So much wrong with the iOS app

[martin_g]

Hi there, I am new to Fitbit and switched here from JB UP tracker. Using the iOS app for a week I started to wonder if this is a new thing for Fitbit and the updates are not there yet or is it just something that is not a priority for Fitbit team. There is like so much wrong with it that I don't really know where to start. Lets give it a try: 

1. Challenges - one of the main reasons to use the app (or tracker) is to compete with your friends and keep them updated about your progress, right? Currently there are like 4 challenges available, no customization whatsoever. How can that be? I really would like to customize the stuff - set goals, milestones, challenge headlines, topics and archive. It shouldn't be that hard. 

2. Challenges 2 - whats up with these solo-challenges? Can you imagine that not all the FitBit users are not living in US and they don–t dream of taking the trip to Yosomite for the challenge? Nevertheless, I must see this feature like all the time knowing that I'm never going to take the challenges anyway. Solo challenges shold again be all about customization and that helps to get more regional stuff in there. Otherwise - just lose it, or at least give the opportunity to lose it to the users. 

3. Guidance - it is the section you are probably using first time for 15 minutes and thats it. After that it is pointless and it is really annoying to see the freaking section all the time with same videos and stuff. It is basically a promotional area that should be hidden somewhere deep in the system for the users that are up for video trainings (that youtube is doing like 100 times better anyway). Just lose it! Please.

4. Friends - finding friends is not accurate when browsing through your contacts. Friend requests remain pending and you cannot cancel them.

5. Messaging between friends - you know that sucks, right? You cannot see the conversation but just a message fragment that your friend sends. I think it takes an effort to build a function working like that :). 

6. Friend profiles - how come is the app not supporting the feature to see the steps, progress etc. of your friends (if they allow you to see that)? I have heard that you can do that on the website but not in app. Are you serious? 

7. Progress views steps/sleep - the charts that are there are actually not providing correct and comparable information. If you switch to monthly view, yearly view etc then the total numbers are different - monthly view average steps 10k, yearly view month average 1,5k??? It is really annoying because the APP SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT PRESENTING THE PROGRESS. And it cannot do that. I cannot really say how much steps I took in April 2017, because switching between the views gives me results from 12k average to 1,5k average. After 10 minutes of trying to figure it out I just gave up. 

8. Sleep feature - what if you take a nap during the day? The system cannot fix that, you cannot add that manually, you cannot let the wristband know you are napping. Why is that so? 

9. Running a challenge with your friend - it would be nice to have the updates on your friends progresses but that is already a thing that can be categorized as bells and whistles, right? So no rush in there. 

There are like design issues around the charts and data as well, but I'm not going to comment on them. As long as the functionality is there, design can be something I can cope with. Please let me know if you intend to deal with these things any time soon? I am really disappointed at the moment because the app of Jawbone had its moments but in general it was working like a dream compared to Fitbit. 

[Rudolphuz]

Hi there

I agree that the App is not perfect - it needs some improvements but is  being updated frequently.

I think that currently Fitbit App is the best fitness/ tracker App in the market 😛 

[martin_g]

On what exactly is the assumption based that Fitbit is the best app on the market? It obviously has problems presenting the data correctly, data is hard to compare, the community/challenge features are basically non-exsistant etc. I have seen better than that. Yes, sure, it can fetch the data from the wearable device though. If that is what you expect to have in a perfect app, then sure, its the best.  

PS: please keep in mind that the app has been around for more than a year and it is the basic functionality that we are talking about. Not some fancy extras that will blow your mind. 

[Rudolphuz]

I respect your opinion, but for me the App is amazing: intuitive, simple to interpret, and pretty. Not just a set of diferent lists of data. It needs some improvements i agree, and it's being updated - the last update on sleep stages is awesome!  I think that on the whole it´s the best App of it´s kind.   

Happy trainings

[martin_g]

Cheers, but for me the app is just full of bugs and lacks the functionality. 

[EdwardAnton]

I must agree with martin_g. Very poor app with lack of functionality. I was wondering the same, app is out for 1+ years... no development what so ever. Today I'm thinking about changing to other brand. Too bad!!!

[KateFitbit]

@martin_g Welcome to the Community and to Fitbit. Thanks for your thoughtful post on the app. There's a lot here, let's see if I can be of some assistance. 

@martin_g @EdwardAnton one thing to remember is we are always updating, improving, and adding new features to the app. We appreciate new ideas, which is why we have a Feature Suggestions forum where users can post and vote for new features. Our product teams regularly consult these ideas for future product development. If you find that a similar suggestion has already been made by another member of the community, you can vote for their idea and add comments. This is a great place to review and post your thoughts for customizing Challenges, the Guidance tab, and messaging friends visibility. 

A few other thoughts:  

• The solo Challenges you mention are known as Adventures. These are virtual activities, so you don't need to travel anywhere to enjoy what you may see in Yosemite or along the trail of the NYC Marathon for example. 
• To see your friends steps and stats on the app, tap on Community on the bottom of the app, then "Friends" on the center of the app.
• You can manually add sleep, more on that here.
• I'm not entirely sure what you are seeing with your charts, your yearly average may have something to do with being a new user. Feel free to post a screenshot and I can review. 

@Rudolphuz Thanks for your feedback, it's great to hear you are enjoying the app. I also agree the app isn't perfect. However, I previously supplemented my health and fitness tracking with other 3rd party apps, but find myself consulting the Fitbit app solely more and more.