FitBit App 4.19 Problem with GPS Dropping After 10 minutes

[bennor]

Phone: Moto G Power 2022
Phone Android version: 12
FitBit App version: 4.19
FitBit Device: Charge 6
Charge 6 version 66.20001.202.96
Charge 6 GPS: Phone
FitBit App Location Permission: Allow only while using the app
FitBit App Location Permission: Use precise location: enabled (on)
FitBit App Battery usage: Unrestricted

Issue:
When Fitbit App Location Permission set to "Allow only while using the app", the FitBit Charge 6 indicates the GPS connection has been dropped after 10 minutes (consistantly) when doing a Exercise > Walk. The Charge 6 indicates a message on screen when the FitBit App GPS connection drops. Don't have exact Charge 6 on screen message unfortunately. Have to stop the exercise and restart the Exercise > Walk on Charge 6 to reestablish the GPS connection which works for 10 minutes then drops again. The FitBit App , when viewing the exercise activity, shows no GPS map for most of the entries that have a dropped 10 minute period.

When FitBit App Location Permission set to "Allow all the time", the exercise activity properly maintains and tracks GPS. There are no GPS drops.

Is the FitBit App GPS location option "Allow only while using the app" not (or no longer) supported? Or are users supposed now to have the location set to "Allow all the time" on the FitBit App when the Charge 6 is configured for "GPS: Phone"? Meaning the app has location access even when not connected to or being used by the Charge 6.

[Rich_Laue]

Are you leaving the Fitbit app running in the background @bennor If the Fitbit app is open, with the UI displayed, ive noticed tha GPS fails when the screen times out. The timeout default is usually 10 minutes. 

You could try with location only when using the app. Then restart phone, without opening the fitbit app. Go for a walk. Only the Fitbit Background systems will be running. 

BTW: Fitbit always has something running in the background 

[bennor]

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@Rich_Laue wrote:

Are you leaving the Fitbit app running in the background

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No. Normally I just start the exercise tracking from the Charge 6 screen. I don't manually open the Fitbit app prior to doing exercise tracking. I do plan on doing some more experimenting when the chance presents itself as I don't recall this being an issue until recently (past week or two). Fully understand that apps like the Fitbit app may run in the background.

[bennor]

Some more testing:
Set FitBit App location to "Allow only while using the app" then rebooted cell phone.
After reboot started Walk Exercise on Charge 6. After 10 minutes GPS drop indicated on Charge 6.
Stopped Exercise. Opened Fitbit App on phone and left app running (main visible app). Started new Exercise Walk. Completed walk over an hour later with no GPS drop.

Next day:
Set FitBit App location to "Allow only while using the app" and left it running (main visible app). Started new Exercise Walk. 10 minutes later, GPS dropped.
Set FitBit App location to "Allow all the time" and restarted Exercise Walk. No GPS drop during the entire hour of Exercise.

When notified on the Charge 6 of the GPS dropping. After the GPS drop text notice, the screen has a red GPS icon in the top right corner of the Charge 6 screen as indicated in the picture:

GPS Drop Indication Charge 6

[Rich_Laue]

The Charge 6 dropping GPS doesn't mean that it has stopped recording an exercise, it means that it stopped tracking your location. 

With the below, did you start the exercise from the Fitbit app on the phone? Or Charge 6

Opened Fitbit App on phone and left app running (main visible app). Started new Exercise Walk. Completed walk over an hour later with no GPS drop.

if the Charge 6 is using its built in GPS then location settings in the app doesn't matter. However the Charge 6 has a much smaller antenna then the phone, and is more susceptible to interference. GPS is a line of sight, clouds, trees, buildings can cause problems. 

Have you tried letting the tracker detect your walk? You can set this up so that GPS will used. 

[bennor]

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@Rich_Laue wrote:

With the below, did you start the exercise from the Fitbit app on the phone? Or Charge 6

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Started the exercise on the Charge 6. The Charge 6's GPS setting is configure for Phone to save on the Charge 6's battery usage.

The issue appears to be with the FitBit app since if I set the app location to "Allow all the time" it works whether the app is running/active or not. When the App is set to "Allow only while using the app", more often then not the GPS drops after 10 minutes, even when the app is open on the phone. When the GPS does drop most all times no location tracking is recorded. While  some may find this a minor issue or inconvenience, this is something that started happening recently despite using the Charge 6 for walks and location tracking daily for seven or eight months.