Add Dynamic GPS option on Versa 3

[Winninh]

Please enable Connected GPS option on Versa 3, in addition to Buillt-in GPS.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Winninh, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about adding Dynamic GPS option on Versa 3. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[Guy_]

Agree, most of the time you need a companion phone [which already uses GPS] so in those cases using the GPS of the watch only shortens its battery life without getting any extra information.

May be a simple option if you select an exercise manually to specify if the watch or the phone should track the exercise, then the watch needn't keep checking.

[Winninh]

The only option is to turn off GPS for an exercise. Will the Fitbit app on
the phone track the exercise? Or, does another app have to be used, e.g.
Strava?

Brenner Fuller
Sent from my Pixel device

[Guy_]

The Versa 2 does not have a GPS but if you set up a walk the Fitbit app tracks your movements, via the phone GPS.

You would have to try it with the Versa 3, potentially it will revert to the same behavior as the Versa 2.

Let me know how it goes.

[optodata]

It would be great to have dynamic GPS as a fallback whenever the Versa 3 loses the GPS link and the linked phone is present. I currently get a buzz on my wrist when it's lost the GPS lock, but opening up the app on my Android phone and syncing doesn't update the Versa 3's location or prompt it to reacquire the GPS signal.

Another consequence is that the route ends at that point on the map in the app, although it shows the total distance like this:

The only way to have the remaining section of the route show up is to end the walk on the Versa 3 and then start a new one, which gives two incomplete sections.

[deiG]

Another reason: most phones' GPS perform better than Versa 3's built-in GPS.

And it's ridiculous that I spent more money to buy the built-in GPS, but you removed a feature (connected GPS) that exists in those devices without a built-in GPS. 

[SunsetRunner]

I agree. I am somewhat disappointed with the quality of built-in GPS. Phone is much more reliable.

[bobby2478]

I agree Fitbit should incorporate GPS settings from Charge 4, of which Dynamic is an option. On the Charge 4, Dynamic uses the phone's GPS if available, if not then it uses the device's GPS. Charge 4 has the following 3 options:

• Dynamic (default to phone GPS if available, otherwise uses device GPS)
• Device GPS
• Phone GPS

It would be nice to either set this preference in device settings, or for individual exercises.

[spetsialist]

I was considering finally getting a smart watch (I really prefer the square form factor) but after realizing that such a basic feature as using your phone's GPS is locked out for literally no reason at all on the Versa 3 I'm looking elsewhere. This seems like a case of biting off your nose to spite your face. I only signed up to let you know how ridiculous this missing feature is. Otherwise seems like a great product. 

[deiG]

Great comment, @spetsialist 

[Winninh]

Look at Amazfit. I considered one and might have made a different decision
now.

Brenner Fuller
Sent from a mobile device

[funkytwig]

Allow Versa 3 to use Phone GPS (Like Charge 4 does).

[DavideFitbit]

Hi @funkytwig, thanks for sharing your suggestion about the possibility of allowing the Versa 3 to use the phone's GPS. I noticed this feature suggestion already exists so I’ve moved your post here. This helps to keep the forums more organized and prevent the vote from splitting into multiple ideas. 

Thank you for your participation in the Community! 

[SunsetRunner]

How do I turn this on ?

[funkytwig]

Just to say the simplest option at the moment is you upgrade your Versa 3 to a Versa 2 ;).  Wish I had got the 2, rather than the 3.  From reading the reviews the only real difference is the 3 has a built-in GPS.

[mls79]

Researching this, and shocked this isn't an option, since prevoius fitbits (even early ones) would just use the phone.  Why not even simply have an option to pick, even if it's not dynamic?  Every run misses the first quarter of a mile or so, and throws off all of my stats.

I love this watch otherwise, it's my 4th or 5th fitbit.  But now I'm going to have to use a different app to track runs, etc.

[Backroadpete]

I would like to see an option on the Versa 3 where you can select the iPhone Gps instead of the one on the watch. I have seen this idea listed on posts as dynamic Gps. Thank you.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Backroadpete, thanks for explaining why you would like to use Dynamic GPS option on Versa 3. I've moved it into a similar request. I think that a lot of users would like to have this option on their Fitbit devices. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs.

Thank you again for your participation in the Feature Suggestions Forums.

[LZeeW]

Connected/Dynamic GPS was added to the Charge 4 VERY shortly after its release.  This feature needs to be on the Versa 3/Sense.

[G_Spaulding]

I vote for a connected/dynamic gps option for a quicker connection, more precise location tracking, and reduced battery life. Not to mention the can't use the built-in gps below 25% battery limitation..

[Oblio3]

I am puzzled why Fitbit will remove (disable?) the smartphone GPS functionality which should in fact the default setting. I had a Charge 3 and a Versa 2 I used daily for tracking an hour walks with close to a week between charges and since “upgraded” to a Sense I lost the battery life to just 2 days. 
Top that, the most impractical clasp design ever for a wristband you need to remove so often to charge the device. Typical example of reinventing the wheel into something square 

[Johnnyw75]

I completely agree that this is necessary. The built in gps of the  versa 3 is utterly terrible if you walk under a bridge or even near a building the gps is lost and takes ages to connect. 

I’m constantly having to switch. Between my versa 3 and my versa lite which causes its own problems

[brrrlinguist]

I am also extremely disappointed that this feature is not already present in the Versa 3 smartwatches. There is no reason for it; the watch has GPS, the phone has GPS, and there is a bluetooth connection between the two. If the watch GPS drains the battery so severely, I would much rather use the phone GPS, since I always have my phone nearby.

Consider the exercises which benefit most from GPS: running and cycling. For both, people generally have music playing through their phones, and thus have their phones on them. Only a tiny fraction of people use Deezer and thus the on board music storage...

[Danielli]

After a defect of my Charge 2 i've changed to Versa 3.
Today I learn, that the Feature of my Charge 2 (Phone GPS) is not implementet in a newer Fitbit? Why? I'm trining over 5 oder more hours and like to track the route. Now I've lose this option? That's not good.
Phone-GPS as option is very good and I would like to read, that it will implemented.

Dynamic-GPS would be additional make the Versa 3 more exklusive for spare-format-watch-users if the phone not want to send GPS or is out of reach the GPS on the Versa 3 can add GPS data.

Please add. The Versa 3 and Sense are good watches. Why declass and give only Charge 4 and 5 this option?

[Guy_]

Hi @Danielli - check if you can  get a refund, normally within 30 days (45 from Fitbit) and buy a Versa 2 instead.