Fitbit Versa connected GPS issues

[SunsetRunner]

Hi There!

My versa loses connection with my phone (nexus 5x) during bike excercise and thus shows no route on the map. I know I have gps, because Strava app shows it right.

Is this a bug in the software from the Versa?

I tried to start an excercise from fitbit app, but only walk, run or hike does gps. (no bike. why not?!?) so i choose hike.  now i have a hike excercise with hr and ps data. this this excercise shows after sync with strava in strava as hike. in strava i change hike in bike.

now i have bike excercise in strava with hr and gps. after a while just from magic, the ecercise in strava has been changed back into hike again with no hr data anymore.

I know that fitbit versa is not a swiss watch, but at least it should be working as advertised!

connected gps is not not working. People at Fitbit, can you fix this?

Moderator Edit: Updated Subject For Clarity.

[Srikanta]

For indoor usage you usually do not need a GPS working. As you use a treadmill exercise widget to track your workout. But what we are discussing here is the problem of GPS connecting with phones for outdoor exercises like Run, walk & Bike

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@Lynnbgirl wrote:

so mine has also had connecting issues using the walk feature when i am at the gym walking on the indoor track. So the last 4 days i have decided to take my walks  outside and it stays gps connected the whole time which is amazing, but come winter ill be going back to the gym and i would really like to have my tracker stay connected inside a building like it has done outside. I wish they would just fix this problem. I spent 200 dollars on a product that doesn't function correctly all the time or as advertised!!

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[pixbuf]

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@Hotlush wrote:

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@Lynnbgirl wrote:

i would really like to have my tracker stay connected inside a building like it has done outside. I wish they would just fix this problem. I spent 200 dollars on a product that doesn't function correctly all the time or as advertised!!

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In all fairness to fitbit you'd have the same issue with most, if not all, GPS trackers. If they can't "see" the satellites they won't work.

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This is completely irrelevant to this problem. I always run Strava simultaneously every time I ride. It tracks every ride accurately. The fitbit doesn't. It's not a GPS problem at all.

[urmoluts]

you can track with strava on hand? or you did mean strava app in phone?

[pixbuf]

Right. The Strava app on the phone. The location information is in the phone correctly; it's the communication between the phone and the Versa that is the problem.

[ironcream]

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@pixbuf wrote:

It's been more than 3 months now and no discernible progress. You'd think that if the problem is fixable, it would have been fixed already. Or maybe they just don't have any decent programmers working on it.  

Well... downgrading the app seems to help some

"We're working on it" and "investigation in progress" might mean that they just have created a ticket/issue-report for it. Some day someone will probably have a look at it. Maybe.

Another thing is that this forum thread is hot but is marked now as "solved" 🙂 Which means thread author accepted something as a "solution". But as we know, there is no solution as of yet.

[freddybigs10]

@ironcream It seems that some fixes work for some people but not for others. Personally nothing worked for me until I deleted all the data on my Bluetooth app. I'm not sure if it's this thread or another but a moderator marked one of these threads as "solved" even though the OP did not select one. 

[MJNinDallas]

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@freddybigs10 wrote:

@ironcream It seems that some fixes work for some people but not for others. Personally nothing worked for me until I deleted all the data on my Bluetooth app. I'm not sure if it's this thread or another but a moderator marked one of these threads as "solved" even though the OP did not select one. 

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Over the weekend I tested this on my supported phone. I deleted the Bluetooth data multiple times on the phone.  For me, connected GPS still does not work reliably.  I also found settings for battery optimization and turned off battery optimization for the FITBIT app, the Bluetooth app, and the Bluetooth MIDI app (just in case). I thought this feature may be used (poorly) by the FITBIT app resulting in the Bluetooth connection dropping when the phone sits, unused, for a while. I rebooted phone and watch each time a change was made; still broken. A 17 mile city street bike ride, yesterday, registered perfectly in STRAVA, but the Versa logged less than 6 miles at the same time and frequently displayed "Connecting..."

BTW, an easy way to test after changing a setting is to click on the "Run" app on the Versa, wait until connects, then walk around with the phone in your pocket. If yours is like mine, you will see frequent lost connections (Connecting...) for long periods.

