Charge 4 GPS distance inaccurate

[Jessica-Rose19]

Hi there,

I have noticed over the last week that the GPS on my Charge 4 does not seem to be tracking correctly at all.

I do a daily walk which I know is q.3 miles each way, I set my workout before I leave my house and every day I get a different distance however it is nowhere near what it should be.

Today for example, I checked the tracker when I arrived at my destination and it said I had walked 1.5km. I did exactly the same route on my way home yet it totaled my complete workout at 2.31km, meaning only. 8 of my distance was tracked on my way home.

What is going on? Are there issues being experienced with Fitbit and this is why this is happening? The same workout last week was giving me 3.86km total workout so I have no idea what is happening as I am not doing anything differently?

Can someone please help as this is driving me insane!

Thank you in advance

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[AlejandraFitbit · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Forums, @Jessica-Rose19.

Fitbit devices calculate distance based on the device’s accelerometer data and stride length setting.

Default stride length is based on your height and gender. If available, Fitbit devices use GPS data to calculate more precise distances.When you sync your device, our algorithm interprets the data from the device, and you see your distance traveled in the Fitbit app. 

Note that when you track an exercise with GPS, both GPS and accelerometer data are used to calculate the distance shown in the Fitbit app. For more information about accuracy, check the article: How accurate are Fitbit devices?.

Let me know the outcome. 🙂

[Jessica-Rose19]

I'm sorry but I'm not sure I understand, why do I sometimes get over 1-2km difference in my overall workout? Each time is completely different not even by a small amount so I don't understand how stride length would effect this when originally it was tracking the correct distance?

I've tracked the route I take on google maps and it should be around 2km, meaning there and back should be 4km but I'm lucky if it reaches a max of 2.74km? And when I first got my device it measured the distance at 3.86km which is much closer to the distance I'm travelling?

In addition, just to give you a better idea of my issue, I took the usual route I take today and when i arrived it said i had done 1.57km. However i took the same route home so my total distance should have been 3.14km based on the above, however it clocked in at 2.75, meaning I lost almost half a km on my route home despite going exactly the same way?

Moderator edit: merged reply

[paperwife]

I’m having this issue too and it’s driving me nuts. It started last week. I walk the same 3 miles everyday and if I run my Map My Run app or my Hubs uses his heart rate monitor that tracks distance, my Fitbit mileage and map are really off. Here’s today’s: 

 

Obviously it’s something wrong with the app & Versa, not my phone/other apps/Hubs tracker.

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[paperwife]

Here’s the same walk, same day/time in Map My Run

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Jessica-Rose19, it's great to see you here. @paperwife, welcome on board. I'm sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks to both of you for the information provided, as well for the screenshots. I understand how important for you is to get accurate details and let me give you a hand. Just to confirm, by any chance was the GPS disconnected during your exercise? Do you recall if the distance was correct on the Fitbit before syncing? Also, does the same happen when using another type of exercise, such as run or hike?

If you've not done so, I'd recommend to try the following:

1. Check if the Fitbit app is updated.
2. Restart your Charge 4 while having it plugged into the charging cable as described here.
3. Open the Fitbit app and wait until your tracker has synced.
4. Track your exercise one more time using the exercise app. Once you're done, sync and check your details.

@paperwife, you mentioned the Versa model and I'm just wondering if you also use a Charge 4 to track your exercise. The Versa has connected GPS, meaning that you'll need to have your phone to track your data whilst the Charge 4 has built GPS. Therefore the troubleshooting steps for each model will be different.

I'll be around, keep me posted.

[Straphangin]

I've started seeing the same inaccuracies this week along a route I have taken more than 60 days.  I noticed the android app was updated at the time I noticed the problems.

Here is the typical tracking of the route (using the Exercise App in the Charge 4 tracker).  It's usually very close to 2.5 miles and between 16-17 minutes/mile.

I've noticed a consistent reduction of distance by about 10% all week.  Below is the same route two days later (after the update).  As you can see, there are straight lines along a path on the North end of the route that is normally curvy.  I finished the route 4 minutes faster than usual because I noticed the average pace was slower than normal and I atempted to walk much faster.  However, the end result is a slower pace and less distance.  This is not encouraging for someone trying to improve their fitness.  Why is the distance off by 1/4 mile?  The GPS data is being tracked differently or interpreted differently by the app since the update. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Straphangin. Welcome! It's good that the community is growing.

Thanks for the screenshots which show the discrepancies you mentioned in your post. I how you're feeling about not getting accurate details during your workouts and let me give you a hand. Just to confirm, was the GPS disconnected during your exercise? Have you also tried restarting your Charge 4 while having it plugged in as described here?

A few days ago our team released a new firmware version on the Charge 4, so please make sure to download it and try using it in your next workout to see how your data is recorded.

Please keep me posted with the outcome.

