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! 

[Gandalf2Grey]

Hello, I am having this huge issue with the biking distance using Fitbit app with my charge 2. In most case, the map registered the biking route correctly, but the app reports 0 miles. It happens all the time. See the picture attached. This one has 2 miles, but only shows 0. 01 mile. My case may be a bit different from the others since I do not see the mileage changes on my fitbit charge 2 device during the cycling session even through the GPS/phone is connected. Have tested out 2.65, 2.66, and 2.67. Same thing. Help please!!! Did I miss something in the settings??

[kimbee383]

The issue has not been fixed, but I used Map My Run, which has a bike settikng, and the information imports seemlessly.  I would prefer to have everything in one place, but it seems like a good workaround for now.

[Gandalf2Grey]

I have recently installed Map My Ride too and like its accuracy in getting the distance/speed/elevation etc.  Were you able to get the heart rate data into Map My Run app? I would like to see the heart rate in association with my run/ride at different speeds/elevations.  

[Jschretz]

I've had the same issues.  It's a route I've checked several times for distance on MapMyRun at about 4.1 miles, including a section with a climb.  Charge2 lost the GPS signal, so it defaulted to steps.  The mileage is modestly accurate on the flat sections (off by about 10%), and completely off on the uphill sections (shorter strides, with the same number of steps). 

What seems really strange is that the tracker recorded an accurate map of the course, but marked the miles incorrectly.   I would expect that the app would resolve the mile markers against a standard GPS/mapping reference.

What has worked is to re-enter the exercise manually based on the tracker stats:  exercise type, start time, duration, and correct distance.  Use the "stopwatch" on the Exercise panel.  You lose the splits and the map, but the distance, pace, and effort (which tracks against both heart rate AND distance) adjust and calulate accurately.   So far, I've been deleting the inaccurate results first.  (Tap on the 3 dots on the Exercise panel to get to the Edit/Delete exercise option.)  If the issue persists, I'll try adding the corrected exercise first.  

If it's an unfamiliar course, I'll try MapMyRun to record/check the distance.

Hopefully, Fitbit can resolve the issue soon.  The responses on the Forum are from users who KNOW that the distances they're getting are wildly incorrect.  If you're a casual/inexperienced excerciser, I'm not sure you're even aware that there's a potential discrepancy.  

[Mcleodmelinda]

HI, 

My fitbit is loosing about 400m over a kilometer. Resulting in a huge inaccuracy on my longer runs. My charge 2 is still on software version 2.22 and i have no idea how to upgrade it or how to have this issue resolved. This discrepency is happening in mobile run, treadmil and with or without GPS tracking activated. Please assist 😞 

[Palmes99]

I've now installed 2.67 from the Play Store and my mileage using GPS run function is now much closer to Strava (Fitbit 6.43 km, Strava 6.7km) maps are exactly the same on both.

Using Strava has opening up a whole new experience for me though, I don't think I'd get another Fitbit now once this one packs up, I'd definitely go for something which can deliver me the type of information Strava does. So thanks for that Fitbit, the experience of losing my GPS mapping for nearly a month or been very useful to help me find a better training tool for me!

[Gandalf2Grey]

OK, I figured this out.  It turns out that if I enable "Keep-alive widget" and "Always connected", I get the almost correct distance.  If I disable "Keep-alive widget", my charge2 frequently loses GPS link and does not get the distance and speed.   

[Grinden]

I've always had both the "Keep-alive widget" and "Always connected" settings enabled and it hasn't been working for me, unless they got switched off by 2.66 and switched on again in the 2.67 update.

I went for a run today with the v2.67 app and, like some other users have mentioned, it seems better but not perfect. I ran Strava as well for comparison. The Fitbit recorded 8.68km and Strava recorded 9.3km. I also plotted the route manually using http://map.meurisse.org/ and that comes out as 9.3km, which agrees with Strava.

However this is much improved on my last v2.66 run, when the Fitbit tracked a 10km run as 3.27km.

