Run or bike exercises not connecting

[LMY72]

I have just bought the new Fitbit Versa, everything is OK, it’s connected to WiFi, it’s connected to my iPhone 6 and relays all the information on the app, however, when I go on either run or bike exercise  it just doesn’t connect, it just keeps saying connecting on the watch, therefore not measuring distance and the rest, just time, any ideas please?

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[AlejandraFitbit]

A warm welcome to the Community @LMY72.

If your Versa isn't connecting with your phone at the moment of selecting an exercise, I recommend taking a look at the Why isn't GPS working on my Fitbit device? article, there select Versa, check the requirements and follow the steps provided.

I hope this helps, let me know the outcome. 

[Sandy1885]

Hi Alejandra,

I'm facing a similar issue. I have checked the settings on my phone and fitbit app is having all the necessary permissions. Still when i select an exercise it always says connecting.

Not sure what to do. Can you please help in this regard.

[LMY72]

This happened to me too, I phoned Fitbit and they advised to reset the device and it’s worked since then. Hope this helps.

Sent from my iPhone

[AbbyDC32]

I reset my device and it's still not working. 

[kri5ztina]

Alejandra, 
We just did a family bike ride over the weekend. The watch tracked fine all the way but after 89km the watch started to say "connecting" (to in iPhone Xr) and never connected back to the phone.
So we missed the last 6-7 kilometers which is just oddly annoying.
Now, our findings:
- it was NOT the loss of GPS signal as the phone did have GPS signal running Google Maps (when this happened)
- we tried turning bluetooth off and on, we tried killing the Fitbit app and restarting it, never helped

- the watch just kept trying to connect to the phone but never found it. 

-weird enough, the Fitbit iOS app still did not load the map for the ride, synced to Strava (via accounts linked) the map is there. 

- having no chance and solution editing the activity, at least adding the last missing bit manually, it is just frustrating

- the only guess we had is by taking a photo where we stopped (and where the tracking stopped) the memory was eaten up and that is what triggered the issue - but this is just a wild guess. 

So the annoying aspect here is being clueless. If someone ever said what is causing this you could prepare for this. (the only usable advice is turning WiFi off which we will try next time)

[Shariz32]

I have had the exact same trouble. Talked to customer support. They had me do a factory reset. Still had the problem. They sent me a new Versa. It is doing the same thing...if I choose bike or walk it just says “connecting” forever.  Considering setting it up on my husbands phone to see if it is something with my phone.

[Shariz32]

I just tried opening the Fitbit app and leaving it open before trying to connect in an exercise app and that seemed to work. If the app is closed on my phone, it won’t connect. Hadn’t seen that as a requirement but it has seemed to work now two times in a row.

[Ilovesunshine]

I am having the same problem. It is very annoying. It did finally connect on my last 2 bike rides but today it just stubbibky refused so I had to go without knowing how far I had been.

[MikeJones0074]

What can I do to get my exercise to connect

[Shariz32]

Opening my Fitbit app on my phone before trying to connect an exercise on my Versa seems to be the way I can always get this to work.

[CLTMTE]

Yes. Having the app opened is what allowed mine to connect and I am pretty sure I saw that somewhere. However I also experienced the dropping the GPS connection part through a ride.  Have never figured out that issue. 

[wkr72120]

Mine was working fine then last week stopped connecting during exercise. I got mine to work by doing these steps. I have an Android phone.

1. Force stop app

2. Shut off watch

3. Reopen app

4. Power on watch

Hope this helps.

[Jford86]

Just to add to Alejandra’s question: I’m having this problem too therefore it’s just estimating the distance and getting it well off. Is it because I don’t take my phone running? I never needed to on Garmin in order for GPS to work.

thank you 

[DonDurbin53]

I told my Iphone to forget my Versa in the BlueTooth menu and it then connected again.

Of course now I cannot remove the Versa connection... Strange!

Unfortunately it stopped working again.

I wonder if I need to be on my home network to fix this.

[DonDurbin53]

How do I remove this reply?

Unfortunately it stopped working again.

[LJbnljbnlj]

This issue has been going on for awhile. I have the Versa and it always presents me problems with gps/connecting to phone. I bought a Garmin Forerunner 235 so that I could have reliability with my runs and walks. No problems with the Garmin. Recently, I went back to the Fitbit hoping they have solved this problem after 2 years. After walking this evening I can say they haven't. The watch said connecting the whole time on my 4 mile walk. I really wanted to go back to my Versa, but can't continue to support a product that has basically been abandoned by it's manufacturer. My advice is to never by a product from Fitbit that espouses a connected gps system. They have yet to master it. 

[kri5ztina]

We also ended up with a Garmin Vivoactive 4s returning the Versa. 
I hate to blame Fitbit, they still rock and the ecosystem is probably still the best. 
This assisted GPS thing just simply does not work. Even smaller brands with 20-30 dollar wristbands do a better job using phone assisted GPS tracking. 
Already when I bought the Versa I was pretty sure having native, standalone GPS should be a better idea but since you almost carry around the phone all the time anyway (especially when you hike as an example) I ended up with the Versa. It's still a perfect watch but it failed to tracker anything longer than 2 hours or so. Almost all the time. 

[Stormie76]

Same issue after a couple weeks of no issues mine is on the blink, tonight it wouldn’t connect for a walk when I was near my home wifi it wasn't till I got up the road and restarted the app it connected, it also has been dropping out on rides where im losing half my data its quite frustrating. I've tried resetting all that next stop is back to the store for my money back

[8STRING]

The Versa does not have onboard GPS, so you have to have your phone with you. I believe the Garmin has built in GPS.