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".

[Frogologue]

Can anyone recommend another watch brand and/or app which resolves this
driving issue? I’m ready to abandon ship .

[marky_marx]

Withing Steel HR does not have this issue.

[SerendipityGCC]

I can confirm. I’ve moved to Withings recently and no issues when driving

[Sandishmily]

@Frogologue Garmin vivoactiv allows you to pause activity tracking. Thats what i have now.

[MM1772]

Maybe this request hasn't been upvoted enough?

At the top left of this thread is an icon showing the number of votes. Under the number of votes is a "thumbs up" icon. Has everyone pressed that?

[Ton]

@MM1772 

You know what? I've been posting on this thread for years and your post just made me realise that I had never voted!! Unforgivable, ha ha ha! I just made up but I would hardly consider it not upvoted enough after almost 3K votes... The truth is, if you care to read a few pages back, they clearly stated they don't give a sh*t about this problem! Best solution is to move over to other brands.

[tessdbear]

I emailed about this and they were terrible; basically didn’t read my email, then next email said it’s not an issue (in spite of me telling them it adds 400-800 steps each way on my commute), next one said good idea, post it here or upvote if it’s been suggested already. I replied and pointed out it was suggested 4 years ago so they obviously don’t care. They gave me the same bloody reply about it only adding an insignificant amount of steps and to log it here. They aren’t listening, they don’t care. Buyer beware. Get a different brand. It’s a terrible bug which they can’t be bothered to fix. 

[tessdbear]

@LuciaFitbit out of interest, why do you keep moving people’s posts here when it’s patently obvious that Fitbit don’t care and aren’t listening? The issue (not feature, ISSUE) is 5 years old. I’ve wasted my money on a glorified watch which I can’t return because it’s used. Yay me. Expensive mistake I won’t make again and I’ll advise friends not to buy. 

[Jamiek35]

This is a great idea still, I would like a way to completely turn off the step/activity trackers at times but keep everything else on, as I still get steps added when I am sleeping also, I get I can take it off but somtimes I like to monitor my sleep, and I'd drive for a living, and my p20 pro does not have drivebit avaliable 

[GrumpyCyclist]

Hey @Jamiek35 I believe Drivebit on Android is no longer maintained and doesn't even come up in the store even if you've downloaded it previously. Wasn't available for my S10 Plus either 

However if you Google for a Drivebit download package you can find places where you can download and install from outside the Play Store. I used a site with 'pure' in its name. Site rules here mean I can't post the name of the file or the site but you probably know what I mean.

I scanned the file with multiple virus and malware software before and after installing and it was clean.

I wish someone else would take up development of an app like this seeing as Fitbit don't care.

[5ergio]

The problem with Drivebit is that it will record your driving as an
activity. So if, for example, you set a goal to be active 3 times a week,
after you drove 3 times you reached your goal and you can spend the rest of
the week on your couch for what your Fitbit cares... The only solution is
to switch off the device when driving, which is far from ideal I know (and
impossible with some devices like the Charge 3). That is why I am currently
on the market for a new smartwatch but still undecided. Hopefully Google
will present soon it's pixel watch, and hopefully it will be as good as
it's pixel smartphones...

[SunsetRunner]

This is something you (Fitbit) need to address. I purchased the versa lite through Amazon and it's now being returned because of this issue. The opening post if from 2014.... 2014!!! How can you be getting a response from the community about an issue like this and not care? 

I purchased a Fitbit because of the name and assumed you guy knew what you were doing. I almost never do this because I don't like being a jerk but you just lost a sale of a versa lite. Thanks for letting me waste money on screen protectors and a plastic case that I can't return because your solution is log your driving later. I drive a truck in between working at a bare minimum of 4 times every day I work. It really sucks because I really loved everything about the versa lite but this completely ruined the entire product for me.

[AlanRobertson]

Helloooo ?  Anybody home at Fitbit ? 

Thousands of Fitbit owners have complained for 5 years about extra steps or stairs being logged in error when driving a vehicle or motorcycle, yet you do nothing about it ? 

The workaround you have suggested of retroactively entering a "driving" mode with the start time and duration in the log is a long winded crap solution.  Some users have suggested that fixing this very serious problem might show your admission of a design error - well this error CANNOT be denied.  Plus NOT fixing the problem is further evidence of your failures.

Your product appears seriously flawed if it cannot differentiate between driving with cycling, running, stairs or walking.  After just one week, my results are totally useless even if I waste my time by constantly having to alter the log.

I wonder if it easily be sorted in a software update by switching on and off a "Pause Activities" mode, say by pressing the return button (on the side of Charge 3) for 2 seconds.  

[AlanRobertson]

Helloooo ?  Anybody home at Fitbit ? 

Thousands of Fitbit owners have complained for 5 years about extra steps or stairs being logged in error when driving a vehicle or motorcycle, yet you do nothing about it ? 

The workaround you have suggested of retroactively entering a "driving" mode with the start time and duration in the log is a long winded crap solution.  Some users have suggested that fixing this very serious problem might show your admission of a design error - well this error CANNOT be denied.  Plus NOT fixing the problem is further evidence of your failures.

