Pixel Watch 3 - No GPS Data

[aholland1]

Hello - In the last month or so I've been experiencing an issue on my Pixel Watch 3 randomly deciding not to log GPS data with my run resulting in the Fitbit app not logging it as an exercise day despite the fact there is the entry of a run under a particular day with heart rate data, but that's all. 

I'm also marathon training with friends and syncing my runs to Strava, but since there is no GPS data, it's not showing up there either! The issue is exactly the same as this one reported last month in June: 

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Pixel-Watch-3-GPS-data-recorded-for-run/td-p/5756837?sji...

Like the user on this thread, I'm not doing anything differently on Wed/Thu as I did on Monday, but only Monday had GPS data. I am doing a big run tomorrow and will test it today if I can post-reboot to ensure it's working again.

 

In the watch under System --> System Updates, my watch says it's "up to date" on version 15 with the security update from June 5, 2025. From the app, build is BW1A.250605.004. The thread above mentioned a pending update possibly - has that been released? If so, is there a way to force my watch to pull it? I don't see a "check for updates" button in the watch or app. 

The same issue occurred for me as well back in June, and I did a manual power down of the watch and restarted, and that seemed to clear it up, but it has returned this week and cost me two runs of data. This is not acceptable while I'm in training, and after years of loyalty, I'm really wondering if I should consider switching to Garmin which I don't want to do, despite the fact the battery life on this watch leaves a lot to be desired compared to the Sense line I used to have.

This has happened to me twice now, so I'd really like to get this resolved if possible. As the other user(s) reported in the other post, when you're in the run, the metrics look the same, though I did see it say "connecting to GPS" multiple times when I had open views of the sky on similar routes where it's usually not a problem - so seems to be a bug of some sort. At that point though, you've already lost the data, and unless you're willing to STOP your run, reboot the watch etc. you're out of luck which is not conducive to my training plan and defeats the whole purpose of why I bought this watch!

Thanks for your support!

@JuanFitbit 

@LizzyFitbit 

@EstuardoFitbit 

@AndreaFitbit 

[alexthecat]

@aholland1 I'm sure you've already checked this, but what was your battery level like for the runs where you didn't get GPS data? If your Pixel Watch 3 judges the battery to be too low, it won't connect to GPS and it doesn't tell you that. 

If you want to try to force your Watch to update, go to Settings on your Pixel Watch. Scroll down to the bottom of the Settings list and choose System. Select System Updates. Tap the small watch icon at the top of the screen continuously for about 30 seconds. If an update exists, you will eventually get the option to download it. If your battery is below 50%, you'll need to put the Watch on the charger.

While you're checking for updates, I would also suggest checking that the Fitbit apps on your Watch and phone are updated, as well as the Watch app and Wear OS. 

[aholland1]

Thanks for your reply! Interesting about battery level affecting GPS capabilities - can anyone at Fitbit support confirm this behavior please?

I've been able to track runs on as low as 30% when I've neglected to charge the night before and want to say in this case earlier this week I was not below 50% for at least one of the two days it didn't record (Thursday) as it had been charged the night before (no restart between days where both runs the watch failed to log GPS data). 

I did just charge the watch fully too and am not seeing any sort of feedback when I tap the watch icon as you suggest under System --> System Updates...I saw this video that shows the process working...on gen 1 though, not gen 3, but I'm not getting anything on mine after tapping it for well over 30 seconds just to be sure - also, what a stupid way to check for updates Google/Fitbit! have you never heard of a 'check for updates' button??

[alexthecat]

@aholland1 tapping on the watch symbol isn't a Pixel Watch thing. It's an old Wear OS hack and it works for all generations of the Pixel Watch. If it isn't working for you, there's nothing there. I don't have any updates after June 5 either. 

I'm going to take a little walk and see if I can replicate your GPS issue. I'll check back in later this evening and let you know how that goes.

[aholland1]

Thanks for helping troubleshoot - I was able to log ten (10) miles yesterday (Saturday) with no tracking issues and the sync over to Strava as expected with map / GPS data after a manual shutdown then restart on Thursday - so something is clearly up with the watch, but you don't know it's an issue until AFTER you've lost a run (or more)'s worth of data, which obviously isn't ideal. 

The problem is this appears to be random when it occurs, but I'm hoping Google/Fitbit support has a fix in the works - I can also open a ticket and point to this post if it will help, provide logs etc. as I am able. 

