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".

[wendyilovefood]

I am a bit cheesed off to be honest that my fitbit calculates so many steps and floors while driving.  I have taken it off and put it in my bra and it still does the same.  I have taken it off put it in my bag THEN FORGOT TO PUT IT ON !!! Not happy !  I actually really love my fitbit but this bit is really really annoying.  I hope they are working on this really really fast or people will buy other products as I see there are others that dont do this.

[wendyilovefood]

OMG ! I just realised that this post is 2 years old. In that case I am really annoyed that I even brought another Fitbit. Poor development skills Fitbit. I would have expected more considering the popularity of your product these days.

[TaylorSaari]

I was wondering if there was anyway to create a button of some sort on the Fitbit app to select "driving" so that steps will not be added while driving.

[alienbeing]

I also have the exact same issue with my Charge HR and riding my motorbike to/from work - many steps and many flights of stairs recorded. Going to the website and categorizing as driving is not going to happen. Way too much effort, and requiring time logging.

The app "drivebit" works quite well, as it deletes steps and stairs, but it also deletes calories (which i can live with, but why not go with default calories for the measured heart rate?), and worse still, you have to remember to hit it when you leave and when you arrive, which I nearly always fail to do.

My Fitbit has very nicely started to identify my motorbike rides as "outdoor bike", which almost works as it does not count steps, but it DOES count stairs, so I do 50 flights of stairs on my ride home.

Ideal solution - create a category that deletes steps and stairs only, leaving calories untouched, which I assume are calculated based upon my heart rate anyway - then I can hit "categorize exercise" in app, on my phone, and switch to it, problem solved.

Please??

[AshErin]

I would at least love the option to "Pause" step count while driving around. This accounts for up to 1000 steps at times with my HR. My One is much worse, even if I position it gently on a soft surface with no bouncing around. A "Driving" mode activity doesn't negate the daily total steps. 

You're a supurb company, and I've promoted these devices to everyone I know. You've got to come through for us on this! It's been an ongoing issue. How does my Samsung not measure my driving as steps?

[matt23]

I've had a Fitbit Blaze for 2 days and have found that the Blaze in telling me that I have accumilated 2,500 steps whilist driving from 4.5 hours.  Now I would have expected with technology as for ever improving and that it would a great idea if a driving mode button could be incorparated into the Fitbit blaze to stop counting unnecessary step counting.  Whilist for me it works great for my friends that I have done some activity when in actuallity it is a load of rubbish.  I would really apprecaite it developers if you could consider my comments and incoroate a driving mode option that can be operated via the Blaze device, this is only a suggestion but may be when the screen is displaying today if there could be an option on the menu to simply enable/disable driving mode so that this option can not be accidently triggered when bending the wrist, etc.  I look forward to hearing your comments community & developers no doubt someone else has similar thoughts.  I really enjoy using the Blaze but with this driving issue I can't say that I'm 100% satisified with the device apart from this simple issue.

[SunsetRunner]

Just adding my vote to the pile -- I haven't been able to find a good solution to this either.

I have an offroad suspension that tends to be bumpy no matter where I drive.   If I keep my fitbit on it, counts steps.  I've tried creating a cradle for it, but my HR still seems to measure heartrate if it's in a dark environment.

I've gone back and added a "driving" activity with no distance and 0 calories, but it doesn't remove the steps nor the floors climbed.  For now I've been just taking the thing off for some time while I walk during the day and trying to make the steps match up.

A driving mode would be awesome.  Actually found this suggestion when I was going to enter one of my own.

[Derrickth]

Please add a driving mode ASAP!!!

[Djaz]

This feature would be great even for the Blaze.

[SunsetRunner]

For those looking for a solution, there seems to be no way to turn the fitbit off while you drive. I read somewhere that another user lets it charge while they drive which effectively keeps it off.

Not ideal bc
a) it can't measure your heart rate
b) you have to remember to put it back on every time you leave the car

But at least it's something. I tweeted fitbit support and they said they had no update on this. You might consider tweeting @fitbitsupport yourself and maybe they'll consider communicating if they have any intention of addressing this

[wendyilovefood]

Just what I was thinking. The first post in this string was 2 years ago and included very detailed screenshots which would have taken quite a while to create. After 2 years and all these responses I really don't think they care.
I'll leave a review, great idea

Thx
Wendy

[Hudson78]

A driving mode or step counter on/off function added to the app that syncs to the device.
These devices count 700-1500 steps/hour of driving, depending on rough road conditions wether it is on your wrist or not. I went through some troubleshooting with your online support with no success. I took my first one back because I thought it was faulty...new one is the same. Other guys I work with have the same issue.
If there was a way to turn off the step counter it would help give a more accurate daily results.

