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".

[alienbeing]

As an alternate way to do this, and possibly even simpler, I have suggested that they enable us to easily delete erroneous steps and stairs in-app on your phone here:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Cancel-Steps-Stairs-In-App/idi-p/1599044

[alienbeing]

Since correcting the problem would involve a hardware design change, I have suggested that they make a software change and enable us to easily delete erroneous steps and stairs in-app on your phone (instead of the clunky website approach), see link below and please vote for it if you agree!

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Cancel-Steps-Stairs-In-App/idi-p/1599044

[alienbeing]

Since correcting the problem would involve a hardware design change, I have suggested that they make a software change and enable us to easily delete erroneous steps and stairs in-app on your phone (instead of the clunky website approach), see link below and please vote for it if you agree!

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Cancel-Steps-Stairs-In-App/idi-p/1599044

[Outbacker]

Everytime I ride the bike (daily) I put my fitbit into the saddle bag as my gloves/jacket do not allow for a watch to be worn. When I arrive at my destination I have somehow added about 1500 steps (good for me!!). Need a way for the fitbit to not count steps when it is not being worn.

[Mbrault001]

I have been tracking my calories and my steps for about six weeks and I really haven't been seeing the results I want. I spend a lot of time in my car driving but my car broke down yesterday and I received rides from a friend. At the end of the day today I look at my steps and had way less than usual and it only took me a second to realize that Fitbit was counting my driving as steps and adding burned calories! I'm kind of upset but happy to know he reason why I haven't been seeing the results I want. Please add a driving mode feature!

[SDQBee]

12HourWalker, I had the same problem looking for Drivebit but use TravelBit instead. I seems to work fine and is really easy to use. One select to stop and start it recording the drive, queues your trips to sync at a later time and quickly syncs with Fitbit when you do go on line.

[Swaffles]

I would love a driving mode. LA has terrible roads and I racked up 500 steps on a 40 min drive. I'm not the only person in LA with a Fitbit who drives on out terrible roads.

[Rich_Laue]

• Existing feature, log the time as driving, see my post here.
• I also see a similar request here.

[Bunnybear_05]

This would be awesome. There are times I'm wearing my flex on my ankle ( pushing a stroller) but would still like to wear my Blaze on my wrist for time and phone notifications

[Julia_G]

If you would like to see this implemented it would be better to vote for the main feature request for this issue, which has over 1000 votes.

DriveBit and similar have two main drawbacks -- they don't work on Windows phones, and they require internet connection.  Something on the tracker would work much better.

[Julia_G]

Please go to the main feature request for this issue and add your vote and comments there.

[SDQBee]

I have a Charge HR and have the same problem when driving and riding my motorbike with extra steps, floors etc being added to my Fitbit. Although I can manually remove these steps, my problem is too many steps being added to my challenges due to these steps creditied when I am driving/biking. I have the Drivebit which I use to remove the untaken steps from my dashboard and Fitbit but it doesn't amend the challenge data. And worse yet, I tried syncihing my fitbit and drive data as soon as I got home so that my Fitbit steps would be accurate and then when I went on the my app again after an afternoon in the garden my challenge steps were incremented by the number of steps taken during the afternoon rather than it using the number of steps on my Fitbit. This is discouraging to my friends and family during challenges as I tend to win because I have clocked up so my steps whilst driving. A mode to manually stop the Fitbit clocking up steps would be ideal.

[FunkiNATEr]

I just picked up a FitBit this month and am astonished at how inaccurate the counts are due to the effects of driving/riding a motorcycle. I find it hard to believe that this idea was posted over two years ago and there isn't a "built-in" way to pause the tracker to avoid accumulating false steps from something that arguably 99% of FitBit users do every day: drive a vehicle.

Just my two cents... this "small flaw" basically makes the product worthless to me because at the end of the day, a device I depend on to accurately represent my activity throughout the day is off by well over 200%. Talk about grading on a curve...

