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All about Fitbit + Paceline

  • Updated

Getting started and troubleshooting advice for your Fitbit

2/7/21 Update: there is an issue with Fitbit syncing to Paceline. Please view updates here

Table of contents

How do I link my Fitbit wearable to Paceline?

What counts for Paceline minutes?

Why does my workout length not match my Paceline minutes?

How do I link my Fitbit wearable to Paceline?

  • During onboarding (aka initial sign up):
    • Select 'Fitbit' as your device
    • Sign in to your Fitbit account
      • Don't see a prompt to sign in? Tap here
    • Tap 'Allow All', then 'Allow' to grant access to:
      • Activity + Exercise
      • Heart Rate
      • Profile
  • After you've already created a Paceline account: 
    • Tap the 'Profile' tab or your initials in the upper right corner of the Paceline home screen
    • Tap 'Linked Fitness Devices'
    • Tap 'Fitbit'
    • Sign in to your Fitbit account
      • Don't see a prompt to sign in? Tap here
    • Tap 'Allow All', then 'Allow' to grant access to:
      • Activity + Exercise
      • Heart Rate
      • Profile
  • Did you get a new Fitbit wearable?

    • If you set your new Fitbit wearable up to the same Fitbit account you already linked to Paceline, you shouldn't need to do anything else

  • Do you not see a prompt to enter your Fitbit user name or password?

    • To resolve this:
      • On your phone, go to Settings -> Safari -> Advanced -> Website Data. Then search for fitbit.com (or something with Fitbit in the name), swipe to the left, and hit Delete.
      • Repeat the link steps mentioned above

What counts for Paceline minutes?

If you wear a Fitbit device, we support active minutes. If you think you're missing active minutes from Paceline:

  • Ensure your Fitbit device has a heart rate monitor
    • Active minutes are determined using a heart rate monitor, so a Fitbit device without one will not report any active minutes
  • Did you manually log a workout you expect to get minutes from?
    • We DO NOT support manually logged minutes entered via the Fitbit app or Fitbit website, only those generated directly by your device qualify for Paceline minutes. This is done to prevent cheating by forging activity that has not taken place. 
    • To properly log a workout that cannot be auto-detected from your Fitbit (ex: Yoga), please follow the steps listed here under 'How do I start and stop a workout?'
  • Sync your Fitbit device to your Fitbit account (on your Fitbit app or website)
    • Also, look at the next question below to enable background syncing on your Fitbit!
    • Note: there may be up to a 10 minute delay for Fitbit to send this recently updated data to Paceline
  • Are you allowing your Fitbit to sync in the background?
    • Your Fitbit is able to sync every 6-15 minutes automatically, but only if you do the following:
      • Keep the Fitbit app open and running in the background
        • Important: if you force close your Fitbit app (aka swipe up to close the app) or log out of the app, background sync WILL NOT work
      • Go to the Settings app on your iPhone > General > Background App Refresh. Toggle the Fitbit setting to 'On'
      • Ensure your Bluetooth is 'On' in the Settings app
      • Place your Fitbit wearable and your phone near one another (the Bluetooth connection will only work within 20 feet of the Fitbit and phone)
  • Verify that you had done 10 minutes or more of continuous moderate-to-intense activity to qualify for active minutes
    • Efforts that are less than 10 minutes in continuous length may not qualify for active minutes as the Fitbit device needs 10 minutes to set a baseline to determine the intensity of your activity
  • Open the Fitbit app
    • If not selected already, tap the 'Today' tab from the bottom of the screen
    • Does your Fitbit or device show a value for 'Active Zone Minutes'? If so, tap here
    • View the active minutes value next to the lightning bolt
      • For example, this shows you have 15 active minutes:
      • If you want to view previous dates, tap the back arrow option in the upper left corner of the screen and navigate to the day you wish to view or tap on the active minutes value to view a weekly breakdown
    • Confirm the active minutes value displayed matches that as seen in the Paceline app
    • Remember: active minutes are NOT equal to the length of your workout
        • Active minutes are earned through 10 minutes or more of continuous moderate-to-intense activity. Workout duration is simply how long you timed a given workout and this could include time that is not moderate-to-intense activity, such as stretching or a water break. This is why we rely solely on active minutes.
  • Update your Fitbit device's software
  • Have you opened the Paceline app at least once a week, if not more often?
    • If you have not opened the Paceline app for more than a week, we can only reference active minutes up to one week prior, so you may lose out on minutes. Contact us and we'll ask you for the active minutes we need to get you back on track
  • Did you grant access for Paceline to read, at a minimum, your Fitbit activity and heart rate? To check in the Fitbit app:

