Option to turn off step count (or add "Driving Mode") to avoid erroneous steps/floors

[MacWade]

I just got home yesterday from a driving 6 hours in my car and I checked my Fitbit. I was really suprised to see it had given me almost 8,000 steps, 3.24 miles, 134 floors, & way more calories thank I burned while I was sitting in my car.  I looked on the forum to see how to easily delete the steps, miles, floors, and calories so my data would be accurate.  The only way people are fixing it is by manually logging the activity "Automobile or light truck (not a semi) driving" and entering in the duration.  I think that is a cumbersome way to fix the issue everytime I drive because I have to make sure I write down what time I get into and out of my car so I know the start time and duration.  And how does it automatically know the calories burned when everyone burns calories when they are sedentary at different rates.

I think they should add a "Drive Mode" feature that when turned on it won't add steps, distance, floors, & will only add calories burned equal to you sitting in a chair.

You could access the "Drive Mode" either on your Fitbit One or on your phone app to turn it on/off.  If you have a Fitbit One you could press the button till the "Drive Mode" icon appears then hold the button down for 2 seconds to turn it on or off.

On the phone apps you would just go to your device under "Account" and there you could turn it on or off.

You could also have the option to give you an alert when you unlock the phone that reminds you that it is in "Drive Mode" so you don't forget to turn it off when you get to your destination.  It would also be cool if you could use Siri to turn it on by saying "Turn on Fitbit Drive Mode" or "Turn off Fitbit Drive Mode".

[craigpd]

Yes - unless people vote with their money I fear no-one will listen. Made the same point myself but had my post removed

[fudge22]

This seems like a great idea, don't get me wrong, but an issue that needs to be addressed is whether the users want to have to update the app to reflect being in driving mode and then when they stop driving to update it again. I know I wouldn't. Imagine forgetting to get out of driving mode after getting home after work and after the fact realize that the fitbit didn't accurately measure your activity. The app would have to auto sense whether you are not driving anymore just in case you forget to take it out of driving mode, but then the possibility of it getting taken out of driving mode while still driving occurs. 

A better fix would be to somehow auto-sense driving or even turning off the fitbit when driving if the extra hundred or so steps matter that much to the user. 

[tbarton1029]

my thoughts exactly fudge22.

I do not want to have to remember to turn something off.  I expect the device to know.  i have contacted support about this issue.  They advised me turn off my device and sync it on Windows.  I did that.  Now I am supposed to see if the issue is fixed when I drive over the weekend.  If that doesn't resolve the issue, support will check into my warranty.  Since I just got this last weekend, I should have no problems returning it if the issue has not been resolved.

[SuperDafz]

Would benefit greatly from this. Actually quite annoyed that its registered a pile of steps and stairs today when ive been satnin the van for 200 miles.

[wendyilovefood]

I'm suggesting to start this conversation elsewhere on some other form for social media because Fitbit don't care

[craigpd]

I would agree - where do you suggest?

[wendyilovefood]

Facebook perhaps. I thought of starting a page. Only because this has been going for so long with no reply or any form of response from them. They just delete the thread if they don't like it. The fact is there are plenty of alternatives and everyone seems to think Fitbit are the 'go' at the moment but they r not cause they r highly inaccurate. If people knew this they would buy something else. I will b letting the store know where I got mine

Thx
Wendy

[tbarton1029]

I was going to suggest Facebook as well. In the meantime i am returning my Charge HR

[SunsetRunner]

Have tweeted @fitbitsupport a couple of times and to their credit, they have responded at least. Not sure why they haven't commented here but at least they seem aware that people are unhappy with this issue.

My recommendation is keep voting/commenting here and fb/tweet them to get it moved toward the front burner.

[wendyilovefood]

Good customer service is the key to any good business. Them not responding to their own forum in two years is extremely poor customer service and they don't deserve the 'who ha' that is surrounding the whole Fitbit brand at the moment

Thx
Wendy

[wendyilovefood]

Good customer service is the key to any good business. Them not responding to their own forum in two years is extremely poor customer service and they don't deserve the 'who ha' that is surrounding the whole Fitbit brand at the moment

Thx
Wendy

[Brightside77]

We I drive my car, my Fitbit always adds steps on no matter if I'm on a smooth road or bumby road, (and let's face it all roads are pretty shocking these days!) please add a setting on this app or Fitbit where we can pause the Fitbit whilst driving to stop it counting false steps etc. I'm aware of the manual entries you can but it, but this is very time consuming especially if you have to add them numerous times per day. Please help! Thanks 🙂

[Nitish_maestro]

I am using a 3rd party app called drivebit to record my driving. It posts the activity onto the fitbit app. Works as a temporary fix.  I ride my bike a lot, sometimes upto 500 kms during the weekend. I wear a glove while riding, and its very annoying have to remove the glove to stop the activity or start the activity and then wear the glove. Its really disheartening to see FITBIT not caring at all about such a major issue for such a long period of time. I might not buy a new device after my current one runs out of life. 

[SunsetRunner]

Any update on this issue? Even with the fitbit in my backpack or saddle bag I get way to many steps and stairs when riding a motorcycle. Using the "driving" activity hack does not work. Help us out Mods...

[Sandishmily]

I'm with you on that. Thinking if this issue isn't resolved in going to get a different device. It's really too bad that they aren't taking this issue seriously. Does anyone have any suggestions on different devices?



Sent from my Samsung device

[Paresh]

Would need to quit if drive mode not available

[durhamlou]

i used the drivebit app today and it seems to be the answer. thanks for the
tip

[durhamlou]

I used the drivebit app today and works fine. Thanks for the tip.

[JaiCee]

 Been two years. and we still have the same issue with the brand new Alta. If Mototoral phones can detect that I'm driving, I am sure Fitbit can too.

[seafea]

So, any progress on fixing that year and a half+ old flaw in a major feature, or do you guys just not care?

[JenniBircher]

They obviously don't care, this issue had been going on for about 2 years already when I picked up on it. It's ridiculous that they're not listening to what people want!

[Dreamharp79]

THIS! Still! My huband has the flex and his will actually go to "sleep" when he's driving on the nearby pot-hole filled roads. My ChargeHR ends up tracking extra steps, and that's annoying.  

[Funkydrummer]

Fitbit, come on and sort this basic problem out! 2 years of ignoring this thread it seems.... Wish I had read about this before buying my Charge HR. I'm also a drummer, and the amount of steps it records when I'm actually sat in one place is ridiculous. I have the gps on my phone enabled, so why can't it realise I'm not actually stepping anywhere and just record the elevated heart rate?

The driving thing is the main bugbear though...

[Hippo_Rugby]

It should be fairly simple to put a "Drive Mode" on say the Surge. Microsoft Band 2 has the bedtime button that puts the band in low power sleep tracker, it cannot be too difficult to have a drive mode app under exercise! Yesterday my Surge logged 20+ floors and 1000s of extra steps because of driving. It defeats the object of having a fit band if you don't get an accurate step count and even worse if driving shows you as more active than you actually are!

[Griverarider]

Good morning,

I have been back and forth with customer service regarding inaccuracy of steps with my charge HR. It seems since I ride a motorcycle it adds over 3k each way when riding to work. I tried changing my settings from non-dominant hand to dominant. I tried taking it off. I tried resetting it. I even received a replacement. None of those solutions worked. I've just been told to log a "driving" activity. I would appreciate a driving mode option or even if I could shut it off while driving. Please help.