Do Fitness Trackers Have To Be Connected To a Phone?

Those looking to buy fitness trackers often wonder if they can use them without smartphones. Let’s cut to the chase: yes, you can use fitness trackers sans phones. Electronics generally operate these devices’ main features. That means you can access data from them via a built-in digital display and not necessarily through a phone.

That said, some fitness trackers don’t perform as well without being paired with a mobile. It’s important to note several important factors before deciding if a fitness tracker is better off with or without a smartphone.

In case you’ve decided to forego the smartphone pairing, there are high-quality models at Beat EMF that should be to your liking. However, note that there isn’t a broad range of these products available. They also usually operate using the simple-pedometer method that doesn’t require any application or accompanying device whatsoever. That means they’re cheap and might not give you much in terms of functionality.

If Not With a Smartphone, Then With What?

Maybe you want to give someone a tracker without having to wonder if he or she has a smartphone to use it with. You might also be looking for a gift for someone who doesn’t use smartphones that much and prefers to use the tracker as it is. There are all sorts of reasons that fitness trackers should work alone or with other devices as they do with smartphones.

Of course, you still have to use the fitness tracker with something, right? If not with a phone, you can track your fitness in this accessory using the following:

Computer

Fitness trackers may have been designed to work most efficiently with a smartphone, but you can pair their tracking software with other devices. For instance, the most popular models come with accessories, such as dongles and USB chargers, that you can connect to personal computers. Even with a computer pairing, one can still download updates and applications for tracking trends long term.

Nevertheless, while tracker-computer matchups work well most of the time, some models will still require a smartphone for the initial account setup. People usually navigate this part by asking their tech-expert friend or family member to do the job. Once that’s done, you can forget about your smartphone and start using the PC with your fitness tracker.

Simple Pedometer

Before there were fitness trackers, there were pedometers. These devices, which can be clipped on to the waists of walkers and joggers alike, stored data directly in their systems. They basically only show the numbers of steps taken and don’t really require you to set up an initial user account. You can’t sync them with the internet or your smartphone, either.

That said, if you have no problem going the path of the simple-pedometer user, then using your fitness tracker sans cellphone should be a breeze. You can do things the old school way by simply recording all your exercises in a diary or book.

All the info you need from your fitness tracker is displayed on the screen, so once you write it all down, there’ll really be no need for any kind of technological input.

What Happens When You Don’t Use a Smartphone?

Since smartphones are everywhere, manufacturers of fitness trackers have been creating models that integrate optimally with their own phones. That means optimal functionality is mostly achieved through a fitness tracker and smartphone pairing of the same brand. Through this matchup, you potentially get the following benefits:

• History Tracking on an Exceptional Level: When synced to your phone, you can track data over longer periods instead of just one week with a non-mobile pairing.
• Sleep Tracking: Tracking sleep activity is usually only possible by syncing to a smartphone.
• Receive Notifications: When connected to your phone, your fitness tracker will alert you to any incoming texts, calls, and application messages.
• Control Music: You can operate your music player through your fitness tracker.
• Access to More Features: A smartphone’s compatibility with fitness trackers is a lot higher compared to other devices.
• Tracking Data You Can’t Track Normally: Calorie intake and specific exercise details are pieces of information you only usually get when you sync to a smartphone.

Basically, you’d be missing a lot when you don’t pair your fitness tracker with a smartphone. That said, you might not need all the details this matchup has to offer, either. You could be fine with the basic details and not mind listing things down.

Picking the Fitness Tracker for You

There are plenty of ways a smartwatch can upgrade your fitness journey. It can help you keep track of the important details surrounding your progress, which allows you to shape your next moves. That said, whether or not you should go phoneless with this accessory depends on the information you need. If you’re fine with having the basic details shown on screen, you might not need a phone except for setting up the initial user account.