Charge 6 - Mapping walk

[Lindamouse]

I have a charge 6, there are 3 different GPS options Dynamic, Built In, and Phone.  I aways have my phone with me and want to see a map of my walk.  I want to know a few things, 1. which uses least amt of battery.  2.  to get the map do I have to have GPS switched on, on the watch?  2.  if I have phone with me, and have location on and fitbit app on will I get the map of my walk? or does watch also have GPS on?  3.  Have issue with GPS disconnecting during walk and does not reconnect on its own which stops mapping.  what good is that.  4.also pace/average pace is all over the place while walking shows pace between 16 min to 75 min mile.   The end aveage pace is usually pretty fast for a 70 yr old 16- 27.  I had the Charge 2 before which was not connected to google and did not have these issues.  Charge 2 just had app on phone on and started watch and showed map, steps, pace, distance.  Charge 2 was more constistant with the stats compared to the 6.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Lindamouse , using your phone’s GPS rather than the built in GPS chip in your Charge 6 will use the least amount of battery, so if you find that your phone’s GPS is reliable, and you always have your phone with you, you may want to choose that. For any activity you must have GPS turned on in order to get a map of your activity - however, if you have turned it on for an individual exercise that will be the default for that exercise and you won’t have to turn it on each time.  Dynamic GPS allows the Fitbit to choose between the built in chip or your phone.  It will always choose the phone if it is with you and moving at the time.  

If the GPS signal is lost (usually because of dense tree cover, or tall buildings - basically it needs open sky to maintain connection) the Fitbit will attempt to reconnect once, but unfortunately it won’t try again, nor will it automatically switch between the phone and the Fitbit, once it has started.

The pace will vary as it settles in, but should be pretty accurate once you have been going for a little while.  I use a Charge 6 and I am very happy with the GPS so far, but I always use the built in, even though I have my phone with me, and even though it uses more battery, because if for any reason the phone even briefly loses connection with the Fitbit the map will terminate.  I just make sure that I charge my Fitbit any day I have used GPS.  However, I know many people use the phone GPS connected to their Fitbits with no issues.

I hope this helps!

[Lindamouse]

So, are you saying I should get the map on any of the settings? And Dynamic uses the least amt of battery?

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Lindamouse , yes, you will get a map with any of the settings, with the proviso that your Fitbit will actually need to connect to GPS either via your phone or your Fitbit itself, and it will need to maintain connection in order to get the complete map of your walk.  When you start your walk with GPS enabled you should see a message on your Fitbit indicating that it is trying to connect and then that it is connected.  

The setting that will use the least amount of battery, as mentioned above, is using GPS via your phone.  Dynamic GPS will use your phone if it is available and connected.  Otherwise it will use the Fitbit chip, which takes more battery.

In all cases you must have GPS enabled for that activity in order for it to work.

Please post again if anything is still unclear.

[Lindamouse]

Ok thank you, I got it now.  I think I must not have had GPS turned on on the fitbit so didn't get the map.

[Lindamouse]

thank you