Sync Clock and Alarm using Bluetooth only - no need for Internet

[Bluetooth-Dave]

I notice that you need to have an internet connection and bluetooth in order to be able to change the time or enable or disable an alarm.

Very annoying especially if you travel a lot and want to change the time in an airplane (where Internet is not available or costs and arm and a leg!). I need this function as I normally adjust the time in the plane to match my destination time in order to eat, sleep and drink in the destination time zone and reduce jetlag as much as possible. (I know I could make the time change before I get in the plane...but most of the time I forget 😞

Simple change with big effect 😉

Please include in the next update.

Thanks

Moderator Edit: Added labels.

[MKE2SAILORS]

We learned a valuable lesson on this trip to SE Asia. The world IS NOT as
connected as some people would have you believe. It is foolish for Fit it
to have a product that you can't change the time without an active Internet
connection.
My wife''s Charge 2 sat in her suitcase for three weeks and I only used my
Blaze when the ship was in the Singapore time zone. I'll never leave home
again without a real watch.

[ssp747]

Another vote for being able to set silent alarms without internet.

I don’t have internet access in my small office at 35,000 ft so the ability to set silent alarms via Bluetooth would be of great benefit.

[SunsetRunner]

Thankfully, when my strap broke I was able to return it to John Lewis as "not fit for purpose" - why produce an activity device where the strap is not replaceable!

I am now happily wearing a Samsung Ger Fit.  This actually allows me to set the alarm on the device without even needing my phone to be connected - 20th century technology!

Fitbit you just need to listen to people rather than just take their money.

I'm now leaving this site, as it's not relevant any more.

[Aerostation]

The lack of even basic offline support to control functions of the Fitbit has eliminated Fitbit as a consideration for anything beyond the exercise device.  I can't loose all control of a "smart watch" simply because I'm out of internet range.

[Ionic_user123]

Recently, when traveling in Europe countries, the WIFI I have access all need Login ID now (no password needed).  I think a watch must be able to show the time correctly for the users.  Ionic is NOT able to do so. 

We can not control what the internet service regulations or the quality of the signal strength.  Look at Garmin or other competitors, they do provide watch's function except Ionic.

There are so many technical solutions - cell phone can provide the date and time through bluetooth-only sync;  GPS contains date and time information... very simple approach is on Ionic GUI to add manually date and time change.   Why not provide the must have watch function instead of  selling Ionic just as a tracker?  Not many people use it? 

The vendor must warn the user on its features :  Ionic can not be used as a watch when you do not have Ionic specified internet connection.  Then we can select other watches to prevent the possible losses - like missing the air plane flight...

[Aerostation]

This post is similar to others, and is the reason I will never get anything beyond a tracker.  The Fitbit does great with tracking steps and heartrate, but the fact that Fitbit WON'T address the "no internet available" situation makes it unusable as a watch or alarm.

I simply live with the fact that my tracking day is based on my home timezone regardless where I travel outside the US.

[RoyRogers]

Totally agree!

Traveled to US from Europe but not able to change time zone on my FitBit Versa inflight when offliine.

That’s really silly for a “smart watch”

The FitBit Versa should be able to change time zone when I change time zone on my iPhone!

Why would syncing to Internet be neccesary for that?!

Versa is already connected to the iPhone through bluetooth.

[dalek9001]

I recently went hiking on a the Appalachian trail in Maine to the terminus peak on Mt. Katahdin. I learned some valuable lessons. My Iconic failed me more than one way. In the middle of the wilderness with no internet I figured I log all my data to my phone and then upload it when I got back to civilization. I found out the limits of the battery were as advertised under all day use with only GPS I got about 10hrs.  About 3hrs in I notice my screen was blank and I couldn't get anything to work. I thought the battery died but I could see the HR Leds flashing. I kept wearing my fitbit and hiked on. I tried to charge it with the spare external battery I carried with me and no response on the screen still. Eventually I became so frustrated that I pushed all buttons and held them not remembering what the reset sequence was. I finally got the device to reset but my time was about 9 hrs off. Now I could see the battery was very low and needed a charge. I charged it back up during a break and continued. Now I had a very expensive heart rate monitor watch with the wrong time. I still could not change the time. I took out my phone and used the Fitbit App to record my hike from then on. With bluetooth off I put my watch into exercise (hike) mode.  I recorded the next day of hiking on both devices. When I got an internet connection I was able to sync all the data. I saw that my fitbit recorded less than half of the steps. The map showed the same route traveled but the distance traveled was less than half. The steps were also too low to be correct. And then there's the time issue. WOW what a failure! The lesson learned - This tech can't be trusted! I have had 5 Fitbits (2xCharge HRs, Surge, Versa and Iconic) and pretty sure no more will be purchased in the future. I also travel internationally a lot. This will never be my primary watch again unless it can change time without internet! For God's sake add the ability to change the time at least.

