what do the icons mean on fitbit

3 min read 05-02-2025

Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are packed with features, but understanding all those icons can be tricky. This comprehensive guide breaks down the common Fitbit icons, explaining their meanings and what they tell you about your activity, sleep, and device status.

Understanding Your Fitbit's Icons: A Visual Dictionary

Fitbit devices use a variety of icons to convey information quickly and efficiently. Here's a breakdown of the most frequently encountered icons and what they mean:

Activity Tracking Icons

Steps: A simple walking person icon indicates your step count for the day. Reaching your daily step goal is usually celebrated with a filled-in icon or a celebratory animation.
Distance: This icon typically shows a small map or a curved line representing distance traveled, indicating the total distance covered based on your step count and stride length.
Calories Burned: A flaming icon represents the number of calories you've burned throughout the day through activity and your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
Active Zone Minutes: This icon shows the time spent in your personalized heart rate zones during your workouts, contributing towards your daily or weekly activity goals. Often depicted as concentric circles or a heart rate graph segment.
Floors Climbed: A staircase icon visually represents the number of flights of stairs you've climbed throughout the day. This metric contributes to your overall activity level.
Exercise: A running person or a generic exercise icon indicates a tracked workout session, such as running, swimming, or weight training.

Heart Rate Icons

Heart Rate: A heart icon displays your current heart rate. A consistently high heart rate might prompt a notification on your Fitbit.
Resting Heart Rate: Often displayed as a heart with a horizontal line underneath, indicating your heart rate at rest. Changes in your resting heart rate can reflect fitness levels or health changes.
Heart Rate Zones: Often color-coded concentric circles showing different heart rate zones: Fat Burn, Cardio, Peak. These zones help you optimize workout intensity.

Sleep Tracking Icons

Sleep Stages: Icons often represent the different sleep stages: light sleep (often a crescent moon), deep sleep (often a dark moon), REM sleep (often a wavy line). Fitbit usually displays a sleep graph summarizing these stages.
Sleep Score: This often appears as a numerical score reflecting the quality of your sleep based on factors such as duration, sleep stages, and restfulness. A higher score usually indicates better sleep.
Awake Time: An icon representing a person lying awake in bed indicates periods of wakefulness during the night.
Time Asleep: An icon of a sleeping person usually shows the total duration you spent asleep.

Device Status Icons

Battery: A battery icon displays your device's remaining battery life. Low battery alerts will generally include a warning icon.
Bluetooth Connection: A Bluetooth icon indicates whether your Fitbit is successfully connected to your smartphone. A broken Bluetooth icon indicates a connection issue.
Do Not Disturb: This icon usually shows a crescent moon or a "mute" symbol, indicating that notifications are silenced.
Airplane Mode: An airplane icon indicates that your Fitbit's wireless communication is turned off.
GPS: A GPS icon indicates that the GPS function is actively locating you.

Other Important Icons

Notifications: A bell or notification icon lets you know you have pending messages or calls.
Reminders: A small calendar icon often indicates pending reminders for activity or water intake.
Alarms: A clock icon indicates an alarm has been set on your Fitbit.

Troubleshooting Fitbit Icons

If you're encountering unfamiliar or confusing icons, consult the Fitbit app's help section. You can also check your Fitbit's settings to understand the personalized metrics displayed and customize your notifications. A quick online search of your specific Fitbit model and icon can also provide targeted help.

Remember, the specific icons and their meanings might vary slightly depending on your Fitbit model and the app version you're using. Always refer to your device's manual or the official Fitbit app for the most accurate information.

By understanding these common Fitbit icons, you can more easily interpret your activity, sleep, and device data, making the most of your fitness journey.