Wrong distance tracking

[Petra_d]

Within the pas 2 days, I used Fitbit to track my activity and both times the distance tracked was wrong, approxiimately half of the actual distance. First day, Fitbit said that I ran 5,4 km while the actualy distance was approx. 12 km. The next day, I decided to use also Runkeeper to track the run. Runkeeper recorded 25 km, which was in line with what also my boyfriend recorded using his Garmin watch, while Fitbit said the overall distance was only 11.18... (I used GPS in my phone to support Fitbit for both the activities and I have the latest version of the firmware installed). The journey map recorded by Fitbit is complete an copies the one recorded by Runkeeper, only the distance is wrong...

Do you please have any idea what might cause this? I really like the Fitbit watch, but this is annoying, since it impacts all the statistics and makes the watch use-less for activity tracking...

[LanuzaFitbit]

A very warm welcome to the Forums @Petra_d.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Most of the time we'd recommend that you try to use the Run mode on your tracker instead of the others that use GPS tracking. However it does seem like you are using that mode and there are inaccuracies still, how frustrating. 

I'd like to tell you that our team is aware of the situation and this is being worked on. There are no updates at the moment but we'll be sure to let everyone know once we do have some news.

Thanks for your understanding. If you have any further questions do not hesitate to let me know. 

[Petra_d]

Hi Lanuza,

thanks for the reaction. I did some research on the community forum and found out that this problem has been there since about October 2016 already...When I now look at the official fitbit page of Charge 2, you still advertise Connected GPS as one of the best features. This feature was also one of the main reasons my boyfriend got me the Fitbit Charge 2 as a gift. Without it, Charge 2 looses its added value for me.

I understand there may be some minor gaps, however, I do not understand how there can be such a big gap for more then a year and at the same time you still keep advertising it as one of the benefits...

Can you please explain how this is possible and what can I do to further stress the importance of this gap to the management of the fitbit? If there is not going to be any tangible plan for fixing this gap, I will be thinking about returning the Fitbit Charger 2 since it does not do what is advertised...

Thanks,

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Petra_d.

Thanks for your reply. I definitely understand what you are saying. Since our engineering team is aware of the situation there is not much I could tell you at the moment. At this point I am entirely dependent on any updates they can provide on the matter which haven't been many. I will keep my eyes open and try to get any details. Once I do, I'll be sure to let you know. 

If you have any further questions, please let me know.

[AllanHvass]

I can only confirm I'm seeing this as well on a brand new Charge 2. First I start Fitbit on my Android phone and keep it running in the foreground, then I start the Run activity tracking from my Charge 2 and then run. 3.1km tracked as 1.62km instead - EVEN if the GPS map track is perfect when seen afterwards in the Fitbit app. This results in severely wrong fitness levels calculated, wrong split times, wrong calories, etc.

For a Fitness tracker this is making it practically useless. If this has been going for a long time with no fix, I cannot understand how Fitbit can still be selling this product. Please fix urgently.

[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.

SORRY - reply in the wrong thread, it was related to the same issue I also reported in this thread instead: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/Wildy-different-distances-by-Fitbit-Android-app-and-Charge-...

[Hiccups47]

Ditto! For the past 2 weeks, my Fitbit Charge 2 has been recording the wrong distance. I do 5km Park Run's every Saturday morning, with the aim of trying to beat my PB, but the past 2 have recorded the 5km distance as 4.11km and 3.44km. This makes my splits and statistics useless for monitoring how I'm performing week on week, and whether or not I'm improving on each part of the course. I also use my Fitbit to record my cycle to/from work. The GPS map that comes up on my phone after I've synced my cycle, shows some strange jumps in where it thinks I am on the map, and is adding extra distance to my journey. So other than recording the correct time, the rest of the Fitbit features are completely useless at the moment. It was working fine until a couple of weeks ago and I've had my Fitbit for about 14 months now. What has changed in the past couple of weeks to make it start behaving so erratically and to no longer be a reliable sports tracking watch/app?

