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What do you do when your Fitbit does not track your exercise? Unfortunately, Fitbit not tracking exercise automatically is not an uncommon problem. Fortunately, the problem is pretty easy to fix most of the time.
When you are new to Fitbit, it is easy to think that putting your Fitbit on your wrist tracks all of your physical activity. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Your Fitbit may need some help identifying the exercise or activity you are doing.
Here are a couple of solutions to this Fitbit problem.
Knowing What To Do When Fitbit is Not Tracking Exercise Automatically may seem like a daunting task but don’t worry we will tell you how to sort out and hopefully fix this problem.
First of all, make sure that your Fitbit is fully charged. All fitness trackers can have a bit of a “brain freeze” when they are not fully charged. So check that your Fitbit is fully charged and then start the activity again.
Don’t worry if that doesn’t work. We have other ideas that you may want to try.
Restarting Your Tracker
One of the ways of solving this problem is restarting your tracker. Leave it switched off for about 20 minutes to 1 hour and then switch it back on.
Sometimes, auto-recognized physical activity takes slightly longer to show on your exercise list, especially when trying to set them up from the app.
Check Your Online Dashboard
Another idea is to check what is known as your online dashboard. Doing so gives you a chance to make sure that your activities are recorded.
If you don’t see any of your activities recorded, you may have more of a problem. There are a couple of things you can try.
Shut down the app on your phone and turn off the Fitbit simultaneously. Leave it off for about 10 minutes and then restart. With a bit of luck, your activity should now show up.
The alternative is to take the Fitbit back to factory settings. When you notice that your Fitbit does not even record the number of steps when walking, taking it back to the factory setting is best.
When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Tracker?
Updating your tracker is another trick you can try. Remember that Fitbit does not offer perfect tech, just like all other fitness trackers, including Garmin. On occasion, things do go belly up.
Try updating your Fitbit to ensure that all of the most recent updates are uploaded to your tracker.
You may have come across a problem with a software issue. That means something has gone wrong with one of the updates, and a patch may have to be issued.
Never hesitate to contact Fitbit when you experience a problem. Unfortunately, the company is not always aware of a problem with a recent update. So it is best to let them know.
You also need to make sure that you update your phone app. It would seem that when an app date is installed on Fitbit but not on the phone app, there is sometimes an issue.
Not Recognizing Exercise After Treadmill Exercise
This is another idea that you should bear in mind.
Not sure if Fitbit the company is aware of this problem, but that does not mean it does not happen.
You can sometimes experience auto-tracking problems when you have used exercise equipment, including treadmills, rowing machines, and elliptical walkers. This seems to be an issue, particularly if you have placed your hands on the treadmill bar or exercised on an elliptical exerciser for an extended period of time.
As a person who often uses an elliptical trainer for over an hour, I have noticed that my Fitbit does not seem to like it.
Perhaps it gets confused as to what sort of activity I am doing. But then, when I finish my exercise, I notice that it has a problem tracking other exercises I do automatically.
This applies particularly when I move between an elliptical trainer and an exercise bike. I have started to check and have noticed that I often have to tell my Fitbit what activity I am doing.
If you do several activities involving different trainers in quick succession, you will also encounter the problem.
This issue also seems to apply to spinning bikes. If you have been to spinning class and plan another activity afterward, you may need to tell your Fitbit what it needs to track.
Make Sure that Your Fitbit Has the Right Mode
If you want to ensure that your exercises are tracked, you need to check that the SmartTrack feature is engaged.
It is not clear why, but sometimes SmartTrack can stop working. You need to tap on it and engage it again if it does.
Another trick you can try when you have a problem is using Multisport mode.
Initiating the Exercise Mode Manually
When all else fails, you can initiate the exercise manually. Tap on the icon and select the exercise you would like to do. Alternatively, you should be able to do so in the app before you start exercising.
Check the Timer
You could also try checking the timer. It does not seem to like being set to 15 minutes for some reason. So change the time to 14 or 16 minutes, and your auto tracking should start working again.
In Conclusion
If you have tried all of the above tips and your Fitbit still does not track your activity, reach out to the company online.
When you buy your Fitbit in a store, you should take it back to the store, especially if it is still within the warranty period. All of the promoted features should work. It would help if you did not have to put up with your Fitbit not tracking exercise automatically.
As always, remember that this is tech gear. We like to think that our tech gear is not going to “misbehave.” However, there are times when the most trusted tech gear decided to have a funny five minutes.
However, it has to be said, for the average gym-goer, Fitbit is still the best option when it comes to fitness trackers.
