Fitbit Alta HR - Heart Rate and Fitness Tracker Manual

Also See for Alta HR:

Product manual (40 pages)

User manual (39 pages)

Manual (11 pages)

Table of Contents

Contents

1 Get started
2 Wear the Device
3 Basics
4 Notifications
- 4.1 Set up notifications
- 4.2 See incoming notifications
5 Timekeeping
6 Activity Tracking
7 Update the Device
8 Troubleshooting
- 8.1 Heart-rate signal missing
- 8.2 Other issues
9 General Info and Specifications
10 Documents / Resources
- 10.1 References
- 10.2 Download manual

Fitbit Alta HR - Heart Rate and Fitness Tracker Manual

Get started

Welcome to Fitbit Alta HR, the heart rate wristband that motivates you to reach your goals in style. Take a moment to review our complete safety information at fitbit.com/safety .

What's in the box

Your Alta HR box includes:

The detachable bands on Alta HR come in a variety of colors and materials, sold separately.

Charge your unit

A fully-charged Alta HR has a battery life of up to 7 days. Battery life and charge cycles vary with use and other factors; actual results will vary.

To charge Alta HR:

Plug the charging cable into the USB port on your computer, or a UL-certified USB wall charger, or another low-energy charging device.
Clip the other end of the charger into the port on the back of Alta HR. The pins of the charging cable must be lined up with the charging port on Alta HR and securely locked into place. You'll know the connection is secure when the tracker vibrates and you see a battery icon on the screen.

Charging fully takes up to 2 hours. While the tracker charges, tap it to check the battery level. A fully charged tracker shows a solid battery icon.

Set up with your phone

Set up Alta HR with the Fitbit app for iPhones and iPads or Android phones. The Fitbit app is compatible with most popular phones and tablets. For more information, see fitbit.com/devices.

To get started:

Download the Fitbit app:

Apple App Store for iPhones
Google Play Store for Android phones

Install the app, and open it.

If you already have a Fitbit account, log in to your account > tap the Today tab > your profile picture > Set Up a Device.
If you don't have a Fitbit account, tap Join Fitbit to be guided through a series of questions to create a Fitbit account.

Continue to follow the on-screen instructions to connect Alta HR to your account.

When you're done with setup, read through the guide to learn more about your new tracker and then explore the Fitbit app.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

See your data in the Fitbit app

Open the Fitbit app on your phone to view your activity and sleep data, log food and water, participate in challenges, and more.

Wear the Device

Place Alta HR around your wrist. If you purchased another band, see the instructions in "Change the band" on the facing page.

Placement for all-day wear vs exercise

Placement for all-day wear
When you're not exercising, wear Alta HR a finger's width above your wristbone.

For optimized heart-rate tracking while exercising:

During a workout, experiment with wearing the device higher on your wrist (3 finger widths) for an improved fit. Many exercises such as bike riding or weight lifting cause you to bend your wrist frequently, which could interfere with the heart-rate signal if the watch is lower on your wrist.
Wear your Fitbit device on top of your wrist, and make sure the back of the device is in contact with your skin.
Consider tightening your band before a workout and loosening it when you're done. The band should be snug but not constricting (a tight band restricts blood flow, potentially affecting the heart-rate signal).

Wrist choice and handedness

For greater accuracy, you must specify which wrist you wear Alta HR on, and which hand you consider dominant. Your dominant hand is the one you use for writing and eating. To start, Wrist Placement is set to Left and Handedness is set to Right. Change either setting in the Fitbit app:

From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Alta HR tile > Wrist Placement or Handedness.

Change the band

The wristband has two separate bands (top and bottom) that you can swap with accessory bands sold separately.

Remove a band

Turn over Alta HR and find the band latches.
To release the latch, press down on the flat button on the band.
Slide the band up from the tracker to release it.
Repeat on the other side.

If you're having trouble removing the band or if it feels stuck, gently move the band back and forth to release it.

Attach a new band
Before you attach a new wristband, first identify the top and bottom bands. The top band has a buckle on it and should be attached on the side closest to the charging port. The bottom band has notches in it.
To attach a new band, slide it down on the end of the tracker until you feel it snap into place.
Attaching a new band

Basics

Learn how best to navigate, check the battery level, and care for your tracker.

Navigate the Unit

Alta HR has an OLED tap display that can be oriented horizontally or vertically. You can choose from several clock faces, each with a unique design. Single-tap the display to flip through your stats.
Device OLED display orientation

When you're not using Alta HR the display is dimmed. To wake it up:

Double-tap your tracker.
Turn your wrist towards you. This behavior, known as Quick View, can be turned off in your tracker settings.

Tap your tracker
For best results, tap your tracker where the screen meets the band.

Check battery level

If your battery is low, when you wake up your Alta HR you'll see a low battery icon after a few seconds. If you see a critical battery icon you'll be unable to navigate to any of the tracker screens until you charge your tracker. Your tracker continues to track your activity until your battery runs out. Note that heart rate tracking will stop when your battery level is at approximately 5%.
Checking the battery level

You can check your battery level at any time on the battery screen. To see the battery screen you must turn on the battery menu item in the Fitbit app.

