Silent Alarm for Each Mile

[BenBTizMe]

I'm thinking this might be more of a suggestion for a firmware update but just in case someone knows how to do this....

I like to do free runs to break up the monotony and like to know when I've reached each mile marker.  Is there some way to set up a silent alarm (buzzer and temporary display) so that I don't have to continually look at the watch face for having completed a mile?

This would really come in handy when running at night so that I wouldn't have to take my eyes off the road to check the distance.

[WendyB · Accepted solution]

Why not set up the run cue under settings?

[BenBTizMe]

Hi WendyB, I've tried the run cues but they also seem to require I take my eyes off the run and stare at the watch face for the point where the mile marker is reached. In other words....using the cues doesn't 'buzzer me and/or display the cue itself' like a silent alarm when the mile is reached. I run for distance and I could mentally count the miles without taking my eyes off the road or losing my concentration if the run cues would act like a silent alarm. I've tried using the run cues....maybe I'm not doing it correctly?

[MikeF]

That's odd since that exactly what the run cues are designed to do. On the rare occasion I've used them, I simply count the vibrations to get a read on my distance. It's always worked quite well.

I wonder if you need Notifications enabled for them to work? If you're not setup that way, it might be worth a try.

[BenBTizMe]

Hi MikeF, Thanks for the suggestion. I've got Notifications enabled. I have synched the cell phone app with the fitbit web site account and synched the Surge with the cell app. I've done that multiple times and I also have had the run cues enabled since the start. I use the silent alarms a bunch and hoped that the run cues work the same as the silent alarms. For example....I am under the impression that once I synch the alarm I set up in the cell app with the watch ... I don't need the cell phone to 'push' alarm notifications because the alarm request is resident on the watch at that point. I don't run with my cell and was expecting the run cues to work the same as the silent alarms and not like notifications. Am I doing something wrong? I can see the silent alarms on my watch after the cell synch but have not been able to see the run cues through the watch. I wonder if this means I need to have the run cue 'pushed' to the watch with my cell like a phone number or text message? I appreciate the help! Thanks Again!

[BenBTizMe]

Finally got it to work. The Run Cues are definitely working now and I get the buzzer and display the way I envisioned it working. I have a few standard courses I can run where I've already mapped the distance and verified them via my car mileage and a GPS watch. I know within a few steps were each mile ends so I could tell the Run Cues weren't executing even though I had them set up on my Fitbit internet web page. One of the frustrations with setting up the Run Cues is not being able to see them in anything other than the internet web page. The Run Cue values are not visible on the watch or the android app as far as I can tell so how can I tell if the app and watch are recognizing them? I can easily tell when I set up a Silent Alarm on the internet web page because I can see it on my android app AND the watch after setting them up. The way I finally got it to work was to disable and enable the Run Cues 3 times and change a Silent Alarm with each change. I would verify the new Silent Alarm had made if from the internet web site to the android app and to the watch each time so I could verify the synch. On the third and final update I enabled the Run Cues on the internet web site along with a final Silent Alarm change and then completed a final Android App and watch synch. I noted that the Silent Alarm change had made it and went out for a run and sure enough I got my Cues at each mile!!! I'm a computer person by trade and have run into scenarios where I had to force a database/value/parm change that wasn't being recognized to be recognized by causing a secondary change and rebooting to get the original value to be recognized. That's why I went through the 3 updates....was hoping it would force the Run Cues on my watch to become active as a last resort. Then there's a slew of web based responses where people in 2015 complained that there was no Run Cue functionality and only a small number (by comparison) of factoids describing the Run Cues being available in a recent update. In the hopes I will be ending the confusion for others....the Surge is capable of tracking miles during a Run and informing you when a mile marker is hit by display and buzzer.  

Moderator edit: Format.

[MikeF]

Glad it works properly now although I never had to jump through quite so many hoops to get mine going!

[ChipFallsLisa]

So glad it works for you!! I have noticed that mine doesn't give cues at miles when walking, but it has always done well when running.

I did notice, though, that sometimes I have to sync, resync, change alarms, etc., when my notifications suddenly stop coming through. So that makes sense that changing one thing changes something else. Good luck from here out!

[YojanaFitbit]

Awesome to see you here @BenBTizMe and @ChipFallsLisa! Thanks a lot for the help @WendyB and @MikeF!  

I'm happy to know that you've found a way to use the Run Cues @BenBTizMe, thanks a million for the details of the workaround. This could help to other users that might be having the same issue with this feature. If in the future you need extra help with this, please try to reach Customer Support to double check the hardware of your Fitbit! 

