Getting error "Cannot establish GPS connection, GPS turning off"

[Weeb13]

Three times in the last week during a walk, I have gotten the following notification " Cannot establish GPS connection, GPS turning off"  The GPS setting is set to Dynamic.  How can i fix this?

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[DavideFitbit]

Hello @Weeb13, thank you for sharing this information about the trouble you've been having with GPS during your walk. 

Before considering other options, make sure to follow these tips for using GPS with your Charge 4 device: 

• On Charge 4, keep your phone nearby for activities with a longer duration, such as golf or a hike, to ensure your entire workout is recorded with dynamic GPS or phone GPS. For more information, see How do I manage the GPS settings on Charge 4?

• Charge your device to at least 80%, as built-in GPS can cause the battery to drain more quickly.
• Start your exercise and connect to GPS in an area where you have a clear view of the sky.
• Sync your device with the Fitbit app. The more you sync your device, the faster your device can connect to GPS.
• If you are using GPS for the first time in an area, connecting may take longer than usual.

If you're still having the same problem, make sure to follow all the steps listed in this article, they have been useful for other users experience something similar. A restart procedure could be useful as well. 

Keep me posted on the outcome

[sneakythumbs]

This exact thing happened to me on my run. I started the activity from my fitbit and then went for my run. After about 10 minutes it vibrated and said "Cannot establish GPS connection, GPS turning off". I guess it just threw any gps data it had collected up to that point straight into the trash because when I finished my run and checked on my fitbit and the app, there is no record of any gps data.

The gps support on the charge 4 has not worked correctly since release and this is the only reason I bought my fitbit. I bit more focus on this issue rather than trying to up sell me on premium sleep tracking features would be appreciated.

[Pesky]

Me too Soooo annoying , it was working fine and now it doesn’t , hence i purchased the 4 for thé same reason 

[Weeb13]

Following a suggestion from Chat I rebooted the device and have not had an issue for the past two days

[a121349]

This has happened to me twice in the last week.  Both times I was running and, after a couple miles, the device vibrated and displayed the message "cannot establish GPS connection, turning GPS off".  The device has been working well since the last firmware release.  I use the device several times a week so it seems like something has changed.  

[Pesky]

Hello

try this as it does resolve on the issue 

on your charge 4 on your wrist so the actual device follow this 

swipe to settings 

scroll to GPS settings 

GPS Mode - should state built in GPS ( otherwise tap till it does )

GLONASS - should be ON

it should now work 

[Deeb1960]

Hi 

I also had the same problem with GPS. Followed everything to the letter. Logged back in to Fitbit app was told to change password. Did then lost everything . Keep getting a pop up saying I must follow instructions on email . There is no instructions on email just a link to customer service if I did not change password . Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you

[DavideFitbit]

@Pesky @Weeb13 Thank you for sharing this update and all the steps that you found helpful to resolve this problem. 

Welcome to the Community forums, @sneakythumbs @a121349 @Deeb1960. In this case, if you already tried all the troubleshooting steps mentioned earlier in this thread and you continue to experience the same inconvenience, I recommend that you get in touch with the Customer Support team for further assistance. 

The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected. 

Have a good day. 

[Tubanana]

had the same problem

When asked for solution, was told to follow a link about GPS

Told them it didnt work and asked if i can do an exchange:

"For now, a replacement might not resolved this issue. In the meantime, let us know when did you started experiencing this issue? If you haven't connected to GPS lately, it might take several minutes to connect."

Asked them when can this be rectified:

"Thanks for this. Our team is still working to have this resolved as soon as possible. Please understand that we are unable to provide a specific time-frame for it to be solved."

So this just leave me with a faulty charge 4 and no other solution

[WBATKINS]

Re: "connect to GPS in an area where you have a clear view of the sky", every time I get this error seems to be when I start my run in an open area but then get the error message when I get into the woods. What is the solution for avoiding this issue when running in covered areas? I tried switching the GPS setting from dynamic to phone, and still get the same issue just about every time I go on a run.

[DavideFitbit]

@Tubanana @WBATKINS @JamesRingFitBit Thank you for all the information provided about this issue with GPS. I'm sorry to see that you continue to experience this behavior with the Charge 5. 

I understand that Customer Support has informed you the team is working on a solution but there's not specific time frame yet. The team continues to work to improve the Fitbit experience and your feedback is an important part of that process. 

In the meantime, please make sure to try all the commendations mentioned here earlier. Feel free to reach out to the Support team as well if you're continuously having this problem so they can let you know if there are any other alternatives available for you. 

See you around. 

[waikanae]

Me too! Just in the last few weeks, GPS always drops out at the same point of my daily run, it doesn't seem to matter if I have my phone with me or not. The same distance varies between 2.7km and 3.25 km even though I start and finish at the same point. SO frustrating!

[Urda]

The URL you’ve linked to doesn’t work

[BillJ99x]

Honest answer: you can't. It's been a problem for years. Probably since the Charge 4 was released.

What has reduced this problem for me is setting the GPS mode to Phone on the tracker instead of dynamic. Also make sure the app can always get your location. Phone settings such as low-power mode can impact this.