Fitbit can now track your activity from your Nexus 6P/5X, no wearable needed

Fitbit is the world’s biggest wearable seller and the reason is clear: Fitbit devices are among the best on the market.

Popular as Fitbit may be, there are hundreds of millions of users out there who have no interest in wearing a tracker on their wrist. Fitbit offers these people the next best thing – the ability to track their activity using just their smartphone.

Called MobileTrack, the feature has been around for a while and is available on devices that feature low-power coprocessor chips designed to analyze and interpret phone movements, like the periodic thumps of running or the sway of riding a bike.

In the latest update to its Android app, Fitbit added MobileTrack support for the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X, both of which feature the Android Sensor Hub coprocessor. This means that you can now add your smartphone to the list of devices that track your physical activities. To do that, select Devices in the side menu, tap on the “+” button, and then “Add new device” and “MobileTrack.”

Once you’ve set up your phone, Fitbit will start collecting data about your activities, even when you’re not logged into the app. Your battery life could potentially incur a hit, but, in theory, it shouldn’t be too bad.

You obviously won’t be able to track your heart rate, and the floor-counting feature is also disabled, due to the lack of a barometer.

You can use Fitbit with just your smartphone or in conjunction with a Fitbit tracker, like the Blaze, Alta, or Charge HR. Wearables can track data more accurately, but if you just want the basics and don’t care too much about precision, then MobileTrack could suffice.

Anyone here using Fitbit for fitness tracking? Let us know how it is.