Whether or not you are a first-time Fitbit purchaser or returning to the model, it may be a bit of overwhelming to determine find out how to use it correctly. Fitbit walks you thru the setup by way of its app, however there are extra obscure methods you need to discover for your self.
The Fitbit Assist hub in all probability has all the data you want, however nobody needs to trawl by means of dozens of assist pages. So we’re right here to information you thru the principle Fitbit ideas and methods you want to know which may not be instantly apparent, from activating Google apps to turning off annoying capabilities.
For simplicity’s sake, this Fitbit newbie’s information will deal with the most recent fashions: the Cost 6, Sense 2, and Versa 4. A few of our Fitbit ideas and methods can even apply to older fashions just like the Cost 5 and Versa 3, however not all of them.
Migrate your Fitbit account to Google
After buying Fitbit, Google began transitioning Fitbit accounts into Google accounts. Now, newer Fitbit units require a Google account to perform, and beginning in 2025, legacy Fitbit accounts will not work on any Fitbit.
It’s possible you’ll as effectively make the leap if you have not already, so comply with our information on find out how to migrate your Fitbit account to your Google account within the Fitbit app. It will take you thru your preliminary Fitbit setup as you resolve what knowledge to share with Google and different linked apps.
Begin carrying your Fitbit continuous
Individuals purchase Fitbits for health monitoring, well being monitoring, or each. In the event you’re nice utilizing it for step counting and monitoring exercises alone, you possibly can depart it off at evening or while you’re stationary. In any other case, although, you are going to wish to put on your Fitbit as a lot as attainable to get essentially the most out of it.
Why? As a result of most key Fitbit Premium options require you to put on the system continuous and lack the context to evaluate your well being if you happen to cease. A stress administration rating with the Sense 2 requires a full 24 hours of cEDA monitoring, for instance.
The Every day Readiness Rating — telling you whether or not to work out and for the way lengthy primarily based in your tiredness and soreness — requires at the very least 4 full days and nights, and should take weeks for Fitbit to correctly calculate. And a full Wellness Report requires an entire month of steady monitoring. Skip carrying your tracker for too lengthy, and Fitbit will depart a bunch of app well being fields clean.
Plus, your Fitbit measures extra knowledge at evening. The Cost 6 repeatedly tracks coronary heart charge knowledge throughout the day, however solely throughout sleep monitoring does it measure blood oxygen, coronary heart charge variance, passive AFib detection, respiratory charge, and pores and skin temperature ranges. That is the juicy well being knowledge that many health trackers lack.
Customise your Immediately tab
The Fitbit Immediately tab is the very first thing you see while you open the app, exhibiting the entire newest knowledge taken out of your system. You may resolve what knowledge exhibits up on high, primarily based in your priorities.
Within the top-right nook underneath your profile image, faucet the small pencil icon to open the Editor mode. There, you may select your Focus, whether or not it’s Exercise (the default), Sleep, Weight, Stress, Coronary heart Well being, or Customized.
Then, beneath the Focus, you possibly can select the widget order and toggle off particular metrics. For instance, in case you have no plans to trace weight or vitamin with the Fitbit app — you’d want to take action manually — then you possibly can and may make these invisible.
Set a Fitbit Premium cancellation/renewal reminder
There’s a long-standing debate on whether or not or not Fitbit Premium is well worth the annual subscription. Your Fitbit capabilities completely effectively with out it, however long-term well being traits, exercises, meditations, and your Every day Readiness Rating are all locked behind a paywall.
Each new Fitbit as we speak comes with six months of free Fitbit Premium, as Fitbit tries to hook you into turning into depending on these instruments. You will even have to present Fitbit your bank card data, and 6 months later, you are on the hook for both $9.99/month or $79.99/yr. Our wager is that most individuals neglect to cancel it.
That is why, after you activate your Fitbit, your first step ought to be to enter your calendar app and create a reminder one week earlier than the six-month deadline. At that time, you may know whether or not or not you utilize Premium sufficient to maintain paying, and you may resolve to (A) cancel or (B) swap from month-to-month to annual to avoid wasting your self $40 over the yr.
