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]

OK this is an A route that has not been Re uploaded. 

It does not show as a link when you delete and Re load. 

Good to know could have saved myself a bit of time there

[RunHolmanRun]

It's a pretty handy tool, although it can be out sometimes too. The problem I'm having is not knowing if I had hit my target distance. The last run I posted I had to guess based my average 5km time.

[Andyn1970]

Good point if you are aiming for a certain distance or a certain pace on a run the Versa is no use at all.

It has all the tools and all the stats it's a great watch but totally useless when the data it gives you is wrong. 

It's not even consistently wrong one run uver reads the next under reads. 

A real PITA 

[Twillis1635]

Possibly. But everyone’s watch is failing at different points in time with equal software versions. And, it happens overnight indicating a finite lifespan of the watch itself.

Sent from my iPhone

[dryheatwriter]

I have the exact same issue, documented in another thread:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Versa-Smartwatches/Inaccurate-gps-tracking/m-p/3811363#M127501

I have Versa with Samsung S8

Tracking was dead on until September. Firmware update didn't help. I even tried tracking a running Bike mode and GPS was still off by about 20% (2 extra miles on a 10 mile measured course (started at 5k marker on a half marathon)

The issue is NOT stride length. It is the software not using the GPS data correctly on Android phones. Someone misplaced a decimal point in a line of code and broke it back in early/mid-September. Fitbit needs to stop blaming the hardware or user and go through the code.

I went to Amazon and bought a rebuilt Garmin Vivosport for $70 and use it to track my runs. I'll turn on Versa for giggles to see if they've fixed it.

Here's hoping Google will acknowledge the problem since it's their operating system not playing with their new fitness devices.

[LostEchoes]

So maybe trying an earlier version of the app could fix this ?

[RunHolmanRun]

@LostEchoes  it might do, just sideload the A.P.K, but if the are any server side changes the older  A.P.K might not work 

[astiesi]

I had that thought of going to the older version but I don't always like to mess with finding the correct application package and falling down that rabbit hole. That said, messing with this thing has taken up quite a bit of my time already so I decided to downgrade to version 3.5, which came out September 1 of this year. My thinking is, based on timelines, that this was broken in 3.6. If I can convince myself to get out there and go for a short known run, I will update this thread if it makes any difference.

[SunsetRunner]

I don't think it's just the latest update; I've had my Inspire since April and it has never tracked a correct distance...

[LostEchoes]

I do think that probably the bug with the incorrect distance is also related to server changes.
But, one comes to wonder: how come are iOS users not affected? So maybe it is a server side issue that reports the distance incorrectly only on the android version of the app ? I really don't know.

Ironically my only tests (Inspire HR with walking, in my case, using Runkeeper at my Samsung phone and comparing distance reports with the Fitbit app) have been done with 3.x versions.
Lately I've been testing every new 3.x version but I'm finding myself frequently returning to 2.90 which seems more stable overall (fewer bugs, better sync, much greater UI, etc).
I've also started cycling so if the issue is stride-related, it should probably not affect me, right?.
I might try a long walk again, this time with 2.90.

One last thing: Haven't you wondered why the Elevation Gain of any activity is always reported as ZERO (0) on Fitbit's app / dashboard? This also happens with the 2.90 version, so maybe indeed the issues we are facing are much more complicated than we think. When Fitbit's data is uploaded to Strava, Endomondo, etc, the Elevation Gain is reported correctly. 

[MarioDings]

I found the same issue at Runkeeper. It said  5,81 km but it was 5,13 km.

And my Fitbit tracking on the phoneTOLD ME  while running I had a very good (too good) performance.

Later, on the Fitbit app on the phone the results were correct (unfortunately 😞 )

strange thing are happening.

Next time I will try the running app on the watch.

ps I checked with Google maps, which  I think is correct.

[Lee8]

I have been having the same problem for afew months now, spoke to customer support at the weekend. Tried afew things but didnt work,then they said try factory reset and reinstall the watch to the app. I've been for a 5km run and it's seemed  to have worked, not perfect but alot better, 5.02km on the watch and 5.18km on strava on my phone.

[Andyn1970]

Mine is still junk

Just been out on a 4 mile run, done this track loads of times I know it's 4 to 4.1 miles every time. 

My wife's versa recorded 4.07miles my pile of junk recorded 4.8 miles with an average of just over 8 mins per mile. 

I wish I could run that fast but it was actually 9.35 per. 

Absolutely worthless. 

[astiesi]

Yes, quite useless. I ran 4.07 miles on Friday and Fitbit reported 5.12 miles, all while drawing a perfect route graph and recording the time accurately. I really enjoyed feeling like a track star with the splits that Fitbit was reporting but at some point I'm really going to have to give up. I mean, if you have the track/distance accurately plotted and you know the time, how hard is it really to calculate some accurate numbers. 

And to add insult to injury, my band broke over the weekend. Now I get to decide if buying a replacement band is even worth it. Right now I'm leaning towards no.

[Andyn1970]

I have just emailed CS but know nothing will come of it, then will just give another canned reply that will mean nothing.

But we are 10, 20 or even 100 people complaining about it but compared to the millions of users of Fitbit they really won't give a **** about us. 

Very frustrating as I am very happy with everything else. My whole family is on it but it does not work. 

[Twillis1635]

I truly think that Fitbit has stalled out for the time being until the “new boss” establishes a different direction which could include I suppose, the elimination of the brand altogether with a rollout of “Google” watches.

Sent from my iPhone

[AliMad]

I have a Flex 2 and I record my runs using the GPS tracker on the Fitbit app.  The Fitbit app is on my Huawei phone. I have voice cues set for every 0.5 miles to tell me my distance and time. When I finish a run, the app produces a map of my route and gives me a final distance which is significantly less than the voice cues told me. For example, for my last run, my final voice was at 6.5miles. The final distance recorded by the app was 5.65miles and all the splits were different to the ones I heard in the voice cues. If I go into the run details it says 5.65 miles on the map but in the top left hand corner it says 6.64 miles. Why am I getting two different readings? Which reading is more accurate?

[LostEchoes]

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@LostEchoes wrote:

Version 3.10 for Android has been released on the Play Store.
Has anyone took the chance to try it for a run / walk / etc to see if anything has changed with the distance issues ?
It's a stormy day here in Athens, Greece, and I don't see myself going out anytime soon.

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And a new (second) 3.10 version has just been released. 
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Fitbit-app-v3-10-for-Android-Bugs-fixes/m-p/3892408/high...

[Lemmin]

I've just done my normal 5 (and a bit) kilometre run for the first time in three days. And, surprise, the fitbit tracking was good and the reported pace on the watch was good!

For my 5.2km (as measured on google maps), the fitbit app came back with 5.3km, so within 2%, and I might well have wandered around a bit as I ran. Previous times I've run this I've got 4.35km or thereabouts, so much improved.

Did the app update in the last three days? If so, there might have been some bug fixing included.

I'll go for another run tomorrow, and I hope it will continue to be accurate.

[LostEchoes]

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@Lemmin wrote:

I've just done my normal 5 (and a bit) kilometre run for the first time in three days. And, surprise, the fitbit tracking was good and the reported pace on the watch was good!

For my 5.2km (as measured on google maps), the fitbit app came back with 5.3km, so within 2%, and I might well have wandered around a bit as I ran. Previous times I've run this I've got 4.35km or thereabouts, so much improved.

Did the app update in the last three days? If so, there might have been some bug fixing included.

I'll go for another run tomorrow, and I hope it will continue to be accurate.

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Which version of the app do you have ?