Wildy different distances by Fitbit Android app and Charge 2 band for SAME run

[AllanHvass]

Got a new Charge 2 a few days ago and already noticing that distance measurements for runs are totally off. Seen it log only half the true distance, EVEN if the GPS on the phone is fully connected all the time and Fitbit app is open AND the track on a map is correct without any misses.

So today I did an interesting test: I took a run with BOTH the Fitbit app tracking the run as an Exercise Tracking started on the phone AND by doing a Run tracking directly on the Charge 2 band. So it should be exactly the same track using exactly the same GPS data for both trackings. Here's the results shown side by side:

The 2.4km track is by the Charge 2, the 3.09km track is by the Fitbit app on the phone for the SAME run using the SAME GPS data!!!! The 3.09km is the correct distance. Obviously this results in wildly different pace, fitness level, etc.

Zooming in on the track recorded using the Fitbit app on the phone shows nothing unusual at all and, quite smooth tracking and exactly the run taken:

However zooming in the same route as tracked by Charge 2 using the connected GPS data from the Fitbit app is a completely different picture - it's jumpy and shows some odd jumping back-and-forth in straight lines on the route tracked, as if data is in the wrong order - however that should only INCREASE and not decrease distance:

This is TOTALLY UNUSABLE results and basically makes the Charge 2 function as fitness tracker useless! What is going on here, and how can this be corrected?

My phone is an Huawei P10 running Android Nougat.

PS: Got a new Charge 2 due to the old one having a screen with a long crack, sure it happened by "itself" without me hitting anything hard - possibly during a flight with change in air pressure. However was sure I would never convince Fitbit support about that. Only today have I realized that problem of cracked screens are one of the most common complaints... The old one was sometimes also not giving correct distance, but not as crazy as this new one.

[Rich_Laue]

Trying to use two gps apps at the same time could cause rimming issues when both or accessing the gps. 

[GutterIsATool]

My Charge 2 started doing this with my daily walk yesterday. I walk the same roughly 3.5 mile route almost every work day. I've confirmed the distance by mapping it out on Google Maps. Yesterday, suddenly my Charge 2 only registered it as 1.7 miles, and it was the same today. I checked the GPS map in the app, and the route is correct. The GPS did not cut out. The step count is even roughly the same as my previous 3.5 mile walks. It's just the distance has been cut in half.

[AllanHvass]

Thanks Rich_Laue, possibly that is the reason, though I really only count the Fitbit app on the phone as 1 app, even if it's using the GPS data captured for both it's own data tracking and to match the data with the other data on the Charge 2. If Fitbit has coded the app to try and do two parallel data captures, that would be quite ineffective coding.

In any case, I even only did this because my previous run (first with this new Charge 2 after replacing it from another one that had a self-cracked screen...) only showed almost exactly half the distance it should have - someone else reported that issue two days ago, and I replied I had the exact same issue in this thread: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Wrong-distance-tracking/m-p/2371501#M95948

Now looking through the last few days I notice now that there's at least 3 ADDITIONAL threads in addition to this one and the other above I mentioned, basically saying the exact same thing - which is that within the last few days, people are seeing GPS tracking resulting in only half the expected distance, even if it for many of these people have worked normally before. Here's the three other threads:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Fitbit-incorrectly-tracking-mileageGPS/m-p/2527035#M135483

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Wildly-inaccurate-distance-low-battery/m-p/2527204#M135511

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Charge-2-GPS-not-accurate/m-p/2527513#M135552

I think there's an faulty update gone out to either the Fitbit app on the phone or to the Charge 2. I can see my latest Fitbit app on Android is exactly two days ago... It would be super helpful if someone from Fitbit could officially step in and confirm (or deny) that there's an issue that has appeared here and ensure a prompt resolution to this.

