Not possible to enter custom heart rate in Fitbit app - get it fixed, Fitbit...!

[BlipBlopDK]

In the iOS Fitbit app I can not set a custom max heart rate. Every time I try to, it resets to 0 bpm.

When I toggle on Custom Max Heart Rate, it shortly shows the current Max Heart Rate (220 minus my age) and then changes to show 0 bpm. When I select the field that shows 0 bpm, it again shows the actual Max Heart Rate (220 minus my age). When I tip in a new Max Heart Rate, it shortly shows the new Max Heart Rate, but then changes to show 0 bpm. The Custom Max Heart Rate is still toggled on. But when I go Back and in to Heart Health again, the Custom Max Heart Rate is toggled off.

What kind of behaviour in an app is this?

Fitbit, please get it fixed immediately...!

I am running Fitbit app version 3.32.1 (999) on an iPhone XS running iOS 14.1. I had the same problem with the Fitbit app when running iOS 14.0.1.

[MrMarv]

@BlipBlopDK -

Don't expect "Immediately" as it has been this way for literally months. But there is a workaround.

On the web dashboard settings, at the bottom of the Profile page (the default page), scroll down to the bottom of the page, expand the Heart Rate Zones section and select "Custom" for Max Heart Rate entering the value you need it to be. Save the change by clicking on the "Submit" button and sync your device using the mobile app.

You should have the new Max HR value after performing the above - but keep on top of it as the FitBit servers often reset you back to the default. I have had it set back to the default five times in the past two months.

I have been performing the above for months as I am taking Beta Blockers for a heart condition and they necessitate my reducing my Max HR to 80% of the traditional value as they throttle my heart rate even while exercising.

Good luck.

[BlipBlopDK]

I have tried it and it does not work here. Besides you should not have to do a workaround. Fitbit just needs to make their product (the app) work as it is supposed to.

[Fitmom481]

I agree! This is getting stupid! None of the apps features ever work right. I’m beginning to regret having spent so much money. I’m kind of wishing I had chosen garmin instead. 

[Micsb]

I have been using the same workaround for a couple of months and was wondering why the settings at times went back to default. Glad to hear your seeing the same and it is not my own actions that resets the HR zones. I usually notice this after an exercise, looking at the HR graph and noticing the threshold went down to default. My actual Max HR is higher than the standard calculated HR.

Not a big issue here, it makes it easier for me to get active zone minutes with the default values compared to the adjusted max HR. I am hard pressed to get up in the fat burning zone during walking exercises, with the threshold increased from 108 to 115.

[la_Martine]

@MrMarv Any luck getting this to work? I'm on Beta Blockers too and received my new Fitbit last week... Never dreamt that a feature they brag, and that contributed to my buying their product, would be defective. I contacted customer service but looking at other threads, looks like I'll have to pack that thing up, return it and turn to other brands.

[MrMarv]

@la_Martine -

I has worked off and on for months just how I mentioned in the earlier post. Just make sure you stay on top of it by verifying it in the app.

Go to the heart rate page in the app and tap the gear icon at the top right of the screen to see your zones and the Max HR you have set. Sometimes the max doesn't show, but the zones reflect the lower Max.

I haven't dealt with it since the 4th of January when I received my Apple Watch Series 6 - I was tired of the grossly inaccurate heart rate readings I was getting. My new device does not have that issue.

Good luck.

[la_Martine]

Thanks for your feedback MrMarv. How's the battery life on your Apple Watch? That's the only thing that keeps me away from Apple products (poor battery life, especially in colder climates). As for Fitbit, the max heart rate never stayed (even when manually changed by one of Fitbit's technicians). ended up changing my year of birth in my settings (30 years older than my actual age!!) Far from ideal since it probably affects a lot of other data, but that fixed the heart zone problem until I return it and buy something else.

[MrMarv]

@la_Martine -

Considering that it is like wearing an iPhone on your wrist, I'm not surprised at the much degraded battery life compared to my Versa 2, though it is not as bad as Apple states as they quote "worst case". They estimate 18 hours but that includes, if I remember correctly, 90 time checks, 90 notifications, a couple hours playing music while working out where the heart rate monitor is fully active, an hour of application use and of course, the always on display. Oh, and Wi-Fi is always on - like I said, it's an iPhone on your wrist, to include virtually all of the apps. The installation even brought over Shazam and I've used it quite a few times. An I just installed a new Feit security light/camera combination and when I installed the control app on my phone it automatically showed up on the watch. I can watch my driveway live from wherever I am on the watch. <<edit>> Correction - I can do some stuff using the Feit app, but not watch the camera video. <</edit>>

Some reviewers have stated the battery life is closer to 36 hours and back to fully charged in 1.5 hours. I can testify the 1.5 hours is correct as that is how long it took when I received the watch from China with about 2% charge.

I don't have the cellular model, I place the device in "Theatre Mode" when not exercising which turns off alert tones and blanks the display waiting for you to tap it. 

My device was at 98% at 5:30 pm last night and at 6:30 am this morning is at 79% - 20% after 13 hours of pretty much no use other than probably a dozen wake-up taps last night, waking me up with wrist vibrations at 6:00 am and taking my pulse every 10 to 15 minutes. That equates to a little over 2 and 1/2 days when not using it for much, but I am rarely under 70 percent.

I got into the routine with my Versa 2 to charge it when I took my post-workout/pre-dinner shower each day at about 4:00 pm. I have continued that routine with my Series 6 which normally places me at 100% in about 20 minutes. And my watch notifies me via my iPhone when it is at 100%. I also place it on the charger once or twice more during the day for 10-15 minutes at a time when I am just vegging out which I do a lot more of since retiring last year.

So, I pretty much have zero issues with battery life - even when for a while I had it in "always on" mode to see how bad the battery drain was. And it continues to be in "always on" when I hit the treadmill for an hour twice each day.

The Watch app, Fitness app and Apple Health combination is a bit of a culture shock after six years with FitBit and while I still think the FitBit device/app pairing could be the industry leader, it will never be as long as they continue as they have on the development side of the house and don't correct their hardware issues.

The most important thing is that I have only seen a "weird" heart rate for a few seconds twice in 40 days and those were for a few seconds and under-reported which leads me to believe it may have been a skin contact issue. Not like the Versa 2 that had me over 140 bpm for five minutes peaking at 156 bpm during a 3 mph treadmill session. With the Beta Blockers I take it is virtually impossible for me to reach 120 bpm and I have only reached 112 during a pretty intense session on my rowing machine, which the Series 6 reported accurately. Interesting that there is spot in the Fitness app where they ask if you are taking drugs that inhibit heart rate, explicitly naming Beta Blockers.