[kcronin]

I'm one of the people who reverted to v2.65.1.  I haven't upgraded to v2.67 instead choosing to let others share their experiences first.  I want to share my last two walks.  March 5 measured 3.48 miles and March 6 measured 3.62 miles.  The walk were identical.  (won't let me attach the maps, huh?)  Although the distance measurement is significantly better than it was with v2.66, it isn't perfect.  Perhaps it never was?  The little variation is something I can live with since I use my Charge 2 as a tool toward weight loss and improved health. However, if one was using it as a training tool for racing performance, I can see that this variability would be very annoying.  Maybe FitBit devices with "Connected GPS" simply cannot be accurate enough for those users?  Just sharing my thoughts.  I'll wait until a version of the app is released that claims to specifically address the GPS problem before I update.

[Grinden]

Interesting point. Just compared a couple of my old runs by plotting them manually on http://map.meurisse.org/. One on Feb 9th logged by Fitbit as 8.93km, but plot comes out at 8.56km. Another on Jan 1st, logged by Fitbit as 4.76km, but plot comes out at 4.52km. Both logged run distances are higher than the plotted distance, which is the opposite of what I am seeing now.

[JimP1097]

With the previous version of the app - my distances seemed pretty consistent once it had found the phone and the phone had found the GPS.  Most of my recordings are on my commute, and I also have just the strava app recording as well.  

[whatbestincanad]

That's true!

[whatbestincanad]

Yes, seems too inaccurate. There can be many reasons why this is happening. Try the following, it may work. 

1. Restart the device

2. Update it with the latest version OS if you haven't done in a while

3. Check If your device is charged enough to carry it.

Regards

WBC

[SunsetRunner]

Quick update since downloading 2.67.

Ran 18km today, first 5km very poor tracking pace seemed way too fast for the speed i felt I was running. Just seemed to be luck that the 5km on fitbit lined up with the actual 5km point. The map is all over the shop in the beginning of the run, cutting through field and over hedges etc, whilst i ran solely on the road.

After the 5km point the rest of the route followed perfectly, and the eventual distance lined up with what I expected. Instantaneous pace that is displayed on the charge 2 didn't seem to update as often as it did prior to 2.66. I would have to pick up the pace for an extended periods to see the time drop, previously this had been a very useful gauge of my current pace, now seems more like an average of last 100m.

So in conclusion I would say it's better but still not as good as it used to be...

Bring on 2.68.

[AlessFitbit]

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! 

[Grinden]

That's great, thanks. I'm sure we'll all give it a go and let you know.

Given that all the GPS data appears to be stored in the session data and it is just the distance that is incorrect, is there any possibility of reprocessing the affected exercise sessions to update them with the correct distances?

[kcronin]

I have been researching online GPS issues and have become aware that the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have had GPS issues (many with gps inaccuracy in this thread report they are using an S7). Some individual phones are spot on with GPS performance and some units have accuracy issues.  Reading the Samsung forums there are many suggested fixes that include setting adjustments to sending the unit in for GPS antenna repairs.  I remark on this because I believe that the "connected GPS" performance cannot be more accurate than the imbedded GPS antenna performance on the phone (Moderator - Correct me if I'm wrong).  I've looked for GPS accuracy specifications and haven't found any published (ie +/- 0.1 miles) for either the S7 specs or the FitBit specs.  I have read that the Ionic (with embedded GPS) also has some distance discrepancies.  The new Versa will apparently use "connected GPS" (my understanding that an embedded GPS in a watch adds to weight, bulk and cost).  I just wanted to share.  I have chosen to update to 2.67.1 and I'll review my stats and post the results.  However, I'm expecting some variances from day to day and area to area.  

[Mootje_K]

There's nothing wrong with GPS on Galaxy S7 itself. Every other app works just fine. Runkeeper, google maps, ... they all do what they're supposed to do. A while back I installed an old version of the FitBit app (via the link that someone posted here a while ago and which has since been removed) and all the problems I had with GPS and connectivity have since evaporated. This problem is clearly linked to an issue with the version of the FitBit app that rolled out in the first week of february.
I really don't understand how hard it can be to admit there is a problem with the app and to make the old version available again until the poblem is fixed...

[Palmes99]

Well said Mootje_k!

I loved my Fitbit, but now it is next to useless as a trading tool, I now call it my s**tbit! It needs to be accurate (I accept any GPS is not 100%).

I'm very disappointed and a little surprised that such a large market leading company can take so long to put this right! 

[Thejay]

Excuse me may I ask you. What is your versions for this problem?