Why Does Fitbit Think I’m Swimming?
Fitbits are one of the most popular smartwatches available today.
However, this doesn’t mean they’re perfect.
Like other devices, Fitbits can suffer from glitches.
They can also take time and real effort to get familiar with, but once you learn the ins and outs of your new device, they can help you with your exercise routines and lead you to a healthier lifestyle.
Users of the Fitbit Versa 3 have reported an issue where their watch is stuck in swim mode.
Luckily, there is an easy fix for this.
Why Does Fitbit Think I’m Swimming?
Fitbits, especially the Versa 3, sometimes mistakenly think the user is swimming. A quick fix is to exit swim mode by double-clicking the side button. Then, you want to make sure your software is up to date. You can toggle swim mode off entirely under your settings, or a factory reset should also fix the issue.
You can also learn exactly how to turn swim mode off on other Fitbits by reading below.
How do you Turn off Swim Mode on Versa 3
Don’t panic if your Versa 3 is stuck in swim mode.
Some users have successfully corrected this issue by factory resetting their Fitbit, but this simply isn’t necessary.
There’s an easier way to fix this issue – an issue that doesn’t involve factory resetting and erasing all of your settings and data.
The cause of the issue was a recent update. It added the ability to lock swim mode in place.
This feature was intended to keep the device in swim mode between short breaks.
However, it has created a headache for many users, preventing their Fitbit from accurately tracking steps taken.
The easy way to get out of swim lock mode is to simply double-tap the side button on the Versa 3.
It’s important to do the tap at the right speed too.
Think of double-clicking something with a mouse.
You’ll want to simulate that action to turn swim lock mode off.
Tapping too slow or too fast won’t turn off swim mode. If you are having trouble turning off swim mode, try tapping at different intervals.
You’ll eventually learn the right pattern and get your phone in full functionality.
How do I get my Fitbit off Swim Mode on Other Models?
There are many different versions of Fitbit, but thankfully the software is nearly identical for all models.
This makes it easy for users to have multiple Fitbit devices for different activities, and best of all, it makes finding settings extremely easy.
Swim mode does much more than track your laps around the pool.
It also locks the screen to stop the water from pressing buttons on the screen.
It’s easy to turn on and off swim mode on Fitbits.
It’s similar on all devices but does vary slightly depending on the model.
Just slide down to get to your quick settings, just scroll your device until you see the water lock option and tap it.
If you don’t see this option, then your Fitbit is not waterproof and shouldn’t be taken in the water.
Some models of Fitbit require the user to make hard presses on the screen to turn off swim lock.
Despite the screen not being responsive to touch while in swim lock mode, two quick, hard presses to the center of the screen will toggle off swim lock and give back full functionality of the device.
The swim lock is useful outside the pool too.
It’s sometimes required to take your Fitbit off and put it in your pocket.
Placing it in swim lock mode ensures you don’t accidentally hit your screen while it’s stored in the pocket.
Does Fitbit Track Swimming Accurately
As useful as a Fitbit is, it doesn’t always track swimming accurately.
It works best for users when they swim in the freestyle of swimming
Fitbit doesn’t hide this fact either.
They’ve expressed in their own advertisements that Fitbit is best used in conjunction with freestyle swimming.
A Fitbit can report incorrect data in several instances. There are also ways to make sure your Fitbit is giving you accurate data.
Firstly, you may notice your lap count isn’t correct. This happens when pauses are made during the course of a lap.
Making mid-lap pauses is necessary sometime.
People cramp, need oxygen, or simply tire out during a lap.
The Fitbit can consider these pauses to be the start of a new lap.
People who kick while swimming will see an issue with their Fitbit too.
The legs and arms don’t always move the same amount of times while swimming, and your feet may be doing the majority of the work.
This causes the Fitbit, which counts swimming based on arm movement, to underestimate exactly how much a person is swimming.
The final big issue is switching swimming styles.
A popular method for swimming laps is to do half your lap in one swimming style and the second half.
This will absolutely drive your Fitbit insane.
It will be unable to track accurately, and you won’t know how many laps you actually swam.
A good alternative is to switch swimming methods every lap other than in the middle of a lap.
How does my Fitbit know I’m Swimming?
Some Fitbits, such as the Fitbit Flex 2, don’t have a proper display.
These devices rely solely on automated exercise recognition software to know what type of exercise you are doing.
However, this setting isn’t turned on by default on most devices.
You’ll have to calibrate your Fitbit with the Fitbit App before this feature works correctly.
You’ll also have to calibrate the length of the pool to get an accurate lap count.
The Fitbit will measure how far you are swimming and count a certain distance as a single lap.
Calibrating the Fitbit is easy. Just go to the Fitbit App on your mobile phone and click the Account icon. Goto Goals then Exercise.
Select Swimming and now click Auto-Recognize.
Now go back to the Account icon, click on Settings, and click Advanced Settings.
Select Swim Settings and enter the length of the pool. The app allows users to select either meters or yards.
Which Fitbits can I take in the Pool?
Almost no devices are completely waterproof.
Accidents can happen that cause water to creep into the phone, and devices are typically only water resistant up to a certain pressure.
The Fitbit Ace 2, the Fitbit Versa 1, 2, and 3, the Fitbit Charge 3, Fitbit Inspire, and the Fitbit Ionic are some of the popular models for swimmers.
They offer great water resistance and are more than suitable for swimming in a pool.
Most Fitbits are water resistant up to 50 meters.