Distance on GPS map doesn't match with exercise summary

[Andyn1970]

Hi all

Firstly love the Fitbit Versa does everything I need also the app is great.

BUT over the last couple of weeks the distance recorded by the app is way off. 

I use it connected to my Samsung Galaxy S9+ and its always been very accurate to a tenth of a mile or less. 

But on my last few runs of about 3.4 miles it can be a whole mile out, but just the distance the route it records is spot on but the mile points are in the wrong place for example it recorded 2.44 miles in 30.29.

My wife who also has a Versa connected to an IPhone recorded 3.43 miles in 30.30 this is correct and matches our pace of about 9.30/m

Prior to the last weeks it has always been almost exactly the same as my wife as we run together. 

I have Re started the Versa and the phone, I have cleared the data in the Fitbit app and I have also uninstalled the fitbit app. 

Same result its not always out the same, a couple of runs back it got to 2.89m on the same route. Then on Tuesday it was spot on. 

Any ideas it seems like a small thing but not having an accurate record of your work turns out to be extremely frustrating.

Anyone else had this? 

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Andyn1970]

It is rediculous that Fitbit have not fixed this yet. 

I purchased a 2nd hand Ionic because of the built in GPS, this works perfectly, my wife still uses her Versa connected to her IPhone8 with no problems, we run together and are generally no more than a couple of 1/00 different on distance, but when my son runs with us using his Versa and Samsung S10 his can be half a mile or more out on a 3 mile run, but as with all the rest, if you sync it to Strava and then let Strava correct it Boom the distance is correct.

Absolutely not a hardware issue it is entirely firmware/software but is not getting fixed. 

Very poor show from Fitbit. 

[MP95]

I feel your pain!  I spent 2 months working with support to try and get my Versa to work.  I was finally told to measure my stride and to go by that and not to use the app for running/walking.  Well geez that is why I bought the unit.  When I have the money I will go ahead and replace my Versa I guess with an apple watch. 

[Konsta_]

>distance was being underreported on my 5-6 km runs by a kilometre

Here are my experiences: same walks but measured distances are quite different }-)

[Georex]

This is their typical response!  A response from a company that will not last long, if they don't fix the problem with the tracker and their customer service attitude!

[tecishere]

My tests with Strava show that the Versa and the app are not interpreting the GPS data correctly. My Versa and the Strava app both use my iPhones GPS and on the same route they record different distances. When the GPS data is synced from Fitbit to Strava it is displayed differently within Strava. This proves to me that the GPS source is not at fault and that Fitbit do not seem interested in an issue that other wearable and app manufacturers have no issue with.  Currently looking at My Fitness Pal and an Apple Watch 3 with both linked to Strava as a replacement for Fitbit which is a shame, because the Fitbit appis probably the best app out there and its what got me to Fibit in the first place.  If they can't fix a fundamental issue like this what does that say about everything else they do?

[Snow_Skier]

Sorry to see that so many other people seem to have started to experience this issue. In an effort to hopefully finally drive improve/progress, could you all please go to the first post and click if the bug affects you too?I suspect that Fitbit prioritizes fixes based on that.  It may be our only hope of seeing this bug be properly addressed.

Moderator edit: format 

[Nilesh84]

I currently have a charge 2 and my phone is a Google Pixel 3 XL.  Im having the exact same issues everyone else is facing....I thought it was my tracker since it is an older version so I decided to do some research on the Versa but seems likes same issues.  Just like everyone else here I really like the Fitbit app but they really need to get their act together and fix this on going issue 😡.

Does anyone know if the charge 4 that just came out is having the same issues? It comes with on board GPS. 

[jorritvandommel]

All of the fitbits have the same problem as it is not hardware related, it is just the processing of the software. Just don't buy a fitbit, they are not sports trackers and will not work. Any other brand will be better.

Since fitbit does not acknowledge the problem since September last year, this will never get fixed. Just cut your losses and go with something else. It is a shame, since it used to work fine, but now we can only accept that fitbit has lost is sports tracking functionality and they won't bring it back.

[LuisaBethan]

I really appreciate all the messages people are posting - firstly it means I'm not going completely mad. I'll admit to not being particularly calm on the phone with the support guy - which is unacceptable I know that - but he was so telling me stuff that wasn't factually correct, was so patronising and kept telling me we were going around in circles because I didn't understand how GPS works. Your messages have all made me realise that Fitbit know that this is their software issue and that they are never going to correct it. So time to save for a new Garmin which will be fit for purpose. If it were possible, I don't think that Fitbit should get away with selling a product that doesn't do what it says but I can't see how anyone can/will hold them to account. It's a shame that they just couldn't hire decent software guys. that's all it needed - rather than just putting one patch on top of another. I've hugely appreciate your support - thank you x 

[tecishere]

So I went for a run tonight on a 5K planned route and the Versa was reporting almost the same as Strava but the Fitbit numbers are all over the place and for me it just cant be trusted. Strava data is consistent between the route, the app and the website. The Fitibit website map shows 4.90K while the summary shows 4.99K. 

