere.

Moderator edit: removed personal information

[Areazel]

For me I know where my phone is more - it depends on someone's phone use age. I'm of the generation who is always with their phone. The blaze I misplace because I can't put it on right after a shower, I have to take it off sometimes due to skin irritation, and I take it off at work because of the job I have.

[soulanum]

It seems like a "find my fitbit" function would be useful now that the ionic is pushing more GPS-enabled units onto the market.

[Rich_Laue]

Currently no. This would be one suggestion or if you know about where it might be. Use findmyfitbit. 

[1931930]

I got a Fitbit for Christmas and lost it and  I can’t find it please track it for me or something PLEASE HELP ME

[Bethany007]

No one can track it for you. It doesn't work that way. If you have the phone app and had linked/synced them together you are in luck. Open your app, walk slowly around your house (if that's where you lost it) and when it starts to sync you are within a few feet of it. If you never linked the two then no one can help you. 

Good luck. 

[DD10]

I know a lot of people have requested a find my phone option on the Fitbit watch and it would be handy but you can find your phone in any # of ways with find my phone apps and online.

what is really needed is a find my Fitbit button on the Fitbit app or online.

 I know we’ve spent hours trying to find lost fitbits that our daughter has played with and lost,  been misplaced, or ones that are in pockets or fallen off of wrists, etc. 

i  have a cheap garmin and I can beep my watch from their app to find it quickly and it’s very convenient and not available on the Fitbit which is a shame

[Jjsherwood]

I have lost my Flex 2 unit. It fell out of my wrist holder. I have seen other posts about losing their unit so it seems to be a not uncommon event.

i would like to see a “Find my Fitbit” function on the app. It would work like the “Find my phone” app on my IPhone.

[SantiR]

That’s an interesting idea and could be useful, thanks for sharing this suggestion.

[Bulldog011374]

I’ve recently lost my Fitbit and it was almost dead when I lost it, so there should be a feature to track its location even when it’s dead. Thanks!

[tedhowell]

Hello Bulldog and many others. In October 2017 I posted a comment in this group. I pasted most of it in below.

My main message in many groups is that you, like me, lost or had your Fitbit stolen. Maybe more than one. The sooner you stop spending money ( and emotional energy, good suggestions, etc.) on Fitbit and buy something else the better off you will be. Fitbit shows no signs of protecting Fitbit owners at all against loss. Worse yet, if your Fitbit is stolen, the moment the thief has it they can contact Fitbit & set it up as their own. There are no hurdles in place at all and Fitbit shows no intention of changing.

Here is my 2017 post:

I found a Fitbit Alta in Tacoma Washington and contacted Fitbit today to return it to them so they could re-unite it with the owner. While I was chatting with Amanda at Fitbit I informed her that Fitbit has no method for tracking a lost Fitbit and that anyone who finds one is allowed to simply keep it and use as their own. Unfortunately Amanda, who works for Fitbit, is of the belief that it would be too complicated to have any other policy. I pointed out that many Bluetooth devices, such as the Tile tracker, have a very simple way where a lost item is noted by anyone in the vicinity with the app and a message is sent to the owner. This is done in the background with no personal information revealed.  

Amanda at Fitbit said that it is not often that people lose a Fitbit. I think she actually believes that. Here are just a few of the posts about a lost Fitbit:

Search these forums for "lost" and you will get a lot of people with problem and with suggestions for tracking.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Found-a-good-Blaze-claimed-a-faulty-one/m-p/1595262

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Flex/I-Lost-My-Fitbit-Flex/m-p/1829480?nobounce=#M165317

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Flex/I-Lost-My-Fitbit-Flex/m-p/1612911

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Zip/Lost-Fitbit/td-p/1508470/page/2

I particularly like reading through this discussion:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Brick-or-deactivate-a-lost-device/idi-p/292102/p...