[Straphangin]

To the best of my knowledge, the GPS was not deactivated during my exercise (or at least I didn't turn it off myself).  The maps don't show a break in coverage.  Yes, I have restarted my Charge 4 while plugged in.

Please understand that I will wait a while before installing the new firmware for fear of making my device even worse with a brand new update that has not yet been sufficiently tested.

[BendMama]

I am having the same issue with my Charge 4. I do the exact same 4 mi walk every morning. For the past 1-2 weeks the distance recorded has varied greatly. I start and stop my Fitbit at my front door and take the same route. My iPhone is with me in my pocket  My app shows my Fitbit was updated automatically on the 18th. Please advise. I can send screen shots if it’s helpful but it seems others have already done this. 

[Razmocha]

My Fitbit Charge 4 says I did 4 miles in 39 min 🤷🏼‍:female_sign:🤦🏼‍:female_sign:. Bad update?!?! I avg. 14-15 a mile WALKING.🤣

Yes updates up to date, yes GPS on, yes turned FitBit Charge 4 off/on again...  Seems like this is a bad update?

i have pictures of my walk from yesterday & today (I do the SAME route) & a little variation is fine but it was WAY OFF today.  STEPS were good up to what would be my “normal”

5 mile mark...but then they went crazy too...it says I have 14,000+ steps...and this isn’t right either.

[Straphangin]

The last two days have tracked utter garbage.  Apparently I'm walking through houses now.  And the fully charged tacker mysteriously stopped tracking halfway through my 2 mile walk, but still tracked 1.99 miles?  Not a cloud in the sky on either of these two mornings.  I will be calling for a refund of this overpriced watch that can't properly track with its GPS.  At least I'll be able to get rid of the tanline left from the watch.

[garmanc]

Ran a half marathon this morning for a virtual race - started the run from my phone Fitbit app & stopped at exactly 13.11 miles  - it displayed my route, times, splits - everything - A PR - I was pumped.  Unfortunately it vanished & the results from my Charge4 - which only shows 11.47 miles & only a small portion of the run graphed out that didn't even come close to the route I traveled.  I am really ticked off - the virtual race will not accept manual entries & the 11.47 miles won't count.  This is NOT the first time this has happened.  I think I will be looking for an alternative for a GPS tracker.  

[Amy1416]

I am so frustrated with my charge 4. The GPS is not accurate at all. I've tried different GPS settings. Nothing works. I walk the same distance (with mile markers to go by even!) And the charge 4 has been significantly off - always under, and not consistent. Very frustrating. I bought it for the GPS and it doesn't even work. I think I've had it for over a month now though, so I don't think I can get a refund.

[Zia2020]

I have used these steps multiple times and it does not remedy the problem.

My original Fitbit from 2014 works better than my new Charge 4

[SunsetRunner]

Today I went for a walk and started the GPS on my Charge 4 at exactly the same time as my Samsung S9, which has the Samsung Health App.

The data were: -

Samsung said 2.95 miles 6720 steps

Charge 4 said 3.43 miles 6746 steps

The steps are similar, but that's a significant GPS error somewhere, so I plotted the route precisely on the Ordnance Survey website and it came out at 2.95 miles.

The number of steps are the same, but clearly GPS is way out on the Fitbit. I'm running the latest firmware too, and this is a replacement pebble that's about a week old 🤷‍

[Sonial019]

My GPS is ALWAYS inaccurate. I think the Garmin watches are much more accurate. Fitbit seems to fail hard in this department.

[ScribeOfTheMist]

After maybe 1 month of accurate tracking, my Charge 4 GPS is doing the same nonsense described by others in this thread. Overcalculating mileage despite me not having changed anything and running the exact same route that I have been running for years. It is very frustrating and makes me wish I had not spent the money "upgrading" my Garmin smartwatch. If it cannot get simple black and white distance right, how can I trust the much more nuanced sleep quality data coming from the device?

[MSquier]

My Charge 4 VS my wife's Ionic same exact walk.  My distance was 3.88 mi and hers was 3.1 mi.

Map of the walk is exactly the same but my mile markers are progressively earlier than hers throughout the walk.

[CityLion]

• @Jessica-Rose19 
• @? Ok this post is important and a mess of mixed distance units of measure plus the moderator that last edited it can not be contacted here. 

My understanding is all devices that do not have their own GPS chip like the Charge 4 use some old, barely functioning code, to capture your phones GPS data and in a very sloppy way plug in estimates of steps and miles calculated from it. It is called MobileTrack. It is precisely the same stuff that doesn't work if you don't have a Fitbit device and try to track something. The standard tracking data that all GPS software often use is implemented in Fitbit's unique way. In other words it makes no difference what device you use. Your phone and sloppy code decide what is recorded. In fairness Fitbit works to make thousands of phone types supported. I suspect depending how you access and quality of signal you may be slipping back and forth through MobileTrack