Run Tracking and Cues are not Accurate

[RunHolmanRun]

I've been running my local parkrun route for a couple of weeks now using connected GPS and it's totally off. Cues are off, pace off and distance ran is totally off. Strava provides a more accurate distance ran but this is only something I can check when I've finished. Cues are really important to me but frankly they just don't work. I run around 1.25km and my cue kicks in saying 1km. How is this acceptable? I've tried every suggested fix but none work

I've seen loads of people talking about how inaccurate theirs have been, dating back months now and want to know when is it going to get sorted? Or are Fitbit not interested in fixing a key feature?

Moderator edit: Clarified subject

[LanuzaFitbit]

Welcome to the Forums @RunHolmanRun.

Thanks for sharing those details on the situation and for trying the suggestions you have found through the Forums.

In this case I'd like to ask you some questions on the situation:

• What phone are you using?
• What app version is your phone running? Please try to update it to the latest version in case it is not. You can click here to read more about it.
• What Android version do you have?
• When did this start happening?

I look forward to your reply. 

[RunHolmanRun]

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@LanuzaFitbit wrote:

Welcome to the Forums @RunHolmanRun.

Thanks for sharing those details on the situation and for trying the suggestions you have found through the Forums.

In this case I'd like to ask you some questions on the situation:

• What phone are you using?
• What app version is your phone running? Please try to update it to the latest version in case it is not. You can click here to read more about it.
• What Android version do you have?
• When did this start happening?

I look forward to your reply. 

---

1. Pixel 2 (which is a supported device)

2. Latest app version (well  I update through Google play store)

3. Android 10 ( Q beta 4), I don't believe that to be the problem considering this problem was was also on previous Android versions, from what I've read on these forums and the fact that Strava appears to calculate the correct distance

4. I only noticed the problem when I started running the 5k route from my local parkrun and when finished the first one it showed I'd ran 5.47K and the next time was 4.25k. so I used a website to calculate the route so I mean where the cues should kick in and the Fitbit cue was of my about by around 200m every time, which of cause ruins pace splits making the data the app takes unusable.

There are topics on this which date back ages now and the same solutions are been given to people but with no success. The has to be something fundamentally wrong with fitbits calculations.  

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @RunHolmanRun.

Thanks for sharing those details on the situation.

I really appreciate all of the information that you have provided. Please do know that I am asking for this information to better understand the situation and possibly figure out what is going on. 

I'd like to ask you to confirm that you have tried the following steps to get everything working correctly. If there are some that you have not tried, please give them a shot:

• Restarting the phone and the Fitbit before the run.
• Making sure the Fitbit and phone are connected before starting to run.
• Uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
• Making sure the Fitbit is as close a possible to your phone to ensure a strong connection.

Finally please let me know if you have had the chance to try the GPS tracking in a different route to check if the discrepancy also presents itself in different locations.

I look forward to your reply. 

[RunHolmanRun]

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@LanuzaFitbit wrote:

Hello @RunHolmanRun.

Thanks for sharing those details on the situation.

I really appreciate all of the information that you have provided. Please do know that I am asking for this information to better understand the situation and possibly figure out what is going on. 

I'd like to ask you to confirm that you have tried the following steps to get everything working correctly. If there are some that you have not tried, please give them a shot:

• Restarting the phone and the Fitbit before the run.
• Making sure the Fitbit and phone are connected before starting to run.
• Uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
• Making sure the Fitbit is as close a possible to your phone to ensure a strong connection.

Finally please let me know if you have had the chance to try the GPS tracking in a different route to check if the discrepancy also presents itself in different locations.

I look forward to your reply. 

---

The only thing I haven't tried is restarting the phone/versa before a run, because frankly that is a silly thing to have to do before every run and shouldn't be a problem with how long the versa has been out for. With the new look app coming out you'd think measuring distance would be a priority rather than design.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @RunHolmanRun

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I definitely understand that it is not ideal, nor am I asking you to do it every single time. I'm only asking you to try it once to see if that helps in any way.  Additionally, could you let me know if you have tried other routes and if not, please go try a different route to check how it behaves.

Keep me posted and please reach out with any other questions.

[RunHolmanRun]

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@LanuzaFitbit wrote:

Hello @RunHolmanRun

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I definitely understand that it is not ideal, nor am I asking you to do it every single time. I'm only asking you to try it once to see if that helps in any way.  Additionally, could you let me know if you have tried other routes and if not, please go try a different route to check how it behaves.

Keep me posted and please reach out with any other questions.

---

The problem I have is a do this route because I know for a fact that is is 5km, if cues and distance are out then how would I know if it's working correctly? I will try restarting both but that's not a real solution to the problem also what if a restart them once and then the next distance and cues are out again? Are Fitbit even addressing this problem or just leaving what appear to be a faulty product on the market?

[RunHolmanRun]

@LanuzaFitbit

These are screenshots from today's run after restarting both phone and versa before the run as you can see the GPS is still off, screens are from Fitbit app, Strava and Google fit, Strava and Google are very close to each but Fitbit is out. The last screenshot is an online running route mapper which show the distance ran and each km cue, again you can see that the Fitbit is out each time.  

So where does this leave us users? I've tried every solution and none have fixed the problem. Every solution seems to in a way suggest that it's user not using the device properly and Fitbit don't seem to care about fixing the problem. I know the Versa is an entry level device but for the price I expect it's accuracy to be closer than it is.

Google fit data

Strava data

Fitbit data

Online route tracker

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @RunHolmanRun.

Thanks for trying what I recommended and sharing those screenshots.

I will be sharing this with the team so that it can be looked into. As soon we have any details on the matter we will be sure to let everyone know about it. 

Please let me know if there are any other questions I can help you with at this time.

[RunHolmanRun]

I've seen this posted in several other threads and yet never seen an actual update.  

Also this doesn't help me or others who have spent money on these products right now. 

I feel like I've spent a lot of money on basically a stop watch.

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@LanuzaFitbit wrote:

I will be sharing this with the team so that it can be looked into. As soon we have any details on the matter we will be sure to let everyone know about it. 

---

[RunHolmanRun]

@LanuzaFitbit

Still massively off and cheating me out of my first 10km, as I thought I had reached 10km Fitbit

Online route planner

[IrBr]

I am having similar issues with charge 2. GPS distance and therefore pace are way off. Very frustrating! It seems the issue is affecting all of their products. Have you received any further answer/solution?