If you treat your Fitbit as a wearable for only reading time, counting steps, and tracking sleep, you really haven’t explored its full potential. So let me share some Fitbit tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your device.
In my experience, Fitbit is easy to use that it might feel somewhat basic. And it’s only until you start to explore the ins and outs of the device and the app that you realize there’s more to it than meets the eyes.
So without further ado, let’s look at some of the most interesting techniques that you just might have not even thought of.
15 Fitbit Tips and Tricks You Should Be Using
It doesn’t matter what Fitbit model you have. These tips and tricks apply to Sense, Inspire, Charge, Versa, and Inspire series.
1. Change a Wrongly Categorized Exercise
If you’ve logged into your Fitbit account to check stats and noticed that some exercises are in the wrong category, change to the right one accordingly.
- Tap the Today tab.
- Select the Exercise tile.
- Choose the wrongly categorized exercise.
- Tap on the 3 dots.
- Select Edit to change the category of the workout.
It’s that simple.
2. Add Estimated Steps Manually
There’s nothing as frustrating as going for a walk only to realize that, in the event of rushing out, you forgot to wear your Fitbit fitness tracker or smartwatch.
Fortunately, you can make an educated guess and manually add steps to Fitbit in under 2 minutes.
That way, you can account for the steps you were worried you lost, and get an estimate of the total calories you burned in the process.
3. Set Your Goals on Fitbit App
Do you want to stay motivated to exercise even if you don’t feel like doing it? Start setting your fitness goals in the Fitbit app and work towards achieving them.
- Open the Fitbit app on iOS or Android phone.
- Go to dashboard and select Accounts.
- Scroll up until you see the Activity Goals option and tap it.
- Choose the goal you would like to track from the list of options presented.
Some of the goals you can set on Fitbit include steps, distance, floors climbed, and sleep stages.
4. Choose What Stats to See First During Workout
Apart from setting up and changing your goals on Fitbit, you can pick specific statistics you would like to prioritize during workouts.
For example, you may decide that you want to see your heart rate first. Or you may decide that it’s best for Fitbit to show the number of calories you burned.
It’s all about priority, and Fitbit allows you to get that.
5. Use Fitbit as a Stopwatch
The built-in stopwatch in a Fitbit is never instantly evident, but it’s a cool feature you can use to track how fast you run on a racetrack or treadmill.
To access the stopwatch:
- Tap your Fitbit fitness tracker or smartwatch to awake the screen.
- Swipe left or right to access the Timer app.
- Swipe up and then tap Stopwatch.
And that’s it.
The play icon starts the stopwatch, the pause icon stops the counting, and a swipe up and up resets the watch to zero.
6. Change the Bands on Fitbit
The one cool thing about the latest Fitbit models is that you can change the bands. And that’s so especially if you would like to have a more personalized aesthetic on your wrist to match your outfit.
And switching the bands isn’t difficult at all.
You need to look for the metal quick-release lever, which is located at the back of the Fitbit band. Press inwards to release, and attach the new bands to the watch.
7. Use SmartTrack to Log Any Workout
Before SmartTrack integration to Fitbit, you’d have to log your workouts manually to your Fitbit account via the companion app or desktop dashboard.
If you forgot adding the workout, Fitbit wouldn’t account for it.
Thanks to the improvement of its technology over time, and the integration of intelligent tracking, latest Fitbit models can log workouts for you on the go.
For example, the SmartTrack technology makes Fitbit suitable for bike riders, as the device automatically recognizes the exercise after about five minutes.
While SmartTrack doesn’t do anything beyond automatic workout detection on a Fitbit, it’s a unique and equally important feature to have.
8. Send Quick Replies to Texts from Your Wrist
One of the most interesting things you can do with a Fitbit is to read and send quick replies to text messages.
The messaging feature is available on Fitbit Sense series, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Luxe, and Fitbit Versa series.
I should point out that Fitbit devices that support this feature don’t allow you to create custom messages. And for what it’s worth, it can be frustrating to type long texts on such tiny screen.
Rather than allowing you to type a message, Fitbit lets you send quick replies, which is cool if you don’t have the time to chat but, at the same time, you don’t want to ignore the text.
Your smartphone and Fitbit must be “in sync” for the messaging feature to work.
When a message appears on the Fitbit screen, you’ll swipe and choose the three-line symbol to send them quick replies.
Interestingly, Fitbit even allows you to send customized responses. To this:
- Launch the Fitbit app on your iOS or Android phone.