[alexthecat]

@aholland1 I spent the weekend trying to replicate this and haven't been able to. I'm not sure whether there is a fix coming, but I'll try to find out about that after the weekend. You may want to send Feedback in the Watch app and post on this thread if you haven't already. 

In the meantime, I have some other thoughts: 

Have you tried using the Strava app on your Pixel Watch? Could you use that instead of (or in addition to) the Fitbit app for tracking runs? 

Is the Maps app on your watch working? Do you think this could be a Maps issue rather than a Fitbit problem? 

The absolute last resort is a factory restart and then set up again without restoring from backup. That worked when for me when my Pixel Watch 2 had GPS issues. It wasn't fun, but it did fix things. 

[aholland1]

Hi again and thanks for the link - Given the issue is random and I was able to go a month or so until seeing it again, I'm not surprised you weren't able to replicate. I'll open a formal ticket with Google and report back, but what I may do as a workaround is just get in the habit of doing a full shutdown of the watch during my rest day on Sunday and power it back up so I can hopefully rely on it during the week. 

I prefer to keep things pretty minimal and use the Fitbit exercise interface which offers more data natively and is my "main data ecosystem" whereas Strava is more of a social platform so some friends I'm training with remotely can check in and create a degree of accountability for race prep.  I'm not a big user of Google Maps either on my watch, though as far as I know, it works, but I can test it if/when the issue re-surfaces to see if the GPS tracking extends beyond the Fitbit app. However, I don't want to do extra "stuff" on the watch in the interest of saving battery life where I can since I'm not getting more than a couple days before I have to charge which has been a step back from the Sense 2 I had before; albeit the pixel watch 3 is of better quality overall. 

I'm not willing to do the nuclear reset yet as again, apart from this random GPS issue I haven't had any other issues to speak of. I would prefer to get to the root of the problem rather than employ workarounds that only add to the battery drain potentially. 

Thanks again - nice to know someone out there cares! 🙂

[alexthecat]

@aholland1 I hear you about not wanting to do a factory reset! That's never my first choice either. If there is some process that is running in the background and messing with your watch, that may fix it. I would definitely exhaust all other options first though. 

I looked at my exercise history this morning and I had this issue twice in late April and never again since. I'm a runner too, so I do get some miles in. I just haven't seen this particular issue myself. 

[tfotb]

Thought it worth posting here as I have had exactly the same issue (no map data, Pixel Watch 3, tracking with Strava and/or Fitbit). I assumed I was doing something stupid, but it sounds like this is a common, but random issue with no apparent root cause. 

The last run that did include map data for me was 18th July, and the map data stopped about three quarters of the way. The run data still had the total distance for the whole run, but the map data was clipped. I assumed I had pressed something by accident on that run, but since then the next three runs I did had no map data. I went through the usual recommendations of checking privacy/GPS/permission settings, but they were all correct and the same as when the map data was being recorded correctly. 

After reading this, I rebooted the watch and did a test walk - map data is back! There is clearly some bug (I assume in the watch itself as I tested using the Fitbit and Strava wearOS apps and neither recorded map data until the reboot) but it's hard to determine the trigger that is causing it. 

I'm posting here to add a bit of weight to the problem to try and get it fixed by Google. Is there an issue with Google raised that I can comment on/up vote to get it noticed?

[aholland1]

Thank you! Yes - as @alexthecat noted above, this link: https://support.google.com/googlepixelwatch/thread/353127833

appears to be a related thread on the Google Support forum where I've also referred back to this thread if you'd like to as well - hopefully with enough complaints / eyeballs it'll get fixed, and glad the "workaround" helped!

[alexthecat]

@aholland1 and @tfotb I would encourage both of you to post on that thread in the Google support forum, if you haven't already. You can also up vote that thread and it's worthwhile to do that too.

This is more of a Pixel Watch 3 issue than a Fitbit problem. You'll get more traction in the Google forum than here, especially since there is already a thread there about this topic. 

[Polecat]

Hi,

Similar problem here.  For the past 2 weeks I am randomly missing chunks of GPS data during a run.  Mostly the last 50 % but once 90% and another time the middle third.  Another anomaly I have just noticed is that my watch is now adding c. 200m to my run over the same (c.5k) route, not sure if relevant.

Battery Ok.  No updates showing.

I've reset and power recycled everything and re-installed the phone Fitbit app.  Will let you know if that makes a difference.

Dave.

[Polecat]

Just an update. Following a hard reset and uninstall/re-install of all apps I have completed several runs with no problems. 

I'll get back if I see this again.