How to Fix a Fitbit Not Tracking Steps Properly

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

Your Fitbit fitness tracker is supposed to record various things like steps, calories, and time. When it fails to do that, it feels like there's no point having the tracker. Don't worry. This guide will walk you through fixing any issues you have with your fitness tracker not recording your steps.

Tools You'll Need:

• Your fitness tracker

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Supplies You'll Need:

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Before You Begin:

• You must have access to a computer with iTunes installed.
• You must have that thing for the other thing so you can do the thing.

You must have this thing before you whatever.

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• Each individual prereq should have its own box like this. Not all will contain multiple links.
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How to Fix the Issue

While you can correct your fitness tracker not tracking your steps by calibrating and changing your stride length, your Fitbit may require a restart to properly track steps.

2. Fitness Tracker Accuracy Tips

• Wear your Fitbit on your non-dominant arm. It moves less than your dominant arm and is statistically less likely to cause damage to your tracker.
• Wear your tracker against your skin, not over clothing.
• Fitness trackers are not as accurate as chest straps. Unless the readings you're receiving are very inaccurate there should be nothing to worry about.
• Keep your tracker charged. Low battery power could cause inaccurate readings.

3. Change Stride Length and Calibrate your Fitbit

While calibration is optional, doing so will give your Fitbit greater accuracy.

Calibration can be as simple as a mathematic equation. Find out out by walking (or running) over a short distance and then dividing that total distance by the number of steps taken. You can enter different stride lengths for running and walking for maximum accuracy.

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap the Account icon.
   

1. Tap Advanced Settings.
   

1. Tap Stride Length.
   

1. Adjust your stride length.
   

4. Restart Your Fitbit Fitness Tracker

A restart deletes any saved notifications.

 

Restart Your Charge 2 and Charge

1. Plug the charging cable into the USB port on your computer or any USB wall charger.
2. Clip the other end of the charging cable to the port on the back of the tracker. The pins on the charging cable must lock securely with the port.
   

1. Make sure the button on your tracker is aligned with the button opening on the charging cable.
   

1. You will know the connection is secure when the tracker vibrates and you see a battery icon on the display. Your Charge 2 will begin charging.
2. Press and hold the button on your tracker for four seconds. When you see the Fitbit logo and the tracker vibrates, this means the tracker has restarted.
3. Unplug your tracker from the charging cable.

Restart Your Alta

1. Plug in your charger and clip the other end of the charging cable onto the back of your Alta. The connection is secure when the tracker vibrates and you see a battery icon on your tracker's display.
   

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2. Press the button on your charging cable 3 times within a few seconds, briefly pausing between presses. When the Fitbit logo appears and the tracker vibrates, you have successfully restarted your Alta.
   

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2. Unplug the device. 

Restart Your Blaze

1. Press and hold the Back (left) and Select (right bottom) buttons on the Blaze until you see the Fitbit logo. The logo should appear in less than 10 seconds.
   

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2. Let go of the buttons. 

Restart Your Versa

1. Press and hold the Back (left) and Bottom (bottom right) buttons on the Versa until you see the Fitbit logo. The logo should appear in less than 10 seconds.
   

1. Restarting the watch reboots the device but will not erase any data.