Fitbit Flex
Model: Fitbit Flex, black
Links
Links: Fitbit dev.fitbit.com, Flex, Wikipedia: Fitbit, download Fitbit data with Google Spreadsheets, Fitbit-for-Google-App-Script, python-fitbit, orcasgit/python-fitbit, orcasgit/django-fitbit, fitbit_tools, Fitbit Flex Light Patterns - and other technical info, Fitbit Flex: Teardown,
local links
Fitbit inspire 2, Motorola Moto G7, Samsung Galaxy S5, Withings WS-50,
back to gadgets page.
History
2021-09-24: the replacement is the Fitbit inspire 2, see link above.
2021-09-23: this morning, all lights on the Flex lit up, as if it was fully charged. Still, my phone coldn't sync with it. Disconnecting and connecting it to the charger again made it show the reset button, and then the battery was down to only one light. We shall see if it charges and can be used, or maybe the device and / or battery is worn out. A bit later in the day - no, the device died soon after disconnecting it from the charger. All further attempts to revive it has failed. Time to look for a replacement.
2021-09-22: this evening the Flex is completely dead, no action when putting it in charger, and no action when pressing the reset button. I'm leving it in the caherger overnight, just in case.
2021-09-14: wristband - it broke yesterday, temporarily fixed with packing tape. Today I changed it to the a one (light green). This was the last one in the pack of wristbands I have.
2021-06-22: apps - update to Fitbit 3.43,
2021-05-16: apps - update to Fitbit 3.41.2,
2021-03-21: apps - update to Fitbit 3.39.2,
2021-02-18: apps - update to Fitbit 3.37.1,
2021-01-07: apps - update to Fitbit 3.36.1,
2020-12-31: apps - update to Fitbit 3.36,
2020-12-10: apps - update to Fitbit 3.35,
2020-11-10: apps - update to Fitbit 3.32,
2020-10-19: I noticed a few days ago that my WS-50 data didn't show up in the Fitbit app, today also. Checked this thread. So I went to https://www.fitbit.com/weight/withings (after logging in to the fitbit account), status showed "Last Updated On: Aug 20, 2020 8:55 AM", I selected "Download data from Withings", which goes on a very long tine - nothing happens. Hmm, this thread indicates that the problem is not fixed...
2020-07-14: tracker - the app couldn't find the tracker yesterday and today, turning bluetooth off / on didn't work, nor did "force quit" the Fitbit app, so I restarted the tracker. Had to try a couple of times before the special path showed on the lights. anyway, now it syncs again.
2020-07-13: G7 - apps - update to Fitbit 3.25,
2020-06-09: G7 - apps - update to Fitbit 3.22.1,
2020-01-19: G7 - apps - update to Fitbit 3.12.1,
2019-09-14: tracker - after the app upgrade the tracker synced.
2019-09-14: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 3.4.1,
2019-09-14: tracker - no sync this morning either.
2019-09-13: tracker - no syncs today. Turning Bluetooth off / on, "force stop" the app - nothing worked.
2019-09-12: tracker - last successful sync at 20:52 local time.
2019-09-07: tracker - this morning the app didn't find the tracker. I tried something different: I turned off bluetooth, waited 20 seconds, and turned it back on again. After a while all the bluetooth devices showed up, and with a few tries I could sync with the app.
2019-09-06: tracker - this morning the app synced normally with the tracker. It worked normally yesterday too.
2019-09-04: tracker - needed to restart twice this morning, and turn off and on bluetooth. Needed a restart in the evening too.
2019-09-02: tracker - had to restart it this morning as well. And a restart this evening as well. Crap.
2019-09-01: tracker - had to restart it this morning as well.
2019-08-31: tracker - sigh, I had to restart the tracker again this morning, then the app found it and synced; next try it was not found again.
2019-08-30: tracker - this evening I had to restart the tracker twice before the app would find it and sync.
2019-08-30: tracker - this morning I had to restart the tracker twice before the app would find it and sync.
2019-08-29: tracker - Nope, not fixed - I had to restart the tracker this evening too. Crap :-/
2019-08-28: tracker - I had to restart the tracker a couple of times this afternoon, before the app would recognize it. I hope it is fixed now.
