Fitbit has issued software updates for its Charge 5 and Luxe health and fitness trackers that now allow you to use them to hunt down your paired smartphone.
Once you've updated your Fitbit Charge 5 or Luxe to version 1.171.50 via the companion phone app, you should then be able to find that Find Phone option in the menus on your band.
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For the feature to work you need to make sure your phone is turned on, you have Bluetooth enabled and the Fitbit app is either open or running the background on your phone. You also need to make sure your tracker is connected to the phone you want to locate.
When everything is correctly set up and you're ready to put it to good use, your phone should make a ringing noise. While the feature has already been available for Fitbit's Versa and Sense smartwatches, it's good to see it's been added to some of Fitbit's cheaper devices as well.
In addition to that Find Phone mode, Fitbit has introduced new clock faces to the Fitbit Gallery for both devices. On the Charge 5, it's also addressing a battery drain issue related to GPS-based exercise tracking that Fitbit says some customers may have experienced with the flagship tracker. We noticed GPS did noticeably drain battery in our Charge 5 testing, so it's good to see Fitbit is doing something about it.
You can also expect general bug fixes in the update as well, which hopefully includes dealing with the Charge 5 Bluetooth connection issues some users were reporting in Fitbit's community forums recently.
The update has started rolling out already so you should now get a prompt in the Fitbit app to update your tracker if it's available in your territory currently.
While not groundbreaking features in wearable terms, it's good to see the now Google-owned outfit is still trying to add value to devices outside of its smartwatches.
We haven't seen a new fitness tracker from Fitbit in 2022, so could it be prepping new ones or will it be focusing on Google's smartwatch ambitions with the Pixel Watch on the way in the Fall? We're certainly intrigued to find out.
Via: 9to5 Google
How we test
By Michael Sawh
Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.
He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.
Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech.
Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.