Inspire 2 connected GPS isn't working

[it_gal]

Replaced Charge (old reliable original) with Inspire 2.  With Charge, used iPhone GPS to track my route (Fitbit App, start exercise..).  Liked the idea of Inspire 2 being able to use connected GPS on iPhone, but so far has not worked although according to manual I am doing everything correctly.

If I use the Inspire 2 as if it were the Charge (e.g. start exercise in Fitbit app, use GPS on phone, do not start exercise on Inspire 2) then I get a report with my route plus my heart rate.  That is fine. 

But if I start the exercise on the Inspire 2 even with all criteria for Connected GPS (BT is on, Location Services on, Fitbit BT sharing on, Fitbit ALWAYS, background app refresh on, phone GPS on in Inspire 2 settings) it only gives me the heart rate graph at the end of the walk.

The GPS in my iPhone works fine if my phone is in my pocket (as it did with the Charge) so that's not the issue.  Reboots/restarts/unpair/repair has not solved this. 

Oddly, if I start the walk from the Inspire 2 AND on the iOS app, then I get double credit for the exercise (one with route plus heart rate, the other only with heart rate), so I have to delete one. 

At this point I can just use it (when outside) like I did the Charge, e.g ignore Connected GPS and just continue to only use the iOS app, and let the Inspire 2 chime in at the end with my heart rate readings, but it is a bit annoying to have to do that. 

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @it_gal, welcome to the community forums! Thank you very much for the information and the troubleshooting steps you've tried prior to posting! 

I would suggest you to please remove the connection between your phone and your Fitbit Inspire 2. You can do this, by following the steps below: 

1. Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings and remove all devices listed there.
2. Restart your phone and restart your device. 
3. Check that no battery saving app/feature on your phone is affecting your Fitbit app.

On a side note: 

1. Force quit, and reopen the Fitbit app to refresh the connection with your device.

For more troubleshooting steps, I recommend checking here.

Hope this helps! 

[it_gal]

Did 1 & 2. 

"Check that no battery saving app/feature on your phone is affecting your Fitbit app".  <<- please clarify.  The screen goes off after 2 minutes but background app refresh is on. 

[it_gal]

OK, it seems to be working now.  Here are the steps I took. 

Did 1 & 2 in the advice above.  Whether that was needed or not is unknown.   But free to do. 

When starting the exercise from the Inspire 2, I waited to see "connected" in the small banner above the > arrow.  I think before it failed and I never noticed.   I started my walk and put the iPhone in my pocket.  It was fine for all 2.3 hours of my walk. 

TL;DR - don't assume the Connected GPS will just work.  Watch it until it actually says "connected".

[WilsonFitbit]

@it_gal, thank you very much for your reply and for following some of the troubleshooting steps! 

Yes, you're correct, when the screen says " connected" and Inspire 2 vibrates, GPS is connected. You can confirm this on the manual on page 34. 

On a side note, I'm happy to know that the connected GPS worked for you.

See you around. 

[SunsetRunner]

I'm having some similar issues with my GPS. I recently returned from a trip to Arizona, 3 hr difference in time zone, and did lots of hiking. My inspire 2 was working very well. I had absolutely no issues. But when I returned home, I've noticed my GPS stopped tracking me exercises.  When I run, walk or ride my bike. I checked to make sure I was connected first then I went off. When I returned home, it showed only seconds of movement was tracked. I've never had this issue before at all. It's always tracked without issues. No batter or data saving mode. Location sharing is on. Not sure what else I can do.  

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @SunsetRunner. Welcome to the community forums. 

Thank you very much for the detailed information and for the steps you've followed prior to posting. At this time, I'd like to let you know that there are some factors that may impact the GPS connectivity. Please take into consideration the following information: 

• Make sure that you have a clear view of the sky when you start the exercise. Environmental factors, including tall buildings, dense forest, steep hills, and even thick cloud cover, can interfere with your phone’s ability to connect to GPS satellites. If the signal is blocked—either because you're indoors, underground, or due to another reason—GPS won't work.
• Confirm that Bluetooth on your phone is turned on, and your device is connected under your phone’s Bluetooth settings.
• Make sure that phone is within 30 feet of your device.
• Make sure that your device can sync with the Fitbit app. For more information, see How do Fitbit devices sync their data?
• Confirm that the Fitbit app can use your phone's GPS sensors. For more information, see: How do I allow my Fitbit device to use my phone's GPS sensors?

In addition, I'd recommend performing a restart to your Inspire 2 by following the instructions here: How do I restart my Fitbit device?

Hope this helps. 

[SunsetRunner]

I figured it out. I just had to track through my phone gps and then from my
inspire2.

Thanks for the help.

[CindyMFitbit]

@SunsetRunner 

Thanks for letting me know that the inconvenience has been resolved. I appreciate all your efforts to fix the difficulties experienced.

See you around. 

[LouPlat]

Hi I thought I'd pass this along to you because there are too many posts for me to reply to!  I changed these settings on my phone and it solved the issue of accurate distance/route tracking for me:

- Turn off Data Saver

- Set battery to "High Performance" (no battery saving measures)

- Enable both the GPS and Fitbit app to use data even when wifi is available

I have a Samsung phone but I think these settings are pretty universal. These settings interfere with GPS accuracy, which in turn appears to be a Fitbit issue when in fact it is not.

For what it's worth, that worked for me.

Cheers thanks.

[CindyMFitbit]

Hi there @LouPlat.

I appreciate your findings and workaround, it's great to hear that it worked for you, and I hope this is helpful for any other  user. 

See you around. 

[Deb972]

Hi

So glad it worked.

What about viewing the tracked route, ehere do I see it?

Deb

[LouPlat]

You can view your route in the app:

Open app

Select the exercise bar (running icon, stats, plus sign)

Your route will show as one of these tracked items.