[AllanHvass]

Did an MTB ride today, tracking using only the Charge 2 with GPS connection to the phone, Fitbit app open but no other GPS app open. The true distance is around 29km, but came out as 17.9km. The detailed map indicates it tracked the full ride reasonably accurate, but again it shows the strange back-and-forth lines as shown on my previous screen shot, as if I'm taking detours and turning back 180 degrees and going back again to rejoin the route and then continue. I actually think, that this is adding sometimes to the distance (one type of error), and without this extra odd data points the distance tracked would be exactly half the true distance (another type of error) like others are seeing currently.

Something really odd is going on right now, and we really need communication quickly that this is recognized and under correction.

[AllanHvass]

Ok, I see at least two more threads to this topic has been raised within the last 24 hours in addition to the five threads I already enumerated earlier in this thread, for a total of at least seven threads and more reportings (in some threads multiple people are reporting the issue).

I also see that the forum moderator AlvaroFitbit in at least this thread has confirmed the issue: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Wrong-distance-with-gps-tracking/m-p/2536545#M137901 , stating that "here is currently an issue with the GPS not providing the correct distance even though the GPS map is correct."

So hopefully this issue will be corrected soon with an app update.

[yaak]

There are no easy answers, I doubt an app update can solve this problem.

http://www.lawtechnologytoday.org/2017/06/gps-tracking/

[AlvaroFitbit]

@AllanHvass @yaak @GutterIsATool Welcome to the Fitbit Community! I hope you're doing well! There is actually a bug with the Connected GPS feature in which the distance calculated may be inaccurate (doesn't always happens but it does happen) en its different modes. The team is working on resolving this issue but in the meantime I can only ask for your patience while it is fixed.

@Rich_Laue thank you for your help here.

I'll be around!

[Wootwootlolo]

I'm hoping an app update fixes this issue as it seems the last update caused this issue. This is very frustrating. And contacting support, they told me I'd have to wait 2 weeks to see if the next update fixes it. Running for 2 weeks with an inaccurate tracker doesn't sound fun. In the mean time, the trackers should be replaced. I've only had mine since December.

[liamokelly2]

Hi

I am reopening this thread as I discovered the same issue today. I cycled to work today using the Bike exercise on my fitbit charge 2. The distance for the cycle is 14.7km but my fitbit said it was 7.78km which is half of what it should be. The map my fitbit tracked matches the map on google, the issue is the distance captured. AlvaroFitbit last replied back in 2018 regarding this topic saying that a fix is been worked on, it is now March 2019 and there still seems to be an issue.

Can you please advise

Thanks

[Brook5404]

Just adding to the thread. Bought a new Fitbit Charge 2 about a month ago. Distances that I run (measured by mileposts) and distances I swim (measured by established length of the pool) regularly vary from what Fitbit records. It seems to overestimate distances covered by about 30%. This also of course throws off lap times, running times/per mile, etc. Is there any hope some upgrade will improve the accuracy in the future? Small variations are understandable but the big swings I see--not to mention what other users report, even worse--is pretty ridiculous given the "product promise" one is paying for.

Is anyone from Fitbit reading these posts able to comment????

[Rich_Laue]

Hello @liamokelly2, have you tried recording with simply the Charge 2 and not using the mobile run of the Fitbit app? The Fitbit app does not have an option to record a bike ride, in also not sure if there is any timing problems that might cause a problem.

It probably would have been better to start a new thread, and maybe reference the what was inactive thread.

@Brook5404 without knowing which type of mode of being used to record your run, it is hard to say? Was GPS used and does the map look good?

As for swim, is the pool leangth set correctly and the laps counted properly? With swim GPS is not used

[liamokelly2]

Hi. I just started a bike exercise which has GPS and it recorded incorrect
data

[Wootwootlolo]

I was sick of the inaccuracy and poor customer service at Fitbit and finally went to Garmin. I have been so happy since the change. You all should do the same. Fitbit never helped in this area, however, Garmin is amazing!

[Brook5404]

Thanks for your recommendation about Garmin. Which model of smartwatch did you buy and/or recommend? many thanks again

[Rich_Laue]

https://www.active.com/running/articles/is-your-gps-watch-accurate

Please do not do a search of the Garmin forums which is full of inaccuracy complaints

[S-ammygee]

Exactly the same issue