Fitbit app v3.11 for Android | Bugs - fixes

[LostEchoes]

Hi all.
As I occasionally like to live dangerously, I'm downloading the new version of the Fitbit app and will report back if I I find anything interesting.

Android Version 3.11 
Android Version 3.10.1
Android Version 3.10
Android Version 3.9.1 ~ Detailed reporting about fixes and bugs here.

Android Version 3.9 ~ Detailed reporting about fixes and bugs here.

Android Version 3.8 ~ Detailed reporting about fixes and bugs here.
Android Version 3.7 ~ Detailed reporting about fixes and bugs here.

Samsung Galaxy S7
Android OS 8.0.0

[LostEchoes]

Ηι @vic2ree !
Have you tried rolling back (temporarily) to an earlier version of the app?
Here is a guide : https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Text-Msgs-only-show-Sender-s-name/m-p/3822972#M117539

and even more detailed instructions: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Text-Msgs-only-show-Sender-s-name/m-p/3826131/highlight/...

[SunsetRunner]

@LostEchoes 

Had a system update on my Samsung Galaxy S7 Android version 8.0 earlier this week and it didn't affect the prior version of 3.7.

Updated to 3.8 this evening and it's syncing correctly and notifications are being received on my Versa.

I don't do challenges so I can't answer to that bug being an issue.

Will need to see about the elevation and gps issues that you noted.

[LostEchoes]

@SunsetRunner 
Thank you for the feedback.
I also had a software (android - security) update on my Galaxy S7 a few days ago, but everything went smoothly.

The issue with the Elevation Gain (incorrectly always showing as ZERO) should not be difficult to fix. The data is there, the Fitbit app DOES have the correct data (I mean it even syncs the correct data to other 3rd party platforms), so the only thing that needs to be corrected is the result of a very simple mathematical equation ! (X-Y = ....).

Ragards.

[LostEchoes]

A great post regarding (connected) GPS activities and distance inaccuracies with the Fitbit app can be found here:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Inspire-Inspire-HR/GPS-tracking-problems-getting-increasingly-worse/...

[LostEchoes]

A 4th bug has now been confirmed and I have updated my report for version 3.8 (here). 

4) Fitbit App - "View All Posts" link does not display ALL posts by a user, but ONLY the last 5 of them. Bug reported here and confirmed by me here. (Version 2.90 of the app also tested and it does not have this issue !) 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @LostEchoes, @vic2ree and @SunsetRunner. I'm glad to see you here in the Forums and I'm sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks downloading the Fitbit app 3.8 version on your phone and reporting the issues you're experiencing with it. Feedback like yours helps us to continue working on our services, and evaluate our procedures to improve the experience with our products. Currently it's not possible to roll back the Fitbit app version and while it has worked for others, we do not recommend the use of an older version of the app, as some other features may not work as desire.

@vic2ree, thanks for your efforts while troubleshooting your Fitbit. Let me share that our team is aware that some of our users aren't able to receive text notifications from their phones and the feedback has been passed along so they can bring a solution as soon as possible. Keep the Fitbit app up-to-date as some fixes are released through updates.

@SunsetRunner, thanks for keeping me updated. I'm glad that your Versa is syncing and receiving notifications just fine with the latest Fitbit app version.

If you have any other question, feel free to reply back.

[SunsetRunner]

@LizzyFitbit 

Although I am synching and receiving notifications, there is an issue with the 3.8 app version that I haven't encountered before.

It will loose connection with the Versa and will prompt me to restart my phone.  The notification will show on both my phone and the Versa.  Turning the bluetooth on and off, clearing the cache and force stopping the app doesn't stop this issue to stop from occurring.  Once I restart my phone again it works until the notification comes up again.  This is something that needs to be looked into.  I believe there were other users who also posted on this issue.

@LostEchoes  since we have the exact same phone have you experienced this issue?

[LostEchoes]

@SunsetRunner 

As I only have an Inspire HR band, I do not get any notification like the one you are describing (to restart my phone). I'm also not getting it on my phone, either.
However, with version 3.8 I have started encountering the dreadful sync issues other users have been having.
I did not have such sync issues with v3.7 and prior.
So, with 3.8 both the auto-sync and the manual sync do not work for hours and the only solution I have found is to restart my Galaxy S7 multiple times (2, 3 or more), for the app to be able to sync my Inspire HR data.
I'm not sure if this issue has the same root as yours (probably it does), but it definitely shows that something is wrong with the 3.8 version of the app.