Change the clock face

Alta HR comes with several clock faces. To change your clock face:

From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Alta HR tile.
Tap Clock Display.
Swipe left and right to browse the available clock faces. Tap Choose to switch to the selected clock face.

Adjust the heart rate setting

Your Alta HR tracks your heart rate automatically and continuously. The heart rate setting has three options:

Auto (default)—Heart rate tracking is active when you're wearing your tracker.
Off—Heart rate tracking is off.
On—Heart rate tracking is on regardless of whether you're wearing your tracker.

To change your heart rate setting:

From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Alta HR tile.
Tap Heart Rate.
Select a setting.

Care for the Unit

It's important to clean and dry Alta HR regularly. For more information, see fitbit.com/productcare .

Notifications

Alta HR can show call, text, and calendar notifications from your phone to keep you informed. Keep your tracker within 30 feet of your phone to receive notifications.

Set up notifications

Check that Bluetooth on your phone is on and that your phone can receive notifications (often under Settings > Notifications). Then set up notifications:

From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Alta HR tile.
Tap Notifications.
Follow the on-screen instructions to pair your tracker if you haven't already. Call, text, and calendar notifications are turned on automatically.

Note that if you have an iPhone, Alta HR shows notifications from all calendars synced to the Calendar app. If you have an Android phone, Alta HR shows calendar notifications from the calendar app you choose during setup.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

See incoming notifications

When your phone and Alta HR are within range, a notification causes the tracker to vibrate and the notification to appear on the display. If the display is off, turn your wrist towards you or double-tap to wake it up. The notification is only available for 1 minute after you receive it. If you have more than one unread notification, you'll see a plus sign (+) icon.

Phone calls—the name or number of the caller scrolls 3 times.
Text messages—the sender's name and message scroll once.
Calendar alerts—the time and name of the event scroll once.

Note: Your device shows the first 40 characters of the notification. Check your phone for the full message.

Timekeeping

Alarms vibrate to wake or alert you at a time you set. Set up to 8 alarms to occur once or on multiple days of the week.

Set an alarm
Alta HR vibrates to wake or alert you with an alarm. Set and delete alarms in the Fitbit app. When the alarm goes off, double-tap the tracker to dismiss it.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Activity Tracking

Alta HR continuously tracks a variety of stats whenever you wear it. Data automatically syncs when in range of the Fitbit app throughout the day.

See your stats

From the clock face, tap the screen to see your daily stats:

Steps taken
Current heart rate
Distance covered
Calories burned
Active minutes

Find your complete history and other information detected by your tracker, such as sleep data, in the Fitbit app.

Track a daily activity goal

Alta HR tracks your progress toward a daily activity goal of your choice. When you reach your goal, your tracker vibrates and shows a celebration.

Choose a goal
Set a goal to help you get started on your health and fitness journey. To begin, your goal is 10,000 steps per day. Choose to increase or decrease the number of steps, or to change your goal to distance, calories burned, or active minutes.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Track your hourly activity

Alta HR helps you stay active throughout the day by keeping track of when you're stationary and reminding you to move.

Reminders nudge you to walk at least 250 steps each hour. You feel a vibration and see a reminder on your screen at 10 minutes before the hour if you haven't walked 250 steps.

When you meet the 250-step goal after receiving the reminder, you feel a second vibration and see a celebration.

Turn on reminders to move in the Fitbit app.

For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Track your sleep

Wear Alta HR to bed to automatically track your time asleep, and sleep stages (time spent in REM, light sleep, and deep sleep). To see your sleep stats, sync your tracker when you wake up and check the Fitbit app.

Set a sleep goal

To start, you have a sleep goal of 8 hours of sleep per night. Customize this goal to meet your needs.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Set a bedtime reminder

The Fitbit app can recommend consistent bedtimes and wake times to help you improve the consistency of your sleep cycle. Turn on bedtime reminders to be reminded nightly when it's time to start getting ready for bed.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Learn about your sleep habits

Alta HR tracks several sleep metrics including when you go to bed, how long you're asleep, and your time spent in each sleep stage. Track your sleep with Alta HR and check the Fitbit app to understand how your sleep patterns compare to your peers.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Track your exercise automatically

Alta HR automatically recognizes and records many high-movement activities which are at least 15 minutes long. Sync your device to see basic stats about your activity in your exercise history.
For more information, including how to change the minimum duration before an activity is tracked, see help.fitbit.com .

Check your heart rate

Heart-rate zones help you target the training intensity of your choice. Alta HR shows your current zone and progress toward your maximum heart rate next to your heart-rate reading. In the Fitbit app, you can see your time spent in zones during a particular day or exercise. Three zones based on American Heart Association recommendations are available, or you can create a custom zone if you have a specific heart rate you're targeting.

Default heart-rate zones

Default heart-rate zones are calculated using your estimated maximum heart rate. Fitbit calculates your maximum heart rate with the common formula of 220 minus your age.

