Fitbit Release Notes

Hey Fitbit Community,

We know sleep is about more than just time in bed; it’s the complete story of your night. By distinguishing between when you’re truly aiming for sleep and when you’re just relaxing, the Coach can more accurately guide your next move.

This approach is why, starting last year, we’ve revamped our sleep tracking using our latest advances in sleep science and machine learning to significantly improve its accuracy first for public preview users, and later for everyone

We’re deploying more advanced machine learning to update our algorithm so we can better capture when you’re trying to sleep, recognize when your sleep is interrupted, and sharpen our detection of those critical stages like REM, Light, and Deep. With these newest improvements we’re seeing a
+15% improvement
in our sleep tracking accuracy(1).

Capturing the complete picture of your sleep

Tracking your sleep is about more than just logging sleep stages. To truly capture your entire sleep experience, we expanded the scope of how our algorithms estimate when you were intending to sleep.They now do a better job of telling if you’re actually aiming for sleep or just relaxing with a book, giving a more accurate picture of how you’re utilizing your time in bed.

The systems are also sharper at identifying middle-of-the-night interruptions—like a fussy pet or a trip to the kitchen—versus general restlessness. We’ve also enhanced our detection of naps that happen outside of your usual bedtime schedule, capturing more of your rest throughout the day.

Built for every sleeper

In addition to more advanced machine learning models, we expanded them with thousands of nights of data. To make sure our sleep experience works for a broader diversity of sleepers, we trained our models on larger, more inclusive datasets encompassing more people from more walks of life and a greater variety of sleep issues, collected from a broader range of environments—both in and out of the lab.

"Recognizing the wide variety of sleeper types out there, our team worked diligently to improve our algorithms' ability to characterize sleep for everyone. These improvements range from better estimates of how your sensor data reflects your sleep-wake behaviors, to a more accurate staging algorithm based on cutting-edge machine learning from a more diverse group of people, to a uniquely user-centric interpretation of sleep and wake periods.

Guided by regular feedback from an advisory panel of sleep and health experts and our extensive research—both with users and in scientific datasets
—
we're rolling out these changes in order to enhance how people understand and can work to improve their sleep health."

• Logan Schneider,
  Adjunct Clinical Assoc Prof of Sleep Medicine @ Stanford

Neurologist @ Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Research Center

Clinical Lead for Sleep Health - Google

For a deeper dive

Curious about the data behind these improvements? [Check out our white paper] for an in-depth look at how we evaluated our latest sleep-tracking algorithms.

What’s next?

To help you make sense of your sleep, we are working on a reimagined
Sleep Score
designed to be more actionable and transparent. The new score evaluates specific aspects of your rest – not only how much sound sleep you got, but also how long it took you to get there. This level of detail provides targeted coaching, helping you understand exactly where to focus your routine for better recovery.

The updates to the sleep tracking will be rolled out over the next few days and the new sleep score experience will be available over the next few weeks. This will only be rolled out to Public Preview users.

Thank you,

Fitbit Community

Disclaimer

(1) Improvement in sleep stage accuracy based on clinical validation of sleep algorithm against gold-standard measurements, comparing our latest sleep tracking algorithm to our previous generation across all compatible Pixel and Fitbit devices.

Public Preview for iOS Premium

Hey Fitbit Community,

Great news! Public Preview’s personal health coach now supports iOS Premium users.

Join Public Preview

To gain access to the Public Preview, you must first have a Fitbit Premium subscription and meet the other eligibility criteria. You can then sign up through the Today screen or Account Settings within the Fitbit iOS app.

The preview will be rolling out over the next few days. If the option to join is not yet visible, please check back again soon.

Keep the feedback coming!

A huge thank you to everyone for your continuous feedback across our community and app. Your insights are essential in guiding our product and feature development process.

We’re launching this as a preview so we can get your input and feedback. Once you’ve joined the Public Preview, please use the dedicated Fitbit Community board to share feedback, get updates on new features, and get support within the Fitbit Community - we’re listening. On the board, you’ll find regular updates on which features are and are not supported in the preview, known issues, and recently launched features.

In addition to sharing your feedback here, we also encourage you to provide feedback in the app. You may submit your feedback from any tab where you see a thumbs up or down. Google is committed to actively reviewing feedback, which will inform future features and application functionality.

Here are some additional resources:

• Fitbit Help Center
• The Keyword
• Fitbit's Personal Health Coach Preview: How-To Video Guide

Your Fitbit Community Team

Access to Public Preview is restricted to eligible users. Eligibility criteria are subject to change without prior notice. Some existing features may work differently or be unavailable in Public Preview. Preview features can also change over time and may not appear in the final release. Features will be added incrementally and on a rolling basis, so your experience may vary as new functionalities are introduced.