- Choose your device.
- Go to Notifications and select Quick Replies.
- Select Default Replies to choose the quick response that you would like to tweak and edit it.
9. Keep Your Fitbit Locked
Did you know that Fitbit allows you to add a security later to your device to make it difficult for someone else to access?
You do this by setting up a PIN code.
Sadly, the lock feature isn’t instantly evident. To access it, you must first set up Fitbit Pay support, which is relatively easy to do.
- Open the Fitbit companion app on your Phone.
- Go to Today tab and tap the Profile icon.
- Choose your Fitbit device and you’ll see the option for a Device Lock.
It’s from this point that you’ll also be able to reset and change your security code.
10. Use Your Fitbit Smartwatch to Control Music
If you have a Fitbit smartwatch and you’re still controlling music on your phone, you’re probably not taking advantage of the music feature built into the watch.
With Fitbit Sense and Versa series, you can control your smartphone’s music library right from your wrist.
If you have Fitbit Versa 2, you can take advantage of the 2.5 GB of storage to store as many music tracks as you wish.
Also, the Fitbits that support music control lets you play your favorite set of music on apps such as Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify.
To access music controls on Fitbit:
- Place your thumb on top of the watch’s screen and swipe down.
- Swipe down again to access the Fitbit device’s control center.
- Then, tap the music controls icon.
Also, you want to check to make sure you’re using your watch as the audio source, especially if you were previously using the watch to control music from your smartphone.
11. Setup and Use Voice Assistant on Your Fitbit Smartwatch
I don’t know about you, but the ability to connect Fitbit to Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant is an advancement hard not to love.
Available to Fitbit Sense, Sense 2, Versa 2, Versa 4, and Versa 4, Alexa and Assistant lets you do more with the sound of your own voice.
For example, you can tell Alexa to:
- Start an exercise.
- Check the current weather.
- Set a reminder.
12. Check Your SpO2 Data
Several Fitbit smartwatches can measure the level of oxygen in your blood during your sleep, and the data helps you to understand your health and fitness.
To see your SpO2 data on Fitbit, search for and activate a dedicated SpO2 watch face.
- Open the Fitbit app on your Android or iOS smartphone.
- Tap the Today tab.
- Select the Profile icon.
- Choose the Fitbit device currently paired to your account.
- Go to apps and search for SpO2 Tracker.
- Tap Install.
When morning comes, synchronize your Fitbit with the app and you should see your SpO2 data your watch’s display.
13. Use Do Not Disturb to Stay Focused
I hate distractions when I’m focusing on an important project.
Constant smartwatch notifications tend to shift my mind around, making it difficult for me to pay attention to the detail to get my work done on time.
And I know I’m not the only one.
So if you don’t want to get the constant buzz of Fitbit notifications during your busy schedule, turn on the Do Not Disturb.
The DND mode mutes sound, stops vibrations, and blocks visual disturbances on your Fitbit.
To activate DND on Fitbit:
- Swipe down from the main screen to go to Settings
- Look for the Do Not Disturb symbol (a circle with a line in the middle).
- Tap to activate.
Here’s a video example for the Luxe model:
14. Use Water Lock to Keep Fitbit from Operating in Water
Before you wear Fitbit in water, I recommend that you activate the Water Lock feature to prevent the device from accidentally operating itself.
To activate it:
- Swipe down from the main screen.
- Select Water Lock by tapping on it.
It’s as simple as that.
Now, to turn the Water Lock off after swimming or shower, double-tap the center of the screen.
15. Switch the Watch Faces on Fitbit
One of the cool Fitbit tips and tricks you probably won’t bother with that much is tweaking the watch face. But it’s quite something nonetheless.
Let me take the Fitbit Inspire 2 as an example for this one.
This smartwatch gives you the ability to play around with multiple watch faces until you find something that’s suitable for you.
- Open the Fitbit app on your phone
- Tap on the Today tab
- Tap your Profile icon and then select your Fitbit device.
- Go Gallery and choose Clocks.
- Tap the clock face you like and then select Install.
Your Fitbit will sync and the watch face will show right away
Closing Thoughts
Clearly, there is more to explore about a Fitbit smartwatch, fitness tracker, and the companion app than just the obvious.
And with Fitbit making updates it its devices every year, not to mention introducing new features to benefit your health and fitness, there just might be more to explore in the future than what we already know.
