Fitbit is the most prominent fitness tracker on the market, and this is because it tells you comprehensive data regarding your Fitness and health.
This data is only available on the Fitbit app if your Fitbit is connected to your phone and sync data to it. But can you use the Fitbit without a phone? Or does Fitbit still track data without a phone?
Well, the answer is yes!
We have compiled a detailed article on this topic and will discuss why you should connect your Fitbit to your phone. And what features you’ll be missing out if Fitbit isn’t connected to a phone?
Can I Use Fitbit Without A Phone: Exploring Fitbit’s Standalone Capabilities
Yes, Fitbit can work without a phone. But it has a few limitations.
- You can’t track sleep data
- The notifications won’t come to Fitbit.
- You won’t see the history.
- You won’t see workout data and real-time performance.
- Controls become limited.
Without a smartphone, Fitbit can only track your heart rate, calories, SpO2 etc., at the current time. Unfortunately, you will remain deprived of tracking the entire day’s performance.
Similarly, you can’t complete the initial setup without a phone if you have a new Fitbit. That’s why connecting your Fitbit with your smartphone is a necessary task.
Fitbit Saves Data On the Store, And Sync Automatically When It Connects With a Phone.
Almost all Fitbit devices come with dedicated storage to store the data.
So when your Fitbit is not connected to a phone, it keeps tracking your health and store that data in the storage.
And when your Fitbit is near your phone, it will automatically sync that data to Fitbit app. But make sure that the Bluetooth of your phone should be turn on.
In a nutshell, you don’t need to take your phone while going for a walk or bike ride, the Fitbit will track all the data, and later you can sync it with the Fitbit app.
Features That Are Not Available When You Use Fitbit Without A Phone
Credit: Fitbit
You have to face a few big downsides using Fitbit without a phone.
Fitbit is not a standalone watch like Apple Watch or Galaxy Watches. It needs to be connected with the Fitbit app to work efficiently.
Here are some of Fitbit’s features you will miss if your Fitbit is not connected to your phone.
1- GPS Tracking
Even though a few of the Fitbit, like Sense and Charge 5, comes with built-in GPS, so they are exceptions in that case.
But if you’re using a Fitbit that doesn’t have built-in GPS, then it needs a phone GPS to track your distance, speed, pace, etc.
If your Fitbit lack onboard GPS, you must put the phone in your pocket so the Fitbit remains connected to the phone’s GPS. Otherwise, Fitbit won’t measure major sports stats.
2- Notifications
Fitbits doesn’t include any cellular or LTE feature, so they need a consistent phone connection to receive notifications.
If you are using Fitbit without a phone, you can’t see sms, receive phone calls, reply to text messages, or even see the schedules and meeting alerts.
That’s if you’re busy; you need to keep pairing your Fitbit with the phone every time.
3- Can’t See The Realtime Data
Everyone wants a comprehensive analysis of their Fitness and health data. And Fitbit syncs real-time data with the Fitbit app giving a detailed overview of data.
You can only view the real-time data of your workouts and sports if your Fitbit is connected to your phone.
Otherwise, you can only view the basic states and entry-level data like steps, calories, etc.
4- Sleep Data
Sleep tracking is one of the dominating sectors in Fitbit, but without a phone, you won’t track major sleep data like REM, light sleep, deep sleep and score.
The Fitbit app shows beautiful visuals representing your sleep stages, patterns, and percentages.
The app tells when you awake or fall into a deep sleep at night. Similarly, you can also compare the current sleep data with previous data. And also do weekly and monthly sleep data analysis.
But all this is possible if your Fitbit is connected to the phone.
Otherwise, you can only see the bedtime, awake time, and total sleep time.
So if you are serious about your sleep habits and want to track them continuously, you must keep your Fitbit paired with the phone during the night.
5- Can’t Control The Music
If your phone is connected to the Fitbit, you can control, pause, stop, and skip the music from your wrist.
This feature is very nifty for athletes because, during gym, It’s loathing to use the phone during a workout session. But with the Fitbit, you can easily control the volume and change the music.
Even though a few Fitbit also has dedicated storage for music, you can store music and listen to it when your Fitbit is not connected to the phone.
FAQs
Does Fitbit sync data to the Fitbit app?
If your Fitbit is connected with the Fitbit app on your phone, data will sync to the Fitbit app throughout the data. Whenever you open the Fitbit app, you will see the new data.
But if your Fitbit is not connected to the phone, the data will keep storing on the built-in storage and sync automatically with Fitbit to connect with the app.
Can I use Fitbit without the app?
No, you need a Fitbit app to set up your Fitbit devices. Once your device is set up, you can use it without a phone. Fitbit will only track basic features without a phone.
But if your Fitbit is connected with the Fitbit app, you can view comprehensive insights on your Fitness data. Similarly, If your Fitbit is not connected to the app, you can’t use the phone’s GPS to measure workout intensity maps.
Can I use Fitbit Pay without a phone?
Yes, you can use the Fitbit pay feature without a phone. Once your Fitbit pay is set up, you don’t need a smartphone. Similarly, you don’t need an internet connection to use Fitbit Pay.
Final Words:
Fitbit is a reliable health-tracking device, so most individuals opt for this option. But unlike Apple Watches, Fitbit is not a standalone watch.
It means you need a smartphone to get your Fitbit notifications and use GPS features.
But if you’re using Fitbit without a phone, you can only track a few features like steps, calories, heart rate, and SpO2. That’s why connecting to Fitbit once a day is mandatory to sync all the data to the Fitbit app.
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