Hey Fitbit Community,

Get ready for more fun! We're rolling out fresh updates to the Fitbit Ace LTE to make the gamified fitness experience even more fun and engaging for kids, encouraging them to stay active.

Holiday season special Family Quest

Celebrate the holidays with Fitbit’s new special Family Quest - Jingle all the way.

Complete the designated monthly activity target to unlock special items and earn rewards along the way for your child’s Fitbit Ace LTE device.

New game in the Fitbit Arcade

Fitbit Arcade has introduced a new game - Frankenforge, where kids can build and battle monsters, powered by exercise.

Keep the feedback coming

Your feedback is essential in guiding our product and features development. Please continue to share your feedback within the Fitbit Community and keep the conversation going.

For more information on Fitbit Ace LTE, here are some additional resources:

• Play Fitbit Arcade games on your Fitbit Ace LTE
• Manage Family Quests

Your Fitbit Community Team

The Unusual trends Lab is officially rolling out now!

Fitbit Labs is pioneering an experimental feature that doesn't just track your health—it actively monitors physiological shifts in your body (your personal baseline).
This capability is part of an IRB-approved research study focused on alerting users when their tracked metrics (like resting heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate and more) start to move away beyond their established personal range and data collection to improve our algorithms.

Important: The Unusual trend detection is a research tool and is not a medical device. The information provided is for research purposes and general wellness awareness only and should not be used as a replacement for professional medical advice.

For info about the Lab, please visit the Fitbit Help Center.

Your Fitbit Community Team

Hey Fitbit Community,

Sound ecology, the study of how we interact with our environment through sound, reveals that nature's sounds aren't just background noise. A study in The Journal of Positive Psychology describes how being near parks and forests (green spaces) have significant health advantages designed to cut through distractions, increased feelings of happiness, and improving focus.

The newest Sound Matters collection - Wild Hokkaido, showcases Hokkaido island’s (Northern Japan) unique wilderness and biodiversity, including iconic sounds of the forest to your Pixel device. This collection is compatible with Pixel 4 and newer models running Android 13 or later.

Our "Wild Hokkaido" collection is inspired by the Japanese practice of “Shin-rin Yoku,” or “Forest Bathing.” This practice involves immersing oneself in the forest atmosphere to enhance well-being, engaging with nature through all five senses, and disconnecting from the stresses of daily life.

The growing Sound Matters collection encourages you to take breaks and enjoy nature's sounds. We wanted to bring this to our Fitbit community, so we've included the full 1-hour Hokkaido forest soundscape into the app - ideal for stress-relief, meditation, or simply winding down.

To find it in the Fitbit app

• Open the Fitbit app and tap the Coach tab, in the middle of the three main tabs at the bottom of the screen.
• Scroll right to the Mindfulness tile.
• Scroll down to Soothing soundscapes and select "See all."
• Find and tap the "Lower stress with a forest sound bath" soundscape.
• Press Play below the title to start.

If you'd like to hear more, you can enjoy the full sound collection on Pixel Phones and Tablets - available as ringtones, alarms, and notifications.

On your Pixel phone, press a Volume button.
At the right, tap More.
To change your ringtone, tap Settings.
Tap Phone ringtone.
Choose the Sound Matters ringtone category.
When you find a ringtone you like, tap Save.

More information and resources

• Fitbit Help Center
• Pixel Sound Matters: Wild Hokkaido Behind-The-Scenes
• Immerse yourself in nature: Introducing Pixel's 'Wild Hokkaido' sound collection
• Pixel Sound Matters: Dawn Chorus Behind-the-Scenes
• Google Sustainability blog

Your Fitbit Community Team

Hey Fitbit Community,

Get ready to personalize your child’s Fitbit Ace LTE with our new collection of accessory bands! We’re thrilled to unveil our special partnership with Minecraft for Fitbit Ace LTE. This band features iconic Minecraft elements, allowing your child to show off their love for building, exploring, and creating. It’s the perfect companion for every block-by-block adventure!

Check out the new lineup

• Do U Mine?
• Bubble Cats
• Space Bacon
• Mechanoid

This new class of bands have both active and comfort bands - allowing you to choose between what’s best for your child, whether that is needing something a bit more swim-proof or something that delivers softer textures. All of these bands are also designed for easy attachment, so kids can swap out their bands in seconds to match their mood or outfit.

Get your child’s new favorite Minecraft band on Google Store or at participating retailers starting September 16th. Let new, stylish adventures begin!

