help menu

Join us on the Community Forums!

  • Community Guidelines

    The Fitbit Community is a gathering place for real people who wish to exchange ideas, solutions, tips, techniques, and insight about the Fitbit products and services they love. By joining our Community, you agree to uphold these guidelines, so please take a moment to look them over.

  • Learn the Basics

    Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for information on Community features, and tips to make the most of your time here.

  • Join the Community!

    Join an existing conversation, or start a new thread to ask your question. Creating your account is completely free, and takes about a minute.

Not finding your answer on the Community Forums?

Cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

GPS Tracking

Replies are disabled for this topic. Start a new one or visit our Help Center.

‎10-13-2023 13:19

‎10-13-2023 13:19

Since the latest "upgrade" my Charge 5 is not tracking my exercise on GPS. Is anybody else having similar problems and can this be fixed? Help!

Best Answer
0 Votes
1 REPLY 1

‎10-13-2023 16:16

‎10-13-2023 16:16

Welcome back to the forums @PatrickNZ .

Before considering other options, please let me know if you're using the built-in GPS or the connected GPS with your phone and if you're referring to the guidance and all the recommendations that are listed in this article.  

In particular, please make sure that you've followed all the troubleshooting steps listed here below and that are also present in the article mentioned earlier: 

  • Confirm that the exercise type uses built-in GPS. For more information, see How do I start a workout with GPS on my Fitbit device?
  • To more quickly establish a GPS connection, point your device toward open sky. Environmental factors, including tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, and thick cloud cover, can interfere with your device’s ability to connect to GPS satellites. If the signal is blocked—either because you're indoors, underground, or due to another reason—GPS won't work.
  • Check that GPS is turned on for the exercise. For more information, see How do I turn on GPS for an exercise on my Fitbit device?
  • Make sure that your device is charged to at least 80%.
  • Confirm that your device is syncing with the Fitbit app. The more you sync your device, the faster your device can connect to GPS.
  • Avoid trying to start an exercise with GPS several times in a row, which can prevent your device from connecting to GPS.

  • Hold your arm parallel to your body near your head and at least 2 inches away.

If you still have trouble connecting to GPS or notice that your distance traveled seems inaccurate, try the following tips to allow your device to connect to GPS satellites:

  • Follow the recommendations for wearing your device for exercise. For more information, see How do I wear my Fitbit device?
  • Try loosening the band 1 notch.
  • Make sure your device doesn't touch your wrist bone.
  • Avoid bending your wrist backwards.
  • Establish a GPS connection before beginning your exercise.

In addition to the steps mentioned above, make sure to complete a restart procedure as well if you continue to experience the same inconvenience. 

Best Answer