Sudden adding of Steps, Calories and other info Charge 5

[Optalec]

At differing times at night, my suddenly adds enormous numbers of Steps, calories, kms.

This happened to my original '5' and I replaced it last week. (Currys ). My new '5' was ok for 3 days, then again started adding the above info!

Have tried removing my laptop/ phone from nearby my wrist at night, but STILL adds the info at differing times  (normally between midnight and 3am?)

Whats going on?

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums, @Optalec. 

Thank yo for all the details about the inconvenience you experienced with your Charge 5. 

When unusually large amount of steps are being tracked during the night, it usually happens if you're sleeping close to something that could emit a certain vibration, like a window, a fan or other type of machine. The only way to negate these extra steps would be to manually log a driving activity, as this would override the data tracked during that time.

However, if you haven't done so already, please complete a three pulse restart and let me know if you continue to experience the same behavior afterwards: 

1. Connect your device to the charging cable. For instructions, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
2. Press the button located on the flat end of the charger 3 times (end of the USB cable), pausing for 1 second between presses. Then wait 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo appears.

I'll be around. 

[MDcrabster65]

Davide, my Charge 5 gave me more than 10k steps today while driving, a trip of about an hour. Not sure why this happened; it's never done it before. I followed the instructions you linked in your reply above to erase the erroneous steps, but they aren't working. Under Log Previous, I enter Driving plus the time and duration, but it won't accept Driving as an activity. When I click Log It, a pop-up says, "Please enter an activity type." Tried this 5 times.

As a side note, I'm beyond frustrated with this watch. Got it in late January, so it's only four months old, and it's glitchy as hell. I detailed all of the  mounting issues in another message. Had a basic Versa for years and barely a problem. The unreliability of the Charge 5 is adding stress and frustration to my days instead of helping with that. And now I feel despondent seeing that so many in the community are having the same issues for no seeming reason.

[DavideFitbit]

@MDcrabster65 Thank you for sharing this update.

Unfortunately it is an expected device behavior at the moment for the device to count steps during a driving activity. There's currently not a Driving Mode feature to avoid these extra steps. However, I do recommend that you vote for this idea posted in the Feature Suggestion board of the Community, since this is helpful for the team of developers to continue to track popularity and demand over time. 

Keep in mind that you can’t delete steps and floors, but you should be able to log a non-step-based activity such as driving to override the steps or floors recorded. However, since you're also getting a large amount of steps randomly and the device seems to be over sensitive even while driving, I do recommend that you get in touch with the Customer Support team so they can provide you with the next steps or so they can let you know how to proceed. 

The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected

See you around. 

[DCB22]

I have had surges of steps, calories and activity while sitting at my desk working on my computer.  Is there a fix?

[DavideFitbit]

Hi, I appreciate all the information that you've shared about this problem you're experiencing with your Charge 5, @DCB22. 

Keep in mind the algorithm is designed to look for intensity and motion patterns that are most indicative of people walking and running. When working at a desk, cooking, or performing other activities with arm movements, a device on your wrist may add some steps. When you’re doing activities that involve arm movement, such as working or cooking, you often walk a few steps in-between stationary periods as well, so the device tries to give you credit for those steps. For most customers, the number of extra steps added by arm-based movement isn’t significant when compared to your overall stats. 

Before considering other options, and if you still consider the steps are not accurate, please make sure that you've tried the restart procedure as described in this article, then check if you continue to experience the same behavior. In the meantime, you can find more useful information about the accuracy of Fitbit devices and how to adjust your stride length and dominant hand settings here. 

I'll be around.