A Fitbit device can easily become an inseparable part of your life, every bit as much as your smartphone. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when you consider the motivation it can provide. 

Losing one is rough. Not only is your fitness routine up in a heap until you find your lost Fitbit or buy another one, but you also have to worry about your personal data being at risk.

So what should you do if you lose your Fitbit and if somebody finds it, will they be able to access your data or use your device as if it was their own? 

Can A Lost Fitbit Be Used By Someone Else?

A woman exercising outside with a Fitbit

The good news is, whoever finds your Fitbit cannot access your personal information on your Fitbit account. The bad news is they can set up their own account and use your Fitbit like they always owned it. 

The Fitbit device will still connect with your account if it is within range and connects to a Fitbit application. But the person wearing your lost Fitbit won’t be able to get ahold of your account info without your password. 

That means you will probably continue to get your daily steps info and any other info that the device records automatically. Fortunately, you have to enter a four-digit pin code to access your Fitbit pay option. If someone gets ahold of your Fitbit device, they won’t be able to use it to make payments if they don’t know the pin. 

A lost or stolen Fitbit device can be linked to an all-new Fitbit account and once the device syncs with that new account, all of the information you had on that device will be wiped, and replaced by the new data for the person who now has it. 

Fitbit currently has no policy in place to stop something like this from happening. You won’t be able to track it once it’s synced to a new account.

Related Article: Can A Fitbit Go In A Sauna? (Answered!)

What Should I Do If I Lose My Fitbit?

There are a few things that you should do immediately and a few that you should do in the long term, assuming you never find it again. 

  • Return to the area where you suspect you lost your Fitbit
  • Use the app to attempt a sync
  • Try a third-party app like LightBlue Explorer or Bluetooth Finder
  • Use the Tile app if you own a Fitbit Inspire
  • Delete your data if you can’t find your Fitbit
  • Remove your payment methods

If your Fitbit is close enough, you can get it to sync with your Fitbit app (Google or iOS). If the app connects, your Fitbit may have been dropped nearby on the ground. That’s why it’s important to go back to the last location you remember having it at. There are also a few apps that use Bluetooth to triangulate your Fitbit’s position, including LightBlue Explorer, Bluetooth Finder, and Fitbit Finder.

There is also an app called “Finder For Fitbit Lite” that needs to be used with a device other than one your Fitbit is connected to.

Fitbit Inspire devices basically come with a built-in Tile. If you’ve never heard of Tile before, it’s a location device that operates much like an Apple AirTag. You can use the Tile App (Google or Apple) to locate your Fitbit Inspire

If you have to give your Fitbit up for lost, make sure you log into your account, whether you access your account from a computer or from the app, and remove your Fitbit device. You should also remove your payment methods if you’ve set up Fitbit Pay

It’s highly unlikely that whoever finds your Fitbit will be able to access your payment methods or your personal information but it’s best to remove them both just in case. Besides, it’s just salt in the wound watching your health stats pop up in your email or app while someone is actively using your device.

Bottom Line

Losing your Fitbit is not going to make for one of the best memories of your life but it doesn’t have to be disastrous either. Someone can certainly find it and use it but they won’t be able to access your personal and financial information. 

There’s always the chance you will find it with a third-party app or from syncing with the Fitbit app. But, if you don’t, your data is secure enough to give you time to remove it from your account.