Play mindfulness sessions and sleep stories with the screen turned off and offline.

[tkruijer]

Right now, in the premium version, there are multiple sessions available for mindfulness. There also are some sleep stories and relaxing sounds. The screen needs to be turned on to play the sounds. There isn't even anything to watch on the screen, but when you turn off the screen, the sounds stops playing.

I guess Fitbit has used the same player as the workout video's to play the sounds, but this should be a different player (just for audio). When listening to a sleep story, I don't want any distractions. I would like the screen turned off, preferably all signals turned off (offline) and ready to go to sleep.

Moderator edit: Labels

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @tkruijer, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about having the option to play mindfulness sessions and sleep stories with the screen turned off and offline. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[JuGar]

I agree the screen should be allowed to close. In addition, my android screen doesn't turn off automatically when the program is done, so my phone screen stays on until I wake up and turn it off. So I have to keep my phone facing down.. This makes no sense for a program that is supposed to help you get to sleep! 

[Korina_Norway]

I support this feature request. I was going to suggest it myself but I found this thread, and I saw that "voting" for it increases the chances for this to be taken forward by Fitbit.

I unfortunately can't use the meditation sessions or help to sleep sessions or sounds with the screen on. The light disturbs me and my partner, but it also worries me that it shows a fixed image for a long time and as I understand that can somehow damage the screen of a phone.

I have an iPhone XR, in case it's relevant to mention it.

I truly hope I can enjoy the sleeping aids you offer!

Regards, Korina Heggen, from Norway

[JoeSchmoe2]

YES, absolutely. It is so annoying and such a waste of phone battery to have to keep the screen on during mindfulness audio playback!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please fix this ASAP, Fitbit!

I would definitely NOT continue my premium subscription due to this issue.

[Prash_Blazer]

I agree with the suggestion. I recently subscribed to Fitbit Premium and have started using the mindfulness videos especially ones related to Sleep. Having to keep the screen On when I'm trying to fall asleep without distractions is not helping. Moreover at the end of the video there's a message that appears asking if I want to log the session. Till I select an option my screen remains on (all night!).

This needs to be fixed or else it defeats the purpose of playing the audio. In fact, most of these could be converted to audio only sessions that can play in the background. Logging the session could be taken care of in a default settings menu.

[SarahG2383]

Please fix this issue. The goal of this feature is to put the user to sleep. Instead it keeps the screen on, draining the phone battery to empty. The point of the app is to help us fall asleep. But the app does not sleep unless we click that we have completed the story. The device is supposed to be monitoring our sleep and if we are asleep the app should shut itself off or at least run with the screen locked so the phone is not running all night or dying. Thanks Fitbit!

[SarahG2383]

Also how many votes exactly are needed to make this change? The problem can cause damage to our phones and is counterintuitive to what the feature is supposed to be helping with... 

[Alisonog]

I'm so glad I'm not alone! It's crazy that a feature intended to help you sleep does not automatically close or allow you to have it in background with screen off.  If this is not fixed then I'm afraid I won't be continuing my premium subscription as its too annoying. 

[SarahG2383]

I 100% agree. To have a feature that drains your battery can kill your
phone very fast makes Zero sense.
I'm not paying for a membership nor am I using or promoting the feature.
Ridiculous Fitbit.

[SarahG2383]

This issue can quickly kill our phones. It's ridiculous that a feature that is meant to help you fall asleep does not play when the screen is locked. I refuse to pay for a membership or use or promote this feature. Hopefully Fitbit fixes this Quick. 

[Maggie38]

I also agree 100%. I was really eager to start using the mindfulness sessions, however this issue renders them completely useless to me. Please sort this out, loads of other apps can do it. This is not the only thread either...

[purpletech]

I agree. Mindfulness does not need visuals. It should be an audio track that the phone can play once and go to the sleep screen. I can't use it to go to sleep because I'm light sensitive even with an eye patch, and I know the phone won't turn off. It also waits for me to click log it. It should automatically log it. 

[tebillman]

Yes! 

Fitbit, idk how many comments are needed, but do it! I cancelled my subscription to calm because I saw fitbit has mindfulness sessions. But I might have to cancel my fitbit and return to calm if this doesn't change. I can't have my phone don't every night and burning itself out. Why would you have something that puts you to sleep not also shut off your screen? When can we expect to see a software update?

Thanks, 

Tim Billman

[tebillman]

*on every night

[psiaqua]

I’m finding the mindfulness sessions helpful (it’s one of the reasons I might stay subscribed to premium when the 90 day trial’s up), but we have to be able to turn the phone screen off. I only touch the short <5 min sessions to avoid burning through my battery. None of the sleep sessions are viable for now - you may as well take them down as no one is going to get a good night’s sleep with their phone’s screen on all night.

Hopefully re-using the video player was just a stop gap to quickly get an early version out and see what take-up is like? Though I can see it’s been like this for at least a year... I’d wager you’d see more usage after fixing this.

[Bookneeah]

I am keen to try as much ofpremium as possible while on the free trial. I just tried one mindfulness session and was disappointed that the screen needed to stay on. Doesn't really make any sense and will mean I won't bother with it or paying for a premium membership. I assume this will also be the case with other guided session, like walks, which is kind of ridiculous

[A_leesha77]

Have there been any updates on this? I love the features Fitbit Premium has to offer, especially with the mindfulness and when it comes to listening at night. However, it is very frustrating that this hasn't been resolved and come hours later upon awakening, my phone screen is still on. Please give us something!

[tkruijer]

Sadly, I don't think fitbit is really listening to it's premium users. I guess the company is fully focussed on the takeover by Google. Also, as I can see for the last year, they are really focussed on getting people to pay extra for a little bit of extra information from your Fitbit.

For me as a premium user, I don't feel like the company really does anything for it's paying users. Recently, almost all the mindfulness sessions were removed from the Fitbit app. Right now I can only play like 3 mindfulness sessions and a couple of relaxing sounds. Are these restrictions for the Netherlands or something? I don't know.

This doesn't feel right. It sucks that there isn't much competition out there besides Apple.

[SarahG2383]

I 100% agree with you. I don't feel like we are being listened to and the
the mindfulness selection is pretty sad.

[Alisonog]

So annoying.  I'm not renewing my premium because I pay for another meditation appSent from my Galaxy

[SarahG2383]

Yeah I will not be paying for a fitbit premium membership either.

[Rampster]

Totally agree. I found this while searching for a solution on how to listen to these sessions with the screen and wifi switched off, which is how I listen to other mindfulness apps. I wanted to use the fitbit one to be able to track my pre-sleep sessions but it's completely against the objectives of sleeping better as it means either my mobile screen has to be kept switched on all night emitting light or I have to get up after my go-to-sleep session to switch it off.

[SarahG2383]

The Peloton app/membership has fantastic meditations and sleep sessions.

[FitbetUsername2]

Agreed, as pretty as the picture is, I never sit there staring at my phone during a mindfulness session.

The sleep meditations are pointless right now because I either have to wake myself at the end to turn off my screen, or I wake up hours later to my phone screen still shining in the middle of the night.

[JuGar]

@YojanaFitbit 

How many comments does it take for FitBit to respond to user input? This is an obvious glitch and should be addressed. In the meantime, there are plenty of mindfulness apps out there that can be used in the background. You'll continue to lose premium members, including me, if you don't update to resolve this fairly obvious and inconvenient problem. Please fix this so we can continue using all of the other features of the premium membership!