Charge 2 GPS distance inaccuracy after 2.66 - RESOLVED w/ 2.67.1

[AlessFitbit]

Fitbit Update: 3/12/18

Hey, there!

I wanted to check-in with everyone as it seems that GPS distance and accuracy has improved with version 2.67. Thanks for letting me know that its better!

Today, we released the Fitbit for Android app version 2.67.1. Please update the app and let me know how it goes with this version. As always, we recommend updating whenever there is a new app version released as this ensures your tracker works as expected.  

If this continues even on the latest version, I'll need to gather some more specific data from some of you to pass this along to our engineers. Thanks for all your help and cooperation! 

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Fitbit Update: 2/21/18

Thanks for all the responses! 

As mentioned, this issue with Connected GPS has been escalated to the appropriate team for investigation. I would really appreciate everyone's patience in the meantime. When a fix is in the works, I'll make sure to update you all here. Stay tuned for any updates! 

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Fitbit Update: 2/16/18

Thanks for all the great information, everyone! I have merged in some additional threads to get one unified conversation. 

I really appreciate you all taking the time to share the details of your current experience with Android app: 2.66. I understand how important accuracy is to all of you. This has been escalated to our team for review! I will provide updates here in this thread when more information becomes available. Thanks for your help. 

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 Hi, everyone!

Thanks for reporting and bringing this to my attention. Sorry to hear that you are all getting inaccurate distance measurements after recording GPS Runs with your Charge 2. 

Please help me narrow down and confirm the following:

-Did this issue begin with the last Fitbit for Android app version: 2.66?

-Is this distance discrepancy also happening with Mobilerun or only when using Connected GPS? 

-Which error message are you seeing on the tracker, if any? 

If you haven't already, please try a restart and take a look through this help article for more troubleshooting suggestions. Let me know if this changes anything or the same issue persist! 

[hevs]

My charge 2 hasn't been recording my distance accurately  for a few days now. I do the same walks most days so I know what distance they should be. I use the multi sport function to record them and I always have my Samsung phone with me to connect to GPS. I reset my tracker when I charged it last night and it still was considerably incorrect again today. How I do resolve this?

Thank you 

[JohnnyRow]

Do you get a map of your walk?  I'm just wondering if you are truly using connected-GPS.  (If not, that doesn't solve distance discrepancy, but one step at a time.)  Do you get the GPS icon (don't know how to describe) at top right of Charge 2 while walking?

[GutterIsATool]

I've encountered this problem out of the blue the last two days. Yesterday, it registered my normally ~3.5 mile walk as 1.7 miles. Today on my walk, it's doing the same thing. I even mapped my walk on Google Maps to confirm the distance. The GPS didn't cut out during the walk, but it only seems to be recording about half though it all shows up on the Fitbit app.

[hevs]

Hi,

Yes, still get a map of the walk and I do have the symbol to say I am connected to GPS. It has happened on three walks now that I do regularly. I haven't done anything differently to usual. 

[hscott72]

I'm having this problem too. My GPS is wrong for the last 2 days runs. Yesterday the route was wrong. Today the route was right but distance wrong. I also noticed that I suddenly get a 'ready' press any button after I start the run. Seems like an update gone wrong? Elevation information also seems to be gone.

[hevs]

Hi hscott72,

Mine does show the correct route on the map but the distance is always wrong. It then means that my splits are incorrect and show my times as being a lot slower than I am. I wouldn't normally be bothered much but I started jogging a few weeks ago and would really like to know how far I jog and correct times. I'm doing my second parkrun tomorrow so I feel a bit frustrated that this has happened. 

[GutterIsATool]

I just went back and checked my steps versus previous walks along the same route, and the steps are roughly the same. It's just my distance that has changed...roughly by half.

