Charge 2 Connected GPS

[Outlaw13]

Hi

I'm just about to buy my first Fitbit and just wanted to check how the GPS bit works first. I will be using the GPS bit when I'm cycling and hopefully it works with the minimum of effort. Once paired to my iPhone will the fitbit constantly monitor my location or do I have to pair it each time I want to track where I'm going? Do I have to do anything on the iPhone before I set off?

Cheers

[MakMak · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Outlaw13! The way it works on the Blaze is that you select the activity you want to do on the tracker, it connects to your phone with the app running in the background and your gps already turned on. Then you set off on your activity and the phone will track where you are on a map. It doesn't have to re-pair each time you do an exercise, although it takes a couple seconds to connect to the GPS. It doesn't constantly monitor your location when you're not actively tracking an activity, though.

[bbarrera · Accepted solution]

---

@Outlaw13 wrote:

I will be using the GPS bit when I'm cycling and hopefully it works with the minimum of effort.

---

Yes, minimum of effort. Start bike mode on Charge 2, wait for connected GPS to activate, and go on your ride. However if the bluetooth connection is interrupted then you might get a good map and not so accurate mileage. In addition you don't get many steps, which is accurate, but Fitbit challenges are still step based. As a result, lot of folks I know just use Strava on their phone (for GPS and speed), and don't put Fitbit into biking mode (for HR). Then bike ride is automatically synced from Strava to Fitbit (only setup once).  

[donnal133]

This might be a dumb question... do you need to bring the phone with you or can you leave it in the car, do your walk, run, etc. and then the tracker will sync with your phone when you get back?

[bbarrera]

@donnal133 you need to bring phone if you want GPS tracking to provide a map and more accurate distance.

If you don't care about maps and accurate distance, then you can go for a walk/run/etc and the Charge2 will track your steps and HR (other info like distance is estimated). Then steps are sync'd to Fitbit servers later when you are near phone.

[MMV12]

I just got my Charge 2 and on my morning bike ride yesterday, my phone didn't pair but on my afternoon ride it did and it was awesome to see my stats in the dashboard with my mapped route! This morning on my run, the phone didn't pair and I restarted my phone and it still didn't pair. Any troubleshooting advice?

[Stavraetos]

One more question about the subject. Do I have to have the "Always Connected" option on my phone in order for the GPS tracking to work or it does it automatically when the exercise has been initiated? 

Thanks

[MakMak]

It works without "Always Connected." When you initiate the exercise, the tracker will look for and pair with your phone.

[MMV12]

My connected GPS hasn't connected on my last 3 bike rides and runs! My phone's GPS is on and is literally inches from my Charge 2. Troubleshooting advice, please!

[Tomtomato]

I have lots of issues with Connected GPS too, it's very unreliable.

On my phone, after I have selected the exercise on the watch, I have to put the app on the foreground, and do a manual sync for the GPS connected mode to work...for a while.

[SunsetRunner]

Hello Everyone and welcome to the Community to all first timers. We will make sure you feel at home. 

Regarding the GPS connectivity there are a few things to take into account when using it with your device. For starters the signal is an important factor. Not only make sure that your Phone is properly connecting (remember that a good connection to Internet also is necessary), You also have to make sure that the Charge @ is connecting properly with the phone for all of the activity. To ensure this wear the tracker and the phone on the same side of your body, this last one can be enough to disrupt the signal. For a full round down on how to use the GPS with the Charge 2 check on the Fitbit help site..

@MakMak thank you for your info. As for the Always Connected, while not necessary for the GPS tracking to work it does provide a more stable connection that would certainly ensure a better connectivity between the phone and the tracker during the activity. 

I'll be waiting for your updates!

[shmiusa]

I see charge 2 tracking my cycling activity.  Also tried linking with my iPhone 6s....The main reason for linking with iPhone GPS is to get distance traveled (location wise) details? I see all other things tracked without an iPhone GPS..

[Rich_Laue]

Hello @shmiusa, I'm not sure what the question is, that is if there is one?

You mention also adding it to your iPhone, what other devices is the Charge 2 connected too? 

[shmiusa]

&es...not a question.  just to figure out if connecting with iPhone (for GPS) makes any difference other than showing the location travelled...thanks

[Rich_Laue]

Cycling mode has two options, with or without GPS, no I think about it the heart rate can also be turned off, but we wont.
If your in cycling mode without GPS it will use only your heart rate to calculate calories.. With GPS I believe it will also sulk menu the heart rate with and distance.
Now there is a third way to record a bike ride, that is to do nothing to the Charge 2 and let Fitbit determine that you where riding, in this case there will be no GPS recorded.

[shmiusa]

oh..thank you for responding..Yes...it seems to record as heart rate..not able to see dist travelled or in dashboard....not easily visible though, got to play around.

[tomekpn]

Can I connect Charge 2 to the GPS in my Windows Phone 10 ?

[Rich_Laue]

That's correct, the windows phone does not support connected gps or notifications yet.. Microsoft says they will have the required service working in an update in early 2017, then Fitbit will be able to give win10 phones these features. See www.fitbit.com/devices for what features work on your phone.

[shmiusa]

Ok...I could connect iphone GPS.  While tracking my cycling, it got recorded as walking..what would have gone wrong?

[Rich_Laue]

If indead you see a map of your cycling and it got recorded as a walk, this means you turned on the walk mode and not the cycling mode.