Turn off Bluetooth on Inspire 3

[ammybayo7]

Some of us just care about logging in our steps & sleep; we don't need Bluetooth turned on the entire time.
Especially while we're sleeping: why doesn't Bluetooth automatically turn off while we're sleeping?
If this is impossible to do via a firmware update, can you please release a tracker solely dedicated to the health metrics & nothing more?

[Guy_]

Hi @ammybayo7 - no Fitbit device allows turning off Bluetooth, however it is not really necessary to do that because you can turn off Bluetooth on the phone (also airplane mode works) and/or logout of the Fitbit app and swipe it off or force stop it on all your phones or tablets, if you have more than one.

With the device in standalone mode there will be no Bluetooth traffic. 

[ammybayo7]

Hi @Guy_ , i already do that for my phone - airplane mode - but i'd love to do it for my Fitbit. It doesn't matter if there is nothing for the Fitbit to connect to , it will nonetheless always keep trying to connect to something by keeping the Bluetooth radio on @ all times. In other words, traffic or no traffic, electromagnetic radiation from the Fitbit remains constant.

Studies from WHO & the FDA are inconclusive about the effects of long-term Bluetooth exposure, but isn't this much obvious since Bluetooth has only recently appeared on the scene? In 1999 to be exact. In the grand scheme of things, that was just the other day. Thus, of course we wouldn't know anything about long-term exposure. Wouldn't it be better to play it safe than sorry? So much is unknown since this technology is basically in its infancy. As a health-first company, it is surprising that Fitbit has not considered the option to turn off Bluetooth. In hindsight, it's a little bit more than just ironic- it's 100% worrisome.

This is a device that sticks to the skin constantly. 24/7. That radio is shooting waves through your veins, through your bones, through your blood, w/o stopping. In each of these body parts, there are millions & millions of cells getting exposed. It would be nice to give these cells the chance for a fat break from the persistent barrage every now & then. 

Google, Fitbit, anybody? Anybody there to help us out ? 😕 while we could always just get another tracker from another company, we all know Fitbit has the best health metrics. Let's just try not to let it come @ a potential long-term cost. Thank you.  

[Guy_]

Thanks @ammybayo7 - yes there is a lot of radiation about, even from the sun which is particularly active as it is currently changing polarity!

The watch optic sensors possibly generate more impact as they are running almost constantly whereas the watch Bluetooth is basically in listen mode in order to use as little battery as possible.

Only when communication is in progress, such as syncing is there a signal transmission, so it's not a permanent condition.

If the phone Bluetooth is off the watch may issue an occasional ping to indicate it presence but even that is at a very low level.

A fuller understanding of how it is set up would reveal the level of transmissions and frequency but with Bluetooth Low Energy it is likely to be extremely low and intermittent.

Of course, everything adds up, WiFi, GSM, 5g, radio, microwaves, sun, etc.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @ammybayo7, and thanks for taking the time to share this product feedback about being able to turn off the Bluetooth on Inspire 3 with us. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this product feedback 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 what product feedback is 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.

[Rajasekhar_vrs]

Really required feature

[ammybayo7]

hi @Guy_ ,

yes, the sun does emit radiation, but we are not exposed to it every single second of the day. On top of that,the earth's magnetic field does a pretty good job of keeping most of it @ bay , & that of space's radiation as well. 

The listen mode is what we need to get rid of. The device should be able to just relax for a minute completely if it wanted to. Instead it's always emitting , emitting, & emitting some more. 

I feel syncing amplifies the signal, but that that there is a signal , there definitely is @ all times, since every time you turn on the Bluetooth on your phone, your phone catches the Fitbit's signal instantaneously. Thus, the occasional ping you speak of is not occasional. This was thoroughly tested to show that @ any given moment, your phone is ready to catch the Fitbit's presence. Last night, for testing of range, I left the Fitbit in the garage, & turned on the Bluetooth on my phone in my bedroom to see if it'd catch it. There are 4 walls between the garage & the bedroom, a good couple of feet away from each other. Yet, the phone still managed to catch the Fitbit's Bluetooth. We're supposed to be wearing this thing on our wrists, next to our brains, while we sleep? 

Bluetooth Low Energy has proven itself to be quite capable if it's breaking through all these walls w/ all this range in between. & as proven through testing, it is not intermittent; rather, it is always going, going, & going some more. 

Everything does add up as you mentioned @ the end of your comment, no doubt. But if we can take away as many layers from the cake as possible, not only will we sleep better, but we shall be more @ peace , both mentally & physically. 

Thank you @LizzyFitbit for taking the time to read through my original post, & thank you @Rajasekhar_vrs for the vote of confidence. It is my belief that I will not garner a lot of votes on my original post simply bc I do not believe the Inspire 3 has an active fanbase @ this point. Perhaps, if it were the Inspire 4 released just yday, for example, I'd fare better.

But speaking about the Inspire 4, why not take the leap w/ this one? It is supposed to be the no-frills, budget option after all. Imagine if there were an airplane mode on the 4 / the ability to turn off all radio signals on it. I mean why not? People who get the Inspire series aren't crazy about being connected to their phone @ all times. For that, they're better off w/ the Charge 6 or a Pixel Watch 2, something w/ a way bigger screen & way more features for connectivity. 

Inspire series people want to be disconnected. We want to keep an eye out for our deep sleep, not particularly if Karen was able to get to the concert on time. We want to be one w/ nature again. We want to breathe easy & breathe good. & that starts w/ what's around us. Thank you. 

[Guy_]

Thanks@ammybayo7 -  you might find this link useful. Also when a device is paired in the phone, the phone will probably try and make contact with it at any time it wants. Of course as the device is always listening it will respond. Otherwise the device [inspire] doesn't transmit, even if on.

[ammybayo7]

Thank you @Guy_ for the link. I read through the entire thing. It's nice to know that my PS5 & Bluetooth speaker is shooting out relatively low power signals @ any given time. 

The thing is, I'm not always next to the PS5 or the speaker. The Fitbit, on the other hand (heh), always is. It's quite literally sitting on top of one's wrist @ any given moment. 

Thus, the article did little to assuage my mental peace. I still find myself taking it off when going to bed in order to sleep better. It sounds so counter-intuitive but it's what's been going on these past couple of nights. 

The article has made me grateful on how far technology has come. BLE is truly an amazing feat. But I'd just personally rather not be dealing w/ BLE 24/7. Airplane mode would feel like a godsend from Fitbit @ this point. 

Maybe there is nothing to worry about health-wise w/ BLE. Even so, being disconnected from technology (i.e. having zero signals shooting around in your vicinity) brings about a peace like none other.

@LizzyFitbit I've managed to garner 3 votes :0 here's hoping it's enough x))) 

[Squarosaurous]

Yes turning off Bluetooth would be a really helpful addition.