Does heart rate sync to Strava?

[RoboCop-UK]

I have linked my Alta HR to Strava . When I go for a walk (as Covid-19 has stopped my cycling) I activate the tracking on the Fitbit App on my phone. When I am back I can see that it is present on Strava but I can only see Pace, I don't seem to be passing the Heart Rate from Fitbit to Strava.

Anybody have any advice?

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity

[SilviaFitbit]

@RoboCop-UK Welcome to the Community. Sorry for the delayed reply. 

Thanks for letting me know that you have an Alta HR and using Strava.

Fitbit will sync activities recorded with GPS to Strava and Strava will sync runs tracked with GPS to Fitbit. However, heart rate information won't sync. I found this idea Allow third-parties to access live heart rate data (so Fitbits can act as HR monitors) these ideas are reviewed by our team and the status changes based in Fitbit's plans. 

I'll be around if you have any additional questions. 

[Katehatton]

Just wondering whether there is any update on this? I am hoping to sync my heart rate data from my Alta HR to Strava also. 

[Giampi71]

@Katehatton Fitbit has confirmed that it is the intended behavior (even if around 2 years ago it worked as all users want) so it is very unlikely it will be fixed. Sorry.

[RoboCop-UK]

Strava doesn't sync the heart rate at all, even from my Garmin, and as Giampi71 says this is now Strava policy.

I use the Wahoo mobile app to log all my data and have Wahoo connected to Strava. The sensors on my bike, my Alta HR and my chest strap HR monitor all connect quite happily with Wahoo and up load to Strava.

If you want to do it directly to Stava your only option now is to buy a subscription!

[Lestrade]

I bought a Strava subscription and it STILL doesn't sync heart rate for my runs. It would be GREAT if I didn't have to get yet another app to act as a bridge between Strava and Fitbit.

[ccdd]

I am so disappointed. The feature request post you mentioned has been there more than 6 years and having almost 1K votes. But it is still "Not currently planned". Fitbit just locked the hardware to it's on app and not accessible from 3rd party app. I am done with Fitbit. Will switch to an Applewatch or Android smart watch.

[t.parker]

@RoboCop-UK not entirely true. I have HR synced for all of my Garmin activities. No problem there. I noticed recently, trying to upload Fitbit's TCX file manually to the Fitbit that the HR data requires enabling permission. I did it and then the HR has been successfuly importet. Might be, lack of this permission is the reason why HR doesn't sync. See if you have that set:

https://www.strava.com/settings/consent

After changing permission the HR should appear as normal.

[Lestrade]

@t.parker Permissions are enabled all ways (and have been). This does not seem to be the problem.

[t.parker]

@Lestrade then I don't have any other idea 🙂 Just to clarify, it works fine for me when I use Garmin and also, it works fine when I export TCX file from the Fitbit dashboard and upload activity manually to Strava. Not sure why direct sync doesn't work but if HR appears for the two cases I mentioned before, I would say the problem is on the Fitbit side.

[Rich_Laue]

If a user uses their fitbit device to record a run with GPS enabled, then this run, including heart rate should be sent to Strava. 

The original question was about using the fitbit app on the phone, not the tracker on the wrist, to record the run. As @Giampi71 mentions above, when using the fitbit app on the phone to record the run, your heart rate will not be added to your run event found in the fitbit app. 

This is because fitbit does not link any data recorded by the tracker to an event recorded by the fitbit app. Therfore  there will not be any heart rate to send to Strava. 

@RoboCop-UK you will need to use the Inspire HR, with GPS enabled, not the fitbit app to record your run. Then your heart rate will be sent to Strava. 

[Jonnygnyc]

Way to go. This is really lame. I know that you guys are trying to restrict this behavior so that I can’t sync it to the Fitbit app - I’m going to stop using the app now to track everything because of this issue. I don’t spend $500 on an Apple Watch to have you guys put up a restriction like this. Very corporate of you🙄 Typical.

[thomasrorystone]

Any updates? I would love to get my heart rate data from Fitbit into Strava so I can see the data with my rides.

[Matty334]

I have a Charge 5 and regarding strava heart rate monitoring, I've found that if you've linked your accounts correctly and you record the activity via your watch with GPS enabled, (I use the phone GPS, not tried the built in GPS on the watch yet), it does sync your heart rate data to your strava activity AFTER you've completed it and it's had time to upload.