2019-08-26: tracker - I had to restart the tracker again today, before the app would recognize it. I hopt this isn't a trend.
2019-08-24: tracker - the app couldn't find the tracker at all today. Turning Bluetooth off and on didn't help. In the end I restarted the tracker by putting it in the charger (and the charger in a usb port) then putting a pin into the hole on the back of the charger for a few seconds. A special pattern show on the lights, and then the tracker was back and the app could see it. Nice.
2019-08-23: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 3.3.1,
2019-08-23: tracker - for some reason, the app can't find the tracker this morning.
2019-06-27: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.95,
2019-06-02: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.94,
2019-04-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.91,
2019-01-18: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.85,
2018-11-17: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.82,
2018-10-14: wristband - the band broke, so I changed to a new one (black) from the pack I bought at 2018-03-28. Now I have two left.
2018-10-09: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.80.1,
2018-09-09: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.78,
2018-08-23: app - I have been annoyed about the "privacy reminder" in the app (that you can't accept or fix) for a while now. Today I googled for it, and found this thread. So, logging into the web portal, accepting the privacy reminder (and data use agreeement) and then the problem goes away in the app. Yes - it works.
2018-08-16: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.76.1,
2018-07-29: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.75,
2018-07-25: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.74.2,
2018-07-05: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.73,
2018-04-08: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.69,
2018-03-28: I bought a new set of Fitbit Flex Accessory Bands large at Power City today for NOK 171.-
2018-02-25: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.66,
2017-12-09: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.62.1,
2017-11-10: firmware - after the update the tracker now has Firmware Version 7.88. The Device update page for the Flex list both feature and other improvements for version 7.88.
2017-11-10: firmware update - today the app said "firmware update available". Checking my Fitbit Flex (in the app) I see that it has Firmware Version 7.81, and there is a red "Update Tracker Software" at the top. I press it and is warned to keep the Flex near the phone until the update is finished, update can take 5 - 10 minutes, I press "Next", it connects to the Flex and starts the update. The app page has a progress meter, the Flex has two lights that scans back and forth. The update finishes quickly, and I get a "Not working?" page in the app. The scanner lights on the Flex continues. Try again. Ok, it worked.
2017-10-21: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.60,
2017-09-03: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.56,
2017-08-04: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.54,
2017-07-08: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.52,
2017-06-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.51,
2017-05-27: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.49,
2017-04-27: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.47,
2017-04-11: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.46,
2017-03-04: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.43,
2017-01-28: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.41,
2017-01-04: app - yesterday and today the app would not sync. Tried: force quit and reopen, bluetooth off and on, but it didn't help. So I rebooted my phone, and now syncing works again.
2017-01-01: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.39.1,
2016-11-23: wristband - I changed to a new one (orange) from the accessory bands package I bought last year.
2016-11-22: wristband - the "new" one (changed to on 2015-10-09) broke in two parts while at work today. Temporarily fixed with a band aid.
2016-11-16: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.38,
2016-11-08: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.37,
2016-10-18: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.35,
2016-09-29: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.34,
2016-09-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.33,
2016-08-29: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.32,
2016-08-10: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.31,
2016-07-27: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.30,
2016-06-25: wristband - the "new" one (changed to on 2015-10-09) has got rifts on both sides now. I shall see how long it lasts.
2016-06-04: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.26,
2016-05-21: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.25,
2016-05-03: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.24, on first start of the new version, it upgraded the database.
2016-04-17: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.22,
2016-04-05: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.21.4,
2016-04-04: today I found out that the Fitbit app has a new feature - Hourly activity - it counts hours with more than 250 steps. Nice.
2016-03-29: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.21.1,
2016-03-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.20.1,
2016-02-24: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.19,
2016-02-17: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.18.2,
2016-02-04: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.17.2,
2016-01-20: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.17,
2015-12-21: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.16.3,
2015-12-21: after the firmware upgrade (on 2015-12-08) I have noticed that the tracker now automatically detects sleep (based on lack of activity). That is a very welcome upgrade.
2015-12-17: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.16.2,
2015-12-08: firmware - firmware version 7.81 after the upgrade. cool.
