If you notice that your Fitbit steps, calories, or distance take a long time to appear in Pacer or that only part of your activity shows up, this article will help. It explains how the Fitbit–Pacer connection works, why data sometimes arrives slowly, and how to fix delays and missing data.
How Fitbit syncing works with Pacer
Pacer doesn’t read data directly from your Fitbit device. Instead, the flow of data is:
Fitbit device → Fitbit app
Your tracker must sync with the Fitbit mobile app on your phone. If the Fitbit app hasn’t updated your device’s steps, Pacer will see no new data.
Fitbit app → Fitbit servers
After you sync your device, the Fitbit app uploads your data to Fitbit’s cloud.
Fitbit servers → Pacer
Pacer queries Fitbit’s servers to pull your latest steps and other activity. Because the data travels through a third‑party server, there can be delays of 10–60 minutes before totals update.
Some important rules of the Fitbit integration:
Only recent data is imported
Steps and activities are synced starting from the day you link your Fitbit to Pacer; previous days are not pulled in.
Manual activities don’t count
Manually logged activities in your Fitbit account will sync but do not count toward Pacer challenges and group rankings.
Hourly charts are unavailable
Fitbit does not provide hour‑by‑hour data to Pacer, so 24‑hour charts in the Pacer app remain empty.
Common causes of delays or missing data
Fitbit hasn’t synced to the Fitbit app.
If your watch or band hasn’t synced with the Fitbit app, there’s nothing for Pacer to import.
Data is older than your connection date.
Pacer ignores steps from before you linked your Fitbit account. Disconnecting and reconnecting resets the start date, so you may lose days of data.
Permissions or account mismatch.
If you didn’t grant Pacer permission to access your Fitbit data or if you connected the wrong Fitbit account, your steps won’t sync.
Pacer isn’t set as the primary source.
In Pacer’s Apps & Devices or Steps Data Source settings, ensure Use Fitbit as Primary Data Source is enabled.
Apps are outdated or the phone needs a reboot.
An outdated Pacer or Fitbit app or a stuck Bluetooth connection can cause partial syncs; updating and restarting often fixes this.
Server delays.
Fitbit’s servers sometimes queue data for processing, so there can be a delay of around ten minutes (or up to an hour) before third‑party apps like Pacer receive your latest steps.
Step‑by‑step troubleshooting
Follow these steps in order. After each step, check whether your data appears in Pacer.
Sync your Fitbit device with the Fitbit app.
Open the Fitbit app and verify that your tracker has synced. If the Fitbit app doesn’t show your current steps, Pacer can’t import them.
Open Pacer and refresh the sync.
After your Fitbit app shows your steps, launch Pacer. Swipe up on the Home screen, look for the Fitbit syncing area, and check the last sync time. Tap the refresh button to force a sync.
Allow some time.
Synced data usually appears in 10–15 seconds but could take longer. Because the data travels through Fitbit’s servers, a complete daily total may update around 10 minutes to an hour later.
Update and restart.
Make sure both Pacer and the Fitbit app are updated to their latest versions. If you still see missing data, restart your phone.
- Confirm the correct Fitbit account and permissions.
- In Pacer app, go to Settings → Steps Data Source → Fitbit – In Use. Check that the Connected Fitbit Account matches your Fitbit user ID.
- In the Fitbit app, open Profile → Your data in Fitbit → Connected apps and confirm Pacer is listed with permission to access your activity data.
Reconnect the Fitbit integration.
If steps are still missing, disconnect and reconnect Pacer:
- In Pacer, open Settings and deactivate the Fitbit connection.
- Reconnect by selecting Fitbit again, logging in to your Fitbit account, and granting permissions.
Avoid frequent disconnects.
Reconnecting resets the sync start date and can cause earlier steps to disappear. Only disconnect when necessary.
Contact Pacer Support.
If none of these steps resolve the issue, reach out to Pacer support through the Feedback portal in Pacer’s Settings menu. Include your Fitbit user ID, phone model, Pacer version, and the dates affected.
Final checklist
- Make sure your Fitbit device has synced to the Fitbit app.
- Launch Pacer and refresh the sync.
- Allow some time – data may take up to an hour to appear.
- Update both apps and restart your phone.
- Verify the correct Fitbit account and permissions.
- Avoid disconnecting unless necessary.
- Still missing data? Contact Pacer Support.
By following these steps, your Fitbit data should appear promptly and completely in Pacer.