The issue I have is if you want to use Strava's live display on your phone at the same time to see segments, live speed etc, the heart data won't sync at the end.  This seems to be because its recorded the activity in Strava rather than fitbit.  This is annoying. 

The only workaround I've found so far is to record the activity on strava AND on my fitbit watch, essentially duplicating the activity.  This way I can use the strava live display and also record the heart rate data into strava once it syncs at the end of the ride. 

This of course means you end up with duplicate activities, so just delete the one from strava that doesn't have the heart rate data once it's had time to sync.

No idea why it doesn't sync in both directions, unless it's an issue with my phone. 

[MNorthcott]

Same issue I've been having. Only just got into cycling - I like to use the route planning on Strava to navigate but it will not record any Fitbit heart rate data unless I have Fitbit also running GPS tracking (either on-device or via my phone). Even then, sometimes the GPS tracking fails on the Fitbit and therefore won't record exportable TCX data. So I have to run both and hope for the best. Sometimes it syncs the heartrate data to the Strava activity successfully, sometimes it uploads a duplicate and I have to delete the one without heartrate data. Annoying because the one without heartrate data is pretty inaccurate on calorie-burn etc and therefore Strava fitness tracking over time and other features do not show a true reflection of progress. Slowly coming to the conclusion that Fitbit is not very good....

[t.parker]

@MNorthcott this is a limitation of the Fitbit platform. It can't broadcast heart rate so the Strava app could read it. If I were you, I would double-track it and use an external HR sensor that can be used with Strava directly (check chest straps or arm bands). I do something similar on Garmin when I ride Zwift (for different reasons, simply Zwift doesn't give me a breakdown of TE metric which I need). I record using the watch and Zwift app (so as you do with the Strava app). Zwift and Garmin sync to Strava so I delete Garmin's ride and keep Zwift's ride in Strava only. In Garmin, I delete the Zwift ride and leave the Garmin ride only. Metric-wise they are the same (using the same sensors on both) but additionally I have TE on Garmin side. In your case, the Fitbit ride would have HR from the Fitbit watch and the Strava ride from an external monitor. Sometimes, splitting activity into more records is the way to go.

If you want to have Fitbit's HR in Strava you may need to do a little more work and merge data streams. Basically, export original activity from Strava and TCX file from Fitbit. Then use this tool to combine streams. Use HR from Fitbit's TCX file and the remaining data from the Strava file. Then, re-upload the new file back to Strava (you should delete the previous duplicate).

You can also look into third-party multi-platform syncing services (there are several, I use FitnessSyncer) to sync data between.

From a sports tracking viewpoint, your conclusion stands correct.

[MNorthcott]

Thanks for this very helpful response!

[Matty334]

Yes I don't think it's particularly geared up for serious monitoring, and will likely get worse now that Google have purchased Fitbit and starting limiting features in order to promote google watches.... Lets see.
I have managed to get it working on my phone now with this workaround:
1.  Use Phone GPS, not watch GPS in your Charge 4 menu
2.  When starting a ride ensure "GPS signal connected" is displayed on your watch menu before you hit the "Start" button (you may need to sync Fitbit if its not picking you up)
3.  Start recording your ride from your WATCH.
4.  At the same time, start recording your ride in Strava (I usually have a route saved so I can race my segments).
5.  When you finish your route click "Finished" on your WATCH only.  In Strava, Pause the activity and check your home screen.  You should see a notification come up in strava that your "ride is ready to view", (this might take a few seconds for Fitbit to push through).  
6. Once you're happy fitbit has captured your ride in Strava you can just delete the current activity you had paused as you dont need it anymore.  
If for whatever reason it failed to come through, try refreshing fitbit.  If it still doesnt work, at least you still have the ride you paused as a backup.
Works ok usually for me...
Good luck!

[MNorthcott]

Thanks, very helpful! 

What a clumsy setup this is though - there should be more interoperability between apps in 2023.

[mikmak001]

Have a look at a web app called FitBit to Strava. Allows you to upload Fitbit activities to Strava that are not GPS driven, e.g., Yoga, Pilates. The app is freeware and I can vouch it works ... even records my Marital Arts activities when no GPS data is recorded.

https://www.fittostrava.com/

Disclaimer: I have no connection to the app developer.