Versa not tracking biking distance accurately

[mpapakie]

I have a fitbit Versa and a Samsung note 8. I have recently begun biking on rails to trails routes in Pennsylvania. When I tell my fitbit I am biking, it captures the maps accurately and displays them for me, but the minutes, miles and calories are all wrong! For example, my last ride ... I rode for almost five hours. The time was accurate, the map was accurate, but I only logged .04 miles instead of the actual 45 miles I rode. My mph clocked at 0.0. Please help. I leave Saturday for a 335-mile ride, and I really want to see it reported accurately. Thanks.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[AlvaroFitbit]

@mpapakie Welcome! It's good that the community is growing! Sorry for my late reply and to hear that your biking distance isn't showing correctly on your account. Try removing all devices from the bluetooth list on your phone. Restart your phone and restart your Versa by doing the following:

1.- Press and hold the back (left) and bottom buttons until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen. This should take less than 10 seconds.
2.- Let go of the buttons.
3.- If your Fitbit watch doesn't work normally, use the instructions in How do I turn off my Fitbit device? to turn your watch off and on again. 

After this open the Fitbit app to start a sync. This will refresh the link between them. After this start recording your cycling activity but make sure that your phone has a strong internet connection (turn off wifi so it isn't for one and only relies on your mobile data connection) and allow some time so it can get the GPS signal before initiating your activity.

Let me know how it goes!

[jockettesg]

Hi, did the solution provided below work for you?

Thanks,

-sg

[rmarkowi]

I am having the same problem with my Versa and no - this solution did not work (not to mention I like using my bluetooth headphones while biking). I get a map that is accurate on my fitbit app, but the calculated distance is usually around 3.3 miles when my route is 11.5. Is there any progress on this issue?

[jockettesg]

Nope, heard ZERO from FitBit. They're great at selling, not so great at PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THEIR OWN SOFTWARE WTH!!!

[MochanBH]

It's been a week since I got my Versa and I've noticed the same issue. At some point, not even the map is accurate. A bit disappointing since activity tracking is the the main purpose of this device. I feel demotivated because of this. 

Does the company employ people who can respond to these threads, or does it rely on the community when it comes to troubleshooting?

[MochanBH]

Note: I am using Samsung Galaxy S9+ with Android Pie. Bluetooth is paired only with the Versa.

[Sunny111]

I've had mine for about 2 weeks and having the same issue.

Very frustrating!!

[SunsetRunner]

I just got the s10+ and the tracking of my cycling worked fine on my versa until I started using the wireless earbuds that came with the phone. Today, it mapped my route ok, the all the other stats are messed up. I went about 4 miles and my versa said that I only went .22 miles. Any takes on this?

[xDonnax]

I've just been on my first bike ride since buying my versa last week and am having the same problems. I was impressed by the swimming tracking but this has really disappointed me as I had a Samsung gear before this and am now thinking of going back to it. I liked the versa as it slimmer and more feminine but if it doesn't do what my gear did then it will have to be returned. Would love here of any other fixed others know of please.

[jockettesg]

Not much update on this, except I notice that if you just don't turn on the 'bike' exercise, Versa will track your ride anyway if you've got GPS connected. I don't have time to chase their "help" people, but this seems pretty academic to me and they should make more of an effort to fix it.

[SunsetRunner]

It tracks my cycling, but not the miles, nor the mph, which I am very interested in. I had no issues with my new phone and my versa when I  first got it. And now, for about a month, I can't get my phone & versa to sync correctly when I  cycle.

[mlebauer]

Fitbit Versa not connecting to phone, causing SMS messages not to be alerted, biking mode not to track distance speed and route. It sometimes turns off the bluetooth connections on its own, requiring a manual pair and connect action. I've reset the fitbit which didn't work. How to fix these problems? Tracking activities is the main reason for having a Fitbit. Phone is a Samsung Galaxy S8 with Android.

---

@AlvaroFitbit wrote:

@mpapakie Welcome! It's good that the community is growing! Sorry for my late reply and to hear that your biking distance isn't showing correctly on your account. Try removing all devices from the bluetooth list on your phone. Restart your phone and restart your Versa by doing the following:

1.- Press and hold the back (left) and bottom buttons until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen. This should take less than 10 seconds.
2.- Let go of the buttons.
3.- If your Fitbit watch doesn't work normally, use the instructions in How do I turn off my Fitbit device? to turn your watch off and on again. 