As I have stated elsewhere, after the issues with 3.8, I have now installed and been using version 2.90 as my daily driver as it seems more stable and with no sync issues. I am, however, going to be testing every new 3.x version that will be released in the future and will be reporting back, here in this topic.
So please keep in touch, and maybe out troubleshooting (with our S7 phones) could help the Fitbit devs fix the issues.

[SunsetRunner]

@LostEchoes 3.7 worked a lot better for me as well.  If this continues, I will probably revert back to a different version of the app.  I'm not going to keep restarting my phone for this app to work.

@LizzyFitbit these syncing issues that keep occurring with all the 3.x versions need to be looked into.  The bugs that keep plaguing each version is getting ridiculous. It's across all Android phones.  Mine is listed as being on the compatible list.  Samsung Galaxy S7.   I'm on Android Version 8.0 and had a security update last week.  The app worked fine for me until the past couple of days with having to restart the phone.  Can't the developers go back to the previous versions of the app before 3.x and see what worked in those that needs to be applied to the 3.x version?

[LostEchoes]

3.9 version of Fitbit app for Android has been released. (UPDATE : Probably due to the crashing issues, version 3.9 seems to have been pulled out of the Play Store). Tested on my Samsung Galaxy S7 (Android 8.0.0).
Bugs reported below:

1) When I try to add friends to Challenges, they show up with a status of "No recent activity". All of them. Bug reported here. (Bug still not fixed on 3.9 - tested it myself. This might be a server-side bug, actually)

2) Elevation Gain in activities is reported and wrongly shows as zero (0). Bug reported here and here. (The bug is still unresolved on version 3.9, although this seems to be a server-side issue and not necessarily related to the android mobile app, which actually doesn't show the elevation gain, at all. You have to go to the .com dashboard to view it - still wrongly reported as 0).

3) Connected GPS inaccuracies (distance, pace, etc). "The connected GPS starts playing up badly with incorrect distances measured". Bug reported here, here and here ("must read" report). (Issue seemingly not fixed on 3.9 - latest report here and here).

4) Fitbit App - "View All Posts" link does not display ALL posts by a user, but ONLY the last 5 of them. Bug reported here and confirmed by me here. (Version 2.90 of the app also tested and it does not have this issue ! Version 3.9 still has this bug).

5) Version 3.9 seems to be unstable and crashes on some users. Bug reported here. (I also experienced one crash before I returned to 2.90)

[SunsetRunner]

@LostEchoes 

In addition to the bugs you have listed that are still not fixed it seems that 3.9 is constantly crashing from the posts that are starting to come through after users have installed this version today.

I don't have this version available as of yet in Play Store and will not update to app update that's going to be consistently crashing. 

It seems as every version within 3.x is worse than the prior version. With more issues,  bugs and workarounds for the users to contend with.

I don't understand why the developers at Fitbit can't get an Android version of the app to be stable and working right once and for all.

Didn't have these many issues with the 2.x versions.

[LostEchoes]

@SunsetRunner 
And I thought it was just a one-time thingy that my 3.9 stopped / crashed !
I also rushed to return to 2.90 after I confirmed the above-mentioned bugs, so I was lucky not to experience this whole new bug more than once.
I'm now adding this to the bugs above.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @LostEchoes and @SunsetRunner. I'm sorry for the delay and thanks for continue posting your insights about the updates for the Android Fitbit app.

@SunsetRunner, thanks for your thoughts and I understand how you're feeling about the issues experienced with the 3.9 version. Be sure that feedback like yours is never taken for granted. About the notification message you're receiving, could you please take a screenshot of that and share it with me? You can check this post for instructions in how to attach a picture in your reply.

@LostEchoes, thanks for the input, as well for your efforts while trying the newest update. I'm sorry that the issues reported are still not resolved and be sure that our team is aware of the impact to each of our members. They're further investigating those situations to bring a solution to everyone as soon as possible. If you have any other inquiry, feel free to post it here so I can help you out.

Hope to see you around more often.

[SunsetRunner]

@LizzyFitbit 

I don't have version 3.9 available on my Play Store but if I did, I wouldn't download it after seeing the posts about the app crashing consistently.  @LostEchoes advised it happen to him as well before he reverted back to a version that actually works.  I'm still on version 3.8 which is buggy but at least it doesn't crash.  3.7 worked much better for me as far as syncing.  In all honesty all the 3.x versions have had their issues but it seems as these issues have gotten worse with each update.  There is too much troubleshooting and workaround that needs to be done for the end user to get our devices to work.  Never had any issues before the rollout of the 3.x versions. 

I let LostEchoes know so he could update his post regarding this issue to the issues he had reported that this version still had and haven't been fixed.

@kcronin had reported the issue on a separate post regarding version 3.9 crashing and can probably provide details regarding this issue in greater detail. 

