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The Surge has this super-fancy barometric altimeter, as well as GPS. This feature is only available on the most top-end navigation devices, yet we don't have access to elevation data. Let's see it!
Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label
Hi @branning and commenters, thanks for sharing this suggestion. Although there aren't plans to release this on Surge, we’re excited to let you know that this Feature Suggestion has been developed by a third party developer, and can be downloaded from the Fitbit App Gallery available on Fitbit Smartwatches. You’ll find it by selecting your connected Smartwatch (such as Fitbit Versa and Sense) in the Fitbit app, then choosing the ‘Apps’ tile and toggling to ‘All Apps’ at the top of the screen. You can then explore third party apps by category and choose your favorite of the relevant options available. Happy exploring!
Which app does the elevation gain tracking? Do you load it on the Fitbit (Surge) or on a phone? If the latter then how do you connect the two of the devices to see the information?
It is disappointing the Fitbit app does not show elevation data. In order to stay relavant with other companies like Garmin, this should be added ASAP.
Currently your hiking app just seems to be a re-branded version of the jogging app. Please consider using the technical features of the Ionic to the fullest by adding elevation info into the hiking app itself. We really need to see current elevation and also elevation gained and elevation lost data. (It seems that Fitbit is really not using its own technology to the fullest in order to compete with Garmin.) It would be awesome to use the Hiking fitness app without having to stop the app in order to see elevation info.
I totally agree . Replaced vivoactive hr with the Ionic, and this is the one item that I truly miss. Lots of times I am out of cell coverage and cannot tell how high I have gone (unless I end activity and review). It would be great if you could add it to the scroll. Thanks
You are absolutely right. Also, it would be nice to to be able to choose either speed or pace, have speed and elevation graphs, see the weather and have a place for notes. ALL SERIOUS ACTIVITY APPS HAVE THIS. Instead, they give us a stupid calory graph... Who wants to see how many calories are burned at a given moment ????
Glad someone brought this up and glad I found this. We've been doing a lot of research and thinking about purchasing the Ionic - we hike and snorkel/paddle every weekend and on holidays and whatnot. Elevation changes in our area range between 400' to well over 1000'. Those kinds of elevation changes have a huge impact on your workout results so to not be able to accurately track those results after spending $300+ dollars on a product would have been very disappointing. I suppose we will wait and see what happens here or start looking for another product...
I really hope, for the sake of all current customers, that FitBit gets in line with customer wishes and updates their products to include Hike Tracking with Elevation. Hiking is not the same as running or walking and should be calculated differently.
Hiking is my main activity. I was wondering why my fitbit one was so much more accurate than the ionic for tracking floors and steps during a hike. The one agrees well with my Garmin Apha100 where the ionic only registers 1/4 to 1/2 of actual elevation change - very disappointing for something that costs 3x as much... Hopefully, the Hike tracking will be improved soon!
While I haven't tried hiking.. Have you looked at the map of your hike on the web based dashboard? Walk and bike modes give elevation information on the map.
The map feature works great but the elevation gain is shown and the floors climbed shown on the Ionic are not even close. Also, why are "Floors climbed" or elevation available as any of the stats categories on any of the exercise settings?
I'll say that I understand the limitations of GPS elevation data, but at least the Ionic should report in the status screen the elevation gain for the current hike... it reports it *after* the fact, the tracker is constantly updating elevation gain through the day, this is literally a "set a start point and report since then" kind of value.
Elevation gain is a key metric for hiking, it seems ridiculous that it's so hard to get a hold of, and report.
I do a lot of hiking. One of the key metrics for judging a hike is elevation gain (along with distance) -- the more you climb, in general the harder you view it. I will say that the pace for a hike is not a terribly interesting detail, at least to me, and the pace for a hike is significantly impacted by the amount of gain (well, that and trail conditions, etc. -- but anyone who does my hike is going to experience the same distance and elevation gain, which is why it's so important to report.)
My Surge and now my Ionic both *report* the elevation gain on a hike at the end of the activity, and then the data disappears forever (well, it can kind of be found on the web interface, carefully hidden).This is *incredibly* annoying, but at least for the tracker it's a one-time thing. (I have uprooted the suggestions to report elevation gain while hiking as well.)
*This* suggestion is to:
1. At least for "hiking" activities, make elevation a top-line metric that's reported (I'll suggest dropping pace);
2. Report elevation gain in the "impact on your day" for all activities; and
3. When we export an Activity accomplishment (photo, map, etc) for a hike, report the elevation gain for the hike.
I agree. Please add this capability. The Hardware/platform seem to support it so just need fitbit to update the capabilities of the app. Many other midrange and high-end hiking watches provide this elevation and ascent/decent information during a hike.
"You’ll find it by selecting your connected Smartwatch (such as Fitbit Ionic) in the Fitbit app, then choosing the ‘Apps’ tile and toggling to ‘All Apps’ at the top of the screen. You can then explore third party apps by category and choose your favorite of the relevant options available."
On the subject of gaining access to total elevation gained during an exercise - I have a Surge and would like to be able to tract this statistic. I understand that the Surge does not do that (cannot understand why) and have come across your suggestion. However I cannot follow how to do this. Do you mean the Fitbit app installed on my computer that allows me to see the stats when I connect the Surge? If so I cannot find the "Apps title". Do you mean by logging into the Fitbit URL? If so I still cannot find the path. Please clarify exactly where to find these third party apps. Once found do I install them on my computer, add them to the Surge or what do I do with them?
You need to first 'track your exercise', then after it's finished, my fitbit HR data will sync with iphone GPS data, then you can see elevation gain changes on web version, but not on the mobile app. I don't know why not showing this most important data for hike.
Usually I need to use alltrail to track my hike at the same time on my iphone to show the real time elevation profiles.
I think when fitbit HR track my position through my iphone, it should have the ability to show elevation profiles at the same time. Iphone has barometer and GPS and it's ridiculously accurate. You should be able to show those information like all trails or view ranger and it will be super helpful.
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