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".

[colliny]

I used the moderator's advice to use "drive mode' to remove steps that should not have been calculated.  This helps.  OK, I had to log on to do it, but it's more accurate than otherwise.

Thanks

[LanuzaFitbit]

Nice suggestion, thanks for sharing. We look forward to hearing what other community members think.

[sshouston]

There has been numerous request like that over the years...Welcome to the
club...

To me, having to use another app to manage a device which already has it
own app is ridiculous. Having to logon to website everyday to put drive
activity to null your incorrect steps is outrageous. Even having to switch
to drive mode when taking on the wheels is asking to much ... on the
brighter side you can start tracking your driving hours along with steps
taken....Hurray!

It is shortcoming of fitbit algorithm...hand motion signature while
driving/motorbiking vs walking/running is totally different. It should be
fixed at that level.

[Sandishmily]

That doesn't help in challenges. Steroids are still added to them and therefore I can't enter in good conscience knowing I'm getting 1000s of steps and stairs i have not taken. That is NOT a solution. 


Sent from my Samsung device

[colliny]

Ouch!! I didn't mean to indicate that using the app to modify my steps was a proper solution.  I was just happy to be able to do it.  Last Saturday, my motorcycle ride scored me an extra 35,000 steps.  I was happy to back them out.  Sure would have been easier to hit a 'pause'.

[Pamela10]

Look at how long this stupid issue has been running:  Nobody at Fitbit even reads our comments - that there is no solution to possibly the most simple problem - means they really don't give a rats. 

We bought it - that's it.  Just don't buy another one - and tell eveyone you know not to buy one.  Shame really because it has a good sleep mode, and a few other things that I like.

[Pamela10]

29 pages of comments since 2013 - and still no pause feature.  ..... don't hold your breath.

[Akutzler84]

I love my Fitbit, but this seems to be an ongoing issue since it first hit the market. There should be a way to simply put the watch into sleep mode, or have an option of driving mode where it simply doesn’t count steps. As a bus driver I can’t wear my Fitbit. It adds thousands of steps into my daily total that are completely inaccurate, but I am also losing out on the ability to get steps in when I’m out on the road staging or for instance, on a field trip where I’m walking around. Even if it’s off my wrist and in my bag it’s counting every bump as a step. Since driving is the number one obesity related job, this might be a good marketing tool to encourage the transportation industry into utilizing the product more. 

[djsmomof3]

Exactly! And the app/website "tracking" or manual add activity don't add your steps and 3rd party apps don't delete, I've tried charging while driving, my phone isn't compatible with "mobile track". There's just no way I can participate in weekly challenges. Very upsetting. Im ready to look around at other brands.😔 Don't  forget to vote! 

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@djsmomof3wrote:

I really would love to be able to stop tracking while I'm driving my school bus. I've tried 3rd party apps but that is a pain and it also doesn't transfer the difference to my challenges or "My Fitness Pal". I feel its not fair to accept challenges when I accumulate close to 4000 steps while I'm driving. I don't care if it has to be done through the app or website but should be a option to do. Thank you.

Moderator edit: Labels

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[Rabbit1981]

Please add a driving mode option to trackers that have the ability to turn features on and off via the tracker itself (charge 2, watches, etc).  This way users can tell their tracker when not to log steps.  And eliminate the hassle of manually logging the drove times.

[Ton]

Just got a mail to pre-order the Fitbit Ionic Adidas Edition for a measly £299.99! Shall I buy it? It looks very appealing... nice design... so many nice features... swimproof, store-play music, apps, long life battery, I can even make payments by a few swipes! That's amazing! I'm very tempted... Wait a minute! There is no mention of an option to stop unwanted steps... oh no, I think I'll pass then... 😞 LOOOOOL!

This company keeps issuing models more and more loaded with new sophisticated features and still won't take into account a basic one that's been requested by the customers for over 3.5 years now... I wouldn't like to be in the shoes of whoever spends that money and at the end of the day finds tons of steps that were never done...

[LuciaFitbit]

Good idea, thanks for taking the time to share it with us. Keen to hear what others think?

[W4s]

Gave up and bought a £20 Chinese device running VeryFitPro software. It works perfectly. No extra steps automatically! Never buying FitBit for a premium price again

[Pamela10]

Perhaps someone clever should put up a "Fitbit Needs to be Fixed" facebook group up - .....  It appears that talking here in this closed community does no good.  If someone knows how to do that it would come up in every FB search for Fitbit.

[Ton]

@Pamela10

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe a more impressive title would be "Fitbit counts false steps!"

I hope the FB fans will take you up on the challenge...

[Survey]

Quite agree. Been asking for this for ages. They ignore it


David

[tim916]

yes!!! please can we have this.

[Anth0ny]

@Pamela10

dont need to make any pages in Facebook. There is the easiest way: everyone downloaded Fitbit app from Play Market or from App Store, just go there and write review that your Fitbit device counting steps while you driving and company ignores it within many years, don't forget give a 1 star to this aapp. 

[Ton]

And while we bit our nails, Fitbit is literally bombing the market with new products. Another one, Versa, is ready to pre-order now...

[roozill]

i know.
they spammed my phone to tell me about it.
i won't be buying anything by fitbit ever again.
and my charge 2 is for sale to anyone daft enough to want one.

[Ton]

I am beginning to think that in spite of what we believe, they don't have the technology to fix the "extra steps" problem. Other explanation would be that investing in such technology is too expensive and they just keep on building new fancy looking models because that still provides a good stream of money from clueless people. Sad if that was true...

[SunsetRunner]

Ton,

I long ago stopped using my fitbit. I now record my daily step count on my iphone as it's far more accurate. When I travel on the bus or in a car I can turn off the the phone's motion sensor. Not that it over counts if it's in my trouser pocket. So I don't believe it would be too difficult or expensive for fitbit to use the same technology.

My theory is fitbit are for some reason purposely refusing to allow it's users to have this control.

[Ton]

@SunsetRunner

Hi. That's interesting. Can you quickly describe how you do that? Thank you

[Rabbit1981]

There is no way to do it directly on the fitbit tracker. The only way (currently) to do it is to go into the fitbit dashboard (computer or app) and manually track driving as an exercise. For that to work, you need to know your start time for driving and the duration.

[Ton]

@Rabbit1981

I think mikerr was speaking about something else. I kind of remember something related to counting steps without having a tracker but I can't figure it out at the moment.