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Versa inaccurate GPS tracking

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I have used my versa for 2 years now and in the last three months, the gps tracking is not showing an accurate distance. I have used a different fitbit and it's doing the same. I have checked the distance with google maps and it's definitely off and I use the same track every day. How do I reslove this please as it's very annoying!

 

 

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93 REPLIES 93

has anyone had any luck, with resolving this inaccurate tracking?? I used to think that the inaccuracy was due to the location of the satellites (due to a convo with tech support). This inaccuracy has been going on for at least a year, if not more - same routes, same time to complete, always different mileage...

love my fitbit but this is getting ridiculous.

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Since the last firmware update the distance for mine seems to be ok.  Now it won't stay connected to my phone though so I only get a partial map.

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I'm having the same issue. Same runs, perfectly accurate and now wildly different. 

 

I ran a 10k last week and it logged it as 5.19 miles!!! I'm really fed up. 

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It got so bad that I gave up fitbit, not only for the inaccuracy, but in large due the blind arrogance of Fitbit support and their refusal to admit there is an issue.
I hope it does get sorted, but it's to late for me.
Signed Happy Garmin User



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
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I too have stopped using my Fitbit for anything tracking exercise; it's now become a fun watch (I like the faces) and a community (step challenges with my friends). Whenever this Versa fully dies, I won't be replacing it unless they've fixed it.

I went with a Garmin Vivosport for $60 (rebuilt on Amazon). It is akin to the Fitbit Charge 2 in size, but has onboard GPS. It is spot-on accurate recording pace and distance while I'm out running and has become my only "turned on" device for recording my runs. I'll turn on the Versa just for giggles - cuz nothing says a slow pace like a half marathon that records at 15 miles!

Has anyone recorded non-running using the Versa? I'm considering giving the "bike" method a try and see if the GPS suddenly becomes accurate, but don't want to bother if folks have found that to be as unreliable as running/walking is.

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Versa doesnt have a gos so it will never be accurate.  I rack up so many steps sting and rocking in my recliner I have probably walked around the world! Mine is a fun but expensive watch as well. It was replaced at less than 5 minutes ths for shutting off randomly then shut off for good. I am on watch #2 and it is being replace because it is randomly switching to the shortcut screen and the back button stopped working. I will never buy another again either. Boyfriends cersa has started to randomly cycle on and off and screen locking. DONE

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Lol. Should have proof read!  Versa has no GPS..  and they replaced mine 1st time when it was less than 5 months old. 

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Versa tracks by movement and your PHONES GPS. The versa doesnt have a built in GPS. The ionic has a GPS. 

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What does the grain do besides track? Does it do heart rate and the other stuff the fitbit does? I am changing when my 2nd replacement dies..have every confidence it will be dead in less that 6 months!

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I understand Versa uses the Phone's GPS...the issue is that when new in Nov 2018, it did just that - tracked runs using my phone's GPS and the display showed exact pace and mileage covered - using that GPS detail from the phone. 

After one of the updates last year (somewhere in August I believe), that all stopped. The Versa suddenly was WAAAY off - it was like a program update messed up how it interprets the GPS data. It will either show my run as 1-2 miles less or more than the actual GPS mileage; during the activity the mileage ticked off will be about .2 miles more/less per mile of actual travel. The track recorded in Fitbit, even showing an accurate GPS route on the map, is WAAAY off of what real mileage is (no wild GPS mis-reads sending "me" across the planet, but tracked right on the road where I went).

I think we're all asking Fitbit to fix this and return to displaying on the watch the GPS data the phone is collecting and keep at the end a track that matches the mileage of the actual planet we run on. We all know our phone's are accurate because we can use other apps on the phone (like MapMyRun) to get an accurate track, but never with the Fitbit Versa watch.

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Exactly. Using my phone to record a run and comparing it to the versa it's
completely different. A mile in difference!!

It used to be spot on, what has happened?

I'm back to using my phone, which is an absolute pain. Blah.
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Walking/ hiking also out, approximately 2/3 distance.

A 15 mile commute to work on the bike was recorded as 8.1 miles.

So no, I'm afraid it's no good for that either.

I now use Garmin vivoactive 3, love it, the data it returns is so much better, accurate and detailed. Also the automatic share with Strava is great, and the route builder, challenges, health etc.

My wife is happy that the vivoactive has a live track feature, so when I'm out in the hills she can check in see where I am.

My wife has also gone to Garmin Vivosmart 4. Uses phones Gps and doesn't have live track, but again she loves it



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
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Hear hear. That's what I said right in the beginning..we all know the watch doesn't have gps and it is the phone that tracks. It worked fine for a year, now it does not....

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@dryheatwriter My Fitbit Versa is NOT tracking my bike rides. I rode my bike for 2 hours got home Fitbit said I rode for 15 seconds imagine how upset I was. I've been walking my dog around the neighborhood and versa isn't even tracking that. Using my quarantine time researching other fitness trackers.

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@Shortjock903 I'm really considering going to the Samsung as well. I'm so fed up with my versa. Rode my bike  for 8 miles and my watch just kept saying connecting when I got home 🤔

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@mortie5k Thank you. I'm spending my quarantine researching fitness trackers. I'm so over my versa, while I love it and have many bands for it I'm going to have to let it GO. Rode my bike 8 miles and it DIDN'T track any of it. I walked 2 miles NOTHING. Jogged 2 miles NOTHING. I can't track ANYTHING but my sleep and who knows if that is accurate.

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Honestly, I went to garmin and didn't look back.  I spent hours and hours and hours with support trying to fix my fitbit but it just was not ever going to happen.  Nothing wrong with fitbit if you want a nice looking step counter but if you want any degree of accuracy or reliability (and not everyone needs that) then you're best going another direction.  My husband still uses and loves his versa but I never put mine on again once I got my garmin.

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Thank you so much for your reply. I have tried, tried and tried with
support as well and can't seem to get a resolution to my issues with my
versa as well. I appreciate you letting me know what is working for you
that gives me some direction to take my search to. I do like the way my
versa looks but I also need functionality. It is NOT all about the look for
me. I am on a journey and I really needed this tracker to help me keep
track on my way there and it has been failing me constantly since 2019
since the versa 2 came out and they started messing with the software.
First I couldn't track my water, then it wouldn't come on, inaccurate step
count and now it's not tracking my exercise. Heck all it does is tell me
the time and date 😕

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Moderator edit: personal info removed

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Since the watch doesnt have a gps it works off your phones GPS. If you dont have your phone in range it wont track correctly.  And I also wonder about the sleep and just how the sleep numbers are figured. I has 2 hrs and 59 minutes sleep the other night and got a 69  fair! I'm sorry 3 hours SUCKS it doesnt even come close to fair.

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Thank you, I'm aware of the gps/cell phone connection, I've had my watch
for some time now. I'm on the ORIGINAL versa but I just started having
these issues with this as of 2 maybe 3 months ago.

Tina
Sent from Galaxy S9
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