[Gunnerkane]

Hey Fitbit something is off with your company here, if so many people have requested one simple thing (change the time on our device without internet) because we go through different time zones ( I am slowly moving through 4+ time zones at the moment and do not have internet on my phone) you clearly do not care about your customer. Only about data mining and the bottom line. Please reconsider this and other internet issues.

[LoicFabro]

I have two cases where I found myself at loss with the Fitbit app:

   - Travel internationally (my cell phone plan just does not work outside of the US and never will.... unless I change carrier)

   - Go to "remote" area in the US where there is no cell signal and camp/back-pack for a few days (let's say a week)

In both cases, here is what happens:

    - I can't sync my steps with my Fitbit (Charge 2)

    - I can't sync sleep info (and my Charge 2 only keeps some days before it stops recording or drops the data is can't hold)

    - I can't see in the Fitbit app any data from previous days (the app just shows a white screen/locks up/crash/etc. depends what version of it we are talking about)

    - Charge 2 can't get updated time if you change timezone (which is a problem where you want to use it as a watch....)

Here is what I would like to be able to do (I also know this is very simple from the tech point of view):

    - Capture/collect data from the Fitbit so that it does not drop sleep info/etc when it runs out of internal memory, and when I regain access to the Internet, Fitbit app syncs back to the cloud (even if I can't see that data on the app until I'm online)

    - Ability to update the time of the Fitbit without having Internet access (my phone knows where I am using GPS and updates its local time.....)

Simple. I'm not asking for complete offline mode or local(only) data storage (there is a different feature request for that).

[McDick]

This is why I left the Fitbit “family”. As an international pilot, I need to be able to set alarms on the airplane. I bought an Apple Watch and as much as it’s very capable, I couldn’t stand the battery life, so I sold it. Next go for me will be a xiomi mi band 2 ($25), which you CAN set an alarm via Bluetooth. 

Come on fitbit, this feature has undoubtedly caused you to lose thousands of customers. I would ponder a return to the new charge 3, IF and only IF, I could sync it while offline. Otherwise it’s useless for my first requirement of a useable alarm. 

Look at the dissatisfaction above, lose the arrogance and get on improving your products. Your company is in decline, listen to your customers and it need not be. 

[SunsetRunner]

I'm in the merchant navy and 3 months ago I only just discovered this with my charge HR, that was the last time I had internet. Since then I have been through 9 different timezones without being able to change the time. I don't care about syncing my data but my Fitbit is the only watch I can risk using in the working environment.

I am shocked that even after 3 years of requests nothing has been done about it.

[tkile]

We were on a cruse around New Zealand to Australia in November. When we would change time zones we had to change our Samsung S9 phone time manually. We couldn't get our Fitbit Charge 3 to sync without WiFi. Wifi on the ship cost about $30/day. We had to go 5 days without correct time on our watches even though our phones had the correct time. You need to let the watches sync the time with just Bluetooth rather than having to have wifi.

[JantjeM]

When traveling I don't always have internet. My ideal vacations are usually in locations with no internet. Why can I not use Bluetooth to download the data from my Ionic to my phone in these situations?

And when I'm home I don't want to constantly be switching Bluetooth on and off.  Why can the phone and Ionic not just sync via my Wi-Fi?  Why is Bluetooth even needed if all the data is uploaded to the Fitbit site via the Wi-Fi?  

I would prefer both options as individual options, especially when traveling.