[jurisicm10]

I totally agree since the Fitbit easily mixes up idle states such as sleeping and driving (unless you are a Collin McRae:)).

[DennyoftheMacs]

Hi.

The blaze seems to have a well documented issue with adding steps while driving. How about an update which simply uses the bottom right button to turn step counting on and off.

This button is currently used to show notifications which can already be seen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Why have 2 ways to bring up notifications.

Please use the bottom right button to simply stop/start the step counter with a simple press. This then eliminates the majority of the complaints about the steps added while driving issue.

Thanks

Denny

[Rich_Laue]

My suggestion would be to add your vote to the existing request, since adding a second request will simply devise the votes. 

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Drive-mode/idi-p/1568403

This is not just a problem with the Blaze but also happens with every fitness tracker produced by every company.. It's one of the biggest complaints with the AW.. The reason being is that it is not always easy to yell when step like motions are not being made when the feet are not stepping. 

[DennyoftheMacs]

Hi.

The blaze seems to have a well documented issue with adding steps while driving. How about an update which simply uses the bottom right button to turn step counting on and off.

This button is currently used to show notifications which can already be seen by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Why have 2 ways to bring up notifications.

Please use the bottom right button to simply stop/start the step counter with a simple press. This then eliminates the majority of the complaints about the steps added while driving issue.

Thanks

Denny

[Rich_Laue]

But when on any other screen, such as in a run, swiping down will not work to bring up notifacations. 

Drive mode really needs to be turned on through the settings menu, like heart rate and quickview. 

Just a note, the steps during driving are a problem with every tracker from every company on the market, the biggest thing that affects this is the road and the vehicles suspension. 

[DennyoftheMacs]

Thanks for reply.

That drive mode seems to be for all fitbit watches. As the blaze has the 3 buttons and 2 of them are used to complete actions that are already do-able by swiping I taught a blaze specific post might speed up some kind of response from the mods. This should be a very simple and quick fix to a very common problem.

I know that all fitness trackers suffer from car counting but this I believe is a simple solution for the blaze only. I'm sure another similar solution could be found for other fitbit watches that may or may not have physical buttons doing the same thing as a swipe on the screen can do. Thanks

[DennyoftheMacs]

Hi 

I see your point about the swipe not working when away from the home screen but you also have to long press the button to bring up notifications  a simple quick press could be used to stop/start the step counter when getting in or out of the car. 

The problem with having to turn it on and off through the setting'so menu or app is that it takes too long and is not intuitive. Having to work through menus to turn something on and off is a lot more awkward than a simple button press.

Thanks 

[DennyoftheMacs]

I probably shouldn't have referred to this as a drive mode.

This is a more simplistic view of drive mode that I am looking for. Basically when you are not going to be taking steps for long periods and you dont want them counted you can just press a button and it turns off the step counter and everything else still works. It just stops counting steps  

The little feet icon on the screen could show in a red colour when the step counter is off so you will be aware of what mode it is in when you check the time etc  

Thanks 

[kingzabez]

I want this to be in the fitbit. otherwise this is useless device. this is the first day with fitbit tracker and i am highly disappointed with the false count due to driving. Once this option is availble let me know beacusr i am going to remove the band and keep in the box untill this is resolved

[smiller1944]

Pokemon go app uses GPS to determine your speed.  Over 30 mph it quits tracking, no need to push any buttons or make any adjustments, it automatically knows when you are not walking or running!

[zkumi]

For christmas I have just one wish. Add new option into menu - driving mode, which I will be able to start and stop, so the watch dont count steps, distance and other stuff while I am driving. Unfortunately I am driving for living and do all changes on net as fitbit help support told me to do, that would take me ages every single day...

please make my wish come true... 🙂

[tsujamin]

+1, having to log onto the web interface in order to register driving time is a poorly designed workflow. Big issue as a motorcyclist. Provide access to the Driving activity as an exercise shortcut (Charge 2)?

[seafea]

update on fix por favor?