Correct GPS tracking but incorrect measured distance

[G_LJ]

Hi!

I know that there are a lot of other posts about problems getting accurate distance measured using the Versa, but I searched the forum and I couldn't really find a solution to this problem. I recently got a Versa 2, and ever since I started using it I've had troubles getting it to measure correct distances during runs. In my case, it's always 10-30% shorter than measured through Runkeeper on my phone/manually measured using Google maps. I've tried reseting the connection, restarting the Versa, my phone, reinstalling Fitbit etc, but to no avail. 

I tried setting the stride length manually, at 104 cm, to compensate for this and went on a control run today. After 1 km, it was around 100-200 m off, so not too bad, but the gap increased for every kilometer. At 3 km, the Versa 2 was at 2.4 km, only 80% of the distance. When I got home I checked the activity data, and noticed that the map generated by Fitbit is correct in that it has tracked the path accurately, corresponding to the data from Runkeeper, but for some reason it has the distances all wrong. For example, the 1 km marker is set at around 1.3 km instead. As Fitbit calculates pace from the distance measured as well, it gives me a pace of 7'20'' per km instead of around 5'40'' per km. Total steps for the 3 km is 2863, which makes the stride length used around 83.5 cm, i.e. 80% of 104 cm.

Does anyone know if it's possible to calibrate or adjust how the Versa 2 uses the GPS data from the phone? Otherwise, is there any way to force Fitbit to use the manually set stride length as the basis for distance calculated? 

Thanks in advance!  

[lmartin72]

I reached out to fitbit support due to the same issue with my Versa. I use 2 apps, fitbit, along with another on my phone and they display significantly different distances. I know how far I am going, and for a 3.5 mile run as an example, fitbit only shows about 2.7. What I learned today was that the connected GPS is not used to measure the distance. fitbit ONLY uses your step count and the stride length you've entered to calculate distance. Not good in my opinion. This means I can't rely on fitbit to give an accurate measure of the distance ran. Hopefully, this will generate some updates to the fitbit app, and the fact that it is connected to the GPS on your device to provide a consistently measured, accurate distance. Apparently the only value of the connected GPS is to see the route you covered on a map. I'll keep using my other app as it has been reliable in recording GPS based distance. 

[Becbells1]

This is so frustrating... I am having the same problems... I find it unacceptable of fitbit. I paid alot of money for this watch which is clearly unreliable. Is there anyway I can complain to fitbit 

[hdizzle]

Very frustrating. I am having the same issue with my new replacement Versa. My old watch tracked runs much more accurately before it died and this new one is way off. The GPS records the route accurately but not the distance. 

[Skrallanuk]

Considering how many hits I got when I googled this issue, I now know there is nothing I can do differently than save up for an Apple watch.

I have done the same route walking, running with and without connected gps and the route is definetely 5,7 kilometres. It has been that with all my previous trackers, it is that with my husbands Apple watch and it is that on any map I put it in. The most I've got out of it with my Versa 2 is 4,41 kilometres. The map shows the route correctly though. I hope this would be a fixable problem, but am worried it is nothing that can be fixed by software updates, otherwise the fix should already been done, as there are so many users who seem to have returned this product due to this issue, I am afraid this watch will be a miss.

I originally bought the new Samsung Galaxy watch, but that one ended up with motherboard issues, and as I also had had so many problems with it, I did not want to exchange it for the same. So I had the option to spend the money on anything in the shop I got that from. So I got this Versa 2 as a replacement (and a coffee maker on top of that, as the price was that much lower ;D), Wish now I would have stuck with the Galaxy watch. A real shame because the look and feel of this watch is nice, not as big and clunky as many others are.