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

[tecishere]

I start the tracking by selecting the exercise on the Versa itself. I don't like relying on automatic activity recognition.

[Snow_Skier]

When you are using connected GPS (and start the exercise from the Fitbit) the distance measurements are independent of device movement. As you'll see from the many previous posts, this is an issue related to the way that the Fitbit app interprets the GPS information. If you export the exercise file from Fitbit into a third party application, it will measure the correct distance.

As for the heart rate, I'd suggest checking at the following link or  starting a new thread. This one is for connected GPS issues.

https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1565

*Edited to clarify this is for starting exercise from the Fitbit

[MP95]

Even with selecting the exercise it is still off by .25 each time I walk or run!

[Snow_Skier]

Yes, many other people in this discussion and I have similar issues. It is worse the longer you go. For runs of 3-5 miles, Fitbit is open off by up to a mile.  We haven't found a solution yet, but you can help give the issue visibility by going to the very first page of this discussion and clicking the button to show you have the issue too!

[tecishere]

So I checked back and it seems for me this is only  a recent problem. The first time i can see it occurring was on 5th April 2020.

I don't recall any updates on my Versa around that time which is currently on version 70.7.14 and the Fitbit app is 3.18 (941) on my iPhone 7 which is running IOS 13.4.1

I deleted the Versa bluetooth connection and factory reset my Versa and set it up again.

Very frustrating.  As this thread has been around 6 months it looks like its unlikely to be fixed any time soon. The main reason for not going Apple Watch was the poorer battery life that the Versa, but with this issue the Apple Watch 3 looks like a no brainer at its current price. I will be sorry to leave the Fitbit ecosystem but if it doesn't do what its meant to do whats the point in sticking with it. 

[Carlo-g]

I have the same issue with a FitBit Charge 3.  I'm running the same route regularly, and I've measured that route as 9.5km using my bike odometer and using Google maps.  FitBit has reported it from as low as 7.4km to as high as 9.9km.    The track shown is correct, so I don't know how FitBit gets a 25% variation on the same track.  It makes the device useless for keeping a record of my running.  I will never buy a FitBit device again.

[Georex]

I’ve told myself I wouldn’t buy another Fitbit either.  Accurate tracking is supposed to be the center of trackers.  My previous Fitbit’s tracked well; no problems with GPS, but they were weakly constructed and didn’t last more than 2 yrs.  Now, my Versa 2 can’t track accurately, that end it for me if they can’t correct this!  

[Markmoll]

Hi Everyone,Update... I orginally had the ionic, which was awesome, GPS tracking, spot on. Then when the watch failed, I needed something quick, so I picked up the Versa 2 at Costco. I immediately saw a discrepancy in GPS, so I started searching for information and I found that the versa 2 gets the correct data but displays it within its own applications incorrect. When the data is transfered to strava or it is exported, the data is correct. Something in the fitbit brand logarithm/software is interpreting the data incorrectly. Fitbit will not listen to its customers as they are telling them exactly what is wrong with their software. I couldn't wait any longer, for them to get their stuff together so I decided to switch to a Garmin fenix 5x. I have had no issues with their GPS!! I did have to get used to the app, but after I acclimated to the differences from the fitbit app, I am very impressed with the product. I know Garmin has many different price point options, for many different budget restraints. I wanted something rugged, so I went for the fenix 5x. If you ask me Garmin is the way to go, I mean they did start off doing GPS car navigation systems, so they have the GPS thing down, plus the watch is built bullet proof, awesome durability!! I'm sorry this is still an on-going issue for everyone after this long. I'd switch to something different if you want correct GPS out of the box.

[Davie1888]

Hi all sorry to see this is still an issue, I had this issue way back last September and I know when I posted it that people had been experiencing it longer so its terrible that fitbit haven't fixed it yet.

I too jumped ship and went to Garmin and will never come back, I did prefer Ftibits app but in terms of analytics especially using a desktop the Garmin is far superior and far more accurate. I plumped for a Forerunner 735XT, an older model without the touch screen  etc but it's been perfect for me.

Anyway a mod will no doubt come along and sterilise this comment in due course but the only fix I can suggest is Ebay it and get a Garmin.