Icon	Zone	Calculation	Description
	Out of Zone	Below 50% of your maximum heart rate	Your heart rate may be elevated, but not enough to be considered exercise.
	Fat Burn	Between 50% and 69% of your maximum heart rate	This is alow-to-medium intensity exercise zone. Thiszone may be a good place to start for those new to exercise. It's called the Fat Burnzone because a higher percentage of caloriesare burned from fat, but the total calorie burnrate is lower.
	Cardio	Between 70% and 84% of your maximum heart rate	This is amedium-to-high intensity exercise zone. In this zone you're pushing yourself but not straining. For most people this is the exercise zone to target.
	Peak	Greater than 85% of your maximum heart rate	This is a high-intensity exercisezone. This zone is for short intense sessions that improve performance and speed.

Custom heart-rate zones

Set a custom heart-rate zone or a custom max heart rate in the Fitbit app if you have a specific target in mind. For example, elite athletes might have a target that differs from the American Heart Association's recommendations for most people.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

After you complete a workout, sync your tracker with the Fitbit app to share your stats with friends and family.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

View your cardio fitness score

View your overall cardiovascular fitness in the Fitbit app. See your cardio fitness score and cardio fitness level, which shows how you compare to your peers. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap the heart-rate tile, and swipe left to see your detailed cardio fitness stats.
For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Update the Device

Update your tracker to get the latest feature enhancements and product updates.
When an update is available, a notification appears in the Fitbit app. After you start the update, a progress bar appears on Alta HR and in the Fitbit app until the update is complete. Keep your tracker and phone close to each other during the update.

Note: Updating Alta HR takes several minutes and may be demanding on the battery. We recommend plugging your tracker into the charger before starting the update.

For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Troubleshooting

If Alta HR isn't working properly, see our troubleshooting steps below. Visit help.fitbit.com for more information.

Heart-rate signal missing

Alta HR continuously tracks your heart rate while you're exercising and throughout the day. If the heart-rate sensor on your tracker has difficulty detecting a signal, dashed lines appear.
Heart-rate signal missing issue

If your device doesn't detect a heart-rate signal, first check the Heart Rate setting in the Fitbit app and make sure it's set to On or Auto. Next, make sure you're wearing your tracker correctly, either by moving it higher or lower on your wrist or by tightening or loosening the band. Alta HR should be in contact with your skin. After holding your arm still and straight for a short time, you should see your heart rate again.

For more information, see help.fitbit.com.

Other issues

If you experience any of the following issues, restart your tracker:

Won't sync
Won't track steps or other data
Won't respond to taps

To restart your tracker:

Plug the charging cable into the USB port on your computer or a UL-certified USB wall charger.
Clip the other end of the charging cable to the port on the back of the tracker. The pins on the charging cable must lock securely with the port. You'll know the connection is secure when the tracker vibrates and you see a battery icon on your tracker's display. The battery icon disappears after three seconds.
Press the button on your charging cable 3 times within 8 seconds, briefly pausing between presses. The button is on the end of the charging cable that is plugged into the computer. When you see the Fitbit logo and the tracker vibrates, this means the tracker has restarted.

After your tracker restarts you can unplug it from the charging cable and put it back on.

For more information or to contact Customer Support, see help.fitbit.com.

General Info and Specifications

Sensors

Fitbit Alta HR contains the following sensors and motors:

A MEMS 3-axis accelerometer, which tracks motion patterns
A vibration motor
An optical heart-rate tracker

Materials

The band that comes with Alta HR is made of a flexible, durable elastomer material similar to that used in many sports watches. It does not contain latex. Accessory bands are available in genuine leather.

The clasp and housing on Alta HR are made of surgical-grade stainless steel. While all stainless steel contains traces of nickel and can cause an allergic reaction in someone with nickel sensitivity, the amount of nickel in all Fitbit products meets the European Union's stringent Nickel Directive.

Wireless technology

Alta HR contains a Bluetooth 4.0 radio transceiver.

Haptic feedback

Alta HR contains a vibration motor for alarms, goals, notifications, and reminders.

Battery

Alta HR contains a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.

Memory

Refer to the following table for information on how long Alta HR stores stats and data in between the times when it syncs. Stored data consists of steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, heart rate, sleep, and stationary vs. active hours.

Type of data	Days stored
Minute-by-minutestats	7
Sleep data	7
Sleep stages	5
SmartTrack data	7
Summary totals	30

Display

Alta HR has an OLED tap display.

Band size

Band sizes are shown below. Note that accessory wristbands sold separately may vary slightly.

Small band	Fits a wrist between 5.5 - 6.7 inches (140 mm - 170 mm) in circumference
Large band	Fits a wrist between 6.7 - 8.1 inches (170 mm - 206 mm) in circumference
Extra large band	Fits a wrist between 8.1 - 9.3 inches (206 mm - 236 mm) in circumference

Environmental conditions

Operating Temperature	14° to 113°F (-10° to 45°C)
Non-operating Temperature	-4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C)
Water Resistance	Splash proof. Do not shower or swim with the device.
Maximum Operating Altitude	30,000 feet (9,144 m)

Learn more

To learn more about your tracker, how to track your progress in the Fitbit app, and how to build healthy habits with Fitbit Premium, visit help.fitbit.com .