Inspire HR: Step accuracy

[franskemper]

Hello,

I am using my Inspire HR only a few days, but find that the step count is way off. Only today I put the Inspire to charge and already the count show 1.662 steps. (1.32KM) We do not have a small house, but to walk that many steps will not happen. This was my confirmation of suspecting the same during the past few days. Since I used the Inspire, it gives me consistent way more steps, and distance, than I actually did. Is there any way to fix this?

Thanks.

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity 

[Asb51]

Today I walked outside for 80 minutes, Inspire recorded 13,000 steps
but,But, .027 miles. That is frustrating.

[Treetop10]

My Fitbit was good for everything but... steps. I have a different well known brand and the steps are way off... so I just shake my head and laugh

Sent from my iPhone

[Treetop10]

Rarely are things perfect so steps on Fitbit suck! Data on sleep seems to be accurate... I think😬

Sent from my iPhone

[Houseman]

My solution now is to use the HR as a goal and fitness app. It's pretty good for most things and my Pacer phone app is spot on for accuracy so the Fitbit will now, until and if anything changes, be a fitness tool. Although the steps are a mile out they are actually quite consistent. After doing a bit of checking and some maths I have discovered that it is fairly consistently about 30-33% out, so I have set my daily goal as 15k instead of 10k and don't think of them as steps, just something to be aimed for. All else seems to work fine. If I want steps I check my Pacer app. It works for me folks. 

[Treetop10]

👍 good attitude and.. less stress:musical_notes:

Sent from my iPhone

[SaneCatLady]

I have had the same issue with my Inspire HR.  I decided to wear both my Alta and my Inspire HR that I just got, and my wrist.  The Inspire HR logs A LOT more steps then my Alta.  I was very surprised. I am now at a loss as what to do.  I am a COPD patient and my steps need to be accurate for my doctor.  I have always had faith in my Fitbits.  I upgraded to the Inspire for the Heart rate, but have more faith in my Alta at the time.  I sure don't want to walk around wearing two fitbits.  Help please!

[Houseman]

As I said my Pacer app on my phone is very accurate with steps and the IHR is about 30% higher on average so it is NOT to be trusted. I do like a lot about it but it’s accuracy is rubbish... but it is consistent so I have set my step target on it to 50% higher and use it as something to aim for, I just don’t count the score as steps, just a target figure. If I want step accuracy I use my Pacer. The calories on the IHR are rubbish as well but I use My Fitness Pal on my phone for that. It’s a shame because the IHR has a great user interface and does so much but until the software is updated just use it as a fitness tool but be aware of its many inaccuracies. Bitterly disappointed in this Fitbit to be honest. Hope the mods are reading all this.

Sent from my iPhone

[ECoaster]

---

@Asb51 wrote:
Today I walked outside for 80 minutes, Inspire recorded 13,000 steps
but,But, .027 miles. That is frustrating.

---

Are you sure you have your stride length set up properly in the software?  If you're not tracking a walk using your phone's connected GPS, this is the only way the tracker can guess at the distance you've walked. 

[J.Murray]

I see people suggest stride length, but apparently the default stride setting count my leaving the Ihr on a countertop for an hour as .4 miles and nearly 1k phantom steps.  This gear is far worse than a short stride or arm movements. 

[SaneCatLady]

I am beginning to believe that the IHR has a serious issue.  I have adjusted my stride settings.  Last night I was sitting watching TV, and my IHR started a little jingle.  ASeems while watching TV I managed to get to my goal of 10,000 steps.  I guess I should just leave it sitting on the couch.  🙂

[J.Murray]

The three blocks I just walked with my dogs is apparently 2 miles and 1k calories.  😄

I think the people who used to "walk 10 miles, in the snow, uphill, both ways" are the ones who approved the programming on this glorified heart monitor. 

[da1nonly]

Add me to the list that is seeing inaccurate step counting.  Bought this as a gift for my wife about 10 days ago as her old Alta battery would no longer last a day. Can't believe this is still an issue with new devices after all these months.

This thing calculated 20,000 and 30,000 steps over the weekend from walking around in the mall??? With the alta we only hit over 20,000 steps once and that was walking around Disney from morning to midnite. She just got 350 steps sitting at her desk at work.

I've already tried restarting, changing the stride length and putting it on her non dominant hand. Read through this whole forum and see the same poor excuses from Fitbit after months of complaints. I can still return this fitbit and will do so before my return date ends, if I don't see any resolution soon.

So very disappointed. We started with the Alta (fantastic product). Then upgraded to charge HR (horrible wrist strap design as noted in forums and then stop charging properly also a known issue), Went back to alta. Then recently moved to the inspire hr and now we see all the same problems that everyone here is reporting over step counting.  

[Treetop10]

You are a funny man😂👍

Sent from my iPhone

[Treetop10]

I think we need to give up on accurate steps on the Fitbit and use it for all the other positive possibilities... sleep count, ease of recording food intake, ability to use iPhone AND iPad to check results... ha! I don’t even work for Fitbit or own stock!😀 and I’m saying all these positives!!!?

Sent from my iPhone

[Asb51]

LOL.

[Treetop10]

👍:musical_notes:

Sent from my iPhone

[da1nonly]

we used an alta which was fairly accurate. it matched the step counts we would get on our phone trackers.  Moving to the newer replacement model Inspire we assumed it would function similarly or at close to the same when counting steps.  we didn't expect this much of a disparity in steps. what a joke.

It's hilarious when you buy a tracker but need to manually manipulate the data so that it does the job of actually tracking. I should just manually count my steps in a diary. Buy a tracker but can't use it when driving, washing your face, brushing your hair, ironing your clothes, sitting at your desk surfing, drinking coffee, picking up bags, watching a movie. hahaha

it's been months why hasn't this been resolved? why is this still an issue on a new device i just bought a few days ago.

[Barb1260]

Notice how they stopped responding?

[Treetop10]

I wore my Fitbit and a different make on my other wrist and came up with 2 different lengths of sleep.. Fitbit 7 hrs...23 min, other...8 hrs😂

Sent from my iPhone

[markwbd]

I think as long as you only use it as an 'indicator' it's not too bad. Indeed if you only walk (don't... drive, wash your face, iron your clothes, operate a keyboard, drink coffee, pick up bags, etc., etc.) then it is pretty accurate. I just finished a long distance walk and it tallied pretty well with the steps on my iPhone (still higher but not far out). Problem is a lot of people mistakenly think it is accurate. I'm a member of a 'weight watching' group and the forums there are full of people wanting accurate step counting. ***Took this bit out as Admin removed my 1st post***  but these people (who are really looking to make changes to their lifestyles) are being given false positives. The algorithm FitBit are using for step counting is just not good enough. ***And this bit just to be on the safe side***