Fitbit on Pixel watch doesn't map a run correct

[nportelli]

On a run today it just turned off for no reason.  On many runs it doesn't track the route correctly.  The distance is correct.  Everything worked when the watch came out.  Every update gets worse. 

Moderator edit: word choice. 

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @nportelli, can you confirm your PW is up to date? Play Store>swipe up to the very bottom>manage apps. The GPS/Maps feature in the PW is native to the PW with the device receiver feeding Google Maps. There are several threads at the Pixel Watch community console relating to GPS. The Fitbit advice on GPS can be found at How do I use GPS on my Fitbit device? - Fitbit Help Center 

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[nportelli]

Everything is up to date. It worked fine before.

[Rich_Laue]

You say that on your run, it just turned off, but I don't see what "it" refers to. GPS losing a lock on Satalites, the Run Recorder? I've lost a gps lock, but haven't seen gps turn off, unless the run detection said that the run was complete. I don't think the watch turned off for no reason. I've had my watch turn off for low battery. 

[nportelli]

Because I thought it fairly obvious, this being a Fitbit forum and all.
The Fitbit app on watch and phone. The GPS says on. Strava even displays
the data correctly. That's a minor annoyance. The Fitbit app stopping my
run is the real issue.

[nportelli]

I couldn't do this from my phone for some awful reason.  

An Example of the great mapping of a run... Notice 5 miles and that shows maybe a half mile.

Moderator edit: word choice. 

[Rich_Laue]

If it  was a half mile, why 59 minutes. Without a scale, i cant say how far the map is 

Sorry but asking fitbit users for help, then instructing the same fitbit users to "fix it"? What is it that you want us to fix? 

[nportelli]

The map.  It's not that hard. I ran for 59 minutes. It shows 5 miles. There may shows maybe a half mile.  I didn't think the issue was that hard to find.  I'm not asking the community to fix it. But they're is no other places easily comfortable to pay issues.  If there is one for the pixel watch, post it and I'll go there. 

Moderator edit: word choice. 

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @nportelli, you might be interested in this report by DC Rainmaker Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin Epix Pro: The NYC Test Gauntlet! - YouTube Although the PW is not included the moral of the video is all these wrist-worn GPS trackers produce varying results. I use my PW2 on walks and cant say I've noticed any major differences while the mapping is accurate enough to record which side if the road I'm using.

Cheers

[AndreaFitbit]

Hi @nportelli. I'm sorry to hear that your run's route is not tracking correctly. Thank you for adding your image. 

I found this thread that you can check. The device is a Pixel 2 but the situation is similar to yours. 

Thank you for your assistance @Gr4ndp4, @Rich_Laue. 

[Triletics]

@Gr4ndp4 the problem isn't accuracy but how the Fitbit watch app handles GPS connection. Basically, when the connection is lost, the Fitbit app (or Fitbit as an actual watch, as it happens constantly on my Charge 6) gives up on trying to reconnect. The watches tested by DCRainmaker don't stop and once GPS is lost they will try to always reconnect (and Garmin will continue estimating the position based on inertial methods until there's too much drift). This is one thing that really annoys me. I know Fitbit GPS (and probably PW, too) is poor but I don't want it to give up. Just reconnect and continue (or at least ask user whether to continue or give up on reconnecting).

Example 1 (orange - Fitbit mapping, blue - different watch, GPS gave up on 6.77 of total 35.66km):

Example 2 (same colours, Charge 6 gave up after 0.05km so orange is barely visible, yup, 50 meters in and no more GPS):

The problem is Fitbit does not try to reconnect after some time. It's not the hardware (although that is poor on Charge 6, don't know whether is any better on PW) but the intended behaviour in the Fitbit tracking app.

[nportelli]

Well it must be something new, because in the year I've had the watch this
has never happened until recently. So that leads me to think it is
software as well.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @nportelli, this is not a new issue  Stop Charge 4 GPS connection notifications - Fitbit Community  is three years old. The Charge 4 has a similar GPS arrangement to the Charge 5. 

Cheers

[Triletics]

@Gr4ndp4 This is a problem in all Charge trackers including Charge 6. Fitbit designed it like that for one reason - reconnecting uses more power and if the tracker cannot reconnect for a while it gives up so it won't be draining the battery. It would be good to have some options on what the behaviour of losing GPS should be.

Today's example, run 12.73km, Charge 6 connected after 1.51km (so the start point is not really the start point) and kept the connection (on and off) for 5.56km, then gave up (I saw the message "GPS is off"):

One thing is bad GPS (PW and PW2 may have better GPS unit on-board) but an inability to reconnect is a software design. It makes it pointless to use it for running.