Fitbit and Apple don’t play well together, but you can make it work
This article provides instructions on how to get your Apple Watch 6 to sync with your Fitbit account via an iPhone (running iOS 14 or newer) so you can maintain the data, challenges, and other features of Fitbit without using a Fitbit device.
How to Make Fitbit and Apple Watch Talk to Each Other
If you’ve tried to sync your Apple Watch with a Fitbit account, you know it doesn’t work well. Apple and Fitbit not only don’t communicate, they just ignore each other completely. You can, however, bring in an intermediary to make them talk.
Third party apps like Strava and MyFitnessSync will connect the data from your Apple Watch (and Apple Health) to your Fitbit app. To get started, you need to fist download and install one of these apps. For this article, Strava will be used as the example.
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Download and install the Strava app.
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Once installed, open the Strava app and create an account. You’ll be prompted to grant some permissions, tap Agree and follow the remaining onscreen instructions. Once the account is setup, you’ll be taken to the Feed screen.
If you already have a Strava account, you can just tap Log In at the bottom of the screen and provide your log-in credentials, then follow the instructions to connect your Apple Watch to Strava.
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Tap Connect a GPS watch or computer.
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Tap Apple Watch.
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On the Welcome screen, tap Get Started.
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You’re taken to a Set Up Checklist. There are a few required options on this page:
- Turn on Location Services: In order for your Apple Watch to be connected with Strava, this needs to be enabled.
- Accept Our Code of Conduct: You’ll have to agree to the Code of Contact.
- Motion & Fitness: Allow Strava to sync your Motion & Fitness data from your Apple Watch.
In addition to this, there are a couple of non-essential options you can control on this screen. They include:
- Turn on Notifications: Decide if you want the Strava app to send you notifications.
- Sync With Health: Choose if you want to enable heart rate data to be monitored while using Strava.
You can either adjust these non-essential settings now or choose to set them up later. When you’re done, tap Finish.
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On the next screen, tap Done.
Using Strava to Make Fitbit and Apple Watch Talk to Each Other
Once you have Strava installed on your iPhone, then you can use it to get Fitbit and Apple Watch communicating. You’ll need to install the Fitbit app on your iPhone if it’s not already there. Once that’s done, follow these instructions.
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Open and log in to the Fitbit app on your iPhone if you’re not already logged in.
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Tap your Account profile picture in the upper left corner.
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On the Account page, scroll down to the bottom and tap Third Party Apps.
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On the Third Party Apps page, tap Compatible Apps.
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You’ll be taken to Fitbit.com. Scroll down the page to find Strava and select Download on the App Store.
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You’re taken to the Strava app page on the App Store. Since you’ve already installed the app, just tap Open.
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You’re taken back to the Getting Started page on your screen. Tap Connect a GPS watch or computer.
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This time, in the Device Type list, tap Fitbit.
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On the next screen tap Connect Fitbit.
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When prompted, enter your Fitbit account credentials and then tap Login.
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You’re prompted to log into your Strava account again. Provide your login credentials and tap Log In.
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On the next screen, you need to Authorize Fitbit to connect to Strava. Read through the information on the page and tap Authorize.
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Choose which functions of Fitbit you would like to sync between Strava and Fitbit and then tap Allow.
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Read through the information provided about how Fitbit and Strava work together and then tap OK, got it.
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Another screen appears that says Almost There! at the top. Read the information on this page and then tap Continue.
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Grant Strava access to health-related data by tapping Allow.
- You may receive an error message that tells you to try again later. Dismiss this message and you should see that your Fitbit and Strava accounts are connected.
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