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.

[murrishmo]

Not only that, but switching to an activity is not as simple as being able
to look down and see the info that you need, and it drains the battery
significantly.

[madanmohany]

 @Michael Thanks for supporting the option. No problem to wait until they actually implement the required UI changes, if at all they plan to do so.

If only Fitbit had replied this way no one would had to talk about this.

Let me put a hypothetical scenario. Suppose if tomorrow Fibit removes all the screens except clock and do not comment on it anywhere. What would be the users reaction to it. Would the user still go to the activity tracking mode to see the HR, steps, calories etc... or ask Fitbit a simple question to explain the reason for the removal of the screens.

[KathyZ1]

Just please put it back the way it was with OPTIONS for any changes. Changes should be OPTIONS only.  We all spent a LOT of money... $250 for the original format.  Just because a few guys in suits didn't like it was no reason to change the fundamental personality of the device. Although I had owned the fitbit ONE for many years I had decided to upgrade to a wrist wearable but was not convinced I wanted to spend $250 so I spent a month researching ALL devices...reading articles...watching countless youtube videos until I decided that the SURGE was indeed worth the money.  It WAS exactly what I wanted.  Then I did the update and I'm up the creek here with a $250 watch. I NEVER would have bought it this way.  NEVER.  This is unacceptable.  The device should be returned to what it orginally was...what we ALL originally bought and then offer any major changes in functionality as options only.  That is the only ethical way to handle this.  Forget lock screens...this and that.  Just return the thing to what it was.  And offer changes through options only.  I loved the screens that were easily swiped to check my stats while hiking, speed walking cooking or relaxing.  It was the perfect device.

I really am not at all happy with my device now whereas before I loved the  thing.  And now it's too late for me to return it.  I'm basically stuck with a $250 door stop.

Very unhappy.

Thank you for listening.

But I guess fitbit is not.  Listening, that is.  😞

Kathy

[rickzilla]

For those wanting the Clock default should just have bought a "Timex" for around $50 instead of buying a "Fitness" Watch for $250.  The screen should be where we choose it to be.  The MAIN purpose of the Surge is to track fitness data NOT a watch.  No need to make the clock a default because a few people accidentally changed screens.

[DiOnna]

If the problem isn't fixed soon the Fitbit Surge will soon become the new Blackberry!

[AZEducator]

@Michael but being in activity  mode is a real power hog.  Not as bad as GPS but not as good as just being in no mode.

[CousinBrucee]

I think we're all going to have to wait for summer when high school lets out and they can bring on some interns to rewrite their surge software. As a retired CIO of a Fortune 500 company, we would bring in summer interns. This kind of update, rollout, and response to users is what I would expect from a 16 year old code monkey.

[CalifGramma]

This is the FitBit I THOUGHT I bought!!!  I cant display HR nor Miles on the home screen. http://www.amazon.com/Fitbit-Surge-Fitness-Superwatch-Black/dp/B00N2BWF6Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=143...

[SunsetRunner]

@CalifGramma that's the exercise mode screen. You can absolutely access it! Just start an activity... That said I am strongly in the camp for a screen lock feature. My vote is to keep auto return to clock but add a feature where if you swipe down on a specific screen a lock appears and the screen remains locked. An upward swipe would release the lock... Just how j would solve the problem...

[Michael]

---

@AZEducator wrote:

@Michael but being in activity  mode is a real power hog.  Not as bad as GPS but not as good as just being in no mode.

---

@AZEducator I suspect that activity mode, non-GPS, uses about the same amount of power as having the screen on the HR display. (The HR display updates more than once a second.)

From my testing the having the Surge on the HR display, not in an activity mode, reduces the battery life from ~7.5 days to ~4 days. (So almost in half.)

[KathyZ1]

Running on Elliptical all day in order to monitor heart and steps and shutting it down at night forces me to recharge every other day.

[Jamesy]

Surge: We need the screen to stay on whatever we leave it on, and not reset back to the watch after 15sec which is on the new firmwire 16.31.5.8. If you are particularly watching the hr zone, or watching steps, this would be useful, not sure why it was changed in the first place.

[Michael]

@Jamesy There is an existing feature request for this that you should vote for.

[Jamesy]

Thanks Michael, I think I have clicked into the right idea and voted on this. Cheers James

[envirorich]

Being able to decide which tile is default; HR, Calories, Clock etc...I prefer to be able to monitor my HR because of my heart condition without swiping screens everytime

[demon803]

Oh Crap,

another update today and my screen still reverts back to the clock.

How long does it take to put something back the way it was.

Don't tell me you have to program it, it was already programmed. 

Don't tell me fixing the screen messes with something else, proper programming would not let this happen.

Fix my Surge, Please

[CalifGramma]

I am waiting until the end of the month....... then the Surge goes back to REI!

[SunsetRunner]

I like the idea of having the ability to lock the screen for these reasons:

1. Prevent accidental touches and button pushes.
2. Permit viewing of ANY specific screen. (ideally the one shown when activated)
3. Permit optional sleeping of the screen as well when locked to conserve battery.

[MikeF]

My vote is for a little padlock symbol display at the Action button to indicate the ability to lock the Surge to the current screen. Cycling the Action button will Lock/Unlock the selected screen with a corresponding change in the displayed padlock symbol.

[leonrosen]

I agree.  I want to see my HR all the time, if combined withthe watch even better! 

[mbielik24]

I agree.  Please change this new setting so it does NOT revert back to the clock face after 15 seconds.  It is ridiculous to think the people who bought this watch prefer to keep it on the clock screen most of the time.  There should be an option to use a default screen that will revert say after a minute but the option should be there to not have it revert at all.  I can understand for some type of default though in case the screen changes if your clothing or something else switches the screen while moving around.  But the main thing is that having this default back to the clock was and always will be a terrible idea and the sooner they get rid of this new feature the better!

[magnoliawhisky]

I agree with all who feel they would like to have more control over the screen/display. As a nurse, I like and prefer that it defaults to the clock face. However, I understand that not all people need or want this. Can it be re-worked to make us all happy?

[martin900]

I didn't buy the surge because I wanted a watch. I have a watch. When I am running I want to see my heartrate without running into a lamp post or falling over because I have to swipe to get to the screen that I want. Please put it back to how it was or let me lock it on a screen.

[leonrosen]

Why cant the home screen show the time and date and the HR? there is enough room.

[draglist]

As someone who tracks HR once a minute while running, this new feature is actually more than inconvenient, it's dangerous. Instead of concentrating my treadmill work, I now need to fidget with my Surge instead of simply glancing at it. The default screen should be user selectable.