My Armband will not automatically turn on (also known as Going on Body).
Wear your Armband on the back of the upper left arm (the triceps). To work properly, the BodyMedia logo must face upward towards the shoulder and the silver sensors on the underside of the Armband will be in contact with your skin. Be sure the upper left arm is clean, dry, and free of lotion, and then slide the Armband onto your left arm.
The Armband will turn on and begin collecting data within 10 minutes. Activation is indicated by a series of audio tones. Please note that there is no power button on the Armband.
To check if your Armband is ready to collect data, press the Armband's Status Button. If the Armband beeps, it is working correctly. The Status lights will also indicate whether the Armband is ready to collect data:
- If the Status Light is showing flashing amber, less than 24 hours of battery life or memory remain. Using the provided micro-USB cable, plug the Armband in to charge and upload data.
- If the Status Light is quickly flashing red, the Armband is not able to collect data. Using the provided micro-USB cable, plug the Armband in to charge and upload data.
My Armband is beeping while it is on my arm.
The Armband is designed to be worn on the back of the upper left arm (the triceps) with the logo towards the shoulder and the sensors touching the skin. The strap should be tightened to a comfortable fit. Ensure that the sensors maintain continuous contact with your skin and that the Armband does not slide off your arm.
- Press the Status Button while the Armband is not plugged into your computer.
- If the Status Light is showing flashing amber, less than 24 hours of battery life or memory remain. Using the provided micro-USB cable, plug the Armband in to charge and upload data.
- If the Status Light is quickly flashing red, the Armband is not able to collect data. Using the provided micro-USB cable, plug the Armband in to charge and upload data.
- Reminders may have been set in the Armband. To check reminders, log in to the Activity Manager, select the "Tools" tab and click on 'Reminders' to check this.
When I plug in my Armband, nothing happens.
First, make sure the BodyMedia SYNC is running.
On Windows it should appear as an icon in the Windows System Tray, which is usually located in the lower right corner of your computer screen near the system clock. If SYNC is not running, then, for Windows, click the Start Menu and select All Programs, BodyMedia, SYNC, and BodyMedia SYNC to run the SYNC application.
On MAC the SYNC icon should appear on the right side of your menu bar, which is located along the top of your screen near the system clock. If SYNC is not running select System Preferences - BodyMedia SYNC, then click the "Start BodyMedia SYNC" button.
If SYNC does not launch when you plug in your Armband, try these steps:
- (Windows Only) Windows will play a sound when your Armband is recognized by your computer. Turn up the volume on your computer and then disconnect and reconnect your Armband.
- If nothing happens, then disconnect the USB cable from your computer and plug it into a different USB port.
- If you are using a USB hub, try plugging the cable directly into a USB port on your computer. USB hubs are known to cause connection problems.
- If you have a spare USB cable available, try using that cable instead.
- Disconnect the Armband, reboot your computer and connect the Armband again.
If the Armband does not play a sound and the Status Light flashes red, the Armband is not able to collect data. Using the provided micro-USB cable, plug the Armband in to charge and upload data. When the Status Light is flashing green, your Armband is ready to go.
If your computer is recognizing your Armband and you have already determined that your Armband is operating properly, then the following things should happen when you connect your Armband to the USB cable:
- Your computer should play a sound and, if it is the first time you have connected, display a message about loading device drivers.
- BodyMedia SYNC should popup a window indicating the Armband has been detected and then start synchronizing your data.
If none of these steps have resolved your issue, then prepare a diagnostics file and contact customer support.
I can't connect (pair) to my mobile device.
Please follow the pairing and linking instructions listed here
I received an invalid username or password error upon logging in to the app on my mobile device.
If the mobile device system time is +/- five minutes from our server time (not time zone dependent), you will receive this error.
- iOS: Settings: General: Date & Time. Look for "Set Automatically"
- Android: Settings: Date & Time. Look for "Automatic (Use network provided values)"
After changing these values, you should be able to log in to the app.
My Armband is recording Steps and Activity while driving.
Some car journeys may show steps or increased calories that you wouldn't expect. Accelerating, braking and bumpy road conditions can cause the Armband to think you are performing activities that you are not doing. If you routinely experience high calorie burn during car rides (over 2 METS) we recommend removing the Armband while driving.
My Armband is not recording my exercise activity correctly.
When using certain gym equipment or performing some workouts you may think the Armband gives you less calorie burn then you deserve. This might be because your exercise equipment is giving you a different reading or because you feel as you have been working harder than the Armband's readings indicate. The system is on average 90% correct over the entire day, and there are some specific activities and exercise equipment that give over 90% and some under 90% accuracy. BodyMedia Armbands give you the most accurate calorie burn in the market.*
*data on file
My Armband is not recording all of my Activity while riding a bike or stationary bike.
On a road bike - ensure that you are wearing the Armband correctly.
On a exercise bike, also called a stationary bike, some people may feel they deserve more calories than they get credit for. This can be attributed to the exercise bike's geometry and handle bar style. In this case, just for riding the exercise bike, try wearing the Armband lower on the arm, closer to the elbow than the shoulder, and rotate the Armband a little to the outside of your arm. With your arm hanging at your side (not sitting on the bike or holding the handle bars), the Armband's face would be in line with your wrist watch. When you have finished riding the bike, pull the Armband back to its normal position.
When I plug in my Armband, SYNC reports a Web Services Error.
A Web Services Error means that your computer cannot connect to the BodyMedia servers. Check to see if your computer does indeed have an active Internet connection (bring up a browser and go to any web site to confirm). If SYNC has been working properly and just started experiencing this error, then consider recent changes that might cause SYNC to stop working. Firewalls, antivirus software and proxy servers are frequent causes of network issues.
If the problem persists, then generate a diagnostics file and contact customer support. You will be prompted to attach this diagnostic file in the confirmatory email that will be sent to you after you open a case.
PC instructions for generating a diagnostic file:
- Connect your Armband to the computer and allow the BodyMedia SYNC tool to finish processing (i.e. until it completes successfully or displays an error message).
- With the Armband still connected to the computer, click the BodyMedia SYNC icon and choose "Preferences." The BodyMedia SYNC Preferences window will open.
- Click the Advanced tab, and then click the "Generate Diagnostics File" button.
- In the window that appears, click Start. This will create a file that will be saved to your desktop titled "BodyMediaSYNC-yyyymmdd-hhmm.diag", where yyyymmdd-hhmm represents the date and time that the file was created.
- If you have already created a customer support case for the problem you are experiencing, please attach the diagnostics file to the confirmation email you should have received.
- If you have not created a customer support case, click here.
MAC instructions for generating a diagnostic file:
- First check the following:
- BodyMedia SYNC software is running:
- BodyMedia SYNC icon is visible in your menu bar, which is located along the top of your computer screen near the system clock.
- The Icon may not be visible if disabled in the BodyMedia Preferences which can be found in the System Preference Application.
- The BodyMedia Preferences will allow you to start or stop the BodyMedia SYNC program and the choice will help identify if SYNC is running or not.
- Connect your Armband to the computer and allow the BodyMedia SYNC tool to retrieve the data. When contacting us, please indicate:
- Did the Armband beep (three ascending tones) when you inserted the USB cable?
- Did SYNC begin?
- If you received an error, did it indicate a Web Services Error or Armband Communications Error?
- With the Armband still connected to the computer, click the BodyMedia SYNC icon then go to the Preferences and select the Advanced tab. Next, select the button "Generate Diagnostics File." This will create a date stamped file that will be saved to your desktop titled "BodyMediaSYNC-DIAG-yyyymmdd-hhmmss.tgz".
- Please attach the created file to the confirmatory email that you will receive after you open a case. We will prompt you to do that in our message back to you.
- Note any error messages you receive, if any. If you are attempting to sync from your work computer, please check your IT department policies to verify that your company allows the SYNC software access through all network security and firewalls.
When I plug in my Armband, SYNC reports an Armband Communications Error.
An Armband Communications Error means that SYNC is having problems communicating with your Armband. First disconnect the Armband, wait 10 seconds and try again. Also, confirm the Armband battery is charged. If this is the case, the "battery" light on the Armband will be blinking red. If so, charge the Armband for at least 30 minutes, then disconnect and reconnect it. The Armband should have enough battery life for data synchronization purpose, however, you should charge it fully before wearing. When the "battery" light is blinking green, your Armband is ready to go.
If the problem continues, then prepare a diagnostics file and contact customer support.
I am receiving an error retrieving software updates, or not receiving updates at all.
The issue you are experiencing is normally caused when a firewall application is blocking the update for the BodyMedia software. To correct the issue, please verify that the BodyMedia software has full access to pass through your computer's personnel firewall. Please refer to your Anti-virus/Firewall documentation relevant for your own computer for more information on how configure your firewall to allow access for 3rd party software. You can also download the latest BodyMedia software update from the following link: http://www.bodymedia.com/Downloads-Main
