An update to the popular fitness tracker adds a "Find Phone" capability previously exclusive to Fitbit's smartwatches.
On Monday, FitBit released the Version 1.171.50 update, which adds a new "Find Phone" feature to the Fitbit Charge 5. The "Find Phone" capability was previously only available on some Fitbit smartwatches but has made the leap to fitness trackers via a Fitbit update.
According to The Verge, the exciting new Fitbit update now allows users to find their phone using an option that would show up when users swipe down from the top of the screen. Tapping on the option will cause the user's phone to ring even if it is on silent mode.
What to Know About Fitbit Update Version 1.171.50
The "Find Phone" feature that was added to the Fitbit Charge 5 this week was previously only available on the Sense, Versa 3, and other Fitbit smartwatches. Now, Fitbit Charge 5 users can find their phones by tapping on the feature that would alert the paired device.
As per 9to5Google, for the Fitbit update to work, the fitness tracker must be "paired" to the phone the user wants to locate. The phone must also have its Bluetooth turned on and be within 30 feet or 10 meters of the Fitbit Charge 5. The phone should also have the Fitbit app running in the background.
This week's Fitbit update appears to have just the "Find Phone" functionality as the user-facing improvement on the fitness tracker, which was released in September 2021. It is yet unclear if Fitbit, which was acquired by Alphabet Inc. last year, has addressed phone connectivity issues some users have previously brought up.
Fitbit Charge 5 Update Addresses Battery Drain Issues
When Fitbit Charge 5 was released last year, many users of the fitness tracker noticed a battery drain issue and Bluetooth connectivity problems that were a long-standing issue with the device. As per TechRadar, the battery drain issue surfaced online in 2021, with many users taking to Fitbit's community forums to voice out their dissatisfaction over the Fitbit Charge 5's supposed seven-day battery life lasting for just a mere hours. Users reported that despite turning off the GPS, which is known to use up a lot of energy, the Fitbit Charge 5's battery would still drain out pretty quickly.
It appears that only some Fitbit Charge 5 users are experiencing the battery drain issue, which has persisted well into 2022. Last week, Fitbit Support took to Twitter to report that they recently released a new firmware update to address the issue, but that the Fitbit update was a progressive roll-out. It is worth noting that the issue had been going on since the fitness tracker's release last year and that the company had only publicly acknowledged it in March. For months, users have been made to wait on a fix for the battery drain issue.
The delayed response by the company on a pressing issue such as battery drain is not a good look on them, especially with the Fitbit Charge 5 being its most expensive fitness tracker that has earned mostly positive reviews from critics. The addition of the "Find Phone" capability now appears to be a cherry on top of an already good fitness tracker.
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