[LostEchoes]

Yeah, I can confirm that version 3.9 has been pulled out of the Play Store.
Only 3.8 is now (again) available, at least for me !  It seems that the Fitbit team has indirectly acknowledged the crashing issues.

But this, exactly this behaviour is what gives wrong impressions ! Why all this hide and seek ? Why haven't the Fitbit devs, or the moderators, or the front line, or anyone at all from the company posted an announcement acknowledging OFFICIALLY the issues with 3.9 and the actions they took (pulling it out) so that the users that downloaded it, could at least be rest assured that the devs ARE looking at the matter and they will soon re-release a new 3.9 (or 3.9.x or whatever) version to fix the crashing issue ? 

I have already posted my related concerns at another post, and I'm quoting that part:

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Some times the only thing people need is for something (even if it's bad news) to be communicated CORRECTLY, EFFICIENTLY and with respect to the ...customer !

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[LostEchoes]

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@LostEchoes wrote:

3.9 version of Fitbit app for Android has been released. (UPDATE : Probably due to the crashing issues, version 3.9 seems to have been pulled out of the Play Store). Tested on my Samsung Galaxy S7 (Android 8.0.0).
Bugs reported below:

3) Connected GPS inaccuracies (distance, pace, etc). "The connected GPS starts playing up badly with incorrect distances measured". Bug reported here, here and here ("must read" report). (Issue seemingly not fixed on 3.9 - latest report here).

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Here you can find another great post and detailed analysis regarding the Connected GPS inaccuracies with the Fitbit app / platform:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Versa-Smartwatches/Distance-recorded-on-the-app-is-off/td-p/3825328

[LostEchoes]

3.9.1 version of Fitbit app for Android has been released. Tested on my Samsung Galaxy S7 (Android 8.0.0).

Bugs reported below:

1) When I try to add friends to Challenges, they show up with a status of "No recent activity". All of them. Bug reported here. (Bug still not fixed on 3.9.1 - tested it myself. This might be a server-side bug, actually)

2) Elevation Gain in activities is reported and wrongly shows as zero (0). Bug reported here and here. (Just tested it on a new Walk activity.The bug is also still unresolved with 3.9.1)

3) Connected GPS inaccuracies (distance, pace, etc). "The connected GPS starts playing up badly with incorrect distances measured". Bug reported here, here and here ("must read" report). Not fixed with 3.9.1 ! (latest reports here and here).

4) Fitbit App - "View All Posts" link does not display ALL posts by a user, but ONLY the last 5 of them. Bug reported here and confirmed by me here. (Version 2.90 of the app also tested and it does not have this issue ! Version 3.9.1 still has this bug).

5) Version 3.9 seemed to be unstable and crashed on some users. Bug reported here. (I also experienced one crash before I returned to 2.90) - This bug that was introduced with version 3.9 has not been been fixed on 3.9.1. (Reports for crashes with 3.9.1, here and here).

[LostEchoes]

The above 3.9.1 reporting post has been edited and updated to reflect the confirmation that even this newest version of the Fitbit app has not resolved 1) the Crashing app issue, 2) the Elevation Gain = 0 bug and 3) The Inaccurate Connected GPS distance issue.  

Well basically 3.9.1 has not fixed any of the bugs I have reported.

[LostEchoes]

A great topic / discussion regarding the issue #3

Connected GPS inaccuracies (distance, pace, etc). "The connected GPS starts playing up badly with incorrect distances measured"

can be found here:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Versa-Smartwatches/Distance-on-GPS-map-doesn-t-match-with-exercise-s...

[LostEchoes]

And another great post that seems to confirm that the "Inaccurate Connected GPS Distance" issue has to be related to the application software:

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@astiesi wrote:

Just another user experiencing the same issue. 

I've been trying to increase my per mile average so I have been running the exact same 2 mile circle in my neighborhood multiple times a week for the past 6 months. Just this year alone I have maybe 25 runs on this path. And consistently prior to September 16th, the GPS distance was calculated within .03 of 2.03 miles. In fact, on September 15th I ran the route and it measured my typical 2.02 miles.

On September 16th, I ran the exact same route and measured a distance of 2.3 miles. Consistently since then, I have measured anywhere from 2.2 - 2.4 miles for the same route. Exporting the data to Strava and allowing Strava to recompute via GPS data returns the distance to ~ 2.03 miles. The route graph is spot on as well, no problems with the GPS signal.

Between those times I did not perform a firmware upgrade, so it has to be related to the application software. And I have called and went through the same useless troubleshooting steps as everyone else. 

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https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Versa-Smartwatches/Distance-on-GPS-map-doesn-t-match-with-exercise-s...