Versa 3 is tracking too many floors

[cat-g]

My versa 3 is tracking tons of stairs while not doing any stairs???? I’ve updated it and it still doing it?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Guy_]

Hi @cat-g  - If you are interested in how your watch pressure sensor is behaving or whether you can get a more accurate floor count, try the SimpleFloors app.

It shows how your watch is affected by environmental issues such as, going room to room, upstairs/downstairs, inside to outside, changes in temperature, etc.

If it is not registering pressure changes the sensor hole could be blocked or there is a watch fault.

This app is meant for checking purposes as it uses the battery a lot, but at least it will give you an idea if your watch is fine and to confirm waiting for a firmware update to fix the over counting of stairs.

[sarah.amber]

So I used that app and it’s not charging my floors, but the app showed floor count. So what’s the next option? It’s never worked in the few months I’ve had my watch. Will they replace it? 

[Guy_]

@sarah.amber  - do you mean the app has a blue floor count and the green Fitbit floor count is zero?

Can you see the pressure changing almost constantly?

If that is the case, your watch is fine and there is a bug in the Fitbit firmware most likely which may be fixed at some point.

[MarreFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @cat-g @sarah.amber. Welcome to the Community Forums. Thanks for the details provided in your post about the inconvenience with your Versa 3.

As a first approach, I'd like to reinforce that your Fitbit devices may give you credit for extra floors for a variety of reasons. Devices may track floors while doing everyday tasks such as opening doors, driving, or riding elevators or escalators, or from abrupt weather and atmospheric pressure changes. Exposure to excess moisture can also result in extra floors. For more information, see: Why does my Fitbit device count extra floors? You can also find more information about tracking activity in this help article: How does my Fitbit device calculate my daily activity?

If you want to remove floors from your account, please follow these steps.

[IskanderKai]

There are a ton of threads on this specific issue, but I want to throw my hat in as somebody else who's been experiencing this for the last several months. The issue has honestly gotten worse since it first started, regardless of troubleshooting... I've done maybe two flights of stairs today, but the Versa 3 thinks I've done 86.

[Guy_]

Hi @IskanderKai  -  Did the SimpleFloors app give you a more accurate result?

[IskanderKai]

Yup. SimpleFloors is properly sitting at 0 today, while the Versa 3 thinks I've done 14. Pressure fluctuation is properly reflected, so I'm pretty sure this is a continuing firmware bug.

Honestly, at this point I'd accept either a firmware update that actually solves the problem, or otherwise the ability to remove tracked floors without having to manually input non-stair-related activities during the affected timeframes to override them.

[Katlady69]

It seems they’ve been aware of this issue with this model since 2019 and haven’t yet resolved it. They should stop selling this model until they have, its very unethical.  What good is a fitness tracker that is this off? I can understand a variation, but what mine is doing is ridiculous. Even more bizarre, I went up one flight, Fitbit counted 3. Then a minute later it adjusted down removing the 2 extra floors, but then 2 minutes later adjusted it back up again. I was sitting on my couch. 🙄. 

[sarah.amber]

I was sent a return label to get a replacement but was also supposed to get an email listing what to include in the return package. That second email never arrived and I can’t get ahold of anyone on any of their support options to tell me what to send. Anyone know?

[Katlady69]

You might not want to bother. I finally got them to agree to accept mine back under warrantee and they replaced it with a used, damaged unit that someone else sent back to them. I give up, I’m now just telling myself I made a $300 charitable donation to Fitbit, because I certainly got NOTHING in return for the money I spent. 

[Katlady69]

Marre, please be serious. A few extra floors is one thing.  Counting 10x the number of floors is quite another. 130 floors when I’ve done about 15 is unacceptable. And telling people to just “manually adjust” the count in the app is pathetic advice.  If I have to keep count myself, I don’t need your device. Your company is really taking advance of people, selling them devices that don’t work and then refusing to stand behind their product. Sending me a used, damaged Fitbit to replace the faulty one FITBIT sold me is just really NOT COOL. 

[EJM707]

This Fitbit Moderators / Customer Service reps leave the same cut and paste responses in every thread. I've been trying to communicate w/ them via Twitter. I noticed I get the same cut/paste responses I've seen over here. They have no answers. I also get, they're working on the problem. This has been a problem for a couple years now. Seriously, I've done a nothing in regards to climbing today and I'm at 60 floors. That's actually a low number, yesterday I was well into the 100's without doing a thing. 

My original beef w/ Fitbit was they stopped making badges. It's been years since I asked about those. I was always told, they'll be coming out soon. It takes a while to develop a badge. Such a farce. Those Minion badges came out awful quick and timely. Anyway, I told the Fitbit rep today, the same people who are working on those badges must be working on the fix for the Versa 3. It's never going to happen. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@EJM707 wrote:

Anyway, I told the Fitbit rep today, the same people who are working on those badges must be working on the fix for the Versa 3. It's never going to happen. 

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For real. It's becoming abundantly clear why everyone in my run club with a smart watch owns a Garmin instead of a Fitbit. I had hoped Google taking over would improve development, but as it stands, it looks like they just bought a C-tier fitness tracker company masquerading as a smartwatch manufacturer. 

[Gatman]

Just got my second Versa 3 replacement within the 1-year warranty due to this problem.  First agent had me reboot it.  Second agent had me reset it.  Still had the problem.  3rd agent did the replacement.  I did the online chat, and it wasn't too bad.  If you're under warranty I would keep at them.  I figure I know have 6 months to figure out what brand of watch I'm switching to when this one dies.  First one bricked itself and got stuck at the logo screen and never recovered.  I see a lot of posts about these two problems all over these support boards.  It looks like it went back to normal at the end of the graph below, but that week was just starting, so it looks low still.  It ended up being the biggest week yet!  Good luck!

 

[Katlady69]

They sent me a ‘used’ replacement for my brand new malfunctioning unit, did they do the same to you? I was truly disgusted.  I’ve had Apple Watch for months now, so much better, no problems, way more functional, and not that much more money either. I just look the wasted money I sunk into the Fitbit as a hard lesson learned. It’s the last they’ll see of my business  

[Gatman]

Mine was almost 8 months old on the first replacement, so I didn't expect a new unit.  Now the second one is acting up.  I just noticed the Versa 3 is no longer for sale on their website...but the Versa 2 still is!  I think that tells me everything I need to know about this lemon.

[EJM707]

It was never offered. I brought it up and was told it wasn't an option because they couldn't guarantee a "fix." I've chosen to ignore my stair climbing, even though it's off by 100's daily. The only reason I've stuck w/ Fitbit this long is my weekly competitions. They're a fun way to force me to move more. I'm also not an Apple person, so I'd have to look at other options when/if I move on. Maybe the V4 will have solved some issues? I'll hold out hope.

[Gatman]

I feel you.  I do two main types of exercise - weight training and cycling.  I like the way my Fitbit handles weight training compared to what some of the competitors do, which is why I've stuck with it.  The Blaze was generally a joy to use, but the GPS/bluetooth connection to the phone was always a problem with that watch.  It worked about 90% of the time, but the 10% when it didn't wreaked havoc on my bike rides (read that as it cut out and lost tracking 10% of pretty much every ride, not that it worked 9 out of 10 rides), which is what prompted me to move to the Versa 3.  Unfortunately, the Versa 3 has been a big disappointment, and will most likely be my last Fitbit.