Support International Date Formats

[Osmium]

It's 2018. Simply put, new devices and applications which don't take into account the needs of the world community in terms of a very basic date display should not exist. It's not that hard.

I can understand that the majority of folks in the USA don't really care about the way the rest of the world uses dates. And it would therefore be exceedingly difficult to drum up enough support via a "popular vote". But, it's just common courtesy.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[woodersonb]

@Fitbit From your own pages…

• Scale of impact. With a wide variety of products and tens of millions of customers across the globe, a feature that will make a handful - or even one customer - very happy, may not be a fair allocation of resources.

Delivering International Date Format will positively affect every user outside of North America. How much more of an impact do you need? 

[chadz75]

It is completely absurd that I am sent to this forum to vote on an option that is included in the advertising material and even on the packaging of my Fitbit charge 5! The Continuum clock face shows the DD/MMM format as 23 Oct. On every single piece of advertising I have seen in Australia, including the packaging. Yet when installing the continuum clock face it is in American format 10/23. And apparently there is no way to change this.

When contacting support to ask how to change the format we are sent here to vote on an option that should be included as advertised. It's the storyline for a great sitcom episode.

It would take a 16 year old developer about 4 minutes to change this option and upload the new clock face. I really don't see what the problem is here!

[woodersonb]

This has been in the go since at least 2017 and I keep getting sent to vote in this as a new feature. I don’t think they quite get the point that this shouldn’t be a new feature, it should be the most basic set-up of any product on the market that displays date. They also don’t seem to understand that outside of the continental US, the majority of countries use DD/MM and that it’s only them that have this backwards. Additionally, there are so many versions of this request in this forum with slightly different titles that they can’t possibly have a handle on quite how important this is otherwise they’d have it added before now. To your point, it’s probably about a few minutes worth of work! Can you imagine trying to sell a product in The US with the date as DD/MM? There’d be an absolute uproar! Fitbit need to completely reconcile every single request for this into one, single folder then I think they’d see the utter frustration they are causing. I for one won’t be buying another. 

[ThoughtsOfTheID]

Very well articulated 'woodersonb Stepping Up'.  To add, this is an accessibility issue.  I have just bought a Charge 5 and will be returning to my Charge 4 as that has the date in MMM DD, which is somewhat more use than MM DD, as the month then is in text and numeric.

My only hope is that with Google now owning Fitbit a link to user voice will be heard.  I have experience with Google where they have listened to two suggestions I raised and made a change.

The only other thing I've looked for information on activating is Dark Mode, only to find it is a feature request denied..  Just like international date format (you know, the format most of the world use) Fitbit has just shut the discussion down.  The patter is clear for my two asks - 100% fail for Fitbit.

[woodersonb]

Honestly guys, when are you going to consolidate all the tickets relating to International Date Format on your help desk and forums and finally see how critically important this is?

[Deb972]

Fix option for setting date as DD/MM

[DavideFitbit]

Hi @Deb972, thanks for sharing your suggestion about having a different date format on the Inspire 2 (DD/MM), this feature suggestion already exists so I’ve moved your post here. This helps to keep the forums more organized and to keep track of popularity and demand over time. 

Thank you for your participation in the Community. 

[AdrianaBW]

Well, it's time to look somewhere else, there are other options on the market. Fitbit don't care about their customers so I won't give them my money. 

[Deb972]

I just got a (machine?) response to my request for dd/mm option on Inspire 2. This is the end of 2021. So, it surprises me that Fitbit has not yet realised the need. Perhaps not (yet) worried about the competition?

[Furb71]

So annoyed that I have bought a Fitbit Charge 5 and it has date in US format. My charge 2 would display the month but now this is just a source of confusion. The US is about the only place in the world that uses this format. Arrogant Americans strike again

[HoopsAustralia]

We all totally agree. Sadly no one is listening.

[woodersonb]

Half the battle is that they don’t actually have a handle on quite how incredibly infuriating this is as they have so many threads open for essentially the same thing. I have tried to suggest that they reconcile these threads into one simple view and they might then actually find some form of appreciation for the size of the issue. Unfortunately however, I just got the usual “that sound like a great idea, let’s see how many other users vote for it” Apart from being incredibly disrespectful, they either don’t get or don’t care. When my 18 month old device packs up in around 6 months, I won’t be replacing it. You’d have better success getting through to a brick wall.

[woodersonb]

Also doesn’t help when you have Moderators example above -  @YojanaFitbit saying this is an existing feature (scroll up) and changes the status, potentially removing a vote! Please check the full features and benefits of your product lineup before incorrectly changing the status and removing potential votes for this incredibly overdue feature. International Date Format is NOT AVAILABLE at least on Charge 4 or 5. If I am wrong, I would welcome the re-education. Maybe you are confusing 24 Time Format with International Date Format. Unfortunately they are two separate items.

[woodersonb]

Just for clarification and for the avoidance of any doubt…

International Date Format is where anywhere outside of the US, we display a date in the format DD/MM/YYYY. Where D = DAY, M = MONTH, Y = YEAR.