Sync your Fitbit knowledge to (or from) your favourite app
Until you are a couch-to-5Ker who’s new to figuring out, you in all probability have already got a favourite health app. Whereas you need to use the redesigned Fitbit app natively to trace exercises, you could choose to sync the info to a different app like Strava, the place you have already got health buddies.
In the event you use Strava, you possibly can go to strava.fitbit.com/ and log into your account to sync the 2. Different health apps like Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal have devoted “Apps” or “Join” sections in their very own settings the place you possibly can choose Fitbit after which log into your Google account to sync them.
Fitbit does not play good with different health apps, both for Android or iOS. If in case you have an Android cellphone, you could have a ready-made answer: Well being Join. It is an app that may sync Fitbit with Google Match, Samsung Well being, Oura, Pelaton, and several other different well-known manufacturers. We’ve a information on find out how to use Google Well being Join to arrange the connection, but it surely does not take lengthy.
Apple Health Plus is a serious competitor to Fitbit Premium. In order for you your Fitbit knowledge to go to Apple Well being, you could have two choices. The primary is to make use of an middleman like Strava that can sync with the Well being app, however it will solely ship particular knowledge like exercises. For a full switch, there is a paid app referred to as “Sync Solver: Fitbit to Well being” that may ship your energy, sleep summaries, steps, and so forth to Well being.
Lastly, if you happen to personal a Withings good scale, you could wish to ship your weigh-ins and physique fats percentages to the Fitbit app to enhance its suggestions and well being stories. In that case, go to fitbit.com/weight/withings and comply with the steps.
Alter your day by day targets and transfer reminders
Within the Fitbit app, faucet your account picture within the top-right nook, then Fitbit settings > Exercise & Wellness. Right here, you possibly can modify your targets on your time spent asleep, weight and physique fats share targets, what number of days every week you wish to train, how lengthy earlier than your Fitbit auto-recognizes a exercise (quarter-hour is the default), and your goal coronary heart charge zones for exercises.
Even if you happen to do not contact these, everybody ought to take a look at the Every day Exercise tab. Right here, you may modify your day by day steps, distance, and weekly Energetic Zone Minutes targets.
We have written up to now in regards to the advantages of strolling 10,000 steps a day, however research present that 6,000–8,000 is a extra cheap goal with noticeable advantages as you attempt to begin a Fitbit step streak.
You should not intention for much less than 150 Energetic Zone Minutes per week — it is typically agreed to be a baseline for staying wholesome — you could wish to problem your self to push even tougher. As a runner, I personally intention for at the very least 250 AZMs and often hit above 300.
On this similar view, you possibly can faucet Hourly Exercise Objective to show off Transfer Reminders or modify what number of hours you are anticipated to maneuver. With this function on, Fitbit calls for that you simply stroll 250 steps each hour, reminding you of your aim on the 50-minute mark — and you may’t modify this step aim to be shorter.
Some Fitbit customers inside our workers name this function annoying and instantly flip it off, whereas others amongst us acknowledge that the annoyance is the purpose since sitting an excessive amount of causes critical well being issues, and Fitbit is prodding us into being more healthy. For a compromise, you possibly can slim the window of reminders to, say, 12p to 5p in order that it is extra manageable and you’ve got time to get up first.
Activate your coronary heart well being instruments
Within the Fitbit app, faucet the You tab and look underneath Well being assessments. There, you may see the choice to activate passive irregular coronary heart rhythm (AFib) notifications and activate the electrocardiogram (ECG) for lively AFib readings.
In each circumstances, Fitbit will try to detect indicators of coronary heart points that usually sign the opportunity of critical circumstances like blood clots or coronary heart failure. A Fitbit is not medical-grade when it comes to accuracy, however passive detection throughout sleep monitoring is more likely to decide up at the very least some signal of it, and you may take 30-second lively readings with the ECG. You simply need to activate these instruments in your cellphone first.
