Why the GPS on my Charge 2 is no longer accurate?

[SeeSpotRun]

In the performance of my Fitbit Charge 2 over the past few weeks. As of today, my dashboard will not on my app. A few weeks ago, I noticed the GPS was no longer accurately tracking the length of my runs nor was it accurately reflecting my average mile pace... frustrating when I'm in the middle of training for a half marathon. Also, it no longer provides me a workout summary after I'm finished using the running feature - I used to be able to see distance run, average mile time, heart rate, total steps all on my fitbit at the conclusion of my workout. No more. I now have to pull up my app on my phone (when it's working), to view stats that are no longer an accurate reflection of the work I just put in. Very frustrating.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @SeeSpotRun! Note that when you're tracking an activity with GPS, Fitbit calculates your distance using GPS data rather than steps. If you begin moving before you get a GPS signal, the tracker will calculate distance using steps and stride length until a GPS signal is found.  

 You may receive the following errors:

• Phone not found (dashed line)—If the phone icon has an animated dashed line next to it, your phone can't find a GPS signal. A weak GPS signal can be caused by environmental factors such as tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, or even thick cloud cover. All of these factors can interrupt the connection between your tracker and GPS satellites.
  
• Phone not found (crossed out)—If the phone icon has a line through it, Bluetooth is likely turned off (meaning your tracker is no longer connected to your phone)
  
• Check Fitbit app—This message means you may need to grant location permissions on your phone. Open the Fitbit app and follow the steps.
  

If you're getting one of those, check the requirements below:

• Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and your tracker is connected (paired) to the phone. 
• (Android only) The Fitbit app is allowed to run in the background on your phone. 
• You selected an exercise type from the Exercise menu that has a gear icon in the bottom left corner. The gear icon represents connected GPS.
• GPS is turned on for the exercise type. Tap the gear icon and make sure the Use Phone GPS setting is on.
• Your phone is within about 20 feet of your tracker.
• Your phone can identify your location and can track your location when you're not using Wi-Fi. 
• The Fitbit app is open on your phone or running in the background. Do not force quit the Fitbit app. 
• (Android only) If your mobile device is running Android Marshmallow, click here.

After verifying all the requirements, try using GPS again. If you're still having difficulty, try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Open the Fitbit app to reestablish a connection with your tracker.
2. Reboot your mobile device.

On the other hand, since you're no longer getting the summary after your workouts, I'd recommend restarting your Charge 2 by following these steps. 

[Nemodyne]

For what it's worth, I've noticed the same thing regarding the GPS accuracy. I trained for a marathon about 6 months ago so I know 100% that the GPS was accurate then. I was keeping very close track of distances and many running tracks were pre-measured, also I would compare with other runners in the group. As of 2-3 months ago (Feb 2018?) the GPS accuracy suddenly became bad. Its now almost 0.5 miles off on a 5 mile run. I bet this influences all sorts of metrics that Fitbit is supposed to track. I'm pretty sure the App is to blame, not the wrist worn tracker because you can just track the run using the fitbit app by itself.... too bad when a fitness tracker doesnt track anymore.  

[loriemartinez]

I have been having the same issue, also since Feb 2018, with my HR Charge 2. I thought it was the device itself, so last week I traded it in for a new one. However, the distance is off the same as my previous device. Prior to Feb, it was recording my mileage and steps accurately (or with only slight variations). I have been running the same route since Oct 2016 and know the distance that should be recorded. It is frustrating 😞 It does not sound like a coincidence that our problems started in Feb 2018.

[jordan.van.dyk]

@loriemartinez@SeeSpotRun@Nemodyne

Are you all on android? a lot of other users have been reporting similar issues since after 2.66. When I first got the fitbit the connected gps was fine. Now on that phone its always 50-60m off per km.

On my new phone it loses bluetooth connection often and thus can lose multiple kms per run.

The only work around I've found is using strava or the tracking built into the fitbit app. (though if you pause the run in the fitbit app then restart you lose the data a lot of times if you are on android).

It's an annoying ongoing issue and I agree with @Nemodyne in that this probably propagates to other metrics.

[loriemartinez]

Yes, I am an Android user.

[bianca.f]

I'm experiencing the same issues, and iOS and fitbit charge 2. The measured distance with connected GPS is constistently off by about 10% (fitbit shows longer runs).

This frustrates me immensly, and I am currently looking into changing brands. The load of forum threads around this topic suggests it's not a isolated issue, and fitbit seems to just ignore it.

Since it is so inaccurate, you cannot use it for runs as pace and distance are wrong, and everytime I upload a run to strava I have to recalculate the GPS track. How am I supposed to train with this? It probably also effects many other stats such as VO2 max.

