Lock Touchscreen to Clockface

[Thob86]

I'm finding over the course of the day and while sleeping my Surge's touchscreen becomes switched from the watch face to one of the other screens. It would be very helpful if there was an ability to hold down one of the physical buttons to lock the touchscreen on the watch face and repeat to unlock. This would prevent accidental navigation away from the watch face. Please consider adding this functionality in a future firmware update. Thank you.

Moderator Edit: 

The latest Surge firmware update added a function which reverts Surge to its clock screen after 15 seconds. Some users would prefer to continuously view another data tile, such as Steps, Heart Rate, or Distance. This is no longer possible for more than 15 seconds outside of starting an Exercise log.

This existing Feature Request represents a good solution to the issue, and I encourage anyone who might be interested in this new feature to vote or comment in this thread.

[Peter_S]

@johnnymillion I would guess you would have no objection to having the "screen revert to watch" as a selectable option? 

Peter

[johnnymillion]

Above the reactionary bucks the pope. Watch thinks CAPS on top of an
analogue. CAPS scratches an insight after the wartime. Why does watch toss
a march? The abuse adds watch. A pointed scarf pours an afternoon.

[johnnymillion]

Zero objections

[HAFoodie]

+1 for this.  I frequently put my (pre-update) Surge on the HR screen because even when not in a tracked exercise activity it's interesting to know where my HR is.  (For example, it can show how bored I really am in meetings.)  Would also do this with steps so I could easily see, without swiping, where I am.  I'd love to be able to lock on a specific screen.

[NY_MA]

I agree with those who want to maintain the display of choice.  I bought a monitor, not a watch.

[AnkerEde]

i would also like to have the choice of what is monitored. just add a settings called (return to clock - on/off). thats it.

[rickzilla]

I'm also not happy with the latest firmware update.  I didn't purchase the surge to be a watch.  When exercising I'd like to monitor by BPM or see my steps.  Everyone I'm sure has different opinions, so why not let us make the choice.  Let the home screen stay were we want it & not revert back to a clock like before.  So, I say do away with the 15 second return to a clock mode or give us a parameter to select in our on-line settings such as: revert to clock mode after 15 seconds, yes or no.  If you can't give us the option, I'd like a refund!  Thanks.

[madanmohany]

I completely agree with 'give us a parameter to select in our on-line settings such as: revert to clock mode after 15 seconds, yes or no.'.

Reasons:
1. It is the first Fitbit with a continuous display. If Fitbit says that we messed it up initially and now figured out how the display should behave, then it is a sorry statement which they have not announced publicly. Not expecting any though, just the above change is enough to please all users.
2. A lot of users have found solace in the old display which was loyal to them (ignoring the accidental swipes) and they have made it their use case already.
3. I see a lot of people giving a work around of opting an exercise to see the option they wanted to see... example; HR, Steps, Floors etc. The same work around would apply to the people who wanted a default clock face. They would have followed the same work around. Now, sorry to say that, my point was Fitbit should had given a yes & no option to default to clock after whatever seconds.
4. I do not agree with a lot of online reviewers commenting that the Fitbit does not come back to Clock face after a period of time (may be that is the one of the reason for Fitbit's decision to default to a clock display after 15 seconds). They review every device in the market, do not know what they actually use, unlike the buyers who use it 24x7. I know about a lot of users problem of accidental swipes, but what about legitimate swipes?
5. I doubt if someone from Fitbit says they did not get it right the first time. Any person who designed the Fitbit Surge HMI (Human Machine Interface) would have given a lot of thought and if the same person had to default to a clock face after 15 seconds, i am sure he/she would not have done it this way. They would definitely had provided an option which is missing now.

and lastly no offense to anyone, excuse me if you feel so.

[aokman]

I don't understand what the issue is, you have 2 buttons on the right side that basically do nothing on the home screen, it cant be hard to have it so holding down the button for 2 seconds or something locks it to the current screen?

[Ransom57]

I prefer the "home screen" feature. The Surge is a great product. Thank you, Fitbit!

[murrishmo]

Please, please, PLEASE make this an option. I want to leave my Surge on heartrate. I like to know what it is throughout the day and surprisingly having to swipe to it is really irrirating. I really want to have the option to just leave it at heartrate or steps. This new feature is severly hindering the functionality of Surge for me. I left a 5 star Amazon review but with this new update it feels more like a 3 to me...