After this open the Fitbit app to start a sync. This will refresh the link between them. After this start recording your cycling activity but make sure that your phone has a strong internet connection (turn off wifi so it isn't for one and only relies on your mobile data connection) and allow some time so it can get the GPS signal before initiating your activity.

Let me know how it goes!

---

[Tabithabolter]

Yes, it is the same for me. 

I have given up and use Strava to track my routes etc... very disappointed in the fitbit measuring systems! (I have found it also struggles in the pool, when I've often done a lot more than it registers...). 

[Putt2par]

I have found a few things that help.  #1 you need to drill down into application to find your miles and Map.  I use in in conjunction with Endomondo application and it tracks both.  Endomondo is also connected to my fitbit.  Fitbit does not track miles accurately.   When compared to Endomondo only Endomondo is accurate.   I have test distance for both.  #2 and important is to make sure your battery saver is set to HIGH PERFORMANCE.   Sometimes the battery saver will keep pausing the bike setting or even shut it down.  I have had to attach a battery pack because it really uses a lot of battery for long distance bikes.  I still have been unable to have the main screen show my biking miles.  If you drill down into the application you will see everything your looking for.  Not a perfect solution but it works for me.  

[jockettesg]

Thanks for this, I will try yr suggestions when I have a chance (kinda buried right now in a work backlog due to COVID19). Will let you know how it goes.-s.

[Vita27]

Hey!

I reported that it affected me as well a few days ago. I have a Fitbit versa 2, which was not tracking miles correctly, it tracked only quarter of the entire ride. Though it was disappointing, I tried to track it again twice this week. Apparently in the 'Exercise Shortcuts' in the app, the 'auto-pause' mode under the 'Bike' tab was turned off by default, which it why when I paused the ride, it did not resume on its own and hence did not track the rest of the ride. I turned the auto-pause mode on and it tracked the exact miles on my next ride. 

A few other things I realized-

- Make sure you Fitbit is not too loose around the wrist.

- Make sure the Fitbit is synced to your phone a few seconds before you start the ride (Open the app, sync and close)

- Before you start your ride, ensure your GPS is connected on your phone (Doesn't require an internet connection), usually shows an active notification in your notification bar throughout the ride. 

Hope this helps 🙂 Stay safe! 

[markiemaypo]

I was having the same problem -- the versa was not tracking my rides.

I use an iPhone as my "base of support" if you will, and what I've learned from Fitbit is that their techies are one trick ponies.  In other words, they do not give you ALL OF THE STEPS AT ONCE for correctly syncing your versa to your phone.  After going through multiple encounters of "Did you do this?" advice I was able to stitch together all of the requirements THAT NEED TO BE FULFILLED BY YOUR PHONE.  When you get ALL, I mean ALL, of the gps, bluetooth, and syncing requirements enabled, everything works perfectly, and there is no way I could ever in a dog year have made this fully non-intuitive journey without holding my temper and preventing myself from screaming, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

So I have acquiesced and permitted myself to realize that none of the people at Fitbit actually know how to do this until they are asked to do it, and then they discover how to do it by trial and error (just like us) because no one in the software end of the business has ever released a guidebook that includes instructions for a variety of phones.  Keep this techie software principle in mind:  If they told you, you would know, and if you knew, anyone could know, and that knowledge would no longer be special.  (They no longer know what it's like to not know -- they can't communicate.)

So, crawl into your phone and make sure every freaking function that impacts your Fitbit is turned on and enabled.  Do not assume that because something is on it's on because every function in the process depends on all the others, and on the order in which they are enabled. Miss one step, do step 2 before step 1 of turning functions on, and it will not work.

And don't expect the Fitbit customer service people to provide you with a full set of instructions that work.  They haven't figured it out yet.  You'll have to piece their different responses all together and add on each "Did you do this?" until you get the right order and the right sequence.

I did it.  You can, too.

And, yes, it's great when it works.

[johnderenge9]

I have a Fitbit Versa 2 Special Edition and an iPhone 8. I am getting 0.0 miles and no GPS tracking after a 25 minute (approximately 2.5 mile) ride. This has happened over a dozen or 2 dozen times. I am sure this happens when I do a run or it shuts off during exercise.

[scoopz100]

Having same problem.  Fitbit why don't u help us