Poor Ionic GPS

[Knappa25]

I am so sick of the GPS on my Ionic.

I've learned to live with the poor syncing, the watch turning itself off mid-run, and still no ability to download songs from Spotify, but the GPS is a joke.

I've just completed a 5k run, with a grand total of 300m of GPS coverage. I have to actively avoid wooded areas because I know my watch doesn't like it, and I've just done 3k of beach with nothing. My partner and our flatmate both have a Garmin, and can cycle 50 miles with not a single issue.

This issue has been ongoing, on and off, for two years now. I've updated, I've rebooted, it's still a problem. I updated from a Surge to Ionic hoping that GPS problems would be a thing of the past, but I'm fed up of paying hundreds of pounds for sub-par products. 

[SilviaFitbit]

@Knappa25 A warm welcome to the Community. Thanks for the detailed information shared. 

I appreciate the troubleshooting tried prior to posting. I see where you're coming from. 

I would like you to confirm you're following these tips, when using built-in GPS: 

• Make sure that you have a clear view of the sky when you start the exercise. Environmental factors, including tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, and thick cloud cover, can interfere with your device’s ability to connect to GPS satellites. If the signal is blocked—either because you're indoors, underground, or due to another reason—GPS won't work.

• Make sure that your device is charged to at least 80%.
• Confirm that your device is syncing with the Fitbit app. The more you sync your device, the faster your device can connect to GPS.
• Avoid trying to start an exercise with GPS several times in a row, which can prevent your device from connecting to GPS.

As a side note, all devices with GPS sensors require a direct path to GPS satellites to calculate location. A weak GPS signal might affect the accuracy of your route and other activity data. Your device uses your step count to calculate distance until it finds a signal, so the total distance calculated for a workout may be slightly less accurate when GPS isn't available for the entire time.

Let me know how the troubleshooting goes. I'll be around if you have any additional questions. 

[Knappa25]

Well, I went for a run this morning and the GPS stayed connected for most of the run. 

I've just worn my Ionic for my first recorded swim in the ocean, and now it doesn't record my steps anymore. Another absolute win for the top piece of equipment that is the Fitbit Ionic. I rinsed it off after the swim (can't be having a saltwater build up on a device that's advertised for ocean swimming!) and now it's sat in a tub of rice. The screen still works, so I now have a £250 rubber band that tells the time. 

[Knappa25]

@SilviaFitbit My watch has been sat in rice all night, and now fully charged. It still does not work. I have done the standard reset, and then the hard reset, got rid of the app and started all again from scratch. It still does not work.

The watch asked me to calibrate it, but states it can't because the sensors are not clear, when they are in fact, very clear. The saltwater, despite being rinsed off, has clearly damaged the sensors. My first time in the sea and the step counter breaks immediately. How do you and your compaby justify calling a product waterproof when it clearly isn't? What will you do about this? 

[SilviaFitbit]

@Knappa25 Thanks for getting back. Sorry to hear that your Ionic stopped tracking your steps after you went into the ocean with it. 

I appreciate the troubleshooting tried prior to posting. In this case, I've shared your post with our Support team and someone will reply to you as soon as possible. Keep in mind that due to recent events affecting our operations, we may take a bit longer to get back to you. 

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