[tecishere]

It is ridiculous because its clearly (for me anyway) a device/app issue and not a GPS issue.  Considering this I would have thought it relatively easy to fix as obviously other devices and apps are not broken like this.

[Seva24]

Got a Versa 2 recently and have been having the same issue as everyone else here (I have a Samsung A40 as well as another person on this thread). Read through the whole thread and will try the Strava fix - once I saw the distance was being underreported on my 5-6 km runs by a kilometre, I have been logging them on the watch and on the Strava app on my phone at the same time, and just deleting the Versa runs when it uploads them to Strava (want to see the heartrate info).

I am honestly baffled that this issue, that seemingly affects quite a few people on different platforms for the better part of a year and is clearly a software problem that should be solved if enough resources were directed to it, has not yet been resolved. I am under no illusions that this is a runner's watch, I mainly use it for heartrate, sleep and step tracking. When I bought it I expected the running stuff to not be super accurate anyway, but because of general GPS and hardware issues, not due to a seemingly fixable software bug makes the watch unusable for tracking runs.

[RucknRun]

For me it is the GPS not working.   It seems to use a random stride length to estimate my distance.  This results in my distance and pace being all over the place.  It is super frustrating.

When I first got my Versa it worked perfect.  One of the updates broke everything.  The fact that it has been like this for over a year has made me ready to switch to something else.

[Snow_Skier]

Hi RucknRun,

It does appear like it's a GPS issue, but we believe it's actually an issue with how the Fitbit app interprets the GPS points and calculates distance. I'd recommend reading through the whole thread from the begining. There is some really interesting troubleshooting that the community already did. I've tested it a bit myself and agree with their results.

[tecishere]

I went for a run today. Recorded 5.05km on the Strava iPhone app and 4.53K on my Versa. Ridiculous.

[Jennifer_CL]

I have same issue. I run round parking lot of my flat around 30 mins per day.

It is reporting 0.18 kms after 30 mins yesterday.

Have been noticing this issue for a few weeks. During 30 mins, i counted running 35 rounds.

For 1st round, Fitbit calculates corectly around 0.07 km.

Therefore after 35 rounds, it cannot be 0.18 kms!!

I bought my versa2 in Dec 2019 , feeling very disappointed about my purchase and would like to know if i can get a rwplacement

[tecishere]

@Jennifer_CLa replacement will not fix this as its software related. If this is important to you try to get a refund and but something else. If not you can always sell it on eBay?

[RunHolmanRun]

Honestly you are better off, getting rid, unless you just want a tracker that looks nice ands tracks steps and it's not that accurate at that to be honest. I got rid of mine back in November last year for a Forerunner 45, it's a very good watch for tracking runs, the pace is accurate so it helps with training. It doesn't look as nice as the versa but I will take accuracy over looks. I remember when I started have this problem back in July last year tried everything suggested with no luck

[LuisaBethan]

Hello, I've just been speaking to the Fitbit Support Team who said they have no idea what is causing the problem and they have no intention of looking into it any further. If I'm not happy, I should look to another purchase from another manufacturer. Exactly their response. Doesn't make sense to them. They keep trying to blame the GPS on the phone which I have demonstrated is 100% accurate - and right now they said they have no appetite for looking at why my Blaze isn't recording the data accurately. I argued that it means the fitbit isn't fit for purpose but he said it works when it's stride length so don't know what your problem is....just don't connect it to the phone is what he said. I said but you advertise that as possible. He said well yours isn't working and I didn't sell you the phone x 

[tecishere]

Thats pretty disgraceful.  A fundamental featureof their product doesnt work properly and its clear from the numbers of posts here and the lack of Fitbits response that they don't care.  Its seems every other product doesnt have this issue.  To my mind they are misleading people into believing their product is fit for purpose when it clearly isnt. Somethign has happened as i've seen more posts nearly every day about this subject.  I love teh Fitbit ecossytem but i'm on the verge of dumping it if this doesnt get fixed. I can use Strava on my phone and get a better experience.

[LuisaBethan]

I completely agree x my samsung health is reporting far more accurate data. He just kept saying theres nothing we.can do and patronising me by explaining how GPS works but I kept saying that the GPS is working 100% accurately, it's how Fitbit accesses the gps data that's the problem and he said that he couldn't explain it x I genuinely think the software is so flaky that they don't genuinely know what and how it works x