2015-12-08: firmware - this evening I got a red "Update Tracker Software" warning (on the sync screen in the app) when syncing my Fitbit Flex. So I waited until the sync completed and started the upgrade. It does a Larson scanner on the display when the upgrade is in progress. Funny. The upgrade page in the app says that the upgrade can take 10 minutes.
2015-12-08: firmware - the firmware on my Flex was 7.64.
2015-12-06: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.15,
2015-11-22: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.14.1,
2015-10-26: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.13,
2015-10-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.12.2,
2015-10-09: I changed to one of the new wristbands ("naval blue" almost black to my eye) for my Flex, the original one is almost apart now.
2015-10-02: I bought a pack of Fitbit Flex Accessory Bands Large for NOK 270.- at Teknikmagasinet Gunerius today. That is three bands and one clasp.
2015-09-18: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.11,
2015-09-02: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.10.1,
2015-08-14: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.9.1,
2015-08-02: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.8.2,
2015-07-03: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.7.3,
2015-06-28: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.7.2,
2015-06-15: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.7,
2015-05-16: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.6.2,
2015-04-11: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.5,
2015-03-19: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.4.2,
2015-03-11: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.4.1,
2015-02-13: apps - upgraded to Fitbit 2.3.1,
2015-01-30: battery - this evening the Fitbit app says that the battery is low, but the Low Battery Alert app says that the battery is full. Amusing. Putting the Flex on charging confirms that the battery is low.
2015-01-11: apps - upgraded to Fitbit version 2.3 - new permissions: camera,
2014-12-05: app - updated Fitbit to version 2.2. After upgrade, I get the "potential threats" dialog, warning me that this app is authorized for access to Messages,
2014-11-15: apps - updated Fitbit to version 2.1.5. It seems the "tracker not found" has been fixed, at least I do not get the messages anymore.
2014-11-03: app - I still get "tracker not found" messages with Fitbit app version 2.1.
2014-11-02: app - updated Fitbit to version 2.1. New access requirements: position (GPS), text message (SMS),unit id and calling info.
2014-10-16: app - with the new version of the Fitbit app, I get "tracker not found" messages several times whenever I use the app. Not good. 2014-10-16: apps - updated Fitbit to version 2.0.
2014-08-29: battery - I put the tracker on charger at 19:40 (battery low). Battery life: about 7 days 4 hours 30 minutes.
2014-08-26: app - the Fitbit app updated to version 1.9.12 ("bug fixes & stability improvements") om my Galaxy S5. The new version still requires several tries to sync with the tracker (not always, but very often), and it still is independent of battery level of the tracker. Turning phone Bluetooth off / on doesn't help either.
2014-08-23: battery - I put the tracker on charger at 11:50 (the battery had been "low" since yesterday evening). Battery life: about 8 days.
2014-08-14: battery - at 19:36 the battery level was "low" in the Fitbit app (and in the Low Battery Alert app), so I put the tracker to charging.
2014-08-14: app - this morning, the app connected to the tracker at once, and transferred data. But it did not transfer any sleep data (it says "no sleep logged"). Yes, I did remember to set sleep mode testerday and turn off sleep mode this morning. A while later, retried syncing and this time sleep data was synced too.
2014-08-13: app - the Fitbit app got updated to version 1.9.10 om my Galaxy S5. I turned off auto update on all apps. The Fitbit app still takes a long time (and / or several tries) to sync with the tracker.
2014-08-06: battery - at 19:40 the battery was "low" in the Fitbit app (also checked manually with the Low Battery Alert app), so I put the tracker in the charger and set it to charge. Battery time - almost 7 days. Nice. Charging - after 3 hours, all five lights on the tracker blinks.
2014-08-03: app - I installed the app Low Battery Alert for Fitbit on my Galaxy S5.
2014-08-03: app - the Fitbit app got updated to version 1.9.9 om my Galaxy S5.
2014-07-30: app - I installed the Fitbit app, version 1.9.8 on my Galaxy S5.
2014-07-30: charged the tracker to 4 lights (out of 5).
2014-07-30: I bought a Fitbit Flex (black) activity tracker at Expert City for NOK 649.-