Charge 3 counting steps while driving

[tjhanke]

As first-time Fitbit user, I wanted to like charge 3, I really did but after trying it for a week it has been a major disappointment. My biggest complain is that it is wildly inaccurate. I get 1400 steps while driving my car on a highway, nothing bumpy, just regular rush hour traffic with stop and go. And don’t even think about brushing your teeth while wearing it. Fitbits response has been that this is how charger operates or to modify the count to “driving” to get accurate steps reading. I tried the driving trick but to mess with dashboard twice every day is not very user-friendly. Better solution would be to have a driving button that stops counting when you reach pre-defined speed. Come on Fitbit your engineers are surely capable of that. Charge 3 has some nice features but for me its main role is to count my steps and it fails miserably in this aspect. My $5.99 Walmart pedometer is more accurate. I am returning my Charge 3 and I think I give Apple Watch a shot. First impressions Fitbit ...

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[CatYoung33]

I purchased one a week ago and have had the same problems with driving. Im thoroughly disappointed and now after reading these comments I will be returning mine. I have an Alta HR which never seemed to count extras for driving, but now I doubt its accuracy also. It amazes me that there is no simple fix to this, I'll be switching brands now. 

[MarkeyJ]

Sadly I had to take mine back. Good news is Kohl’s was nice about it.

Sent from my iPad

[MarreFitbit]

Hi guys! Thank you for the thorough feedback for the Fitbit devices. This has not gone unnoticed and be sure that I will pass this along.

Fitbit has been designed to provide motivation and help you to reach your daily goals to success. Please know that we provide feedback to our team based on community posts and we are always working on improving our devices and overall environment based on that feedback. Sorry to hear some of you go! 

It's not possible to delete steps and floors, but you can achieve the same result by negating them:

Fitbit app:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap the Exercise tile. This is the tile that says “Track exercise" or shows how many days you've exercised this week.
2. Tap the stopwatch icon.
3. Tap Log or Log Previous.
4. Enter Driving as the exercise type and enter the date, start time, and duration.
5. Tap Add or Log it. Your steps, floors, and calories burned will decrease for the time period you specified.

Fitbit.com Dashboard:

1. From the fitbit.com dashboard, click the Log tab.
2. Click the Activities tab.
3. Under Log Activities, type in Driving and enter the date, duration, and start time.
4. Click Log. Your steps, floors, and calories burned will decrease for the time period you specified.

Please don't hesitate to let me know if there's anything else I may assist you with.

[Tkid]

How many people have to complain about this before Fitbit acknowledges and fixes this?  I’m not trying to cheat myself by tracking steps I don’t take! Driving should simply not count.  I ran 4 11 minute miles today and my Fitbit said I ran 3 at 14+ minutes.  My brand new Fitbit.  Pretty disappointed in the value I thought I was getting the latest and greatest 

[SuJames]

Thank you for answering and for the instructions. They're really helpful as I didn't know I could log driving using the app instead of the website.

I have attempted one driving log so far and I'm not sure if it's removed the steps, etc. What it has done,  which is annoying, is counted my driving as an exercise in my weekly goals. Annoying as the whole point of tracking is to see how well I'm doing at hitting targets for health and fitness. Of course the other point of logging driving is to remove the other false "green lights" I get for achieving my targets (ie steps/floors etc)

Any suggestions...? 

[BarbMarie131]

This is only my second day wearing the Charge 3 and I am already disappointed.  Yesterday I was so proud of myself for all the steps I took...this morning I noticed that I earned 300 steps while blow drying my hair, another 200 styling it and 20 for buttering my toast. What the heck? This makes me think I can't believe anything on this device! 

[NannyNPop]

I feel the same disappointment. Especially after reading about others with the same problem. I spent 6 hours driving today and it logged over 6400 steps and 39 flights of stairs. Unfortunately for me I purchased mine about six weeks ago as my flex was slowly dying, and won’t be able to return it, but I’m certainly looking into something other than Fitbit. Not happy.

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@BarbMarie131 wrote:

This is only my second day wearing the Charge 3 and I am already disappointed.  Yesterday I was so proud of myself for all the steps I took...this morning I noticed that I earned 300 steps while blow drying my hair, another 200 styling it and 20 for buttering my toast. What the heck? This makes me think I can't believe anything on this device! 

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I'm just so disappointed with it. This is my third fitbit and cannot believe it is this inaccurate. My little Flex was pretty much right on. Trying some of the recommendations but it seems to be more of a hassle.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[DavideFitbit]

Thank you for all the information and feedback provided so far @Tkid, @SuJames, @BarbMarie131, @NannyNPop, @MarkeyJ, and welcome to the new users in the forums. 

By negating the steps you shouldn't see any impact in your calorie totals for the day, but at the moment there's not way to prevent the tracker to count steps while driving. However, I've been some users who have mentioned that charging the device while driving helps to avoid the extra steps during this activity. If you haven't done so already, I also recommend that you vote for this idea and add your comments as well: Add "Driving Mode" Feature to avoid erroneous steps/floors. This is always helpful to attract more attention from the team of developers. 

