PSA: Fitbit Isn’t a Dating App
So how do you keep away the Fitbit admirers?
You know the feeling. The feeling of getting a new pair of sneakers─ caught between wanting to wear them the very next time you go to the gym, and never wanting those sterile white soles to touch the outdoors.
These feelings of excitement and protectiveness rushed back to me when I purchased a Fitbit Alta some two and a half years ago. I was finally among the fitness enthusiasts who could track their mileage, macros, and more! And for a sleep-deprived, budget-restrained college student who loves to exercise, I was ready to take this new investment seriously.
And I did. I religiously logged every ounce of water I drank, every calorie I ate, and every minute I exercised. I took advantage of Fitbit’s weekly challenges and joined open “Groups” with people who shared similar fitness interests as me. And wow, are there lot… anything from “Marathon Running” to “At Work” and “Trying to Conceive” to “Fit Seniors.”
But then, it happened. I received the first of many messages from strangers on the app.
Okay, to be completely fair, these messages never come from total strangers. They came from people within the Fitbit Groups I joined who connected with me because of shared fitness interests.
But the fact of the matter is that Fitbit users are active in Groups and engaged with the app for one reason: to become and stay motivated to meet personal fitness goals. Or at least they should be.
You’d be hard-pressed to visit any café or bar and not find someone nonchalantly swiping through a procession of potential partners on a dating app. Unfortunately, women using the app come to discover that many people seem to think that Fitbit ranks up there with Tinder, eHarmony, and Grindr. We receive messages ranging from a simple hello to an attempt at poetry. Here is a small collection of ones I’ve received that particularly caught my eye:
I certainly won’t claim to be the most tech-savvy 22-year old out there, but I do know how to navigate mobile apps. After receiving enough of these messages, I could not for the life of me figure out how to delete them. Surely this is a flaw in the app that will be fixed in the next update, I thought. I knew deletion was only a temporary solution that wouldn’t stop the persistent users, but it would at least rid my inbox of these unwanted and creepy messages. So, I took to the “Fitbit Community,” an online forum for all Fitbit users.
It turns out that many others, particularly women, experience harassment like this on the app and could not delete these messages. After reading through many forum discussions, asking around in a Fitbit Group, and trying random maneuvers out on my own, I still could not find a solution. There were even several “solutions” offered that simply didn’t work (e.g. delete and reinstall the app, logout of your account and back in). So how do I keep away these Fitbit admirers?
Throughout my frantic search, however, I did come across something even more helpful.
In every forum discussion and post that mentioned “unwanted messages,” I found posts from women offering advice on how to handle harassment and support for women who felt threatened or insecure.
Here’s the advice they gave:
1) Before accepting Group members as Friends, do a quick scan of their profile. If it says “No recent activity,” don’t accept their request. They might not be using the app for fitness.
2) If you receive unwanted messages, remove or block the sender. If you feel the need, report them to Fitbit. This can all be done in the app.
3) Some women put disclaimers on their profile and believe it is somewhat effective. If you feel the desire, try it out!
4) Don’t let these people discourage you from using the Fitbit app to achieve your fitness goals. Keep being the fit, happy, and healthy you!
It’s unfortunate that every app with a messaging feature is essentially a breeding ground for harassment. But from my experience with Fitbit, for every person who might send you an unwanted message, there are dozens more who are ready to motivate you and help you achieve your fitness goals.
And good news! It turns out that Fitbit updated its app recently. Happy deleting, everyone. But even still, this is merely a temporary solution.
So for all the Fitbit Romeos out there, we have a public service announcement: Fitbit is not a dating app.
Charlee Thompson
Charlee has a B.S. in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois and a M.P.A. in environmental policy from the University of Washington. She currently works as a policy associate for the Northwest Energy Coalition in Washington State. She writes on sustainability, diversity, and fitness.