Strava data (from website measured via iPhone app)

Fitbit data (from website measured from Versa):

[Stooksed]

Just wanted to add that my phone, a Huawei P9, Android 6 (I know), also suffers from the same issue - FitBit under-recording by 25%-35%.  I use Fitbit and Runkeeper to record the same run at the same time; Runkeeper matches the distance plotted in MapMyRun; FitBit does not.   My stride length is set to the Runkeeper distance divided by the Fitbit step count so "lost GPS" has nothing to do with it.  I seem to remember reporting something similar to them in 2017 (with the same Blaze, but a different phone)

It is my experience of FitBit that they will not look at this as anything other than a user configuration issue, even though their software should not allow a user to mess it up quite so badly.

I've been considering a new device for a while and this has reminded me why it shouldn't be a FitBit.  So thanks.  Maybe a Garmin or Polar.  Or even the Apple.

[LornR]

I have the same issue! Did you get this resolved? I did 12k yesterday and it came up as 9.7k! 

[tecishere]

Tried to use the Versa yesterday for a run. Waited 10 mins to connect to GPS, then as I started it disconnected again. I just reverted to the Strava app on my phone which performed perfectly.  That's it. I have had it. Fitbit is not fit for purpose a far as I am concerned. Very regretfully its going on eBay and i'll look at something else - perhaps an Apple Watch 3 which is pretty much the same price now. As a long time Fitbit user i'm very disappointed but its clear this is not going to be fix any time soon.  Good luck everyone!

[Stooksed]

No resolution, but I did have an idea: 

I wondered if the difference between the Apple and Android apps is when and where the distance is being calculated.  I noticed that I cannot sync my watch to my phone when I have no network. I think this means I can only sync the watch and the phone to the Fitbit Portal, not each other.  I wonder if the Apple app is more full featured, and able to calculate on the phone, but the Android App merely a display of what is on the web? If so, this means the distance is being calculated on the server instead of the phone for Android.  I did a short test.  I connected my watch to my phone (for GPS) but turned off mobile data and wifi (so no network), pressed Lets Go on the watch and went for a short 150m walk.   When I got back, I didn't have the walk recorded in the app until I turned data back on, and guess what?  No GPS record after I synced either.  Does this mean that GPS distance calculations are done only on the server for Android phones?  And maybe the server algorithm is wrong, old, or uncaredfor?  Or missing data due to patchy network causes the loss of 10s running distance each time?   Worthy of a longer off grid test.

[LornR]

Mine shows the correct route I've taken with no gaps etc so it's definitely
an issue with how the distance Is calculated. I've downloaded strava and
manually added each run from fitbit to strava and it shows correct distance
on there. Bit of a hassle doing it each time but atleast it works until
fitbit can fix the issue

[TheJBird]

We've just done a 8 mile walk...

Mapmyride = 8 miles

Fitbit = 6 miles

That's a big variance for a device which uses GPS on phone.

[Stooksed]

I tried the longer test.  I wasn't 100% right about the phone not syncing to the watch without internet.  It works well for steps.  But not at all for GPS.  I have just come back from a 5km/3mile walk with my watch connected to my phone and data off.  Steps updated perfectly, before turning data back on.  The exercise did not show *at all*.  When I turned data back on, the walk was shown, but without any associated GPS data.  So it seems that a data connection is required to log the GPS activity at the time it is being read by the app. Next test: leave data on for the first 1km exactly and then turn it off for the rest of the same walk. 

[SunsetRunner]

Have the same problem for several months now. I use a Xiaomi phone, but (in my opinion) that has nothing to do with it. My story is that the Versa most of the occasions a correct distance produces, but then without recognizable reason a totally wrong distance presents. As a result of wrong distance,  Versa thinks i walked very slowly. I walk every day. 2 or 3 out of 10 times Versa's distance is incorrect.

All other data (steps, route, time, etc) seem to be okay. It's just the distance.

I compare the distance with the Google Maps Timeline. The problem is obvious. Restarting or resetting does not change a thing.  I hope Fitbit tackles this annoying problem.

[Sharney2]

I have the same problem...yesterday it got closer to the correct miles..still not accurate, but doable. This morning it is off again by half (instead of 3.25 miles, it calibrated 1.9).

[Miketez]

Same with my Versa!!! Different milage on the same road with same map every day!!!! Fitbit just dont want to do nothing with it!!!! What I see if they have problém with it more than a half year!!! Was stupid to buy this watch!!!