Your Fitbit Community Team

© 2024 Mojang AB. All Rights Reserved. MINECRAFT, the MINECRAFT logo, the Creeper logo, Minecraft:Dungeons and the Mojang Studios logo are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Hey Fitbit Community,

We have exciting news for Fitbit Family Quest Users! You can now seamlessly integrate steps tracked directly from connected fitness apps and trackers.

Previously, for the family members without an Ace LTE, Family Quest primarily relied on steps taken with your phone. This change now allows for more accurate and effortless participation. Now, every step you and your family members take throughout the day, whether it's tracked by a smartwatch or other fitness tracker, will automatically contribute to your collective Family Quest progress.

This means you can:

• Experience greater accuracy: Get a truer reflection of your family's combined activity levels.
• Focus on the fun: Spend less time worrying about steps syncing and more time enjoying the friendly competition and shared goals with your loved ones.

How to link your tracker

A new option in the Family Quest menu page will allow you to link a tracker.

Follow the steps in the setup flow or visit this help center article for more information.

Your Fitbit Community Team

Hey Fitbit Community,

We're happy to announce a highly requested feature that many of you have been asking for — Dark Mode! With the release of Fitbit App version 4.50, you can now switch to a darker theme, offering a more comfortable viewing experience, especially in low-light conditions.

Why Dark Mode?

Dark Mode isn't just about aesthetics. It brings several benefits:

• Reduced eye strain: The darker colors emit less blue light, which can help alleviate eye fatigue, particularly during evening use.
• Improved battery life: For devices with OLED screens, Dark Mode can significantly reduce battery consumption by lighting up fewer pixels.
• Enhanced readability: The high contrast between text and background can make information easier to read for some users.
• Sleek new Look: It gives your Fitbit app a fresh, modern appearance that's easy on the eyes.

How to Enable Dark Mode

Enabling Dark Mode is quick and easy. Simply update your Fitbit app to version 4.50, then navigate to your app settings. If your device is already using dark mode, the app will automatically adjust to dark mode, but you can additionally set your preference through the settings. You'll find an option to switch your theme preference to "Dark."

While the majority of the Fitbit app will support Dark Mode, a limited number of elements may not fully render in the dark theme at the initial launch. We're constantly working to improve your Fitbit experience. We appreciate your patience and are excited for you to try out as we release this highly awaited feature!

Your Fitbit Community Team

Hey Fitbit Community,

We're excited to announce some fresh new fun for Fitbit Ace LTE! These additions will encourage kids to keep moving as they continue their gamified fitness journey.

Get gifting in Bit Valley

Friends in Bit Valley can now send each other gifts! Either tap on an item you’d like to gift from Bitpedia and select your friend or in Bit Valley select your friend and choose a gift! Your friend will be notified when it arrives in Bit Valley

Your feedback matters!

We’re always looking for ways to improve the Fitbit Ace LTE based on your feedback through the forums and in-product feedback.

Not seeing these updates?

1. Check that your Fitbit Ace LTE is on the latest software: Season 6. You can see what season a watch is using under Daily Quests.
2. Ace app updates are rolling out starting today and will continue over the next few days. Please check back soon!

For more information on Fitbit Ace LTE, here are some additional resources:

• Play Fitbit Arcade games on your Fitbit Ace LTE
• Add Friends on Fitbit Ace LTE

Your Fitbit Community Team

Google Account and Ace Pass

data plan required.
Ace Pass LTE services available in the US except in Alaska or US territories.
Works with most phones running Android 11.0 or newer or iOS 15 or newer.
Setup for users under 13 requires parent and child Google Accounts and parent’s use of Fitbit Ace app on parent’s compatible phone. See g.co/fitbitace/info. for more information.
See g.co/fitbitace/info for more information.

Hey Fitbit Community,

We're excited to share some updates rolling out to Fitbit Charge 6. Read on to discover what's new.

New clock faces

We heard you! Thanks to your feedback, the Fitbit Charge 6 now has three new clock faces to choose from—Axira, Geometric, and Momentum. They’re designed to provide you with more comprehensive data at a glance, and allow for quick access to key health and fitness metrics directly from your wrist.

Improved connectivity to fitness equipment

This update expands compatibility between Fitbit Charge 6 devices and exercise machines, allowing you to connect to a wider variety of equipment and see your real-time heart rate on display during your home or gym workouts. Learn more about sharing your heart rate with fitness equipment here.

Try these new features and tell us what you think by joining the discussion. Subscribe to get the latest info on major updates, features and more.

This software update also includes general bug fixes and improvements for Charge 6, Inspire 3, Sense 2 and Versa 4.

Your Fitbit Community Team