[KathyZ1]

I think that the Surge should go back to the way it was before the last update.....and add the default to watch OPTION to the phone app. like the backlight being on or off.  It should be the users choice.  The default to watch after 15 seconds would be available to those who want it but would not be forced upon those of us who don't.  I used to swipe between heartrate and steps all day while periodically checking my floors.  Now I have to leave it on elliptical which uses up my battery, doesn't have the same count as the main menu and sets my counts on steps and calories back to zero if I try to check my floors so I can't do that unless I get out my phone and fire up the app.  All in all very annoying for folks like me who have to sacrifice so much because some of you guys want primarily a watch.  I think my suggestion would make everyone happy. What do you guys think? Please consider it with the next update.  And soon, please, please please.   🙂

Best,

Kathy

[CalifGramma]

I would really like to be able to lock onto the screen of my choosing....... I understand that before the software upgrade this was possible........  I just got my Surge a week ago and when i connected it, I was forced to install the update before I could sync my Surge.  Any chance this is going to be fixed?? And How soon?  I really dont want to return my Surge because of a problem that can be easily fixed........ 

TIA

[DiOnna]

[Tapping my foot] Fitbit I'm still waiting for an update to solve this 15 second default to clock issue.

[Ransom57]

I personally like the "Home Screen" feature. I am very satisfied with this firmware update. After all, the Surge is a Fitness "Watch". Not a fitness heart rate monitor or a fitness step tracker or a fitness stair climbing monitor. Great Product, Fitbit. In my opinion, best on the market.

[Peter_S]

Glad you are enjoying the new update @Ransom57 the thread is not to remove the functionality you like, but to give all users the ability to select the 15 second revert if they want to.  I hope you can support this feature request on this basis as you will not lose anything but we all gain.  Peter.

[Peter_S]

@DiOnna yes it would be nice to hear SOMETHING on this thread from Fitbit!

[solar_flare]

It's about the fact that some people bought the surge based on a certain feature,  and then fitbit released a firmware update and did not disclose that this update would change that particular feature.  If you change the way it works then that needs to be disclosed so we can decide if we want to update to the new firmware or not.

[IowaEasy]

I agree with all those who want the ability to lock on any screen until manually changed.  I just want to monitor my heart rate while on a treadmill without having to change screens or set up an exercise program.  Too dangerous to change a screen while on a moving treadmill.

[murrishmo]

I agree. Just because someone has decided it's a "watch" doesn't mean other
people use it that way. If it was only a "watch" and had no heart rate or
step features would you have purchased it? No. The utility of the device is
in the other features, and we should all get to decide which features we
want to default to after 15 seconds because those features that are useful
will differ for everyone.

Personally, after being a Fitbit customer for four years, I am really
disappointed in how the company has handled this. The reason I purchased
the Surge is for the HR feature, and I didn't wait for Apple watch because
of Fitbit's customer service. Ever since this update has come out, the
Surge isn't as useful for me. Each day that goes by that they don't provide
a fix, I think about reducing my 5 star Amazon review. I think I'm going to
give it another month before I actually do it, but I hope they fix this
soon.

[CalifGramma]

I will be returning my Surge to REI if this function isnt returned........... I bought my watch knowing this was available.......  came home and synced my brand new Surge and I wasnt given a choice but to update if I wanted to use my new gadget..........  Then I find out I have to flick through screens while walking or running or bike riding instead of having the info I want at a glance....... not only could this prove dangerous, but it isnt what I thought I bought!

I have only owned my Surge for 1 week and I am disappointed at the lack of response from FitBit on this problem!

[madanmohany]

Wake up Fitbit! Looks like everyone is active on the community except FitBit. 

Fitbit, please show some professional accountability by answering to the questions you face on this forum, especially when the questions are about the change you introduced on an interface which was obeying the users input almost always except for some accidental touches of some cloth. It was definitely not changing the screen by some wind flowing over the screen. is it? 

Fitbit should answer why they feel the screen should default to clock, since they introduced this change. Let them explain it why the behaviour needed the change to clock face after 15 seconds and not a configurable option (Yes/No) for the user to decide if they want this newly forced default screen feature, since they wanted to satisfy a group of users who wanted that default clock.

How can they ask us to vote for this feature? They changed the existing behaviour with another. No explanation why they did it. Now they ask us to vote as if this is a new feature.

No Sir. This is not a new feature. This is a request to correct the confusion created by You Know Who.

Waiting for the reply from Fitbit.

[ScottH46]

It needs to be fixed. Very annoying.

[Michael]

@madanmohany They changed it because a lot of people asked for it to default back to the clock screen. Of course it should have been an option, but options take more time to implement because they require UI changes, in up to 5 different places/applications. So maybe Fitbit thought it would be fine to have it default to the clock, and if people wanted to see HR they could use any of the activity tracking modes. (Which you don't even have to start/create an activity log.)

[solar_flare]

The issue is not why or why not fitbit changed this functionality at whose request.  The issue is they changed the functionality and didn't disclose it in the release notes.