Can't migrate to google. Can't set up my daughter's Charge 6 Christmas Present.

[Smallworld74]

How frustrating. I've had fitbit Blaze in the past, but moved to a Garmin, so haven't used the account in a couple of years. My 10 year old daughter's just had a fitbit for Christmas and I want her to have her own fitbit account rather than use mine for obvious reasons. I just want to highlight the problems I've had and the solution I worked out in the hope it will help others.

I've installed the fitbit app on my daughter's ipad and tried to sign her in using her newly created gmail account. I get the following three screens, of which the second and third trap me in a loop if I keep pressing Next and Continue:

From those screens it is clear that I, as a parent, need to do something to authorise our daughter's account or Charge activation. The options I get via one of those screens include "You use fitbit, but not with Google yet", which is where I got to. So I had to go to my app, log in (with my non-Gmail account), then migrate to my account to a gmail email address. When I did, I found no way of moving my account - a quick google search told me I needed to find the settings icon (cog wheel) at the top right of my app. Sadly, this was not there. I could find no way of migrating. Some search results talked about going to the desktop site to do this, but I think I've worked out that the desktop site no longer exists.

Finally, I found the "change email" option in the app. Once I had changed to my gmail account there, I was prompted to update the app, which was not an option before (I had, of course, made sure I had the latest version of the app already). Now I have hte updated app, I do get a prompt to migrate to a google account, which I'm not about to try. Wish me luck! I'll update if it's not straightforward from here on or if I need help.

Merry Christmas all.

[Smallworld74]

Ok, so after I found a way to move to my gmail account, the setup for my daughter went quite well until it asked to add a device. It only gives options to set up Ace trackers, not Charge trackers. What? Does that mean my daughter can't use her new Christmas present? Anger subsided, now returned.

[JohnnyRow]

Sorry, but under 13 can only have an Ace, and only in family account under a parent or guardian.

[Smallworld74]

Would be interesting to know more. The fundamental problem is that there’s no warning to say, when you buy a Charge, that this has restricted use. Once opened it cannot be returned, then you’re out of pocket through no fault of your own. Perhaps Fitbit should have a returns programme for this scenario. Otherwise you could creat a gmail account with a false age, but is there some safety/health reason why this should not be done? Or is it just a local law regulation or something. Not enough info provided, as is so common these days. Modern life is rubbish! 😂

[JohnnyRow]

I'm not speaking for Fitbit, but I think that at least one problem was that no one under 13 was supposedly allowed to have own account on social media.
I would think you would be able to return it, perhaps depending on where you bought it, but I'm not up on return policy since Google.

[HugeHeadache]

Have you found a solution?   In the same boat with a new Charge 6 that I can’t link.   My daughter is 13 and has a google account, but still only gets the option for Ace!   Really frustrated and ready to sell mine and the kids devices.  

I’m fine with them having some age limits for safety - at least it’s an attempt - but make it easy for parents to navigate and up front before we buy   

[Smallworld74]

The only theoretical solution I came up with is to create a new gmail address for my daughter to use and put in a false age. At least then she could use the device, but it does mean that she may end up losing data (tbh at her age I've not bothered by that) if/when she becomes 14 and can move the Charge to her own/regular email with correct age. It all seems a bit weird having to have an email address/web identity for such a young child in any circumstances. Similarly, you could use the profile of another family member who doesn't use fitbit. All they want to do is see how many steps they've done and how many hours they've slept, log the occasional kids parkrun. This age limit seems like a sledgehammer to crack an egg if you ask me. Good luck working out what's best for you.