The Apple Watch is by far the best fitness tracking device that money can buy. Yet the fact remains that not everyone can afford one. Enter, Fitbit.

Fitbits are an affordable alternative to the Apple Watch. They keep tabs on your health metrics and allow you to connect with your community. This is also possible with an Apple Watch, but Fitbits being more common, keep you in the loop. 

So, is it possible for an Apple Watch owner to sync it with a Fitbit account? We share our experience below. 

Can Apple Watch Interact With Fitbit?

Apple Watch and Fitbit are designed to ignore each other. That’s why not only do they refrain from interacting, they never show up in each other’s compatible devices and search results as well. However, you can use a third-party app to force them into talking. This app will collect the data from your Apple Watch and sync it with your Fitbit account.

This answer brings in both bad news and a good one. Sure you can’t link your Apple Watch directly with your Fitbit account, there is a way around it. 

You can get your Apple Watch to interact with your Fitbit account with the help of an intermediary. There are various third-party applications like myFitnessSync or Strava that can make interaction between the Apple Watch and Fitbit app possible. They collect your fitness data from the Apple Watch and transfer it to your Fitbit account. 

The solution is not simple, but it does work. Let’s take Strava for example. If you already have the Strava app on your iPhone, that’s good. If not, you should download and sign up for the service. 

Once you’re in, you’ll see the Getting Started options on the welcome screen. Select Connect a GPS watch or computer. From the list of given devices choose Apple Watch. The next page will show you a Set Up Checklist. Check the options you agree with and tap Finish. On the next page, press Done. 

After your Apple Watch is paired with the Strava app, you can use the application to upload your fitness data on your Fitbit account. Of course, for this to happen you will need the Fitbit app on your iPhone too. Download it from the Apple Store and follow our instructions. 

How To Make Apple Watch Work With Fitbit 

1. Launch the Fitbit app and log in to your account. If you don’t have one already, you can sign up as a new user. 
2. Tap on your profile picture to open account settings. 
3. Scroll down on the Account page until you see the Third Party Apps option. Tap to open it. 
4. On this page press Compatible Apps. 
5. This will take you to the list of compatible apps on fitbit.com. Scroll down to find Strava and press Download on the App Store.
6. On the Strava app page on the App Store, tap open. 
7. Go to the Getting Started page on the Strava. 
8. Press Connect a GPS watch or computer and this time, select Fitbit. 
9. On the next screen, press Connect Fitbit. 
10. You will be prompted to enter your Fitbit credentials. Enter them to log into your account. 
11. Now you’ll be prompted to log into your Strava account. Do so. 
12. The next page will ask you to authorize Fitbit to connect with Strava. Read the information and tap Authorize.
13. Now you’ll need to choose the functions that you would like to be synced between the two apps. When done press Allow. 
14. The next screen will tell how Fitbit and Strava will work together. Read it and press OK, got it. 
15. Another screen with Almost There! on top appears. Read this as well and tap Continue. 
16. The following screen will ask you to grant Strava access 
17. You might receive an error message telling you to try again later. Dismiss it because your accounts should be already linked. 

Now Strava will collect all your fitness data from your Apple Watch and upload it on your Fitbit dashboard. This is surely an inconvenient method, but is the only way to get your Apple Watch to interact with your Fitbit account. 

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