If you have the desire to move more, a Fitbit can do a great job of measuring your current fitness levels, tracking your progress, and motivating you to do more.
But is it enough to have only your Fitbit on, or do you need to have your phone turned on too?
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Will My Fitbit Work If My Phone Is Off?
Yes, your Fitbit will still work if your phone is off. Fitbit wearables never stop working just because your smartphone battery dies or you turn it off for a period of time.
Unless the Fitbit runs out of battery, it will continue to track your health and will sync with your phone when it comes back online.
However, your phone will need to turn on and sync with your Fitbit before it resets at midnight, or data for the day may be lost.
In fact, your Fitbit will work perfectly well without a smartphone, computer, or any other device to sync to at all.
It just means that with no other device to sync to, you won’t have a history of data to look back on.
But you’ll still have daily live tracking to view stats like steps taken, miles traveled, calories burned, and active minutes.
The data on your Fitbit will reset to zero at midnight and without a device to sync to beforehand that data will be lost.
As of 2020, active Fitbit users numbered 31 million.
That’s not in the same ballpark as the likes of Apple and Xiaomi but it’s a respectable number nonetheless.
This isn’t Fitbit’s first rodeo, and with Google’s acquisition in 2019, having wearables that signed off every time a synced smartphone called it a day, Fitbit would have faded a long time ago.
As a matter of fact, Fitbit doesn’t really need your smartphone at all.
Will My Fitbit Work Without A Phone?
Fitbit wearables are perfectly capable of working without a smartphone.
With or without a phone, a Fitbit device records your health and vital statistics anyway, it’s just a matter of how you retrieve the data.
Two Ways To Use Your Fitbit Without A Phone
Fitbit Connect Software
Fitbit Connect is a free app for download on your home PC or iMac.
With Fitbit Connect you can sync your Fitbit wearable and upload all of your tracking data for the day, or however long between connections.
Fitbit Connect Software Non-Bluetooth Option
This method is technically the same but for those who have a computer without Bluetooth capabilities.
You’ll have to purchase a Wireless Sync Dongle which essentially adds Bluetooth to your computer.
Fitbit wearables keep track of just about everything you can imagine.
So long as you have a computer—or the wireless sync dongle for those who are still familiar with the term defragging—you have no need for a smartphone to sync up your Fitbit wearables.
Can I Leave My Phone At Home When Using Fitbit?
You can leave your smartphone home when using any Fitbit, however, depending on the model, some can do a lot more than just wait till you return home to sync again.
Let’s take a look at how each of these models work without the need for a phone.
Fitbit Charge 4
On this device, battery life will last an entire week and it’s capable of full activity tracking, with phone and text capabilities, precise GPS, and it’s waterproof up to 50 meters.
You can forget your phone while you go on vacation with the Fitbit Charge 4 and never lose a byte of data.
Related Article: Will A Fitbit Work In Your Pocket? (All You Need To Know)
Fitbit Ionic
Not only does the Ionic track everything you expect it to, but you can also shop online, listen to music or podcasts, and it’s designed with Run Detection that automatically activates GPS when your feet start moving faster than a walk.
And it does all that with no smartphone needed.
Fitbit Versa 3
The only thing the Versa 3 doesn’t do while away from your smartphone is take calls, texts, or app notifications.
Everything else is game with full activity tracking, built-in Amazon Alexa, Spotify, and Pandora, and up to six days of battery life, you may just forget your phone altogether.
All Fitbit wearables will track and gather your data throughout the day whether you have a smartphone with you or not, while others will do a lot more.
It boils down to your budget and which model’s functionality suits you the best.
What Are The Benefits Of Using A Fitbit Without My Phone?
Fitbit wearables aren’t dependent on a smartphone to function, so what are the benefits of using one on its own?
Real-Time Tracking
Even without a device to sync to, a Fitbit will still track your health activities and some devices can relay that information on your watch screen.
Fewer Distractions
It’s difficult to exercise when your phone is blowing up every few seconds.
Some people still enjoy the peace of going on a morning jog, or just listening to music without all of the interruptions.
Leave your phone at home and your Fitbit will relay that info when you get back.
Select Fitbit GPS
Depending on which Fitbit device you own, there’s no need for the Fitbit to sync with your phone to take advantage of GPS.
The Versa 3, Sense, Ionic, Charge 4, and more, do this on their own, independent of a cell phone.
Some, like the Ionic, have extra features, such as Run Detection.
You Can Use Other Devices To Sync Your Fitbit
You don’t have to sync a Fitbit with a smartphone.
You can also sync them with a tablet—Android or iOS—personal computer, or laptop.
Although there are very specific advantages to using a smartphone with a Fitbit, smartphones can be cumbersome and awkward to exercise with, especially on long runs or walks.
Thanks to the independence—or at least temporary independence— of Fitbit devices, there’s no need for a smartphone until you’re ready to use it.