@ChipFallsLisa I would suggest the same thing to you, if you're having too many issues with this please feel free to contact Customer Support, so they can verify your Surge functionality. Also, I want to clarify that this feature is specific for Run activities, I think that your idea of using for walking is a good one, thought! I found two suggestions similar to yours in our Feature Suggestions board: Custom, flexible run cues for surge and Make you own distance cues. Take a look, and if you like them, I encourage you to vote and place your comments in this request

Happy stepping! 

[WendyB]

@ChipFallsLisaYou must use the Run option in exercise mode for it to work.

If you go to exercise and use the Walk it will not work. Has to be under RUN for it to work

[BenBTizMe]

Now that I've got the Run Cues working I've got a new problem in the same area.  I need reading glasses so when I run at dusk or at night I can't see the distance displayed in the Run Cue or on the watch face itself.  I can read the 'run time' easily but unless I stop running and focus on the distance, pace or Run Cue mile value I can't make it out.  The Run Cues have helped a great deal since I can mentally keep a tally in my head IF I don't zone out during the run and lose track.

I've put the request in for a feature to allow for increasing the text size real time via touch or as a display setting for different info features like distance ran.  I like to run free form at dusk or at night a lot and I run for distance so this would be a big plus.  It's annoying when the Run Cue turns on and I have to stop running to eliminate the 'jiggle' so I can focus because I zoned out and forgot the miles ran.

[Swolfe67]

Okay this is confusing. I had the Microsoft band 2 which provided awesome running metrics and mileage vibration / display very seamlessly.  Unfortunately the band broke and Microsoft refunded the money as they have abandoned that project for now. 

Using IOS devices - do you simply enable the run cue on the app or do you have to do something on the desktop site too? What else must be enabled to make the run cue alert the watch? I have missed not having that simple vibration when reaching each mile. Also, are the vibrations strong enough to notice when running? I find the alarm vibration on the weak side. 

Is is there anyway to obtain a more detailed breakdown on Run ststs? I like to compare each mile from a run to compare best splits for speed and heart rate for each split - is any of that currently available? 

[BenBTizMe]

Sorry...I don't use IOS.  For the Android app on my cell I could not find a "run cue" option.  The only place I found that the Run Cue could be set was in the actual Fitbit web site associated with my account that I reach via Windows. I could not find any setting in the watch or the Android app for the Run Cue.  I had to set the Run Cue option via the web site and then synch the Android app and the watch to 'absorb' the setting.  I couldn't find anywhere on the Android app or watch itself that would show the Run Cue values.  Maybe its different in IOS.

I also found that sometimes I miss the notification when the Run Cue displays because of how weak the attention grabbing is

In the Android app you tap the "weekly excercise" option to take you to the "Run".  Tapping a specific run will take you to the next display where you can select "splits" to see some additional mile specific stats like pace for each mile.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hey there @BenBTizMe! Hope you're doing great. Don't worry I'll try to help you out regarding these inquiries. 

First of all, thank you for entering your Feature Request: Enlarge Specific Info On Display for Those Who Need Reading Glasses. I already vote for it! 

About the iOS and the Android view of the Dashboard, both are very similar in regards visibility and how to log information. You don't have to do anything else on your Surge to help the Run Cue alert, there is no option to customize vibration or change anything about it; since this is a default feature. And as you already know you can view the splits of each activity in the Dashboard under the "Track exercise"  > Tap on the Exercise > See details. 

If you want to modify your Run Cues in your phone (android or iOS), it's best to open the browser on the phone and access to the Fitbit.com Dashboard, to go to Settings. The Fitbit App doesn't have this option, that's why you couldn't find it.

I'll be around let me know if you need anything else!

[BenBTizMe]

Thanks for the confirmation Yojana!  Greatly appreciated.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @BenBTizMe! Don't mention it! I'm happy to help. Remember that you can come back at any time and any of our members can gladly assist you. 

I dont' know if you're familiar with our Discussions board, there is a really good chance for you to like it. In case that you haven't do so, check it out! You might be interested in this topics: Marathon Training or How do you break out of your sedentary lifestyle? 

Have a good one! 

[megsellner]

Where do I find the alarm for each mile to set it up?? 

[YojanaFitbit]

I'm glad to see you here in the Forums, your comments are very important for us @megsellner! I hope you still find this information useful. 

Please take a look of this post with some instructions on how to use Run Cues for Free Run. You can also find very helpful this details on how to use your Surge for your Free Runs after you set them up.

Let me know if you need anything else! 

[lissavyoung]

Can you set hiking and walking mile cues, or are they only available in run mode?

[lissavyoung]

Do mile cues work when in walking or hiking mode?