24H or Twenty-Four Hour Time Format is where we display the time in 24 hourly sections without AM of PM Suffix. For Example 1:10pm in 24 Hour Time Format would be displayed as 13:10. The 13 is because it’s the 13th or thirteenth hour of that day. There is then no requirement for AM of PM because you then know if it’s morning or afternoon by the hour of the day. For example 06:00 would be 6 AM.

As you can see, they are very different items. Just for clarification, this thread and all the other similar threads across this forum that need to be reconciled into one view are in relation to the lack of International Date Format NOT 24 Hour Time Format.

Hope this makes sense however, feel free to reach out if any of this is in any way unclear or if you have any questions.

[HoopsAustralia]

Great post woodersonb Stepping Up

The USA citizens and employees have no idea about the rest of the world.

International date format of DAY, MONTH and YEAR is the world standard.

[MJCEDI]

After initially posting 3 years ago about this issue with no resolution, I
replaced my fitbit with an Apple Watch. I'm very happy with the product and
proper UK date display. Fitbit permanently lost a customer as well as
future purchases from this family of four.

[HoopsAustralia]

Are you happy with your Apple watch. I may have to do the same.

[Hornet244]

Can't justify buying a new device while my fitbit still works, but I'm
exactly the same. I'll not only never buy fitbit again, but I've already
dissuaded dozens of others from doing so on this basis. The only thing they
will understand is profit, so hit them where it hurts. My hope is that the
Google takeover eventually bears fruit.

[MJCEDI]

Love it. It's much more versatile tha. The fitbit and offers much more in
terms of health tracking, syncing and usability.

I won't go back to fitbit!

[Viiner]

Can't believe it's been literal years but fitbit is still not doing anything to fix this. I switched over to the samsung galaxy watch 4 wand i absolutely love it. Never buying or suggesting fitbit to a friend ever again. 🙂 Cheers

[woodersonb]

Here's a prime example under the heading "Support DD/MM date format on Charge 5" with 171 Votes. This is exactly the same issue as "Support International Date Format" with 203 Votes. There two threads should be combined together as they are exactly the same issue! Please take five minutes interest in us please, it's very disrespectful when as paying customers, we're telling you the solution but you don't listen. Manners and respect cost nothing.

[woodersonb]

These are all separate threads with their own tranche of votes for essentially the same thing.

INTERNATIONAL DATE FORMAT IS BEING CRIED OUT FOR ACROSS THE GLOBE. You either don't see/recognise it or don't want to see it!

FITBIT - Reconcile your own pages and see the extent of the want and need for this option - it's as clear as crystal!!

And another under the thread "Date Format" 

Another under "How to change date format inspire HR "

Another under "UK date format?"

Another under "Why is date format default not “mmyy”"

Another under "How to change date format for Bitmoji Clock Face"

Another under "Change date format on clock face - international ..."

Another under "Date format"

Another under "Date format - only showing MM.DD"

Another under "Change DATE format on Inspire 2"

Another under "How do I change the date format on Charge 4?"

Another under "How to change the date format and date language? "

Another under "Inspire HR clockface date format"

Another under "UK date format""

Another under "Can't change date format on Inspire HR"

Another under "Date Format for Zip"

Another under "Clock Faces and International Date Format"

Another under "Date format on the Blaze"

Another under "Can't change the clock face/date format on Inspire..."

Another under "Change American date format on clock face"

Another under "Date format is American - can this change?"

Another under "Option to change the date format"

Another under "Date Format as Day/Month on Inspire HR"

Another under "How do I change the date format on the dashboard?"

Another under "Chronograph clock face with normal date format"

Another under "Option for Fitbit clockfaces to have UK date forma..."

Another under "More Intuitive Date Format for Bitmoji Clock Face"

Another under "Chronograph clock face appears locked to MM/DD dat..."

Another under "Change date format from MM/DD to DD/MM"

Another under "App showing incorrect battery level and US date"

[Lee_Bean]

I have all my settings for Australia and metric, but anywhere where the date isn't written out like https://www.fitbit.com/weight, it is all in US MM/DD.
confusing if the date and month is close.
Please provide the option of changing the format of the date on both device and website

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Lee_Bean, thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about supporting international date formats. I've moved it into a similar request. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs.

Thank you again for your participation in the Feature Suggestions Forums.

[woodersonb]

Wow! That’s funny! Sure it’s not already an existing feature? Are you not sick and tired of being asked for this?  No one has commented on my post from further up this thread in regards to quite how many individual threads there are on this forum requesting exactly the same thing. You need to reconcile these altogether and not separate them into their own particular product silos. If you actually did this you might then actually get some sort of a handle of how much this is required and how much as a business Fitbit is disrespecting it’s entire customer base outside of North America. There will come a time when potential new customers realise the deficiencies in these products and covert to either an Apple or Garmin device that is more on point with the needs of users outside North America!