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".

[cyclingwv]

Same issue with me. When I ride the motorcycle it counts thousands of steps. I chatted with a fitbit person online about the issue. Apparently fitbit doesn't want us to be able to turn the devices off. Connecting to a battery to charge it is the only way to stop it from tracking. However, I don't want to have to carry around a battery pack with me just to stop it from tracking. A simple "off" selection would do wonders. FRUSTRATED!  

[stan_w_gifford]

I too would like this feature.

This morning I came into work to do some overtime and rode my motorbike. It tells me that on the 30 minute trip I have taken 2000 steps and climbed 35 floors!

[Daasu]

So the moderator just merged my post into this one. @SantiR, merging the posts doesn't answer the question. 1. We would like a real answer. 2. You guys are blowing off this post because you think it is answered. Please answer it.

[SantiR]

@Daasu For the moment the only option is the one shown at the Delete Data help article, as you already know. We are trying to gather as much votes as we can for this request to be considered and then implemented! We are aware that users will like an easier way to delete extra floors and steps. So, its better to have all similar requests on the same place, so we can have more votes and it will be easier to be considered! 

Thanks for your patience! 

[SavagePhoto]

I have used the Drivebit app but think this should be a feature in the fitbit app and for me a selectable item on the device.

[SavagePhoto]

I have used the Drivebit app but think this should be a feature in the fitbit app and for me a selectable item on the device.

[AJsquirrel]

Two years later and still nothing. Thanks FitBit

[Knvsmom2463]

I am a truck driver and no matter which wrist I have my FitBit on, it records my hours of driving as steps. I don't want to constantly be putting it on and taking it off. This needs to be fixed because it is recording steps I haven't even taken.

[ph07]

Another possible solution is integrating with Automatic.com. Its OBD-II tracker has build-in GPS, their free iOS and Android apps work great. More info: http://blog.automatic.com/automatic-partners-with-jawbone/

[techype]

A really good idea here.

[MaRaNtZ]

I think that an extension of the concept of "driving mode" should be implemented this way.

1- Define on the online panel a set of activity names, for example DRIVING, RELAXING, AT HOME, etc.etc.

2- For each activity name defined, add some settings parameters like:

      -- Record activity data ON/OFF

      -- Buzz reminder every "xx" minutes ON/OFF

      -- Buzz reminder when pulse > "nn" ON/OFF

This would create some sort of "profiles" (maybe predefined) user can cycle on the tracker to "hint" the internal engine on how to consider sensor data.

The driving mode will NOT record activity and will buzz every 30 minutes by default to remember the user to switch back to NORMAL operations.

But, when you are in a RELAXING AT HOME profile, you would not count steps, not count stairs, but buzz after pulse is greather than a treshold, so if you go out for running and forget to return to normal, it will warn you.

Each profile should be picked with a small icon to display into clock face (no icon for normal operations)

This would coverage ANY needs for make surge much more precise..

[knnguyen86]

This issue has occurred on my fitbit where I wake up and the fitbit already logged almost 10,000 steps, and over 2000 calories. This most likely occurred because the fitbit did not clear off the data at midnight as it was suppose to. You can see that the steps logged is accurate... the spike being 300 or so steps so all in all it looks like less than 600 steps - which is correct.

I have restarted the fitbit using the reset technique with the power cable but this day is blown... it would be beneficial if we had the capability to clear off the data and start from zero today if this occurs.

Moderator edit: added labels

[zimen]

I had to return mine for the same problem. Yesterday it counted 50 stairs and didn't even do one. It's a real pity because I wanted to have a Fitbit device. But since I use a motorbike every day I canot have a Fitbit.

