Location required for Sync? Really?

[leetramp]

I suddenly need to have my GPS location turned on before I can sync. Is this a change with an update? I never had to before. This will earn the app a one-star review from me. There is absolutely no reason why I should have to do this. I keep my GPS receiver off to save battery.

[Arrendalek]

Marshmallow doesn't drain the battery like past versions.
You can check which apps use battery in settings. To be fair, I've kept
location on on my fireworks phone and GPS had only activated when using
maps, yelp or another app that actively uses location. But not fitbit
unless tracking exercise

[danettew]

In 3 hours with both on, I was at 23%, that isn't better.

[Arrendalek]

No, that is pretty bad. Moderators, little help here?

[Rich_Laue]

Turning on location services @danettew does not drain the battery, or even turn on any hardware to find your locsrion.. It is simply a background service that will let an app rewire t your location. Fitbit does not ask for a location when syncing, so no location will be looked for. 

[snacdaws102]

it wasn't Fitbit's desicion it was Google's location is required as of android 6.0

trust me no one likes it, imho google made a real bad desicion here 

[Rich_Laue]

Ads fruit has a nice article on location services and BT, explaining why the change and the hole security this change has closed. 

[CWDillman]

Have you recieved any response from Fit Bit?

[Arrendalek]

I've received a lot of explanations, but no talk about action. I wonder if
this method of syncing that is different from other mfrs is contributing to
the call notification being so slow. One mod did day change takes time, but
you think if they were going to change, they would say so.

[Rich_Laue]

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@snacdaws102 wrote:

it wasn't Fitbit's desicion it was Google's location is required as of android 6.0

trust me no one likes it, imho google made a real bad desicion here 

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@snacdaws102 location is not required, location services is required, there is a big difference.. Think of the services as being a doorway, it needs to be there to allow anybody to enter or leave, but does not need to be always open. In the same way the location services is just a doorway allowing other apps to access your location. Yes Fitbit does not need, use, or even request the location slurring a sync, but as you say the Operating System requires the service to be running. 

[snacdaws102]

You are correct

That is what I meant, I sometimes don't word things right, in my mind I said location services but obviously that isn't what was written, thanks for making it more clear

[ShannonThrasher]

You can create a guid and store it in the app on first sync. Send the generated guid in any future sync requests/response

When it comes to respecting consumers, the solution should be a creative alternative that doesn't require encroaching on privacy.