[neiljsmith]

I have had exactly the same experience as @Hiccups47, also in this thread. Until a couple of weeks ago my Charge 2 was recording distances with GPS for walking and running fairly accurately but since then (possibly following a software/firmware update?) the distances are consistently short by at least 25%, rendering the device effectively useless for tracking these activities. I have followed every piece of advice I can find in the hope of rectifying this - checking location permissions, reinstalling software, clearing data, re-starting device, etc., etc. but to no avail. I also see that this forum has many, many complaints about this issue with the Charge 2. Please put some resource into fixing this issue - selling a product that doesn't do what it's advertised as doing is just not good enough - trading/advertising standards, etc. 
(Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Android 7.0, Fitbit v. 2.66, Charge 2 firmware v. 22.22.55.2)

[dirkprimbs]

Adding my voice to this. Aside from the fact that the GPS tracking function of the Charge 2 is kind of hacky anyway, I also have the problem that my tracked distances are off by 25-50%. This is still a fitness tracker, isn't it? I find it rather disturbing to discover that this problem has been around since months and there is no update at all... //D

[stoni69]

Same Problem with wrong Distance since last Update of Fitbit App Version 2.66.

[sgfdasfg]

I have been using my Carge 2 since Christmas. And i have the same issue. It misses with a factor of 1.6 even though the map looks ok. If you see zigzag paterns your GPS signal is messed up + Fitbit fails to validate the received posisition. It should be prestty straight forward to add some intelligence avoiding superhuman distances and movements. My biggest problem hovever is that it also have a heavy mismatch between my real heart rate and measured heart rate. It's ok on low bpm but it is not able to identify peak rates. I can have 180 bpm for minutes and the Fitbit says 140 and that am burning fat. Yeah right. In sum this makes charge 2 totally useless for performance monitoring. It is only a fancy, expensive and inaccurate activity monitor. Luckily we have good consumer rights in Norway. Turning it in and receiving full refund this weekend.

[DBARNES]

I've had this Charge 2 approximately 6 months (I had another but the screen cracked this is the replacement)  and I have had problems with it tracking the correct number of steps.  I walk at least 3-4 miles on the treadmill (not holding on to the bar swinging my arms) and it will only register 2 - 2.5 miles.  I walked from the parking lot to the store and it was a total of 60 steps and it count any of them.  

It has its moments that its accurate but this one hasn't been accurate in over 4 months.  It has steadily been getting worse.

I'm at the point of researching other trackers if this can not be fixed

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello everyone.

Thanks for posting about your situation and for your patience.

There haven't been any particular updates on the matter, but I'll continue watch for anything. If I get something, I'll be letting you know.

Please reach out with any questions.

[Wobblyheed]

I am getting exactly the same since a firmware update was added 3 days ago

[Bikerider3]

I ride outdoor bicycling, I ride at least 30 miles a week. The fit bit does not track this accurately, how do we know that the fit bit tracks anything accurately? I was given this as a gift for Christmas, I may just hang this up in a closet or give to one of my grandkids as a glorified watch.

[L_Bowroom]

My wife and I have also both been having this issue with our Charge 2s. It seems to have gotten worse over the past several days. Maps look right, but distances are undercounted by at least 30%. 

[Wobblyheed]

Happened on my last 3 walks. Immediately after I updated the app. At least
25% is being missed. I know this as I also record the route via Map My
Walk.

[wagsrunner]

I am having the exact same issue.  I've had my Charge 2 for about 14 months and it has worked great up until the last two weeks.  Now the distance is always off by 25% to 50%, so it's not tracking anything correctly and the map shows my route jumping around a lot, which of course, I'm not running like that.  I have been comparing it to MapMyRun over the last week and although it shows the same running route on both apps, the Fitbit app shows the distance to be 1 to 1.5 miles shorter than MapMyRun.  I am currently training for a half marathon and so I need to have accuracy.  This is disappointing that it looks like this issue has been around for awhile.  At this point I will have to get rid of my Fitbit and look into an alternative.

[tara.drerup]

My distance has been off since purchasing, when compared to MapMyFitness. I thought it was using GPS, so how is it so different? 

[MelleKing]

I had this problem today as well while before all my runs are recorded correctly.

My suspicion is in that the GPS accidentally thought km are miles. Looking at the map, the km dots for my run are at farther distance and look like miles to me not kilometers.

I checked personal account settings those are still set to KM.

Can this have gone wrong after an fitbit android app updates not taking care of personal KM measurement settings?