GPS not accurate on Charge 3

[TabiR]

The GPS on the fitbit3 is not accurate. My phone tracks me and the fitbit is at least 0.2 miles off. It also gives me like 60 active minutes for maybe 35min of exercise (and my heart rate was not elevated for that far beyond my exercise to account for that). Im dissapointed that this isn't nearly ad accurate and I still need to take my phone running to log a workout =(

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Batbit]

i have the same issue on my Charge 2

Run the same route.

Mapmyrun = 8.5Km

Mobilerun on Fitbit App=8.5Km

Connected GPS using device = 9.6Km

they all show the same map, route is on the road no glitches etc. i do the route multiple times and what is interesting is that the device matches the km all the time I know exactly where the 1km and 2km marks are using the watch vs using the App and the watch is overestimating distance. Google maps agrees to Mapmyrun and i drove the route to double check.

I tried using my partners device and her phone and the connected GPS again had the same 9.6Km so its consistent. 

how can the phone through the App for the same run show a different distance than Connected GPS for the same map?

Using latest Firmware APP is updated all is connected the map shows, no gaps but distance is wrong...

[Hemmeleinen]

I'm using an iPhone XR. Is there anyone using another kind of phone and getting more accurate results? 

[Batbit]

Hi
i logged a call with the Helpdesk, this is the official response

"Thanks for giving us additional details regarding the issue.


Upon review based on the information you had provided, we're able to
confirm that this is a current known issue with regards intermittent GPS
issue for iOS users.

Good news is that our engineers are already aware and working towards a
resolution that will help you get back in track. Your tracker is not
defective and will go back to its original performance once this issue has
been fixed on our end.

We appreciate you for making us aware and for your patience with this
matter.

Let us know if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

*Eisley and the Fitbit Team*

[Hemmeleinen]

So it´s just a IOS-problem? Hope they fix it quite soon.

[BryanCork]

I’m using a Samsung J6. Results are dreadful.

[BryanCork]

It’s clearly more than just iOS users.

[TimBarton]

Count me in as another with this issue. Android user: Moto G4 Plus.

When using Runkeeper on the same phone I was getting consistent data, but since moving to the Fitbit it's being wildly inconsistent: differences of up to 200m on a simple 1km walk on different days. For non-metric users that's a 20% difference.

The other day I did a walk that Runkeeper has listed as 2.2km in the past, Fitbit tracked it as 3km. Today I did an actually longer walk but was tracked in as 2.6km.

Considering I purchased the Charge 3 to help train for a multi day hike, not bring able to trust the GPS distance tracking is very annoying.

To be clear I am manually picking the activity and ensuring that my Fitbit is connected to my phone before starting the activity.

[BryanCork]

Run was exactly 5k.

A 5k run... fitbit was fully connected with my mobile at the start of the run. Says that it was only 3.8k. Makes the run tracking function utterly worthless. 

[ChrisNE]

Exact same issue here.  Loved my Charge 1.  But, charge 3 offers nothing more w/out gps. Phone is fine..MapMyRun is dead on.

[Zuzuxx]

The same issue. I found this discussion to see there are more ppl with the same issuem it is really frustrating to count less then reality. GPS is always connected. Using Android. 

Anyone is taking care of this issue and when it will be solved, pls? 

[Batbit]

My solution was to sell my Fitbit, connected GPS is not accurate so no
point really.

[pamcm1]

My Fitbit Charge 3's GPS is also wildly inaccurate.  I followed all the listed steps to try to correct the problem but I am unable to perform the following step:

You selected an exercise type from the Exercise app that uses connected GPS. Swipe up on any exercise and check that Use Phone GPS is listed and set to On.

When I select "Exercise" it goes to "Exercise Goals."  When I I then select "walk" and I see "Auto-recognize" which is toggled on and "walk longer than" which is set to 15 minutes. Is this where I should be able to swipe up? It doesn't respond to swiping. I noticed that other people also questioned how to do this.  Would someone please explain in a detailed step-by-step way how to do this?

[EReza]

My Fitbit has been accurate in my morning runs until yesterday, I always take the same route so know the distance, around 10.3km. But since yesterday the Fitbit is showing shorter distance, yesterday was 9.73km and today 8.78km. In both cases the GPS connection stablished right away at the beginning of the run. Even the floor count after the runs are significantly lower than the previous runs. Although the map is the same for these runs the elevation is significantly different and KM markings on the map are different too. It looks like Fitbit loses connection to the phone. The distance calculation based on step count is similar though. 

I haven't done any app update or phone change since Monday so I have no idea why this is happening, very annoying. I am planning to contact support.

[BryanCork]

GPS never worked for me. Ever.

[serenarice]

I'm having the exact same problem. I've been using my fitbit almost daily to run the same 5 miles and since last tuesday its not recording only 4 miles when I've actually done 5. I notice the app updated on 16th september so I am now assuming its something wrong on the update. gps is connected and I've compared it against maps and run keeper and it is a 5 mile run! so frustrating as it's now knocking my fitness score down thinking its taking me longer to run a mile!!

[UKRun]

Having had a charge HR and charge 2 I was happy to receive a charge 3 as a gift. However having started running training the issue of connected GPS distance is driving me to consider ditching Fitbit all together. 

Repeatedly despite accurately showing the route Fitbit I'd significantly under recording the distance. For example a 6.25 mile route ( mapped on Google, confirmed on onthegomap and correctly measured by mapmyrun on the same phone is recorded by Fitbit as 5.77 miles.

How can it be that it accurately shows the route (using what appears to be a Google map) but massively under measure the distance especially given it using the same phone as mapmyrun??

Fitbit charge 3 sync to Moto G6.

[Batbit]

That’s the worst part, it’s almost like it overrides GPS and uses a step
count. So map is accurate but distances are wrong. Just poor programming.
And sale has gone through so gameover for the consumers. I have abandoned
my Fitbit altogether.

[BryanCork]

GPS was a major factor in me buying it.

Thought i could use it instead of my Garmin running watch. Turns out i
couldn't... when im running i have to have the garmin on right wrist *to
accurately measure my run) and fitbit on left (so i log all steps). Its
very disappointing.

That and the fact that the SPO2 turns out to have been a ruse have left a
very bad taste in my mouth. Have gone from being a fitbit fan to a little
bit 'meh-whatever' 😞

[Zuzuxx]

 hello to Fitbit moderators.

Anyone can explain this, please? The same route, but distance is different, how come? 

[Weather411]

I've read this entire thread. I have the exact same problem (just received as a birthday gift). Using Android on a Samsung Galaxy S7. At first I realized you had to disable "Power Saving" to get the GPS connected and remain connected. If you fail to do this, the GPS will cut out after ~ 10 seconds. Of course, this is NOT formally documented by FitBit. Pretty bad. Now I have the problem where the FitBit map shows accurate tracing but the distance is wrong (i walked 3.93 miles but FitBit totaled only 3.23 miles).