Make Google Maps seem routinely in your wrist
Since Google acquired Fitbit, the wearable model has left behind most third-party companions in favor of Google’s personal apps. It has been a controversial shift in some methods, however we’ll freely say that having Google Maps on a Fitbit is a good perk.
The Sense 2, Versa 4, and Cost 6 all help Google Maps, although not a correct app; as an alternative, they’re set as much as auto-sync to your cellphone’s instructions, displaying an arrow and distance to your subsequent flip or vacation spot.
Our how-to information will stroll you thru each step, however basically, you simply must faucet the top-left icon within the Fitbit Immediately tab, faucet your linked system’s identify, after which faucet the Google Maps icon. It will take you thru the steps to sync Maps to Fitbit, after which you possibly can resolve which kind of instructions present up in your wrist. We would suggest enabling Strolling and Biking however not Driving if you have already got an infotainment display in your automotive.
Arrange Google Pockets for tap-to-pay
Older Fitbit trackers use Fitbit Pay, and our previous information on find out how to add a card to Fitbit Pay ought to hopefully nonetheless apply. In any other case, newer Fitbits have transitioned to Google Pay, with the identical tap-to-pay perform however the upside of utilizing your Google account’s saved bank cards.
We’ve a separate Google Pockets on Fitbit setup information you possibly can comply with for the most recent fashions. As with Google Maps, you want to faucet your system icon to seek out the Pockets icon. In the event you’ve used Fitbit Pay up to now, you may want to decide on Change to Pockets first, however then everybody might want to signal into their Google account, choose a bank card from their Pockets, after which add a PIN to their Fitbit to guard funds.
As soon as lively, Pockets may be discovered on the Versa 4 or Sense 2 by tapping the aspect button and scrolling by means of the listing of apps, or you possibly can set Google Pockets as a shortcut. On the Cost 6, Pockets is the default shortcut while you double-tap the haptic button, or you possibly can swipe down from the principle watch face to seek out it.
You will then need to enter your PIN. The bigger Sense/Versa show provides you a full quantity pad, whereas the tiny Cost 6 show makes you swipe up and down by means of every quantity. It is gradual, so take that under consideration if you happen to do not wish to annoy the individuals behind you in line.
Stream your music playlist (if you happen to’re fortunate)
Virtually the entire finest health trackers management your cellphone’s music over Bluetooth, however after the discharge of the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3, Google took management of Fitbit and eliminated this fundamental performance from the Sense 2 and Versa 4. With these and the Encourage 3, you haven’t any strategy to management your cellphone’s music.
With the most recent Fitbit Cost 6, Google revealed why it did so: to make YouTube Music Premium (sure, you want a subscription) the solely music choice obtainable on Fitbit and to try to power Fitbit prospects to change to its personal service.
The exclusivity is aggravating to individuals who use different music streaming apps, however if you happen to’re keen to subscribe, then you possibly can Play/Pause a track, change the amount, skip to the following track, or discover a new current playlist with the YouTube Music widget, which you may discover while you swipe left from the Cost 6’s foremost watch face. To activate it, go to the identical Fitbit app menu as Pockets and Maps, then sign up.
Replace your watch face and activate AOD
Fitbit often picks a trendy watch face because the default choice, so you do not have to change if you happen to do not wish to. Nevertheless it’s good to take a look at your choices earlier than you commit!
To replace your Fitbit’s watch face, you may as soon as once more must faucet the top-left button exhibiting your system’s share, then faucet your system’s identify. Choose Gallery > Clocks to see each official watch face obtainable on your system.
Select any watch face and hit Set up to ship it to your system. Fitbit Sense and Versa watches can save 5 watch faces at a time, whereas the Cost 6 will solely keep in mind one after the other.
Keep on the watch face display till it finishes putting in, then faucet Customise to alter issues just like the clock colour, whether or not your present coronary heart charge is all the time seen — which could stress some customers out — and what different knowledge apart from Steps pops up while you faucet the show.
