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".

[Ton]

---

@Smeads wrote:
Drive mode, while a nice feature to have, is still a manual process. It relies on the user to turn it on and off... which is a major annoyance. I have automated the task by using a mobile app called Tasker. You can find it for IOS and Android. Whenever my phone connects to my car or motorcycle via bluetooth, it opens the DriveBit 3rd party app and enables or disables it. This solved all of my issues with faulty step count. The only way to do better than this, is to add the same time of automation to the Fitbit app itself. 

---

Hi. I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying that whenever the phone connects via bluetooth to the car, the Drivebit app is actually  launched and the Start buttons is pressed, while when the bluetooth disconnects Drivebit will stop and log the fake steps as well?

[Smeads]

Hi.... Yes, that is what I am saying 🙂 I can help whomever needs it, to
set this automation up. It was really easy. My FitBit is so much more
accurate now.

--
Very truly yours,

Randy L. Grolemund, Jr.

[SeeJohnson81]

I'm here because I'm a drummer as well and wanted to suggest the ability to pause the step counter but keep the heart rate monitor going. I was thinking that the functionality would take shape in the ability to create a custom exercise where you can set the types of parameters that are being tracked while you do that exercise. That could be useful for any myriad of activities people talk about on here.

[12HourWalker]

I've tried Drivebit and Travelbit. Travelbit works better and keeps a que for times when you can't sync. I use Automateit Free to automatically turn it on when I connect to my car's BT and to initiate the sync when finished on my Android Nougat Turbo 2. I'll be looking into Tasker now to see if it offers better automation. Thanks for the info Smeads.

[Smeads]

See my post about using drivebit and tasker. I can help you if you want.
Drivebit has a start and stop button to pausing step tracking


--
Very truly yours,

Randy L. Grolemund, Jr.

[Smeads]

See my post about using drivebit and tasker. I can help you if you want.
Drivebit has a start and stop button to pausing step tracking


--
Very truly yours,

Randy L. Grolemund, Jr.

[SunsetRunner]

Great to see more activity on this thread. Don't forget, if you are a Twitter user, use Ton's link to engage @fitbitsupport. They've responded positively to me when I've done this, but the more of us that do it, the more pressure it puts on Fitbit to fix it. https://twitter.com/home?status=%40fitbit%20%40fitbitsupport%20We%20are%20tired%20of%20%22steps%20wh...

[Sandishmily]

@Smeads I'm glad you found a work around.  Unfortunately my car doesn't have built in bluetooth so this doesn't help me. I'm curious though, does using drivebit erase the steps or not allow them to be counted at all?  If it only erases them then they still show up in challenges right?

[leannedra]

This is a great suggestion! I'd love to turn off the step counting when I'm riding the lawn mower. I like being able to check the time and get call/message notifications so I don't want to take it off while I'm mowing.

[Smeads]

About the challenges.... Not sure. It does erase them from the site and
also the watch.

[Jen11]

@12HourWalker is travelbit on IOS? I can not find it, have downloaded DriveBit to try but like what you said about travelbit storing a log while you can not sync (which for me is often!!!)

[Ton]

---

@Jen11 wrote:@12HourWalker is travelbit on IOS? I can not find it, have downloaded DriveBit to try but like what you said about travelbit storing a log while you can not sync (which for me is often!!!)

---

Hi. I'm afraid Travelbit is not available for iOS (nor is AutomateIt by the way). I wrote to the DriveBit developer several months ago asking to implement the same option as Travelbit. He promised to look into it but so far no luck.

[SakenPT]

@Smeads wrote:
Drive mode, while a nice feature to have, is still a manual process. It relies on the user to turn it on and off... which is a major annoyance. I have automated the task by using a mobile app called Tasker. You can find it for IOS and Android. Whenever my phone connects to my car or motorcycle via bluetooth, it opens the DriveBit 3rd party app and enables or disables it. This solved all of my issues with faulty step count. The only way to do better than this, is to add the same time of automation to the Fitbit app itself. 

@Smeads, thank you! I've used Tasker in the past but never occurred to me that this could be done. I was not even bothering to add driving anymore although it completely messes up my steps\floors (mixed 80km a day as a routine, when it is not more). I'll test it today.

@Sandishmily, it will still mess up the challenges 😞 that one I think only fitbit can solve... 

[Ton]

---

@Smeads wrote:
Hi.... Yes, that is what I am saying I can help whomever needs it, to
set this automation up. It was really easy. My FitBit is so much more
accurate now.

---

Hi Randy. I downloaded Tasker for iOS for $0.99 but it's beyond me how to add Drivebit as a task. Can you please help? Thank you

[Sandishmily]

@SakenPT thanks for clarifying. Unfortunately that's a big issue for me as the challenges give me competition and i can't join them with all the wrong steps i get. I dint even wear my fitbit anymore. 

[Smeads]

I did not know that about the competitions. I compete in several against
friend. I guess if my step corrections are not carrying over to the
competition, we need to be more vocal with FitBit. It doesn't make sense
that the app and watch reflect the corrected steps, but our challenges do
not. Are you guys interested in banding together to get some action on this?

check out smeadsfitness on Facebook. I'll likely try to get some exposure
through my page and business.

--
Very truly yours,

Randy L. Grolemund, Jr.

[Paresh]

Fitbit team is not bothered

For Prime Dental Products Pvt Ltd
Dr Paresh Vinod Thakkar
Chairman and Co-founder
From I Phone

[SakenPT]

@Sandishmily the competitions are only in steps or the actual app Exercise goals per Day also count?

If the challenges are step count only I think it is ok, but the Exercise Goals per day will be messed up. 

Sorry about the confusion, I only use the Goals as I thought it was only for US users  really silly of me!

edit.

Just tested automation with tasker and it works! (had to unpair, and re-pair my car bluetooth again for it to work)

Can't believe I'll actually be rid of logging this manually everyday! Thank you!

[Ton]

Can anyone quickly post the procedure to add Drivebit and car bluetooth  to Tasker for iOS please? I feel like a right dummy! LOL

P.S. - Even a link would be ok. All I can find is about the Android app which looks pretty different from mine. Thank you

[Jam806]

I've had my Blaze for three days now and am on the verge of returning it and never buying another product from this company until there is a "driving" option. I drive 1000-2000 miles a week on average. It is very annoying to see my step count go up 6k to 10k steps during the day while I'm sitting in the car.

[Jbsimorg]

So the request was made back in 2014 and nothing happened yet...

[rainbow4abc]

I agree - Driving + negates steps, the please add it as an exercise shortcut selectable on the Charge2 - Then I can stop the step being counted before it happens.

[Mapex]

I've had my charge 2 three days and it's in the box ready to be returned....no use to me as I ride and drive most days..26000 today on a 200 mile bike ride...i was like 🤣 joking now after reading countless posts on this subject in shocked....my phone is way more accurate.

[rainbow4abc]

@stevebower-   I found this suggestion:   Driving as Execis short cut   that is very similar to yours you may what to check it out and vote.

[rainbow4abc]

Yes, please add a driving mode as an exercise short cut -- how easy that would make it:  click, click, click, tap, tap - and in driving mode.   No steps to be deleted.