Mobile Tracker and Zip

[MJK43]

I have been using my iphone as my one and only fitbit "device" for a year now. Works well except that I cannot have my phone on me while playing tennis and I need to capture my steps playing tennis too (not just track exercise as I get insurance premium discounts for steps recorded). So I Ihave bought a Zip which I shall wear all day (and normally have my phone on me too).

I have set up the Zip on my ipad and I see that has automatically added the little zip logo to the phone screen too within the fitbit app.

Am I able to use both the phone as a mobile tracker and the Zip at the same time ? And which device's steps will it show when I open the app and it automatically syncs ?

Many thanks for any adivce

[RobertoME]

Hi there @MJK43, welcome aboard to our Community. Note that when you are using MobileTrack, you turn your mobile device as one tracker. So my recommendation for your information stay more accurate, despite the app support multiple trackers, is to use either your Zip or MobileTrack. No combination of trackers is more helpful or accurate than a single tracker. However if you use both at the same time, there are running algorithms that reconcile the overlapping data according to certain criteria. All Fitbit trackers are highly accurate when worn correctly, so prioritizing the data of one tracker over another is usually arbitrary. For that reason I'm unable to answer more specific questions or dive into more details on how this works about overlapping data and how is reconciled. 

For example if one of your trackers has GPS data and the other one does not, we'll choose the GPS data when calculating your total distance since GPS is a better indicator of distance than step-counting alone.

Hope this provide you a little more of information. Let me know if you have more questions.

[MJK43]

Thank you Roberto, that is helpful

I assume that the iPhone mobile track is using GPS and that the Zip does not have GPS. Is that right ?

I am not concerned about the recorded distance - only about the recorded steps. I wanted tracking of steps via both the phone and the Zip in case I forget to wear the Zip one day.

Will having Fitbit mobile track installed on the phone and using the Zip at the same time actually cause any problems in recording steps ?

With many thanks

[RobertoME]

Hi there @MJK43, In relation to your first question, I must say is better to use your Zip as it will provide you more data. With MobileTrack,  the Fitbit app uses your phone's sensors to track basic activity data including steps, distance, and calories burned. But it does not monitor floors, sleep, or active minutes.

Also none has GPS features on its own, for this is require to use MobileRun that allows you to enable GPS information for Run, Walk and Hike. This is a different feature that is included for free on the Fitbit app on the Track Exercise tile. For the same reason is a feature apart, it wont have any influence on what information will be priority to sync.

About using MobileTrack when you forget your Zip, it will work fine. In this case your Zip is not recording steps, so your information will come from MobileTrack. So there is no need for the algorithm overlap your information and decide which one is more accurate.

If you use your tracker at the same time you use Mobiletrack, It will be your Zip data that it will be sync since the information recorded is more complete. Remember that MobileTrack is like a different tracker, so at the moment to use both, the information will be redundant or the app will choose only one of them to sync.

Hope to see you around again and stay awesome my friend.