Step sync is broken

[chuckbeasley]

For about a month now, step syncing between my Pixel 2 watch and Pixel 6 Pro has been broken. They start everyday syncing correctly. Somewhere it loses sync. For example, right now my watch has logged 4195 steps. When I sync to the phone, it says 4040 steps. This has been happening everyday. I've seen the discrepancy of several hundred steps by the end of the day. The phone always lags the watch no matter how many times I manually reset and sync. So, something serious is broken.

App version 4.26.1 (110119829)

[JuanFitbit]

Hi everybody ! thank you for updating the app and sharing your results. I have informed Support about your results, so that they get a look at this again. 
We appreciate all your collaboration. 

[TamRootbeer]

I replied to another thread regarding this: (includes screenshots on both these links)

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Steps-no-syncing-with-the-app/m-p/5677641/highlight/true...
I'd be interested to know if anyone else is getting the steps logged when looking at the Week or Month tabs as shown in the screenshots of the link above.

& 

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Steps-no-syncing-with-the-app/m-p/5677945/highlight/true...

The 4.27 version ( screenshot of it on the link above) does not seem to have corrected it; that version also still says Sept 25, 2024.

However, by the end of the day, the app has usually loaded most steps in the day column.

Thanks for working on this.

Tam

[chuckbeasley]

I read a post that the phone app logs the correct version for historical purposes, although it's not in sync throughout the day. I can state that this is not the case. In last night's last reading right before midnight, the devices were out of sync. The watch logged 15277 steps. The phone showed 15103 steps. I checked this morning and they still did not align. The phone did not log the correct number of steps because it was still showing 15103 and on the watch it had reverted to the lower number for best day.

This is for the engineering team. What is so difficult about going through git history, finding the check-in(s) that negatively impacted the step sync process, and reverting that change(s) so that the app works as expected? This issue started in late July or early August. This isn't rocket science. It's a simple matter of figuring out which check-in borked the process and undoing it.

[xlevix10]

I've been checking my steps every day since Saturday and the steps have matched on the watch and the app, so I'm hoping this issue has finally been resolved. However, I'll need it to work with no issues for a couple of weeks before I deem it fixed as this has happened previously where I thought it was fixed and it reverted back to being out of sync.

[xlevix10]

Well it was syncing properly up until the very end, but it shorted me just under 200 steps at the end of the day (16,321 in the app, 16,507 on the watch).

I did shut down my watch a couple of times because I was at a hockey game and didn't want my claps to register as steps, so I'm thinking that may have something to do with the discrepancy tonight. Will test again tomorrow without shutting down/restarting my watch to see what happens. 

[RiekoC]

Hello all

An update to the Pixel Watch Fitbit app started rolling out yesterday (15 Oct 2024). I got the update this morning (16 Oct 2024).

Please go to the Play Store app on the Pixel Watch and look for the Fitbit app update.

Although I haven't seen any confirmation yet, I'm hoping that this update includes the fix for the step tracking/syncing issue that we've been experiencing.

[xlevix10]

I updated the Fitbit app on my Pixel Watch 1 last night and unfortunately steps are out of sync again without shutting off/restarting my watch. Watch shows 8,307 steps and app shows 7,903. This is getting to be so frustrating because it was work for four straight days with no discrepancy issues and now it's back.

[chuckbeasley]

Today, my watch and phone were in sync. Then, I updated the watch to the latest Fitbit. Now, they are out of sync by more than 200 steps. So...

[xlevix10]

Ended the day with the phone app being 404 steps off my watch. Insane!

[chuckbeasley]

At what point do you throw in the towel because it is broken? Here's my test setup. My phone is stationary on a desk. I'm wearing the watch, which should be the only device counting steps. I have watched 2 sync sessions remove steps actually taken (300 steps so far). How is that even possible when only one device is in motion? Why should the stationary device recalculate the step count and override the device in motion? At this point, why would I even trust this app? Where do I send the invoice for my time performing tests that your QA department has clearly failed to perform? This is beyond a customer service failure.

[xlevix10]

Yep, also still experiencing the sync issue! Thankfully my Premium was free for 6 months but I've made sure to turn it off because I refuse to pay for something that's broken and Google is refusing to fix. Laughable that they'll still happily charge you full price every single month but won't give any updates on this issue.

[xlevix10]

I'm one of the Pixel Watch users that's been plagued with the step sync issue where the Watch always has 200 - 900 more steps than what syncs with the Fitbit app. This has been going on since the beginning of September and we've been unofficially told that this is a known issue and is being worked on... for nearly two months now.

So, wonderful Fitbit moderators, what's going on? Why are we left in the dark on this bug and where Google stands in getting it fixed? You'll happily take people's money for Fitbit Premium, but heaven forbid we want Fitbit to actually work properly!

These watches are not inexpensive. In fact, my old cheap $60 Fitbit devices never had this issue! Incredible how the cheaper tech works better than the expensive one. This is SO FRUSTRATING! Every day before I go to bed, I have to check my watch and check my Fitbit app to see how many steps the app has shorted me, then manually log an exercise (based on distance because Google took away the ability to do it based on steps) and tweak it 3-4 times to get the right number of steps in the app.

I'd also like to ask about the issue with the Fitbit app erasing historical exercise data. The data is there and sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn't! This has been going on as long as (if not longer) the step sync issue. Both huge, fundamental bugs with the Fitbit app and nary a PEEP from Google on this. Are you trying to force people to other products?!

[Rich_Laue]

For updates on this, keep a eye on the main thread. As your fellow fitbit users, we know about what you know 

[xlevix10]

As you can probably see, I've been very active in that thread and the Fitbit mod has disappeared. Would really love for an actual Fitbit moderator that works for Fitbit to provide some insight.

[xlevix10]

@JuanFitbit any update from the Fitbit side on this? I reached out to Google support today and they acted like they hadn't heard of this issue before, which leads me to believe this issue isn't getting worked on. 

[Rich_Laue]

While Fitbit mods do work for Fitbit. They do not work in the R&D, and will only be able to pass on what they have been told to. That is the thread that will be updated when and if they get any updates. 

This community board is meant for community members in helping each other. 

[xlevix10]

Well considering there's no official word from Google or Fitbit on this, that's a pretty poor policy; relying on other people to provide "as best we can" troubleshooting for free while actual paying customers are having severe, fundamental issues with the product is insane in 2024.

[xlevix10]

Apologies for the snark, it's just an incredibly frustrating bug to be dealing with and we're (the customers PAYING for this service) left completely and utterly in the dark. I just don't understand how or why Google thinks that's a good customer service move. 

[xlevix10]

Just got this email from Fitbit, hopefully 4.28 fixes this issue...

Moderator edit: removed personal information

[xlevix10]

Just got this email from Fitbit, hopefully 4.28 fixes this issue...

Moderator edit: removed personal information