[Wootwootlolo]

I experienced something similar today. So far I've been pretty pleased as my fitbit has been pretty accurate, however, today i ran 3.8 miles. The steps, map, and time were correct, but the distance said 2.5. This is a big difference. Coincidentally, the same appeared on my strava app. I'm wondering if the GPS on the phone went out because it was connected to my phone. Or of there is a glitch in an update???? Hoping it won't happen again. 

[GeoffreyM]

Hello,

I have also very low GPS with Charge 2 and Android on Vernee Thor E, which is unfortunately known for its bad GPS cheap, nevertheless precision while using Runkeeper on the same phone is way better.

In red is the road as seen from Fitbilt, while blue is the real road...

Is your map accurate from Fitbit dashboard?

I suspect Charge 2 to use Android location service and not getting data straight from the GPS, problem Android might not be using GPS and provide location from mobile network instead (way less accurate)... I'm currently looking for a way to force GPS on the phone to stay active to see if map / distance will be better.

[hevs]

Hi GeoffreyM,

There's a big difference on your map between the two. My maps are accurate and do show the routes I have walked. I went to a parkrun this morning and the route on the map was spot on but it was only recorded as 1.8 miles instead of 3 miles. I'm not sure if it is related but my cardio fitness score dropped considerably after the parkrun too, probably as my splits were incorrect.

I still haven't had a reply from fitbit yet so I have no idea how to solve this.

[lonnyl]

Same problem here, it is roughly 25% short of what it should be.  I track with both Fitbit and Runtastic and the two have always been almost exact.  This also has my Cardio fitness rating all screwed up. 

[yaak]

I took 2 cells phones and myself for a walk. One set to Fitbit app the other to Strava app.

Clearly the Fitbit GPS is faulty. This inaccuracy naturally  gets added to the total distance walked and why there is a .4 mile difference between the 2 apps.

[Larrs]

I have exactely the same problem! I have had mine charge 2 for almost a year, and this problem was not from the beginning. I don't know when this problem started, but when I checked my latest runs on the fitbit map the are correct, but the calculation of the distance are NOT!. It must be a bug somewhere!!!

[GemaBM]

I've been having the same problem as you during the last week. What has happened? What do we have to do???

[Shannon_W]

Glad to see I'm not the only one! I've had my fitbit for less than a year, but didn't start using the GPS feature until I started riding my bike around town and on nearby trails last month; first I noticed that the lines on the maps didn't really line up with where I'd go and the distances between different times would vary quite a bit despite being the same routes, now I've had three times where it didn't record GPS/distance or speed at all!

It seems to goof with stairs too; it either doesn't count how many times I've gone upstairs (like to my apartment) or it counts too many times.

Fitbit, please fix this!! 😓

[Ad_B]

Since a couple of days, I guess since last Android app update, I too have the same problems with inaccurate GPS results using my Charge 2 with my Moto G5 Plus.

We walk the same 2.1km path during our lunchbreak and today (Monday) it was only 1.54km, last week on Wednesday it was still 2.07.

(Today vs 5 days ago)

[Larrs]

Hi, I recieved an explanation from fitbit support.

Fitbit trackers calculate distance by multiplying your walking steps and walking stride length. Similarly, your running steps are multiplied by your running stride length. This will not necessarily match a pre-measured distance, nor will it show exactly what a GPS device will show.

You can enter your personal stride length to make the distance calculation more accurate. To measure your stride length, we recommend going to a track or somewhere that you know the exact distance of. Count your steps as you walk across that distance, making sure you travel at least 20 steps. To get your stride length, divide the total distance (in feet) by the number of steps taken. Your running stride can be calculated the same way, only by running a known distance rather than walking.

If you don't input your stride length, the site and tracker will use a default setting based off of your height and gender. As long as you've entered that information, the stride length it uses should be fairly accurate.

[GutterIsATool]

I was already pretty sure this was the case, but it doesn't explain why it suddenly changed a few days ago.

[GutterIsATool]

Furthermore, I considered the stride length thing, but I don't see anywhere in the app to calibrate it.