Charge 3 step accuracy

[Rosiekia]

My new Charge 3 is adding on 1000’s of steps i haven’t done. Is there anyway I can sort this out?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Rosiekia, it's nice to see you here! If you're having discrepancy with your step count, first make sure the wrist placement settings are correct. Next, double check that you entered your height correctly. Since we use height to estimate your walking and running stride lengths, you may want to measure and manually adjust these values if your legs are longer or shorter than average.

Remember that the wrist trackers count steps depending on the movement of your arms, when you are driving or for example when your tracker is close to a fan. In these scenarios, your tracker counts steps due to the vibrations. 

To get more information about this, check the article: How accurate are Fitbit devices?

I know you've done this, but if after taking these factors into account you still think your tracker is significantly undercounting or overcounting steps, please try a step test:

1. Restart your tracker.

2. Put your wrist-based tracker on your wrist.
3. Walk 100 steps, making sure to count a step each time one of your feet hits the ground.
4. Pause, then check your tracker to see your step count.

Give this a shot and let me know the outcome! 

[JanaTheRunt]

Hello, 

I opened and setup my shiny new Charge 3 yesterday.

I spent last evening wearing it after setup, while I went through all the app settings... sitting on my couch... it gave me 271 steps.

Today, I wore it all day while at my desk job. I was previously tracking steps on my phone, with Samsung Health, where I averaged about 3000 steps a day at work without trying.

Today, in my first full day, I didn't carry my phone everywhere as usual, but Samsung Healty tracked around 3300 steps and my Charge 3 tracked 7200.

I've done the test recommended above and it was accurate when walking.

It seems that the sensitivity is VERY high and it is counting a lot of steps when I'm working at my desk or just watching TV at home.

Is there another fix available?

I love what it will do for me and I love that it will all be through my one device and app... but I need it to work effectively.

I need to be able to know my remaining calories and this is throwing everything out of whack.

Thanks for your help!

[Rosiekia]

I’m having the same problem. Recently upgraded my Fitbit to the 3. Mine counted 10,000 steps while I was sitting on a plane and then 1.1/2 hours in a car. Tried the recommended setting and all ok.
Definitely needs adjusting as otherwise no point.

Sent from my iPhone

[EJboogie]

I went on a road trip where I spent several hours each direction sitting, doing nothing, and the tracker counted over 10,000 steps each way. I really wanted to love this tracker and will likely purchase another if this problem is fixed in the future, but for now I'll be returning this Fitbit and going back to Samsung which is more accurate and doesn't count steps when I'm driving or inert. 

[MarreFitbit]

Thanks for stopping by @JanaTheRunt! I was checking and it seems that you've reached out to our Customer Support team. If you're still having this inconvenience, please reply back to email so our team can continue assisting you. 

Thanks for sharing your experience with Charge 3 @EJboogie and @Rosiekia! If you both have checked what I posted above, I'd recommend performing a long restart by following these steps:

1. Plug the device into the charging cable. 
2. While the device is plugged into the charging cable, hold the button down for 15 seconds. 
3. Remove their finger from button. Note: Device won't have a smiley face icon and should be off with a black screen.
4. Remove the device from the charging cable.
5. Plug the device into the charging cable again. 
6. The smiley face icon appears on the screen. 

Keep en eye on your tracker's behavior and let me know if the issue persists. I'll be around! 

[EJboogie · Accepted solution]

I already tried the suggested fixes to no avail. I saw that others were
having the same issue, so I've already returned the item and will go with
another tracker manufacturer that doesn't have the same problems. This is
disappointing, but I'll check back in the future to see if Fitbit has
remedied the gyroscope on this tracker to be more accurate or developed a
new model that won't be so sensitive to basic vibrations vs actual
steps/exercise. Thanks for the quick response.

[angelwatchn2]

I have the same issues and it looks like there are a lot people having the same.  For the price of this it should work right out of the box.  Ugh so what do people do? Wait?  Then you're past the time to return it.  Ugh my other fitness tracker is counting steps just fine but I had to upgrade or downgrade to charge 3 .please Fitbit help us out here!!!  

[Ashley5888]

I am having the same issue. I just got the Charge 3 for my birthday and while syncing and checking out the app on my phone it recorded 42 steps. I was sitting on the couch the whole time. I followed the steps you suggested and when I was done the step count went to 22 steps. 

Is there any way to adjust my steps to zero since I haven’t taken a single step since I put it on my wrist?

[angelwatchn2]

That I am not sure of as I just got mine a month ago.  If I see something on here I will post again
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[KymbaKhan]

My Charge 3 has been giving me massive step count boosts while driving, typing, and I'm telling you "checking my height settings" or resetting it are not a "fix".
"Have you tried turning it off and on again?" = LOL seriously?  DO. BETTER.
I am extremely disappointed with the online customer service bots copy/pasting the same text to people who are posting a legitimate product complaint.

We are ALL telling you that our prior trackers - Fitbit and other brands - did not do this.
I'm returning mine.
Until the moderators are willing to tell the truth; is there a firmware update in the works? This is a now well-known bug, what is Fitbit Inc. saying about it?

[angelwatchn2]

I agree!  I switched from another company to use this Fitbit brand and this is what I am paying 150 for?  A watch?  WTH 

[Big_Fella]

@EJboogie There’s a lot of people taking the Charge 3 back and getting something else, and it’s notable a lot of retailers/wholesalers are putting it on sale indicating it’s already become a slow mover.

Moderator edit: Format.

[gmacwan]

Hi!

I am having issues with my step count on Charge 3. while sitting an moving my wrist, it registers my movements as step counts. is there a bug that can fix this issue??

[Rlocks]

I am having the same problems with my charge 3. I had a steps device as a freebie from a catalogue that spurred me into splashing out and getting a decent one. the charge 3 counts every tiny movement and is tracking steps in the car, on the sofa etc. I have tried the fixes but the inaccuracies continue, i am really disappointed and am now looking at returning it. Not good enough!! Please try harder!!

[dlorde]

Yes, I just returned mine for the same reason (all the other little bugs & issues didn't help, either).

[gmacwan]

that's a real shame! I really do like the charge 3 and how it fits on my write compared to my Ionic.

[gmacwan]

That's a real shame! I really do like the charge 3 and how it fits on my wrist rater than the ionic 😞

[dlorde]

*** duplicate post ***

[Imtheonlycosta1]

I have restarted it and done the above (put it on charge, held the button for 15 secs etc) to no avail. Fitbit are sending me a new one, but after reading the comments, I highly doubt it's going to work. Someone from Fitbit, in one of the responses above, says that this is a problem with all wrist trackers, but what I don't understand is, if it's connected to the gps on your phone why can't it take the distance traveled into account and realise that you haven't gone anywhere?! I'm asking this because not only is my fc3 saying I've saying I've done radically more steps than I actually have (7,500, when it's more like 1,000), but it's also saying I've traveled nearly 6k when I haven't left my building?!