Not everyone wants a device that is connected to their phone or Internet 24*7. If you are wondering whether or not you can use Fitbit without a phone connection then this guide is for you.
Besides that, I have also talked about whether or not you can use Fitbit without the app or without creating a Fitbit account. Why does Fitbit requires all the personal details when you sign up & should you fudge your personal information? What are all the features you will be able to use & miss out on when your Fitbit is not connected to your phone 24*7?
Let’s get started!
Quick Navigation
- Quick Takeaway
- Can You Use Fitbit Without Phone Or Can You Use Fitbit Without App?
- Can You Use Fitbit Without Signing Up Or Sharing Your Personal Account?
- Best Ways To Signup For Fitbit Without Providing Your Real Email Id
- Can I Use Fitbit Without A Phone Once It Is Paired & Setup?
- Why Does Fitbit Need My Personal Information?
- Why Do You Need A Smartphone To Use A Fitbit Versa Or Charge Tracker?
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Quick Takeaway
No, you cannot use your Fitbit watch without pairing with it a smartphone. To protect your privacy, consider using email aliases, fake email IDs, or an old phone to use the Fitbit watch without keeping it paired.
Can You Use Fitbit Without Phone Or Can You Use Fitbit Without App?
Earlier Fitbit used to sell Bluetooth dongles that allowed you to use your Fitbit by connecting to your Mac & Windows. To use your Fitbit app all you had to do was install the Fitbit Connect app on your computer which Fitbit discontinued in 2022.
You can still find the older version of Fitbit Connect for Windows or Mac. However, they no longer work as you can see in the image below. The app simply says unknown error or asks you to download an updated version that is not available.
So what’s the solution? Simply first pair the Fitbit Watch to your phone & then turn the Bluetooth off. Only open Bluetooth every 2-3 days or once in the morning every day when you are not using the watch. If you need help with connecting your Fitbit watch to your phone then you can check out my video below for the step-by-step method.
Alternatively, you can also sync your data whenever you simply want to, by simply opening the phone & syncing your Fitbit watch.
You can also just pair the watch to an old phone & keep that phone in another room & Fitbit would automatically keep syncing data to the app.
As soon as data is synced to the Fitbit Connect app, you can also access it on the browser by going to Fitbit.com. This is the closest you can come to using your Fitbit watch without a phone.
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Can You Use Fitbit Without Signing Up Or Sharing Your Personal Account?
When you install the Fitbit app, the first screen that you get is the logging-in screen. Here you can either log in or sign up for a Fitbit account.
Similarly, when you will purchase a Fitbit tracker or smartwatch like Fitbit Versa 3, you will first need to pair it with your phone. In fact, when you power on the Fitbit Versa 3, the first screen shows you the pairing instructions. And, there is no way to bypass the screen without actually pairing the watch.
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So there is no way you can sync your Fitbit without first installing the app & pairing Fitbit to a smartphone.
I would also like to clarify that you cannot activate Fitbit using a computer as well. If you were thinking of logging into your account on Fitbit.com then let me tell you it’s not possible.
Best Ways To Signup For Fitbit Without Providing Your Real Email Id
1. Sign Up For Email Masking Services Like Firefox Relay
Gone are the days when you need to share your actual email id when signing up for a new service or newsletter. You can instead use third-party services which allow you to create email aliases. These services provide you with a masked email id and all the emails received on that id are forwarded to your email account.
One of the most trusted providers of this service is Firefox Relay & it’s free as well.
This service allows you to create multiple fake aliases which you can use to sign up for services. You can create multiple aliases for services like Fitbit or your other favorite sites.
Firefox Relay will automatically forward your Fitbit emails to your account & Fitbit will never know your real account. And, if you are done using the fake alias or receiving too much spam then you can simply delete the old alias & create a new one in seconds.
It is way better than creating a fake email account where you have to log in to your phone or computer every now & then. If you are willing to spend money you can even mask your phone number using the Firefox Relay. The free plan allowed me to create up to 5 aliases which are more than enough for me. Plus, in the free plan, Firefox also removes the trackers from the email that are used to collect even more data on you.
2. Create A Fake E-Mail Account
You can create a fake account with the wrong personal details & then use it to sign up for Fitbit. I don’t prefer this method as it can be a little difficult to manage multiple emails & passwords.