PLEASE, fitbit, look into the issue and release an update before you loose more customers!

[Nemodyne]

For what its worth I've downloaded the data and it looks like the connected GPS in the android app is still taking as many data samples as last year. 1 sample per second. Assuming the GPS signal is accurate, and it is most of the time, I think whatever the fitbit server software is doing with that data is to blame...i.e. the way it's adding up distance based on the GPS points has changed somehow since Jan/Feb 2018. It would be nice if fitbit could roll that change back? otherwise when this tracker dies i'm switching to Garmin or something else. people have been posting about this issue on the forum for 4 months now. it would be nice of fitbit to acknowledge the issue and at least gave us a "we're working on it". or do these posts just go into a hole somewhere?    

[Sunfish295]

I have an iPhone and Alta HR and having the same problems. App is adding all kinds of crazy zigzag patters to my walks. Tested vs an Apple watch, and it was fine compared to the Fitbit which sometimes adds as much as a mile to the workout.

[Sunfish295]

I am thinking of switching too. What good is a fitness tracker ir it’s not accurate?!

[bianca.f]

A couple of months later, it seems like this problem still persists. 

I ended up returning my fitbit as a warranty case (they wanted to give me a new fitbit but I could convince the store that it's a software issue, not hardware, so therefore exchanging won't help). 

I got my money back and got a watch from another brand, with which I am extremely happy with. 

Really there is nothing I'm missing with the tracking, and it's got all the added benefits of a proper runner's watch. I would suggest other frustrated users to the same....

[cdbeducator]

This is still happening.  I got my Inspire HR 6-20-2019.  I just trusted it for accuracy.  At the beginning of the quarantine some friends and I started walking so I used the exercise section for tracking those walks.  From mid March through May 6th, every time we checked the distance with our cars it matched my fitbit, maybe being 1 tenth of a mile off once in awhile.  We enjoyed going different routes than what we started with and trusted that my fitbit was giving us an accurate reading.  We always tried to do a bit more each day.  It was fun challenging ourselves.  For some reason, after May 6th, the fitbit started losing distance.  It was very noticeable since we walk around the same neighborhood and had really gotten used to how long it generally took us to walk certain distances.  So I started retracing our walks and sure enough, they were off.  One day it was 2 miles off! 

Don't bother with customer service - they had me restart and walk 100 steps.  As far as they are concerned, it's working fine.  Getting my money back.  Shame as 3 of my friends had ordered the same one I have.  They are all returning them.

[Earoge08]

I am also currently having problems with my tracker. I went on a walk with just my watch and then did the same walk with just my phone. The distance from the watch was .6 shorter than the phone. I have really enjoyed my fitbit over the past five years and have convinced my entire family along with numerous friends to get one. However, it might be time to switch brands. 

I also contacted customer service and they were very dismissive and just told me to restart my watch and gave me a case number to check back. Lame. 

[Yassy]

I have the same issue. Since beginning of May 2020, out of nowhere I don't get any measurements right... GPS is permanently poor and now I just have an expensive Period tracker app on my wrist.

FitBit. You had ONE job!

[SupaJam]

Same issue here, About -20-25% distance on Fitbit vs reality. And this is not a problem with my phone since, if I monitor the very same run or walk with Fitbit + another app (being either Strava or Visorando), I get a wrong distance and position on Fitbit and a perfectly accurate tracking on the other app. So it's not matter of high buildings, bad phone GPS parameters, birds singing out of rythm or aliens fiddling with my connection to satelites.

It's crazy to see this issue has remained for years (yes, YEARS !!!) as you can see in this very forum and impacted various devices. The only answer people get is either related to phone connection issue or calculation based on stride. If Fitbit can't track a run or a walk unless it's 100% flat and your stride is perfectly even, it's definitely not delivering to its selling arguments. And, Fitbit, that's doesn't look like a hardware issue. It's nothing but an algorythm.

I feel terribly cheated when I see that no effort has been put against this issue since 2018 except posting the same wrong answer on every chat or request. hope you guys will write a few codes lines to have us come back to Fitbit.

[Earoge08]

Since I posted I have gotten a garmin and i highly recommend it over fitbit. I mainly use it for running and it is awesome. I enjoy running soooo much more now. 

[Ihaveaces]

I have similar on my Iconic, which has built in GPS. Much flakier than it was a year or so ago. Someone in support mentioned there was a software issue when I first raised it, but Fitbit are denying knowledge now.

[awtimpe]

IOS and Charge 2, after some app update the Fitbit distance is no longer accurate, obviously enhancing the actual distance, despicable. Avoid Fitbit trackers if you weren’t already duped!!

this issue persists even when linked to the iPhone GPS, which on RunKeeper shows realistic distances that used to match Fitbit distances