[urmoluts]

welcome to the fitbit versa club. we all have nice little thing on hand but when we like to track our route with fitbit versa, then it is just a bad investment. 

before fitbit say that they fix this gps problem, i will not try any other possible solutions. i understand that problem is in this fitbit os and versa because ionic had gps on watch and. long time i have not heart any fitbi os update also. is it possible that fitbit understand that own os is bad idea and next cool smartwatch will be on android?

[Garball]

Same problem with connected GPS on an iPhone 6. Got the versa for Father’s Day 2018, what a waste of money. Should have gone with the Garmin. Unacceptable! Been buying Fitbit products for my wife and family for years (Aria, every Fitbit made etc).  Corporate Fitbit just doesn’t care. Time to make some changes.

[ajal3381]

I really wanted to love the Versa, because it is a nice looking watch, not one of those thick, bulky things some other big names have out there.  It went back to Best Buy today.  The GPS connection issue is really unfortunate.  This should have been a core feature and Fitbit failed.  Back to my Apple Watch that does exactly what I expect it to.

[urmoluts]

Yesterday i solve Versa and GPS issue. I bought second hand iphone 5s and i did some run. i run over 8km and there was no connection error. With oneplus 6, sony z5 compact or huawei p10 lite i had max 3 km when connecting was arrive to versa screen...

So if you like sport with gps track from versa screen, own iphone or buy another fitness tracker with gps or some other brand.

Versa is designed for apple users not android 😉 It means next fitness tracker from Fitbit should be with build in gps or another brand what support newer android phones. 

[ajal3381]

I'm glad it's working for you @urmoluts, but if you read through this thread you'll see iPhone users also reporting issues.  I gather from this thread that older phones tend to fair better with the Versa, and since you're using an iPhone 5, that may be a factor. 

Fitbit does not sell this device as iPhone only, and it's unfortunate that it can't handle newer phone models, iPhone or Android. I wouldn't go as far to say you 'solved' this widespread issue.

[urmoluts]

It was sayd with little humor. 

I had owned (2x flex, charge hr, charge 2 and now versa) and now i feel that versa was not good investment because i dont need to pay over 229 euros to get beautifyl watch without any working tracking solution. i understand that apple had made ca 20 phone models over years and android build 100 models every year. It is hard to get versa working with all phones but when you buy some brand best phones, then you hope that versa will work with it not get from support that your phone is not yet tested....and never will be. even it is like oneplus or sony newest and bestest model ever.

i will run another day again with iphone 5s and versa combo. maybe clean os 12 was reason why i did had no problem...

maybe fitbit should put bigger warning that versa support only older phone models? then will be less mad and sad users ho writes on forum that versa does not support their fancy phones.

[A-N-G]

Why are us Versa users standing for this? I have the same issues with Versa. GPS rarely works, flights of stairs always inaccurate. I actually had to set my stride length at 37 to track miles properly. So far the only thing the Versa does accurately is keep time and steps. I would love for this to be recalled by Fitbit.

[AlejandraFitbit]

Hi everyone, I hope you are doing well.

As recommended previously, please check our list of compatible mobile devices to see if your phones are listed. Remember that if you want to have a successful connection between your watch and phone, it needs to be compatible.

When a phone isn't compatible it doesn't mean that it won't work with your Fitbit but you might experience some connectivity issues, you can always try the instructions provide in the help article Why isn't GPS working on my Fitbit device? but I don't guarantee it will work 100%.

See you around. 

[596beck]

Is it a case that you just send this blanket message out on a regular basis. It's about time this was sorted. I'm one of the lucky ones as I got rid of my Versa

[SunsetRunner]

I'm done too, got rid of my versa and bought a Garmin vivofit 3.  Soooo much better

[596beck]

I did the same, Versa not fit for use and should be recalled

[Spacetti]

I'm done too.  Had enough "connecting" issues. In the bin it goes. 

[Glenmcd]

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@A-N-G wrote:

Why are us Versa users standing for this? I have the same issues with Versa. GPS rarely works, flights of stairs always inaccurate. I actually had to set my stride length at 37 to track miles properly. So far the only thing the Versa does accurately is keep time and steps. I would love for this to be recalled by Fitbit.

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There is a pinned thread at top of the Versa forum, in which you'll find roughly 400 Versa owners have complained about the Versa's habit of registering (tens of) thousands of steps while it charges.  But it's great that it keeps the time accurately don't you think.