But this will be the perfect way to use Fitbit without sharing your personal email.
By the way, if you find yourself to be doing this often then I would recommend signing up for Proton Mail. Along with regular email service, they also offer an email alias feature to protect your privacy. And, they offer the best privacy policy out of most if not all consumer-focused email providers. In fact, the only way to get your personal data from them would be if it is requested by Swiss authorities where the company is based in.
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3. Use An Old Phone
Once you have created a new fake account or alias I would recommend installing the Fitbit app on an old phone. Log in with your credentials & now connect your Fitbit to the said phone.
You can also just keep that phone in another room & watch would automatically keep syncing data to the app. If you are comfortable with using your personal device then you can obviously do that as well.
By the way, you can also access the sync Fitbit data on Fitbit.com.
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Can I Use Fitbit Without A Phone Once It Is Paired & Setup?
Technically you can but if data is not synced to your phone then the watch will overwrite the older data. So you will lose your sleep & workout data after 2-3 days depending on the watch’s built-in memory.
Why Does Fitbit Need My Personal Information?
There are quite a few reasons why Fitbit needs your personal information. Let’s start with:
1) Stride
Stride is the distance that you cover when you take a step. And, depending on your age, height, & weight your stride might be small or large. So if you are a kid or teenager you will take more steps to cover the distance than an adult.
So the age you have provided is also factored in for calculating your stride & keeping an accurate step count.
2) Calories Burned & Sports Activity Analysis
Fitbit also calculates the calories you burn when you are not doing any workout. I mean all our activities require energy whether it’s resting, eating, blinking, walking, or sleeping. Depending on your age this varies & Fitbit uses your age, height, & weight to calculate calories burned.
Fitbit also uses the same data to calculate & analyze your exercise so it is important that you provide this information
Note: If you are still not comfortable then I would recommend providing little wrong details like different birthday months, 1-2 kg weight extra, & 1 foot less or more height.
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Why Do You Need A Smartphone To Use A Fitbit Versa Or Charge Tracker?
There are many reasons why Fitbit needs to be connected to a smartphone. Let’s discuss some of the reasons one by one.
1. Connected GPS & A-GPS
Some Fitbit trackers don’t come with built-in GPS & that’s why they need to be connected to your phone to track your activity.
Similarly, some smartwatches with built-in GPS also need to be connected to the app to get the latest data on GPS positioning. To put it simply, satellite positions keep changing & Fitbit app downloads data of the latest satellite position & transfers it to the watch for faster GPS ping.
So while built-in GPS on your latest Fitbit is handy but occasionally connecting it to your smartphone can improve the GPS performance.
2. Not All Features Work
Many features like notifications sync and live heart rate tracking while following Fitbit workouts video require an active connection with the app. Fitbit also does some post-workout & sleep analysis once data is synced to the Fitbit app. So to get the best out of the watch you will need to connect the watch to your phone.
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Conclusion
Hopefully, I have answered all your questions & you now you will able to use your Fitbit without a phone. I know it’s not completely possible but I have shared the closest method to use your smartwatch with minimal interaction with the Fitbit app or phone.
FAQs
Does Fitbit Track Steps Without Phone?
Once paired to a phone, Fitbit can track your steps independently without requiring an active connection to your phone.
Do You Need A Smartphone To Use A Fitbit Versa 2?
Yes, you need a smartphone for the initial setup & use of Fitbit Versa 2. Once connected, you will be able to use the watch for 2-3 days without syncing the data to your phone. After that, Fitbit will start overriding older data unless you sync the data to your phone.
Can You Use Fitbit Without Premium?
Yes, you can use Fitbit watches & sign up for a Fitbit account without buying the premium membership. However, advanced analysis of sleep & health would require you to purchase Fitbit premium.
Can You Use A Fitbit Without A Computer Or Phone?
No Fitbit model works independently without being connected to an Android or iOS device.
Is It Possible To Sync Fitbit Without App?
No, it is not possible to sync your Fitbit data to your Fitbit account without the Fitbit app.
What Fitbit Can You Use Without A Phone?
No Fitbit model works without a phone as Fitbit has discontinued support for Mac & Windows apps. So you will have to use a phone to set up your Fitbit tracker or smartwatch.
