GPS keeps dropping connection after Update

[SunsetRunner]

My GPS keeps connecting and searching over and over. Before the update the GPS worked just fine. Is there anyway to roll it back or remove the update?
I guess I will be shopping for a Garmin.

[Jar1384]

My Ionic will not connect to GPS no matter what I try, including getting a replacement device.

I've let my watch sit out for hours "searching..." for gps, outside, inside, clear skies, restarted watch, made sure GPS was turned on, nothing works.  I finally, gave in and contacted Fitbit customer support.  I was happy they decided they would send me a replacement.  It came in the mail today, and guess what,

GPS still does not work.  What am I doing wrong?  Any ideas?

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity and format

[mk2654]

Hello, my Ionic is just over a year old, and the GPS connectivity has become unreliable over the past month or two. (Often, it won't connect until several miles into a run, and sometimes, it wont connect at all in spite of a strong signal (at least according to my iPhone). Other than restarting the watch, is there anything I can try to improve this?

[SilviaFitbit]

@Jar1384 Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the time you took to share your experience in the Community. 

Sorry to hear that you're still having GPS issues with your Ionic. Thanks for the troubleshooting performed with our Support team. In this case, I've shared your post once again with our Support team, they will continue assisting you through email. 

I'll be around if you have any additional question! 

[t.parker]

@Jar1384 the fact that you went with Fitbit Ionic is what you did wrong 🙂 When my Ionic was alive, the GPS related issues were endless (endless searching, GPS disconnections in the middle of activities, bad accuracy, broken distance computation). Changed the watch, issues ended, problem solved.

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks for this post! I’ve never had issues with my gps in the 8 months I’ve had my Fitbit Ionic, but today it didn’t map my run. I’ve never had to reset it so I guess I’ll start with that. Was afraid that would mean it would restore to factory settings, but I’ve tried walking in the neighborhood and gps still not working. 

[SilviaFitbit]

@mk2654 It's great to see you around. Thanks for the details mentioned and the restart tried. 

Keep in mind that environmental factors, including tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, and even thick cloud cover, can interfere with your device’s ability to connect to GPS satellites. If the signal is blocked—either because you're underground or due to another reason—GPS won't work. 

Please check that your GPS settings are turned on when you start the activity on your Ionic. 

If you're experiencing connectivity issues, please provide with a picture of what you're seeing on your Ionic when it stops connecting. 

Keep me posted! 

[mk2654]

Sure, I can definitely get a photo and will update this when I do. When this happens, it just says "searching..." at the top with a little green GPS icon on the left. GPS is indeed turned on.

Initially, I thought what could be occurring was decreasing GPS signal in the area, but this doesn't seem to be the case, as none of our other devices are having an issue (and this has only recently become an issue with the Ionic, which was previously working perfectly). Thanks!

[SilviaFitbit]

@SunsetRunner Welcome to the Community. Thanks for the details mentioned. 

It's not possible to revert it to the previous firmware version. Environmental factors, including tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, and even thick cloud cover, can interfere with your device’s ability to connect to GPS satellites. If the signal is blocked—either because you're underground or due to another reason—GPS won't work. 

Please try restarting your Ionic and check if your GPS connects as expected. 

Let me know how it goes. I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[SunsetRunner]

It is the same trail I run all the time. Until the update the GPS worked great after update GPS keeps searching.

[SilviaFitbit]

Hey everyone!

I've merged your posts here because I noticed you're experiencing the same issue. I've notified my team about the issue you're experiencing and they are looking into it, as soon as I have more information, I'll let you know. 

Catch you later. 😀

[MattChicago]

Had this watch for almost 1 1/2 years, and now it WILL NOT connect to GPS before a run.  Cloudy day?  Nope. Sunny day? Nope.  In the middle of a open area?  Nope.   On top of a hill?  Nope.  Restart my watch?  Nope.  Sync my phone first?  Nope.  Restart my phone...and sync?  Nope.  Factory reset my watch and remove it from my profile...and then add it again?  Nope.  

