GPS connection issue after update

[Logrunner]

The GPS was fine but it became unreliable immediately after a software update. On a Walk, it now always takes two minutes or so to find a signal even in unobstructed area. It then easily loses the signal when there is any signal obstruction - unlike my phone.

Not understanding the technology I suspect some change has been made so that the watch now devotes more computer cycles to services other than the GPS? But who knows.

It is really annoying to get such a degradation.

Fitbit Pay also gives me reliability problems making it an irritation. Other than that I have had no problems, I must add. 

I see the Polyanna responses out of Fitbit, obviously from staff who are capable of looking up the nearest place in the instructions, but are totally incapable of addressing an actual fault. 

Do Fitbit have an agreed fault list that they could share?

The issue is of course that you don't know whether other manufacturers are equally unreliable. You don't expect perfection in state-of-art technology with so many usage variables, but get no sense whether 98% of users have no problem or whether Fitbits are just plain unreliable. Do Fitbit have statistics?

I will start looking at Help on other watches but anyone know if Fitbit is particularly unreliable?

Overall a great pity.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[RicardoFitbit]

Hi @Logrunner, it's nice to see you again participating here in the Community Forums!

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and personal experience with your Fitbit device, I understand your situation and how frustrating this matter can be for you. I'd like to let you know that we are always striving to improve the Fitbit experience with our products and services, therefore, the feedback that's shared here in the Community Forums is always appreciated and really helpful for us to evaluate our procedures and make sure that we are delivering what our users want and need. If you haven't already done so, I recommend you to check: Why isn't GPS working on my Fitbit device? and let me know if the issue persists.

I'll be around.

[golfnut1954]

Since the last update I have no GPS.  It searches and always ends up GPS not connected.  Have tried all recommendation from turning location on, turning unit off then on, and checking setting on the Ionic.  Very disappointed as I loved the Watch from day one.  

[Logrunner]

I do not find any recommendations for a watch that takes two minutes plus to connect while stationary under an open sky and then loses connectivity so easily that distance measurements are badly recorded. This never used to happen and seemed to relate to a software update.. A response from Fitbit that is general in nature and so does not address the specific issue only increases frustration. I am sure that you can appreciate that. Fitbit Pay has also given up and reloading card information does not help.

Do I need to Factory Reset or will that just wind me up a bit further?

[Mercury1]

I have had two Ionic watches.  The GPS connectivity under open skies near the downtown of a city of 300,000 (Durham, NC) was poor and now it doesn't work at all.  It NEVER connects even over a 20-40 min. run.  I doubt Fitbit has much to gain by reporting on GPS coverage in different areas, but I'd be interested.  The whole point of the Ionic is that you DON'T have to carry your phone, but now I find I DO (iPhone has zero problem connecting to GPS signals here...).  I have watches I like better than the Ionic and I don't care as much about heartrate or sleep.  If you're going to make a watch with GPS, make it work!  I was sort of interested in the comment about the number of computer cycles devoted to other watch functions vs. the number devoted to GPS.  That's beyond my ken but certainly seems possible...

[Logrunner]

Discovered the answer to Fitbit Pay issue is NOT to follow the instructions for Ionic in Australia as in Help (which used to work but no longer) but follow instructions for the Rest of World.