GPS Inaccurate after Blaze update

[SunsetRunner]

Hi all,

After this week's update, I've noticed my distance measurement is WAY off (as in I just ran a 4 mile loop and it says I ran 5.7 miles). I'm connected to GPS and have location set to Always on my phone. Not sure how else to trouble shoot or if anyone else is having the same issues...? I'm not doing anything different than I've done before.

[AlejandraFitbit]

It's great to welcome you @SunsetRunner. If you are having problems with your GPS, I recommend following the instructions provided in the My Blaze GPS is not working post. After these steps, test your tracker. 

I hope this helps, let me know the outcome. 

[Rmattson0714]

I also am having a problem with the onboard GPS.  I am new to Blaze, but yesterday, Blaze dropped my run at .61 miles (I ran over 1 mile) - it just stopped tracking completely.  And my pace was off by about 2 minutes.  I had my phone with me and the two connected when I started the run.  Help!

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Alejandra,

I had already done everything in your post, but gave it another shot just in case. I thought it was workin okay again, but then yesterday it measured my run at 4.8 miles on a 4 mile loop. My mile splits are also off by several minutes as a result. Any other suggestions?

[AlejandraFitbit]

Great to see you around @Rmattson0714 and @SunsetRunner thanks for the information. Have your checked if your apps are updated? If you haven't, I recommend following @MarreFitbit's instructions in the How do I update the Fitbit app for iOS? post.

I hope this helps, let me know the outcome. 

[SunsetRunner]

Alejandra,

I ended up calling FirBt and running through all of the troubleshooting options, running a race in which the GPS was still very inaccurate, and calling back to see if there was anything else to do.  I am being sent a replacement tracker. Thanks for your help!

[AlejandraFitbit]

That's great @SunsetRunner! I am glad to hear that you will be receiving a replacement. At the moment of receiving your new device, you can follow these steps to set it up from your Fitbit app:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon.
2. Tap Set Up a Device.
3. Choose your tracker and follow the onscreen instructions to continue.

Happy stepping! 

[AnthonySelkirk]

My blaze is also way off. It is connected to a Motorola Moto X(2014). I did a 5km route this morning and it tracked 5.45km. And I did a 6km route the other day where it tracked 6.78km.
My GPS is set to high accuracy on my phone.
I checked the route from this morning. Some kms were off by about 20m while the worst one was by over 200m.
The GPS bars on the blaze were full at the start of my run and I have run through the product help that has been referred to on this post.

[AlejandraFitbit]

A warm welcome to the Community @AnthonySelkirk. If your GPS information is not being accurate, I recommend taking a look at my previous post and click the link provided there.

See you around. 

[Mczech]

look at how far mine is off.  

[AnthonySelkirk]

Please not that I stated I have followed your instructions on your previous post.
To what extent is the Fitbit Blaze involved with tracking a run? Surely all the gps data getting distance and speed is done on the app on my phone? Or am I mistaken?
Going through the routes the GPS seems to have tracked my position accurately, it just judges the distance wrong.

[AnthonySelkirk]

Comparison of GPS data versus fitbit

So interestingly I download the TCX data file and used the MyGPSFiles app to analyze it. The GPS data is correct and tracked the distance correctly.
I get the feeling the Fitbit is using the step counter and step size to find the distance. Which is great if you don't have your phone. But why does it use this data as opposed to the GPS data the Fitbit app is getting?

[HowlinWulf]

I am also actually using my local Parkrun to check this. I sync my data out to Strava, and my runs are always quite a bit more that other peopls, but the route is the exact same route, which is obviously impossible to be that much of a different distance. I often get measured out to about 5.6km for the 5km track, which messes up the splits and pace, which is what I want/need to use, sadly. Strava seems to honor whatever information gets sent alongside the GPS data, so it also reflects the skewed information.

My latest parkrun: https://www.strava.com/activities/1018425005

Someone else on the same route, same day, same time: https://www.strava.com/activities/1018425998

[AlejandraFitbit]

Great to see you around @Mczech, @AnthonySelkirk, thanks for the screenshots and @HowlinWulf welcome to the Community. 

I would like to know how your GPS performance is going so far? Have you already checked your stride length? If you haven't, I recommend following the steps provided in this post to do this. After checking this test your tracker. Also, you can take a look at the How accurate is GPS? article, where you will be able to find some tips to improve this reading.

See you around. 

[AnthonySelkirk]

Hi there!
Thank you for the response.
I am still having the same issue.
I have a question for you though. Does the fitbit watch synchronize GPS data with the phone while running? Or does it always use stride length to estimate your distance?
And why does it not only use the GPS data for showing distances after the run?
If I do a 10km and my watch tells me I've done 11km, its just a lie and makes it rather pointless.
I have run tracking my position and speed with just my phone and it tracks perfectly.
Downloaded tcx files from my runs verify this.
At the moment I feel like it is highly misleading to advertise your watches as being able to use your phone's GPS, while all it is really good for is looking at your route after a run. I know the route afterwards, I just ran it. The reason anyone wants a GPS while they run is to at least get a somewhat accurate km marker time and pace. If I wanted a stopwatch I'd buy a stopwatch.
All I'm doing at the moment is telling everyone at my running club not to buy a fitbit.

[Mczech]

No matter what I try I can not get anything near accurate.   I have everything set up so that miles are what it should be tracking and it seems to follow my route, my steps are correct for the distance, but the miles is not even close.   VERY frustrating.  VERY OVER priced stop watch indeed.   

[Mczech]

Done every trouble shooter...... the GPS simply DOES NOT WORK.   Very frustrating.   

[AnthonySelkirk]

I thought I should point out this bit of marketing from Fitbit. Because this definitely does not work as described. Which leads me to call this false advertising.

[Mczech]

VERY good point!   I would really like to know how many people have bought the Blaze, and just gave up.  I have to believe that none of them are working properly! 

[HowlinWulf]

I actually bought the Blaze specifically for the GPS functionality, which is now a problem. I wonder if the Surge actually works correctly? But that is a different topic entirely. Point is, the main reason I got the Blaze as opposed to any other device (from Fitbit), is for the connected GPS.