Your product appears seriously flawed if it cannot differentiate between driving with cycling, running, stairs or walking.  After just one week, my results are totally useless even if I waste my time by constantly having to alter the log.

I wonder if it can be easily with a software update, allowing switching on and off a "Pause Activities" mode, say by pressing the return button (on the side of Charge 3) for 2 seconds.  

[MamaWath]

Please add a Driving Mode setting, maybe as an activity you can select on device. Myself and my daughter's all wear Fitbits (Charge 3, Inspire, Ace 2) and everywhere we drive, in every vehicle we've been in, our devices log steps as well as Floors! Taking them on and off and accomodating 4 charging cords is VERY inconvenient.

[SunsetRunner]

I would like to see a new version of the Ionic (or any future Fitbit device with built-in GPS) that automatically detects when you've started riding a bike, instead of having to manually start and stop the tracking yourself. Ride Report, an app I was using on my phone, could do this using the phone's accelerometer. I'm surprised the big apps I've tried like Strava and MapMyRide don't have this functionality. I recently had to give up on Ride Report, as the software got pretty flaky, and then I lost months of data when I tried uninstall and reinstall. Even if Strava did have this feature, I'd rather track via Fitbit since it's my fitness tracker/community of choice. It would be nice to have it all in one place. It would also be a good motivator to have cycling-specific badges to earn.

[BiniC]

I bought my fitbit inspire HR yesterday. Today, I wore it driving to work and lo and behold, it's added an extra 2000+ steps. I was only driving for a total of 23 minutes.

I tried the workaround by adding driving as an exercise and entering my exact driving times to override the additional erranous steps, only to find it's reduced my step count by merely 60-odd. Blindingly innaccurate, given I've been sat at my office desk all day and barely got up except to pee twice. 

I certainly have not done over 3000 steps. The workaround doesn't work and is still leaving me with hugely inaccurate data. 

I bought a fitbit to accurately keep track of my steps and calorie count as I'm trying to lose weight. Now to find I've wasted my money on a piece of tech that's knowingly been sold as faulty with absolutely ZERO plans for fitbit to put a proper fix in. 

This issue has been ongoing for years, judging by the dates on this thread. 

First time fitbit buyer, and last time. I'm off to get a refund. Have fun farming my innaccuratem data.

[BigDaveP]

I don't know if this has been suggested as 48 pages is a lot to read through.

Why doesn't the Fitbit app have a feature that can be turned on using the phones GPS to detect the person is going faster than 10-15 miles per hour and exclude the false steps counted during that time instead of users having to remember to jump though all these additional things they have to do just to drive or be a passenger on something like a car/bus/train?

[MM1772]

I agree! It wouldn't be perfect, but it'd be a great start. I don't know how fast subway cars go, but I'm sure there could be a workaround for that if they're too slow.

[GlendalePaul]

The outcome, moderator, is that the C3 still records steps and stairs when riding a motorcycle. Even when I remove it and place it in a bag, it still records.  PLEASE, ask the programmers to include an ‘IF, THEN, ELSE ‘ in the code.  

IF no pulse is detected,

THEN no steps/stairs collected ,

ELSE collect. 

This way I can take the C3 off my wrist and place it in my tank bag and be assured no steps/stairs are recorded. When I arrive I can put it back on an resume counting.  My weekly challenge compadres would greatly appreciate FitBit FIXING this issue.  Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

[Cloe284]

Love this idea. It can be made even simpler by just clicking the bar of steps instead of having to click and edit button. 

[MM1772]

Oooh, I like that idea. I definitely would notice it was missing and remember to put it back on.

Okay, developers, I've seen two suggestions, either of which might work for many customers across the product line:

1. @GlendalePaul solution:

IF no pulse is detected,

THEN no steps/stairs collected ,

ELSE collect. 

2. My earlier suggestion (and so did @BigDaveP ) on detecting motion, reworded into pseudocode:

IF {speed} is greater than {configured_speed}

THEN no steps/stairs collected,

ELSE collect. 

  where 
  {speed} is speed detected by GPS

  {configured_speed} is a user-configurable variable

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @ssoloski! That’s an interesting idea and could be useful for a lot of users who drive during the day, thanks for sharing it. I've moved it into a similar suggestion, as the more votes and comments an idea has the more visibility and momentum it gains. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs.

[MattyClems]

New user here, just got the Charge 3 and while I love it so far, it’s biggest downfall is the added steps while I’m driving. I wear my FitBit on my non-dominant arm and that happens to be the one I drive with also, so I find that wide turns, bumps, etcs cause for a few steps to add up. As someone who drives over 2 hrs a day for work community this adds up enough steps/calories/etc. to really throw off my understanding of my activity. Please FitBit, get us a viable solution because taking it off or plugging it in while driving is just not reasonable. 

[GrumpyCyclist]

Oh nice. I just posted a reply that has been marked as spam and removed. Well Fitbit you can go to hell. Just shows what sort of company name you've become.