    • Tap the Today tab , and tap your profile picture

    • Tap 'Manage Data', then 'Manage 3rd Party Apps'

    • View Paceline and confirm access has been granted, at a minimum, to activity and heart rate

      • Is Paceline not listed or are you missing access to activity and heart rate?
        • Tap the 'Profile' tab or your initials in the upper right corner of the Paceline home screen
        • Tap 'Linked Fitness Devices'
        • Tap 'Fitbit'
          • Tap 'Disconnect' if prompted
        • Sign into your Fitbit account
        • Tap 'Allow All', then 'Allow' to grant access to:
          • Activity + Exercise
          • Heart Rate
          • Profile
  • Are you looking in the right place to see your Active minutes?

    • Update your Main Goal to be Active minutes and make it easier to see your progress

    • Using the Fitbit app:

      • Tap the Today tab , and tap your profile picture

      • Tap your device image

      • Tap Main Goal, and choose 'Active Minutes'

  • A simple reminder: a Paceline week is from Monday at 00:00 - Sunday at 23:59 your time. Your Fitbit app may show the week as starting on Sunday by default but we do not honor that setting at this time. Want to have the week appear in sync with the Paceline app?

    • Using the Fitbit app:

      • Tap the Today tab , and tap your profile picture

      • Tap Advanced Settings

      • Tap Start Week On, and choose 'Monday'

Why does my workout length not match my Paceline minutes?

Though you may have worked out for many minutes in duration, the length of your workout does not necessarily equal Fitbit active or Paceline minutes (because during a workout there could be times you’re stretching, drinking water, etc. that do not contribute to a higher heart rate or workout intensity).

This is because Fitbit measures Paceline minutes in a different manner that is based upon your heart rate (not your workout length):

  • For Fitbit users, this metric is 'active minutes', which is calculated "through metabolic equivalents (METs). This metric, which factors in your body mass, is used to estimate exercise intensity. METs are calculated through a ratio (Rate of energy expended during an activity : rate of energy expended during rest)."
    • 1 MET is the rate of energy you expend during rest or sitting quietly, while you typically expend 3 METs or more during a moderately-intense activity such as walking. You earn active minutes for activities at or above about 3 METs

For your weekly goal of 150 Paceline minutes, we rely on the active minutes that your wearable tracks. There could be a few reasons why you find a mismatch of minutes you expect to see in the Paceline app:

  1. Your workout may not have created a high enough heart rate or you did not maintain the intensity over the whole time (10+ consecutive minutes) to register for Paceline minutes
    • Open the Fitbit app or website and confirm the active minutes value displayed matches that as seen in the Paceline app
    • Note: we do NOT support Active Zone Minutes as it provides a multiplier for your minutes that other devices (such as the Apple Watch) do not support and we want to keep an even playing field for all devices
  1.  
  2. When possible, be sure to start a workout on your wearable as the heart rate sensor will read more often for heart rate detail
    • Important to note: you don't need to log a workout to earn Paceline minutes. Depending on your fitness level and wearable type, even one-off things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator could earn you Paceline minutes, though it's not guaranteed
  3. You may need to calibrate your wearable calibrate your watch to get more accurate readings for exercise minutes
  4. You may have earned more than 50 Paceline minutes for a single day (way to crush it by the way!)
    • We currently allow a maximum of 50 daily Paceline minutes towards the weekly goal (so you need to work out at least 3 days a week to hit the 150 weekly minutes goal)
  5. You may need to sync your device with your app
    • Open your Fitbit app or website and sync your device
      • Note: it may take up to 10 minutes for Fitbit to report the updated data to Paceline

If you still are unsure why something appears on your Fitbit and not in Paceline, please reach out to us using our Support page, attaching a screenshot of:

  • Your Fitbit app (showing the active minutes in question)
  • Your Paceline app home screen showing daily minutes

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