GPS Connection drops after phone locks Versa

[Hndyourbiz]

I have a Google Pixel 2, running the latest v9 OS with June 5 2019 patch. Firmware version 32.33.1.30, app version 2.94.

For about 6 months the phone will not connect to GPS without having the FitBit app running and my phone unlocked.  As soon as my phone screen goes black, literally 10 secs goes by and the GPS connection drops.  Once unlock my phone, the connection comes back after about 3-5 secs.  
To date I've factory reset the watch, cleared bluetooth cache, uninstalled and reinstall the FitBit app.  

No combination of these changes anything about the GPS connection dropping 10 secs after the phone screen turns off.

[Rich_Laue]

@Hndyourbiz go to your phone settings. / Apps / Fitbit / Battery / turn of optimize for the Fitbit app. 

If it is turned on when the screen turns off the phone shuts down the app. 

Allow background should also be on. 

[Hndyourbiz]

Battery setting reads "Not Optimized". And a greyed out message stating
"background usage can't be restricted"

No change to the setting, and obviously still won't connect without the app
open and phone unlocked.

[Rich_Laue]

I will check my power settings tomorrow, it sound like the app goes to sleep as soon as the screen turns off. 

One thing I would try is to move the Fitbit app to the background before the screen turns off. 

When I start a gps walk the wrist, I don't even pull the phone out of the pack. 

[Hndyourbiz]

New discovery, the connection drops with the app in the background.  So it won't connect if the app isn't open and active. 

Ur comment about not touching the app to start a walk, I used to have that joy 😭

I'm going to look back at me logs and see about when this started.

[Deandj]

Is there any update to this issue. 

I have tried all the recommendation and still can not keep a connection once the app is not running or screen locks. 

This is a major defect 

[Hndyourbiz]

Not that I know of.  To be honest, I started using Runkeeper instead to track my walks/runs.  It did a better job with true distances and has a lot more features like calling out your stats along your path like pace, time walked/running, distance traveled.  Its cold out now so I do my walking/running on a treadmill @ for now.

[Rich_Laue]

When using connected GPS there is no reason to have the Fitbit app open on the phone. 

@Deandj if you have an android phone, you will want to move the Fitbit app to the background before the phone locks. This is not a problem Fitbit can solve but needs to be fixed by the android developers. 

It is the same for notifications. If the Fitbit app is open in foreground notifications stop when phone locks. 

Also firmware updates fail. 

[Deandj]

After playing around with all the setting yesterday U got it to work. 

You need to make sure that Location settings are set to All ways let Fitbit access location. 

This did the trick 

[bicyclegirls73]

How do u do this?

[Rich_Laue]

@bicyclegirls73 what phone?

[bicyclegirls73]

I have an iPhone. I think I have fixed the issue by uninstalling Fitbit app. Forget Bluetooth device. Reset Fitbit back to factory settings And set everything up. Tested and I can lock phone again and it tracks without dropping 

[Maxisegk]

Yes! This fixed it! Thank you so much! Just had to go to Location Settings rather than app settings and set FitBit app to "allowed all the time" instead of "allowed only while in use"