Heart rate not being tied to tracked activities

[Supleger]

When tracking an exercise, specifically a run, the heart rate is captured, but not available against the tracked activity. When a run is tracked in Runkeeper and synced in, the app ties the heart rate from that period to the activity, just not the natively tracked ones. I’ve contacted support and they were no help at all and gave me no next step to try to solve the issue. 

[JuanFitbit]

.@Supleger . Nice to see you here, Thank you for your report.

Could you please let me know how do you track your runs? Do you start the record on your Fitbit watch/tracker, or do you start the record with the Fitbit app?

Do you let it autorecognize or do you use another app to track it?

What Fitbit model are you using?

I'll be expecting your reply. 

[Aggie89]

My latest Fitbit is a Versa 4. I always start with my iOS software at the beginning of jog. 

My HR+ never had this problem of heart rate tracking over time.  

I really miss this feature. This changed after I changed the Fitbit not the change to an iPhone 12 ProMax. 

[Supleger]

Agree, it’s a poor experience. I want it all tracked plus want the voice cues the app provides during a run. You can either start the tracking on the device itself to get heart rate to show against the activity or start it from the app and not have it shown against the activity. When I track a run in Runkeeper and have that synced in, the Fitbit app is smart enough to tie the HR data to the activity based on start and end times so it’s frustrating they do t do the same with activities tracked in the Fitbit app.

[Supleger]

Hi Juan, support were finally able to explain this. Since I start the activity on my phone, it won’t attach the HR data to the run. I’ll just use Runkeeper to track exercise from now on. It’s just dumb that they will attach it to third party app tracked activities but not their own app tracked activities. 

[Aggie89]

I do not know what you mean by run keeper.  What screen or steps would I go through to use "run keeper"
Thanks.

[Supleger]

It’s a totally different app for activity tracking

[Aggie89]

Awesome.  So, does one lose HR tracking with the "upgraded" Fitbit?
Thanks.

[JuanFitbit]

@Supleger , thank you for sharing the information Support provided. I'm glad that tis got cleared out.

You can always place a feature suggestion on our board, so that our product specialist have a look at your idea. 

@Aggie89 , nice to see you around. Thank you for your message. It seems here, that there is a misunderstanding. 

The situation with @Supleger was as explained by/to him that he records his runs with an external App (Runkeeper) and then sync his activities to the Fitbit App. Therefore, as the activities were not tracked with his Fitbit, his hear rate cannot be sync to the external activities. 

You case seems to be different, as you described that you start tracking your activities with the Fitbit App. (if I undertood this right ". I always start with my iOS software at the beginning of jog. ")

It seems that you are using MobileRun. (To be sure, you just have "Walk, Run and Hike" to select, right?)

This feature is thought to be used, in case you don't take your Versa 2 with you and still want to track these activities.

As the data is tracked with your mobile device, you won't see your hear rate on the summary of your activities. 

In case you want to track your heart rate in the activity please have a look at this: How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?

Which activities does my Fitbit device track automatically?

See you around.

[Aggie89]

Thank you.  I put the first HR on my wrist the week after Black Friday in 2016.  I logged over 5,500 miles on that bad boy.  It kept on working.  The display just faded away.  But, with every mile I logged, my motivation grew.  Some of the badges were cool.  But, when you look back at your journey, you really remember the fun. Fitbit logged many stat's in many states, a number of countries and a couple of continents.  It is not the miles.  It is the journey that makes up those miles, amazed and never giving up.  To all you Aggies and Fitbiters....Gig'Em!

[Supleger]

Hi Juan, 

Youve misunderstood. If I track it in an external app (Runkeeper) it does show the HR data. It’s when I track it in the Fitbit app and have started the tracking from the phone rather than the Fitbit device that the HR data doesn’t attach as desired. 

[JuanFitbit]

@Aggie89 Thank you for sharing how important the Charge 3 has been on your fitness journey. If you still have display issues and the restart didn't help, please chat with us or give us a call. 

Click here to get connected.. 

@Supleger  Thank you for correcting me. I apologize for the misunderstanding. 

This means that the explanation I gave to @Aggie89 applies in your case.  Either case, your suggestion on our feature suggestions' board  are always welcome. 

See you around. 

[tonyfrompetone]

So let me get this straight: When tracking a walk, for example, using the fitbit 'track exercise' GPS function we will not see the heartrate data because the app cant record it. That makes perfect sense. I do wonder, however, what device WOULD pass that data to the app, given that it must be capable of receiving data from somewhere, otherwise it wouldn't show the message?🤔

Anyway, with that recent realisation, I long press my Fitbit Charge HR (yes still going strong since 2015) and record a 'workout' with the associated data produced. That way I get to see my heartrate data. I kind of hoped that when syncing, the software might have had the smarts to put the two sets of data together i.e. pass the heartrate data to the Track exercise app. That would be REALY useful now.

There are differences between the GPS derived data and that produced by the pedometer of the Fitbit device, but I guess that depends on your stride length setting or the accuracy of the GPS network. 

Lots of fun

T from P.

[JuanFitbit]

@tonyfrompetone Nice to see you around. 

You are partially right.

Just to avoid confusion I'll try to take this all into small pieces. 

If you start the record using Connected GPS or the integrated GPS (depending on the Fitbit Model) you'll be able to see your hear rate at the end of your activities. 

But if you use MobileRun( Option to start a record using the Fitbit App)  you won't see your heartrate as the data is tracked by your mobile Device and not your Fitbit.

See you all around.