Can I use Charge 6 GPS for elevation?

[Dwpea]

I read in various articles that the Charge 6 would use GPS would calculate elevation after a workout. I did a trail run today and tracked it with my fitbit and alltrails app. Alltrails shows 400+ feet of elevation gain, FitBit shows nothing. Is there some kind of setting I'm not aware of?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Dwpea although it is possible to calculate elevation using GPS triangulation, Fitbit Charge 6 does not calculate this.  You would need a Fitbit with an altimeter such as Sense 2 or Versa 4 in order to have elevation.

[Triletics]

@Julia_G you are wrong. Charge 6 does store GPS elevation which can be seen in the TCX files. It just doesn't use it. Fitbit's design decision.

[Julia_G]

Hi @Triletics what I meant was, yes, I know GPS can calculate elevation, but Fitbit doesn’t show it in the app, and therefore to answer the OP’s question directly, there is no setting that the user can change so that it shows in the app.

I was not aware that it is available in the TCX files, so thank you for clarifying that.  

[Triletics]

@Julia_G true, there is no setting as this is a pure design decision. But there's more. Did you know that the altimeter has nothing to do with the elevation chart and elevation gain shown for models which include the altimeter? All the data comes from the GPS. I was always wondering, why there was no elevation chart if I ran without GPS (the altimeter shouldn't care whether GPS is on or off, right? It's how it works ie. on Garmin, I get elevation profile and el. gain/loss regardless the GPS state). Fitbit says that you need an altimeter (barometer) for that purpose but this is a big lie because they never used it. It's used only to count floors. If you look at the GPS and altitude data of Sense and Charge 6 you'll see exactly the same patterns - the same reference (never calibrated) altitude (GPS elevation will be wrong if not calibrated against altimeter), same jagged elevation patterns when GPS connection isn't stable and no elevation at all for the time the GPS disappears. Fitbit was always using GPS altitude data for elevation charts.