Help! MyFitnessPal is Not Syncing With My Fitbit

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Why is MyFitnessPal not syncing with Fitbit? Devices not syncing is so frustrating. 

MyFitnessPal does seem to have a few issues when it comes to syncing with other fitness apps. 

Let’s look at what you can do when you find your MyFitnessPal does not sync with your Fitbit. 

Why Is My Fitness Pal Not Syncing with Fitbit? 

The first step to take is to check that your Fitbit is synced with your MyFitnessPal on the FitnessPal website. 

Log into your MyFitnessPal account and make sure the two devices are synced. When they are not synced, you have to set it up before going any further. 

There have been a few reported problems with syncing. If you have a problem when you first start using the two together, you may have to uninstall the app and install it again. 

That seems to clear up any issues quickly. 

Are You Having Problems Connecting in The First Place? 

That does happen. Fitbit users say that the instructions on the FitnessPal website could be more straightforward. Reading them, the instructions could perhaps be easier to follow. 

This is how to connect your MyFitnessPal to your Fitbit account:

  1. Open MyFitnessPal on your mobile device. Find the Settings tab and tap on it.
  2. Select connections and tap on Fitbit
  3. On the Fitbit login page, enter your Fitbit account details. Once you have entered your login details, you tap on login
  4. Once you have logged in, you will be asked to authorize the connection between your Fitbit account and your MyFitnessPal account. This is a step that many seem to miss out on. 
  5. Your MyFitnessPal data should appear in your Fitbit app when you have authorized the connection. 

What If The Data Doesn’t Appear? 

It is more than likely that something has gone wrong with the setup. The best thing you can do is to go through the instructions again. 

However, if it does happen again, the best thing you can do is uninstall the app on your mobile device. 

One user recommends that you clear all residual files on your mobile device. That means you need to clear your cached files and clear out your trash on your mobile device. 

Once you have cleared out your cache and trash, you can reinstall the app

In a worst-case scenario, you may have to remove your Fitbit app from your mobile device. 

However, on most occasions, removing and reinstalling your MyFitnessPal seems to do the trick. 

Common Problems

There appear to be some common problems that users are coming across on a more frequent basis than others. 

For instance, if you log foods on both apps, there seems to be a problem. One trick that many users have tried is only logging food on MyFitnessPal. 

What about updates? As with all apps, you always have a problem with updates. When you have any app running on your phone or another mobile device, staying on top of updates is essential. 

Many users dismiss updates. Whether they are Android, iOS, or any other updates, Dismissing updates is one of the worst things you can do. All updates are essential for making sure your apps work in the right way. 

Do you have more than one fitness tracker connected? MyFitnessPal can only work with one tracker at a time. If you are using Garmin and Fitbit, you need to make sure that only one of them is synced with MyFitnessPal. 

Can The Link Get Lost? 

This is an exciting issue. It should not happen, but it is not unheard of. 

It turns out that the link can be severed for several reasons. There have been reports of the link becoming severed if you have to switch your phone off for some reason. 

If that does happen, you need to set up the link again. 

How To Relink MyFitnessPal to Your Fitbit

  1. Go to the MyFitnessPal website instead of trying to use the app.
  2. Disconnect your Fitbit tracker. Go to apps, find Fitbit tracker and then disconnect.
  3. You now need to revoke access to my FitnessPal. It is an excellent idea to do the same thing on the Fitbit online dashboard. On the Fitbit website, go to settings, applications and revoke access to MyFitnessPal. While you can try revoking access using the app, it works better if you use the website. 
  4. It is now time to reconnect the two using the MyFitnessPal website. Go to Home, Apps, Fitbit tracker, and connect. You may have to sign into Fitbit and tap on Allow All to authorize the connection at this stage. 
  5. Open MyFitnessPal on your mobile device
  6. Tap the More button on iPhones or the Hamburger Menu button for Android smartphones.
  7. Scroll down and open the steps.
  8. Confirm that the Fitbit tracker is check-marked. If not, you need to check-mark it.
  9. Check that MyFitnessPal is updated on the website. 

A great way to check is to walk and check the step count. Does it agree with both apps? If so, it means that the two are linked. 

How Often Do Fitbit and MyFitnessPal Sync? 

It is essential to appreciate the two trackers do not sync all of the time. Fitbit normally syncs with other trackers every 15 minutes. MyFitnessPal is no exception. The two apps should sync with each other every 15 minutes without you having to do anything. 

When it does not happen, you need to find out why. MyFitnessPal syncs with your Fitbit account, not with the tracker itself. 

This can cause a problem. For example, if you go for a run leaving your phone at home, you will find that MyFitnessPal will not have the new data. 

When you come home, place your Fitbit tracker close to your phone. The two apps on your phone should now be able to share the data without any problem at all. 

If you are not sure that your Fitbit is sharing the data, you can open the Fitbit app and Sync manually. Then, all you have to do is tap on the Sync Now button that you will find under settings. 

Does it always work? No, it doesn’t, and there is a good reason for that. If you have ever traveled with your Fitbit, you may have heard of backlog issues. 

The same thing seems to happen when you have been away from your phone. Backlog issues often clear up during the night. If you find that they don’t, wit 24 hours and the data should catch up. 

Could There Be a Data Outage? 

Data outages are something that MyFitnessPal does not talk about. But they do happen. 

The good thing is that the MyFitnessPal website tells you about them. Check the announcement section on the site. 

Don’t Forget to Refresh

To make sure that you are keeping both apps “happy,” you need to allow for background data to refresh

For Android, go to the settings menu and then to the battery. Next, find the More button and tap on it. 

Click on Battery optimization and then the Not Optimised bar. You should not find the All apps function and your Fitbit and MyFitnessPal apps. Make sure that both are allowed to be refreshed. 

Please note that you have to do it separately for each app. 

Are All Options Available in The My Fitness Pal App? 

No, they are not. If you can’t find a specific function on the app, you need to log into the website. 

If you like, that is one of the limitations of the app. That being said, all apps have certain limitations. The best thing you can do is learn how to work your way around them. 

Can A Server Issue Cause Problems? 

From time to time, you will find that the MyFitnessPal does not sync because there is a server issue

If you suspect this to be the problem, log into your account on the website and check the status page. When everything shows up green, you should be okay. You can also use the DownDetector website which tracks numerous websites and providers in real-time.

Yellow means that there is a problem. Click the subscribe button, and you can find out more information. 

MyFitnessPal is pretty good at letting you know. To stay informed, you should subscribe to updates from the site. If there is an issue, you should get an email. 

The site also has a technical announcement page to find information about server issues. 

You can double-check the information on third-party sites such as Downdetector. 

In Conclusion

MyFitnessPal not syncing is not a common problem. But, just like with anything digital, there are problems from time to time. 

Most importantly, it is essential to have patience with any app on your phone. The best idea is often to check for updates. If you find that updates have not been installed, that is likely the source of the problem. 

When all else fails, go ahead and contact the MyFitnessPal team. Like other app providers, they want you to get the most out of your app. Making sure that everything works are a great way of getting users to upgrade to MyFitnessPal Premium.