[E2ikiel]

My steps count excessively all day as I drive and I drive a truck for a job so my work days my calories would also be wrong and also chucks on some floors as I drive as well turn wheel etc drive on not brand spanking new roads , i would like the option to turn off steps tracking so I can get a accurate calorie reading on work days? I've noticed it in the car so turning it off would be great then when I get out turn back on then would be Close to very accurate? Thanks

[Travasio]

This has probably been suggested before but users should be able to override / edit floors climbed. I climbed the stairs once first thing in the morning, drove my daughter to nursery, came home, climbed the stairs once more and then saw that I had climbed the stairs 14 times... It's crazy. Granted you may not have yet the sofistication in algorithm to be more precise... But surely it's a simple pice of code to allow a manual override??

[TomTh1]

ABSOLUTELY!!!

It is just stupid that you don't allow this type of editing other than the idiotic "Drive" activity.  Really?  Are your programmers that dumb?

Get this done before Apple cleans you slate with the iWatch. 

[dvel]

I think  MacWade's idea is perfect for users. Ocassionally I get additional stair counts and I would like to be able to manually go in there and delete them.The walk around of adding a driving activity is not a good solution for a user who wants to modify only one field. Please give users the ability to manully update individual fields. I love my fitbit one I would just like to have a little more control over modifying inaccurate data. 

[Kool68]

I agree. I would like to see an 'Excersize' called 'Motorcycle'.

This should disable tracking of steps AND stairs but leave on the heartrate tracking (When racing my BPM can easily be around teh 120 - 130 mark (I'm mid 50's when resting).

[SAB1985]

A way to pause due to driving, or in my case riding a motorcycle, would be very greatly appreciated. Simply by a click of a button, or an option in the actual app to turn on and off would be awesome. So it doesn't keep logging steps that I'm not actual stepping, which I find to be rather frustrating.

[Yusri]

Please include a Drive Mode activation button to your iOS app.
Using DriveBit is useless, the app doesn't count calories burnt while driving, but count steps instead.

[ShelleyDib]

I have a new fitbit HR. I drive but not the same route daily, I work in different places. I don't really have the time to alter this on a day to day basis, the idea was for the fitbit to help me, not me help it. So, do we have any idea on wether this is being looked at/ timescale for change?
Will I be able to update my fitbit HR or will it involve me buying a new one. (I am assuming Fitbit are working on a solution).

Thanks

Shelley

[ShelleyDib]

Hi Fitbit,

I can see that people have had the same problem and offered many solutions over the last couple of years regarding a 'driving mode'.
Due to the fitbit reading my driving as steps, I am also becoming confused about how many steps I am actually taking, which is the whole point of the device. I have had it under a month and am wondering if there is a solution coming from fitbit.

I can't see any responses for what seems a long standing and critical programme. Please update us Fitbit.

[Yusri]

Agree totally. Hence I am using DriveBit now, but it suck real time; steps not counted while driving but floors counted, and to make it worst calories burnt also not counted. We burn calories even when we are driving, don't we? Sigh.

[Radeke]

I agree, It would be nice to have driving mode as an option to pre-log it, escpically for the Surge. I do not have time to write down when I start and stop a ride and constantly go to my computer to fix the mistakes the Fitbit is doing. I ride ATV, motorcycle, dirtbike and snowmobiles these all cause issues and it would be nice to be able to log these activites. Espicially to log the dirtbike/ATV/snowmobile since these can actually be physically demanding. The other day I climbed 81 floors on my snowmobile in an hour and I live in Minnesota where you can see for miles with no hills. Now I have this badge saying how great I am for doing so many stairs that I never did.

I also climb floors with my walkbehind snowblower... 

[Radeke]

I agree, It would be nice to have driving mode as an option to pre-log it, escpically for the Surge. I do not have time to write down when I start and stop a ride and constantly go to my computer to fix the mistakes the Fitbit is doing. I ride ATV, motorcycle, dirtbike and snowmobiles these all cause issues and it would be nice to be able to log these activites. Espicially to log the dirtbike/ATV/snowmobile since these can actually be physically demanding. The other day I climbed 81 floors on my snowmobile in an hour and I live in Minnesota where you can see for miles with no hills. Now I have this badge saying how great I am for doing so many stairs that I never did.

I also climb floors with my walkbehind snowblower...