Every watch face has its personal customized At all times-On Show (AOD) setting that matches the clock font. To show AOD on or off, merely swipe down on the Sense 2 or Versa 4 to tug up your Fast Settings and faucet the Clock icon. On the Cost 6, you need to swipe down till you discover Settings, then Show Settings > AOD.
Stability battery life and higher UI
Most Fitbits are rated to final about 6–10 days in very best circumstances, however that quantity dips relying on the settings and sensors you activate. You can also make certain your Fitbit lasts so long as attainable, however this might make your Fitbit annoying to make use of or much less helpful to you.
These are the principle elements to think about:
- In the event you run along with your cellphone, you could wish to use Related or Dynamic GPS as an alternative of built-in GPS monitoring. In our checks, Fitbit’s built-in GPS did not do significantly better than a smartphone’s GPS and steady GPS can kill a Cost 6 or Versa 4 in 5 or 12 hours, respectively.
- In Settings, you possibly can Dim or Brighten your show, deactivate AOD, and alter your display time-out period. We suggest a Very long time-out, even when it hurts the battery, so you are not continuously having to shake your wrist or squeeze the haptic button while you take too lengthy.
- It’s possible you’ll wish to Uninstall the SpO2 app. Blood oxygen readings use an honest chunk of battery life. Within the Gallery, the place you modify your watch face, faucet Apps on the high to seek out and take away SpO2.
- You may cut back the variety of instances your Fitbit show lights up per day by tapping Notifications within the system menu and altering which cellphone notifications are allowed to point out up in your wrist.
Join your Cost 6 to your Peloton
One other unique Fitbit Cost 6 function (sorry, Versa and Sense house owners) is the power to broadcast your coronary heart charge on supported train tools or third-party apps. Particularly, Fitbit has partnered with Nordic, Peloton, Concept2, and Tonal, with the opportunity of different suitable tech down the road.
In your Cost 6, swipe down from the watch face till you see HR on tools and faucet it. This basically places the tracker in lively Bluetooth pairing mode; now, go to your train tools, activate the Bluetooth search perform, and choose the Cost 6. Again on the tracker, faucet Share to verify the connection.
Your Cost 6 will preserve broadcasting as you begin a tracked exercise, then cease sharing with the tools when you finish the train.
Begin a video exercise
If you wish to profit from Fitbit Premium (whereas the free trial lasts, at the very least), then make the most of the a whole bunch of guided exercises or meditations within the Fitbit app underneath the Coach tab.
You will discover full-body exercises, yoga, dance cardio, pre-run warmups, post-run stretches, power coaching with at-home instruments like kettlebells and dumbbells, and a ton of different exercises within the 10-to-40-minute vary, concentrating on everybody from newbies to critical athletes with “bootcamp challenges.”
Whichever of the finest Fitbit trackers you purchase, you are getting a formidable quantity of well being and fitness-tracking tech packed right into a petite band or squircle body. Many of the smarts are dealt with in your Fitbit cellphone app by way of Premium, so simply preserve that in thoughts if you happen to did not notice you’d need to (ultimately) pay for the privilege of accessing your watch knowledge.
We did not discuss a lot in regards to the Pixel Watch 2 right here, a Google smartwatch with Fitbit Premium tech packed inside. In some methods, it is now the “finest” Fitbit obtainable, but it surely’s not obtainable for iOS customers and has a one-day battery. It additionally comes with six months of Fitbit Premium, however you possibly can all the time swap to a different Put on OS health app as soon as the trial ends.
In the event you’re nonetheless deciding whether or not or to not purchase a brand new Fitbit, you possibly can verify our common information on the finest health smartwatches of the yr throughout all manufacturers. Our Fitbit ideas and methods information exhibits the perfect that Fitbit has to supply; now’s the time to resolve in the event that they’re sufficient to tempt you in comparison with different manufacturers with a unique focus.
