What Is Fitbit Dongle? Does It Works Still?

What Is Fitbit Dongle Does It Works Still

Fitbit has been around for years now. Within few days we will enter new year and this coming year will mark the American fitness company 17 years in the wearable industry. If you think about it 17 years are a lot in the digital world. Because it wouldn't be wrong to say Fitbit has been present for almost 75% of growth of wearable market. They were part of a very special time and they still are going strong.

In these 17 years there has been many ups and downs. Fitbit of 2015 was the king of the smartwatch world. While Fitbit of 2023 is still a strong contender for place in seat, if not for the crown. Which means there has been many experiments and many launches that couldn't live up to see the new age. As it happens Fitbit dongle was one such thing. A minute device but not minute enough to not stay away from light of non-existence.

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Fitbit Dongle was a USB powered Bluetooth booster used to ease the flow of data from your Fitbit tracker to the Desktop. It was made for the old gen Fitbits and doesn't serve much purpose in the new age.

Tech Of Past: The Dongle!

Fitbit launched the Dongle for one and only one purpose: It was to act as a buffer between your Desktop and Fitbit tracker to ease the process of syncing between them. After all, there is no denying to the fact that Bluetooth ability of many (not all and especially not of the new-gen PCs) was 5/10 at times. Connections were often met with interruption and attenuation. You had to stay close to your computer at all times while the devices were sharing the data and there was no guarantee to what could happen.

So Dongle (which is a very funny name) was a small tool which you could connect to your PC through USB port and then it would act as primary Bluetooth transmitter. If we quote the Fitbit’s definition of dongle then here is how they explained it’s use: The dongle allows your tracker and computer to communicate with one another.

 

Fitbit Has Moved Ahead

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perception of time and changes that comes with said time Fitbit has moved ahead from the dongle in 2024. Today if you will buy a Fitbit tracker or a smartwatch then you don’t need to use the dongle(seriously what were they thinking naming it that!).

You don’t even get it now. Because a) Fitbit has actually invested in their application which you can download on PC and b) new Desktop and Laptops – even cheap ones – are coming with Bluetooth which is more than able to connect and stay connected to your health tracker.

90% Won’t Need Fitbit Dongle In 2024

According to the Fitbit manual issued around 2016 Fitbit dongle was deemed useless in the following conditions:

  • If you just want to connect your Fitbit tracker with mobile phone. Because dongle had nothing to do with phones.
  • If you were using a Mac with Fitbit software installed and updated.
  • If your PC had the Windows 10 with the Fitbit app installed form the Microsoft store.

Keep in mind that these conditions are quoted from the manual which is now 6-7 years old and probably not reliable. Which means that even at that time when Fitbit trackers were shipping with dongle it was not always needed. Today you wont even find in Fitbit store. Much like the old gen Fitbit models and Ionic that ship has sailed a long time ago. New gen Fitbits are able to do heavy lifting on their own.

Dongle Was Not Very Convenient

We don’t think we need to explain here. Since it is hard to get your hard on the dongle today if you could just see the picture of it you would see just from its body that it was not very useful. Even as a signal booster or Bluetooth transmitter there has been many reported cases of Fitbit users who have reported their dongle miserably failing at the time of needs.

Besides it was also not easy to set it up in first place. You had to actually make sure you are ticking every condition set by Fitbit before you could actually use it.

Honestly, looking back we should be glad that we have out grown that period of tech revolution. Today we live in a world where tech has not only ease our lives, it has become more than accessible for majority to easily use them.

Frequently Asked Questions

To help computers and trackers communicate properly. 

Fitbit certified dongle works with Fitbit trackers although of past gens.

You should if you want to work on your fitness and health.

Just plug it into your computer.

Ezhan Javed

CMO At Chronoat

“What am I if not the words I write?” is something I’ve asked myself quite often. So, I feel it is my duty being CMO at Chronoat to not only write to inform but inspire.

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