Can't turn off Connected GPS

[rmwiseman]

I allowed connected GPS when I set up my Charge 2 (syncing with my Samsung Galaxy S7) a few weeks back.  However, I don't need it all the time for cycling so I thought I would turn it off for now.

On the app, I went to Account >> Charge 2 >> Exercise Shortcuts >> Bike (which says "Connected GPS") underneath it in the list.  The only option under "Bike" is Connected GPS, which is currently turned on.  I turn it off and the switch goes grey.  I use the back arrow to go back to the list and when I get there, it still says "Bike (Connected GPS)" so I tap that again, and sure enough the switch is turned back on again.  I have the same issue with Run, Walk and Hike.  I can't turn off Connected GPS for any of them.

So I have to make sure I turn off Bluetooth whenever I do any of those exercises if I don't want my Fitbit to use Connected GPS.  I've tried resetting the app by clearing all its data and logging in again, but that didn't work.  I've tried restarting the phone and the Fitbit too.

I couldn't find any mention of this on the community site, so is it just me...?

[Rich_Laue]

I checked since i posted and my Charge 2 and app are do8ng the same.

[1200cc]

Apparently, by setting Connected GPS to on/off you are changing the flag on the tracker. It makes sense, if we assume it is a tracker's responsibility to connect to the phone GPS.

So, yeah, I toggle switch to Off position, app still shows "Connected GPS", but tracker stops connecting to the phone GPS. No phone icon on the tracker when I start Bike exercise. When I want to turn Connected GPS back on, I go to the exercise again, toggle switch to Off, then to On position. Tracker now connects to the phone: icon is present on the tracker, and a track on a map in the dashboard appears later.

[Rich_Laue]

Almost @1200cc, the flag the app switches needs to be transfered to the tracker durring a sync. Yes you have the idea, the tracker is in command.

[GuppyTJ]

I was able to turn off the "GPS Connected" feature on my Charge 2 tracker using an Android phone.  The way I did it was a combination of the advice above. 

First a few notes.  The "GPS Connected still shows "ON" on my phone for "Walk" and "Hike in the Exercise Shortcuts but when I use one of the exercises like "Hike" or "Walk" I am not getting the GPS connected result. I know I am not GPS connected because I don't get a GPS map on my phone after syncing.  Nor do I see the little phone icon on my Charge 2 when I'm doing the activity itself 

What I did to "fix" this is:

1. On my phone in the Exercise Shortcuts, I turned "GPS Connected" off.

2. I then closed the Fitbit app on my phone and turned off my phone, waited 15 seconds, then turned my phone back on.

3. I launched the Fitbit app on my phone and synched with my Charge 2.

4. I then tested it by pretending I was taking a little hike around my house.  I starting a hike activity, wandering around, and there was NO phone icon going while I was pretend hiking.  I then stopped the hiking activity.

5. I then ran a synch using my Fitbit app on my phone and checked the pretend hike activity I just did.  there was no GPS map. 

6. I checked my Exercise Shortcut and it STILL says GPS Connected is on for the Hiking activity.  But it's not.  Per the individual above, it appears Android has a bug in that it shows GPS Connected is on when it's off.

I hope this helps others.  Give it a try and I hope this works for you.

[Mbango]

That worked!!! Thank you so much!!!

[BMWS]

Same here and it's 2 years later...

[DK72]

Didnt work for me

[ken.]

Not working for me either.  Is there really no fix for this??

[DK72]

The turn around I use is to disable the bluetooth and location services before starting on the walk

[MarkGrahamNZ]

This is a really annoying software bug! It never used to be there, and was introduced. I have disabled all exercise shortcuts except 'Workout' as a consequence, and then recategorise in the phone app to the appropriate exercise type. I love just about all aspects of my Fitbit - except this one - it's a big issue.

[Rich_Laue]

@MarkGrahamNZ I'm not sure which Charge model you have, but yes, GPS may be deactivated. Some models are unable to turn GPS on with an auto detected exercise. 

@GuppyTJ gps has issues trying to get a lock when there isn't a direct line of sight to the satellites. Inside a house might prevent GPS from being able to work, even if it is enabled. With the Charge 2 gps is enabled on the app through the individual exercise settings. On the Charge 2, the phone icon will have a line through it while searching for a GPS lock. I'm not aware of the app auto enabling GPS when the UI is opened to the exercise shortcut. For GPS to work after a phone restart, their is no reason to open the fitbit app. The necessary background processes are started during the phone start-up. 

On android phones, the Fitbit app can only be closed through the phone settings. Swiping the app off of the screen will only close the User Interface. Your fitbit app, by default, will always start-up with the phone. There is no reason to open the Fitbit UI when doing a walk. If the UI is running, make sure it has been moved to the background before the screen times out, or gps fails when the screen shuts off. 

[MarkGrahamNZ]

Connected GPS can be deactivated in theory for my Charge 2 @Rich_Laue, but it certainly can't in practice - as per all of the symptoms described in the thread above: I toggle the switch from on to off in the iPhone app, and then it switches back to on (by itself) on the next sync. A big bug! Only workarounds for me at present are to a) that described in my previous post, or b) deactivate GPS connectivity for Fitbit in my iPhone, or c) deactivate Bluetooth