If you're getting steps while performing other activities (it's normal to a certain extent, as long as it's not an exaggerated amount), remember that your device tries to give you credit for all movement throughout the day.  You can find more information and tips on how to avoid the extra steps in this article about accuracy.  

I hope this helps. 

[Dsews]

As I've said before, in my job as a package delivery driver I am in and out of my vehicle 60 to 90 times a day.  It would be very inconvenient to have to take the fitbit  off and put it on the charger that many times.  It would be so much simpler if there was just a button to turn step counting on and off on the fitbit itself.

[NannyNPop]

I’ve been logging it as driving???? Seems to work although very inconvenient. My little Flex never had this problem. The next test will be on my stepper, the other day, the heart rate was way off, stopped part way to put the chest strap on to get a more accurate reading. It’s coming close to being put back in the box.

[SABINA85]

I returned my product yesterday, best solution ever - get a new tracker folks, this one looks beautiful yet over promises.

To the fitbit team, you need to learn how to communicate. When you tell us 'I understand how you feel,' you don't really. So many people here spend their money that they saved purposely for this tracker, some people buy them as gifts for their loved ones, there is a lot that you do not understand.

And if you claim to understand how we feel, then please go back and take responsibility of your marketing, advertisement and fix the problem at the root. It is so unfair to expect your customers to fix the SURFACE problem at every turn when they just purchase this BRAND NEW out of the box tracker.

We live in a world where we need people, companies to be real, honest and sell things out of sincerity. Do not claim you are the most advanced fitness tracker when we still have to log it the old age way to reduce the steps. Do not claim to be the most advanced tracker when your list of phone compatibility is not 'guaranteed'. Do not claim to be something that the tracker is not. 

We can be forgiving if you are honest about it. Take responsibility and fix it for the future.

[NannyNPop]

Unfortunately its too late to return mine, I purchased it to be ready when my little Flex died. But, it will be put into a box for storage or to be given to one of my granddaughters. I'm researching and reading on different ones now, with a few recommendations. Very disappointed FitBit

[PBakes61]

I returned mine to the store I purchased it from as it simply didn't do what I wanted it and was so inaccurate it was a joke.
I exchanged it for a Fitbit Ionic. Brilliant and is sooooo much better.
Happy now .

Sent from my iPad

[Merlin82]

i will also be taking mine back after less than a week.   got rid of another smart watch because of how bad the step counter was.  went a bought a device that was built to count steps and its more inaccurate than the smart watch.    I am just going to go back to a dumb watch and just carry a clicker and count steps that way.  it might be more accurate.  

[This_is_dumb]

First of all, I applaud your bravery. Your last compatriot seems to have moved on. I hope you’re not new here. 

Also, I’ve worked in customer service. It’s hard being stuck between customers that don’t get it and management that doesn’t get it. 

But you’re doing it all wrong. SO very wrong. You need to hire Kellyanne Conway to moderate this thread. Only she’s can deal with such a glaring chasm between blatant logic and an organization who refuses to acknowledge it. It’s been four years, three generations, and a two least two separate threads where people have been demanding this. If you’re going to keep couching non-answers with scripted talking points and quoting ‘solutions’ that one would expect from a cheap Chinese knockoff, it’s time to bring in a real pro. 

I bought the fitbit because I’m fat. I don’t do anything faster than 20mph unless I’m sitting on a gas engine. Your Fitbit has accelerometers and my phone has gps tracking. Let me set a custom speed. Like 20mph. 

[NewbisFB]

I'm sorry to say but "add driving mode" solution and feature request is absolutely rediculous and doesn't address all the other false positive steps the device counts throughout the day. If fitbit cannot fix the products step tracking flaws then they only have one optionn...

An in-device step-pause function! 

They should also remove step tracking as a primary feature of their marketing as right now, unless you ONLY wear the device when walking and take it off at all other times your stats, your diet plan  your exercise goals will all be made useless  

[MsRiny]

I completely agree with you tjhanke! My first fitbit - charge 3 - and very disappointing. I drive to and from work, up and down hills so it adds steps and floors, and today it started counting active minutes while driving. It is very frustrating that driving needs to be logged manually. And we need to try and remember times every singe time we drive. Was expecting more from 'fitness tracker'. Though I want to say, that responses from customer service were very prompt. Shame that the product is unreliable. 

[Merlin82]

i returned my Fitbit,   not only was driving adding steps, but also found that the vibration of the notifications while it was not on my wrist, but sitting on my counter, added 1k steps to it... what junk for 100 bucks.   I called fitbit and they wanted me to reset it...   like we all have done 1k's of times already..... i returned it and just went to Amazon and bought a 15$ Bluetooth step counter that goes on the belt, and returned to a normal watch.  very disappointed. 

[Cal_pow]

My problem isn't necessarily due to driving. It just logged 2 flights of steps while I was going about my morning routine getting ready for work. 

[Jay2Dub]

I believe it measures inclines as flights

Sent from my iPhone