One time I called Fitbit tech support and announced that I had stolen a Fitbit and could they help me set it up as my own? The CS agent said "Sure, I can help you with that"

Try it yourself. Ask yourself if you want to support a company with this policy?

I see threads with similar suggestions for not allowing someone to use a Fitbit they found and implementing a "find" feature that go back over 3 - 4 years with no action by Fitbit. No indication that anyone is actually listening. All the CS agents and moderators deflect the comments as "too complicated to implement" or don't have an actual cogent argument as to why Fitbit continues to not improve/change this policy. If you are someone who has lost a Fitbit and stumble on to one of these posts I encourage you to:

1. Post that you are in favor of Fitbit not allowing someone who finds a Fitbit to pair it with their own email and use it.

2. Post that you are in favor of Fitbit implementing a "Find" feature the works in the same manner as devices like the Tile tracker: Any Fitbit app running on a phone will detect a nearby lost Fitbit and send a notification to the owner regarding the location where is was spotted. This is done in the background with no personal information revealed.

3. Refuse to purchase another Fitbit until Fitbit makes these changes

4. Actively tell others about this short-coming of the Fitbit device. It is something prone to loss due to it's nature of being on a moving & active user. Without some simple and easily implemented safeguards in place it is a poor investment as your money will be lost once someone finds it and keeps it or simply steals it because it can easily be re-sold.

[Rich_Laue]

If you find a Fitbit, it is simple to set it up for your own use, this process does need any contact with the company. 

Not knowing how the tile tracker works .but knowing there is some tracking methods as described I can't comment much. At best a phonwpwith the tile app detects a tracker and reports the possitionpiof the phone not the tile. If the owner can't get back to the reported position soon enough and the battery in the tile is deed, the best they know is that they are within a distance tyattcould be up to 70 feet in some direction. If the battery is good, then the app will need some type of signal level tracking .

Fitbit trackers do not send out a signal until requested by the app, this means this type of location will not work well .The phone would need to send out a Bluetooth ping every few minutes. 

What I would like to see is a found tracker button on the app to press this could easily send the tracker's ID to Fitbit .Notifying Fitbit, the owner of the tracker could be notified with special link to send a response to the finder. 

The FindMyFitbit app monitors the tracker a connection to the phone and remembers the last position where a known contact had been. The user then goes back to that location and uses their search feature .

[john.T]

 Yes Please create one. I have a much cheaper fitness Tracker that had this function. 

[Rich_Laue]

This would only work with Fitbits that have built in GPS and then only if the phone is able to connect to the tracker .

For the other models at best the app would be able to tell you if your getting closer or further away. Findmyfitbit does this already. 

Then maybe a button could be placed on the app to make the tracker vibrate. I simply set an alarm to go off in two minutes. 

[john.T]

I understand. And I have the Iconic which does. I upgraded and feel like more and more people want the GPS function to track there hike, run etc.

[MickyB]

Howdy community! First time suggesting feedback so please go easy on me. I have a Flex2, and a story which leads to my suggestion for a locator tool on the fitbit app.

Situation: was playing with my dog in the yard and unknown to me, the fitbit (or the electronic part of the fitbit shaped like a bullet) popped out of the wrist band and landed somewhere in the yard. I only noticed when I took off my wrist band to have a shower.

Complication: After I realised, I went outside and tried to use the sync functionality to identify the area with the best signal, which would give me a good area to search. However, to no avail. I did try to use some bluetooth locator apps to find it, which did give me some success (I at least knew the area which it was in)

Solution: can you build functionality in the mobile app that allows someone to search for their fitbit on a map? Just like find friends for other apple mobiles?

Cheers,

Michael

[Alienpuppy]

My son is constantly losing his Fitbit Flex 2 in his room.  I can see that the Fitbit is connected, so I know it is there.  I usually set an alarm for the next minute, and then try and located it before it stops buzzing.  It would be nice to be able to have the Fitbit buzz more frequently, so you don't have to wait for the alarm to sync and then go off.  It might be hard on the battery, but it would be useful.