[Sandishmily]

I have the bus driving issue as well and would LOVE to see a simple button press to stop tracking and again to start! Love the idea @MacWade! Please hear us fitbit 🙂

[Californiadrmn]

I can't vote yes for this enough! I'm a truck driver and my Fitbit Charge HR counts 10,000 steps within the first few hours of me driving. Which is kinda of annoying, becuase then I never know how many steps I really need to make my daily goal.

That Driverbit App will have to do for now, but I quick push of the button on the actual Fitbit would be better! 

Thanks,

From all the truck drivers trying to stay in shape!!

[AmaarA]

Could you implement this for the blaze? I work for a delivery company and end up driving for more than 8 hours on any given day....

[Justinross32]

If there could be a way to pause tracking over a certain m.p.h. would help. Trying to remember to turn off and back on can become a hassel. The truck i drive for work is very rough and will count thousands of steps in very short time.

[Omnikris]

Bloody hell wish I looked at this before I bought the device would of gone for a competitor, why is it so hard to remap the button on the drive so when u hold it down you don't get current function but start driving.
yeh you can delete your data but what if your like me and drive for a living so it's all mixed together or cba. my colleagues have competitors which automatic log driving as the app uses your gps so if you travel distances it knows not to log

Useless

[craigpd]

I made the same points myself and had my posts removed for being too negative and "not adding to the thread"so don't look away for too long....

[wendyilovefood]

Same, I wish I had of read all this too. What's worse is that this feed has been going for 2 years and not one response from Fitbit. While they are selling them like they are they will continue to ignore all this I guess. I'm sure it will get around soon how inaccurate they are.

[wendyilovefood]

Maybe we should post somewhere else because they don't care

[simongallear]

Fitbit... Please respond. This thread has been going on for 2 years and, just like the previous comments, I wish I had read this before I had bought the Charge HR. Infact, I may well return it as it's not fit for purpose. Please sort this!!!!!!!!!!

[versatude]

PLEASE! I sit down a lot at work but use my arms reaching down and around while sitting... but earning steps?! I feel like I'm cheating in my challenges and am trying to decide if I should take it off while working... but I still do a little walking around and it would be a pain to have to repeatedly take my fitbit off and put it back on numerous times to try to get an accurate count. If only you could create a pause tracking option on the phone app with a widget that I could just push on and off without even having to open the app... so much easier and much more accurate... PLEASE!!!!

[breep]

First of all, the fact that this post began nearly two years ago and there is still no solution is appalling. If you've come as far as creating the Fitbit, how hard can it be to make it not track driving as taking steps? I've only had my Fitbit for a couple days and am already frustrated with the fact that my commute and even short drives are being counted as steps.

An app or feature to disable steps being counted while driving shouldn't even be necessary. Fitbit specifically states here that this shouldn't even happen... but then goes on to add, "Oh, but if it does..." How about it just doesn't record driving as taking steps because you just said it's not suppose to do that!? Then they add a link to explain how to remove steps, and that link tells you that you can't remove steps but that you can do something to label your steps as driving even though they won't be deleted. That's not a solution at all. I don't want to label my steps as driving. I want those "steps" to not even be tracked because I am not even taking any steps!

I have the Charge HR, and my friend who has had the Surge for nearly a year said she's never experienced this issue. I'm wondering if it's just an issue that is happening with certain models. How disappointing.

[ankgt]

I got my Charge HR about a month back and love it. Everything about the device and app is great except the massive problem of step counting while driving. I drive about 45 mins each way everyday and depending on the condition and bumpyness of the road it counts anywhere inbetween 800-1600 steps.

After reading the forums I understand the only workaround is to manually log a "Driving" activity for the exact time I have been driving. That works but other then being a huge pain there are two other problems:

1. It counts the Driving activity as a real thing, so it counts against my "Active Days" goal. The whole point of the Fitbit is to motiviate you to reach your goals so when you see the goal already "cheatingly" met, its no fun. I have also got all sorts of Helicopter badges for floors I have not climbed while Driving! Recording a "Driving" activity does not remove them.

2. I usually long press the button to start recording when I get into the car and press it again when I finish to record a Activity. When I go to the app and classify this activity as "Driving" it does not work! I need to look at the start time and duration and manually log another Driving activity. Thats just ridiculous! Why not make it simple and just be able to classify the activity as Driving and let it just work?!

Just my two cents. If it werent for the workaround I would not be using the Fitbit, but I feel that the developers need to figure this out and make it easy to negate these false steps or prevent them from being recorded in the first place.

I really really hope it gets fixed! 

[tbarton1029]

I'm amazed after two years of comments that we are all starting to say and think the same thing.... Fitbit doesn't care to fix the Charge HR of a major issue.... counting driving as steps and stairs!!!!  If they can't fix that, it is worthless to me so I'm taking mine back.  And I'm going to read comments about all the other Fitbits before I choose another!