Using Charge 4 for tracking Walking

[grahamm7]

I am new to FitBit having just been given a Charge 4.  My main purpose for now is to track my excercise which is Walking.  But getting into the Walking mode and stopping it is not clear.  One 'person' said hold the button till use see excercise.  Tried that.  Another said when you are displaying the normal clock default face you have set tap the screen twice.  Tried that.  Sometimes I get in to Walking and start it.  Then how do I stop it.  Sometimes i get a finish button not always.  I have started to looking on Videos on You Tube.  But most are introductions or on specific things.  I love what the FitBit does but I am trying to learn consistently how to get into it.  Also when I go to look at the App it says no WiFi - well no I am walking but surely  the App links by BlueTooth so it should still sync without WiFi or be able to use 3G/4G etc... to transfer some information.  Sometimes I see a Google map of my walk on the App but not always.  Do I have to turn on GPS say?  Sorry to be a novice.  I have looked at the User manual PDF and some Videos but there doesn't seem to be clear instructions that work for each process so I am walking/cylcing etc... How do I turn it on and GPS tracking and turn it off when I am finished?  How does the app and the FiftBit work via Bluetooth or does it need WiFi all the time??  Thanks

[JuanFitbit · Accepted solution]

@grahamm7 , Nice to see you here. I'm glad that you got the Charge 4. Don't apologize, please. The Community will be more than glad to get you back on track with your Charge 4. 

Your Charge 4 can track Walking in different ways. 

You can let it automatic recognize your activity. Where you'll get the amount of steps, heart rate and some other core stats. You won't get a map using this feature (SmartTrack) . More about this, can be read here: Which activities does my Fitbit device track automatically?

If you start the recording yourself your can choose if you just want to track the steps and core stats (GPS off, No map)

If you want to get a map, you can choose either to use the GPS on the Charge 4, Connected GPS (mobile device's GPS connected via Bluetooth to the Charge 4) or Dynamic, ( a mix between the 2 previous depending on the connection strength. )

I suggest you to have a look at these articles to learn a bit more. How do I start and stop a workout on my Fitbit device?

How do I capture GPS data with my Fitbit device?

How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?

Hope this helps.

[grahamm7]

Many thanks - I will follow this up

[DaveT63]

Thanks for asking, I was thinking the same and the answer was spot on, worked for me. 👍

[DaveT63]

Spot on, thank you 😊 

[JuanFitbit]

@grahamm7 @DaveT63 , Nice to see you back. Im' glad that the information helped you further. 

Please visit our discussion forums. There you will find several users who are interested in fitness, healthy eating or better sleep and who share many tips. They will be happy to meet you there.

See you around. 

[grahamm7]

the thing I need to learn is how to get to Excercise Walking say and how to stop and start it.

I have found that if I swipe left from the normal 'clock' face I get excercise.

But when I am walking with the excercise face.  How do I get the stop excercise.  I think I press the button twice??

I didn't find these actions clearly set out in the manual or in the videos I watched.  Maybe I missed it.

Sometimes I learn more easily watching something than reading a manual.

Can you clarify the steps to get to Exercise/Walking - start - and stop.

That would be a great help.

[DaveT63]

This worked for me.

https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1935.htm#

I find the button very fiddly, sometimes it works easily, sometimes I have to take it off because the screen senses an option before the button press is selected 

[JuanFitbit]

@DaveT63 . Thank you for your message and the link provided. 

@grahamm7 , Nice to see you back. Thank you for your clarification. 

Here the instructions you requested. They can also be found at the link provided by DaveT63 

1. On your tracker, open the Exercise app and swipe to find Walking.
2. Tap the exercise to choose it.
3. Tap Start or Set Goal. If you set an exercise goal, press the button to go back and tap Start.
4. Tap the play icon  to begin. If the exercise uses GPS, you can wait for the signal to connect, or start the exercise and GPS will connect when a signal is available. Note that GPS can take a few minutes to connect.
5. Tap the middle of the screen to scroll through your real-time stats.
6. When you're done with your workout or want to pause, press the button. If you set a goal, your tracker vibrates and flashes when you reach the goal.
7. To end the workout, press the button again and tap Finish. Swipe up to see your workout summary. Tap the check mark to close the summary screen.
8. To see your GPS data, sync your tracker and tap the Exercise tile in the Fitbit app.

Hope this helps

[grahamm7]

It is all very well saying swipe but this was what I need to learn.  So on the default clock face I swipe Left. Now I know.  I am used on my Smart phone swiping up down etc..  It just needing to know what way to swipe.  Plus press the button and you can pause excercise and then press again to get Finish shown.   Once you have learnt it is straight forward.  It would be nice if one could get the Track from an excercise like walking from the APP to one's PC in TCX format - which is what it uses to draw the map on the App on the phone.  Any ideas of how to get the track in TCX or GPX ??  Just a through.

[JuanFitbit]

@grahamm7 , Nice to see you back. Thank you for keeping me updated. Im' glad that everything got cleared out. 

Regarding your question. You can export your GPS data in TCx format. Please have a look at this: How do I export my Fitbit GPS data?

Hope this helps. 

[grahamm7]

Thanks Juan I can export the TCX file and Garmin Basecamp imports says errors but imports the track.  But then the Fitbit contains more than GPX position.  When I go for a walk and sit in a coffee bar FitBit says lost GPX connection - fair enough.  But then if fails to record the track.  Maybe I should pause it when going into a building for  rest.  My Garmin GPX looses signal equally but continues to track once it regains the signal outside.  FitBit doesn't seem to be able to do this ??   When I try to look at the App it says no Internet Connection.  BUT I have 3G/4G/5G mobile data on my phone.  Looking at Mobile Data setting  it says Access the Internet via Mobile Data so I have given the phone permission to use Mobile data.  I can't find a setting on the Mobile FitBit App to allow it use my mobile data connection instead of WiFi.  Surely the app should be able to use Mobile Data??  I really love the FitBit app I had for Christmas.  I had a cheap Japanese alternative but It was rubbish compared to FitBit - keep up the good work.  And Thanks for all the advice much appreaciated.

[JuanFitbit]

Hi @grahamm7 , Nice to see you back. Thank you for your nice words. 

Regarding the GPS Connection , it depends on how you choose the GPS Connection. If you are using the integrated GPS on the Charge 4, you might loose the connection easier than if you are using Connected GPS. 

Please keep in mind, that the Internet signal (mobile data) on your phone does not represent the GPS connection strength that your phone might have. 

Phones have 2 different ways to determine your position. Either with the Internet location or GPS Connection. 

For the second one you  should have a clear connection to the satellites

Hope this helps