Seriously, I got this FOR THIS FEATURE.  

Any ideas?

[SilviaFitbit]

@MattChicago Welcome to the Community. Thanks for the details mentioned and the troubleshooting tried. 

Sorry to hear that you're experiencing this. I've merged your post in this thread because you're experiencing the same as others have reported it here. As mentioned before, I've notified my team and if I have any update, I'll make sure to post it here. 

I'll be around if you have any additional question. 

[mk2654]

Hi, Silvia, thanks for your help! Here is a photo of what it looks like when it is trying to connect to GPS. This morning, I stood in front of my apartment for eight minutes and wasn't able to get a connection. Eventually, I started running, and it did connect about half a mile in. This is pretty typical lately. Like Matt and the others, I never had an issue with this until recently. It also happens in all sorts of locations and conditions. I was really impressed with the Ionic and reviewed it very positively, even preferring it over Garmin Vivoactive, so I'm frustrated that I may now need to revise those reviews to address the watch's short life.

This is close to the timing of mine, which I purchased in April 2018. Worked like a charm until, well, . . . it didn't. I'm also in Chicago.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[sshoham]

Hello, I'm a fitbit user in Jerusalem, Israel

My problem with the ionic is that it disconnects from the GPS satellite after about six or seven km into the activity, and then keeps searching it (as in the picture above) for the rest of the course. When I manually mark a lap during this stretch of disconnectivity it does give a reading of lap distance, but I wonder what it's based on.

Two other peoblems: a. It begins measuring distance -from zero- only after about 50-70 meters from go. and b. Its distance measurements, and, consequently, its pace readings, are very inaccurate, sometimes as much as 15% off, compared to an assortment of other sports watches which I used alternately on precisely the same route: Garmin Forerunner 235, Xiaomi Amazfit, Apple Watch series 2, and even my older Fitbit Surge.

[SilviaFitbit]

@mk2654 and @sshoham Thanks for stopping by and continue sharing screenshots and details about what you've experienced. 

I've shared this with my team and they will look into it, as soon as I have more information about this issue, I'll make sure to post it here and keep everyone updated. 

Once again, your patience and understanding is appreciated. 

[heeemz]

Noticed during walk mode, GPS keeps searching for way too long, once a location is detected, it keeps dropping intermittently. 

Location is all clear, I wasn't in a location that would hinder GPS connectivity. I have tried rebooting watch and so on. 

This is bad, notifications are already a challenge on this, and now GPS. I hope FITBIT support is watching these threads. 

[SilviaFitbit]

@heeemz It's nice to see you on the Community. Thanks for the details mentioned and the troubleshooting tried. 

I've merged your post here because you're experiencing the same than other users in this thread. As mentioned before, I've shared this with my team and they are investigating it. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[mk2654]

Everyone, an update on this: After many months of poor GPS connectivity and Fitbit's refusal to address this in a reasonably prompt manner, the watch died completely mid-run and could never be turned back on. For about a year, I was happy with this watch, but the conclusion I have to draw now is that, while this performs decently in the short-term as a running watch, it is NOT made for serious runners who will be using the GPS frequently nor is it built for longevity. If you're balking at spending $100–150 more on a Garmin, know that you get what you pay for. It will have reliable GPS, will almost certainly last longer (making the cost/year better), and the customer service is better. In conclusion, BUYER BEWARE: I only got one year of reliable activity tracking for my money, and customer service is not keen to address this issue that, as you can see, many people are experiencing.

[Kyle_w_h]

I have the same problem with runs. The GPS cuts out and doesn't reconnect. I don't think I'm having the same problem with other tracked activities (hike, walk). Also, when GPS does connect, if you zoom in, it's a pretty jagged line, so it is messing with distance and pace. This is terrible. Please address this ASAP.

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity