Fitbit is a wearable technology that is designed to help individuals measure their number of steps walked, stairs climbed, heart rate, quality of sleep, and others. In order for you to monitor everything, it comes with a phone application.
However, some of you might have been in a situation wherein you ask yourself the question “Why is my Fitbit not syncing with my phone?” This is unfortunate because the Fitbit app is designed to help you become more active, eat a more balanced diet, and sleep better, which are all necessary for you to become a healthier person.
Initially, if your Fitbit refuses to sync with your phone, you might think that the device is faulty and needs replacement. At times, you might even consider that your mobile phone has a problem. Before jumping to these conclusions, we would like you to know that there are actually a few possible reasons behind the problem. To help you out and for you not to panic, we will provide you with the most common ones. We will also suggest some solutions so that you can fix the issue.
Why is My Fitbit Not Syncing with My Phone?
Some of us might think that the causes of the syncing problem are too complicated and you might not be able to comprehend the solutions. Fortunately, the top reasons why your phone and Fitbit won’t sync are too basic and can easily be resolved without the help of a technician.
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Bluetooth Issues
Most of the time, people fail to recognize that there Bluetooth is not actually switched on or enabled. If you have verified that such is the case, then you can simply change the settings. For Android users, go to the phone settings, then look for the Bluetooth tab which is usually under “Connections.” Enable or switch it on and change the settings to “visible to all nearby devices.”
If you are running Android version 6.0 and 7.0, then it is important to note that your Bluetooth syncing can only work when you turn on the location services on your phone. To turn on the location service on your Android device, go to your phone settings, click location and choose the option which says “Grant Access.”
While checking your Bluetooth connections, you should also ensure that your phone is not managing multiple Bluetooth connections simultaneously. If it does, then the Fitbit and your phone won’t be able to sync properly due to interruptions from the other devices.
In addition, you must also make sure that your phone is not in Power Saving Mode when you are trying to sync your tracker and phone. If the power saving mode is on, it has the potential to cause your phone to disable Bluetooth just to save battery.
In case Bluetooth connection is really weak, you can enhance it by making use of the “Always Connected” mode on your Fitbit device. Do take note though that the battery of your tracker will drain faster in this setting.
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Connectivity Range Problems
You must remember that Bluetooth connectivity has a range requirement. This means that your Fitbit and phone should not be too far from each other. Most of the time, for the devices to be synced, they should be at most 15 to 20 feet away from each other.
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Low Battery
If your tracker battery is low, there is no way it is going to sync with your phone. Hence, be sure to check your Fitbit’s battery level before attempting to sync the two devices.
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Weak Internet Connection
Besides Bluetooth, you need to be connected to the internet before the sync can work. The common mistake is that people assume that any type of internet connection will work. The thing is it must be a strong one before the syncing could happen. With that said, ensure that your internet connection is strong enough before you sync your tracker to your mobile device.
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Outdated Phone Software
If your phone does not have the latest Android or iOS version, then it will have a hard time connecting to the tracker. So, just make sure that your phone software is updated at all times. To do this, for Android devices, go to your phone settings, click the “About Phone” tab and click on system update. For iOS users, go to settings, then proceed to “General” and click on software update.
If you wish for your Fitbit tracker to sync with the Fitbit app on your mobile phone periodically, then it is recommended that you turn on the “All-day Sync” mode. However, keep in mind that by doing so, the battery of your tracker will drain faster than usual.
How to Troubleshoot Syncing Issues?
If all the above-explained steps are taken, and the requirements are met, then your phone and your Fitbit should sync without any problem. However, if the syncing still fails, then it is time to troubleshoot your devices. Do not fret though because there are a lot of solutions to this problem.
First, you would need to turn off the phone’s Bluetooth and then switch it back on. After that, launch your Fitbit app. If Fitbit still does not sync with your mobile phone, then force quit the tracker app and re-launch it. If that still does not work, then you should reboot your mobile phone and launch the Fitbit app again. If nothing still happens, then you would need to restart your tracker. If all those solutions fail, then you should uninstall and reinstall the Fitbit app. This will likely solve the syncing issue.
Summary
“Why is my Fitbit not syncing with my phone?” is a question that has been asked probably thousands of times. There are a number of reasons that can cause the inability to sync, and most of those are just the things we failed to do.
Hence, fixing those issues are easy and non-technical. You will only need to troubleshoot when all the basic solutions fail to work. With that said, to ensure that syncing takes place without any problem, take a good look at your phone’s and Fitbit trackers settings, connections, and battery levels.