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".

[Endui]

hey people pleast vote for this topic.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Motorcycle-mode/idi-p/2664393#M164787

[kateam]

You have my vote!

MX as activity would be greatly!

[justin.]

1) Swipe left from home screen

2) Tap on driving app

3) Drive

4) Tap on driving app again when you arrive at your destination. 

5) App deletes steps or negates them automatically instead of forcing the user to do it manually or other workarounds. 

Moderator Edit: Added Labels/Title for Clarity

[justin.]

This will be a huge advancement and solve an issue which has been going on for years. It should be an advertised feature!

[kateam]

and it would be great if lab times could be included (and maybe actual
speed instead of average and max speed - similar to how the hart rate is
displayed).

[SantiR]

That’s an interesting idea and could be useful. Having a driving app for our Fitbit watches would be very helpful to avoid those extra steps tracked on bumpy roads. In the meanwhile, you can use Drive Bit, which is a third-party app. Find more details here. Thanks for sharing this suggestion.

[justin.]

Trying out a Samsung Gear For 2 Pro at the moment. Wore it, the Versa and a FitBit Zip at the same time while driving. Then changed arms. Versa counted steps while driving, the Samsung and Zip did not. Had one on each wrist and went to Costco pushing the cart around like crazy (trying to find the items they keep moving on me lol) - both were short approx. the same number of steps (within 50 or so) from the Zip - which makes sense with a wrist bound device. So why can't the Versa be made to produce those same results? If it's been an issue that has plagued FitBit devices for the last few years you would think they would have fixed it instead of all these other workarounds!

[ERS70]

I agree.

Maybe I’m wrong but it doesn’t seem like it would be a monumental technical challenge to implement...

But maybe there’s a reason we don’t understand yet. But it’s extremely irritating as you say to go through the process you described.

Cheers
Erich

[ERS70]

When you take your Fitbit off and place it on the table it only records idle calories. Why can’t a “Driving Mode” theoretically do the same thing? Please for goodness sake, implement a Drive Mode for us countless drivers who want the benefits of an accurate fitness tracker. Thanks.

[sshouston]

Till they solve the technical issue (which we don't understand) they should put a legible disclaimer in their product description... "people who drive everyday should not use this device, it may give erroneous results".  🙂 🙂 🙂

[cjosephson]

My fitbit always classifies motorcycle rides as bicycle rides. Since most bicyclists do not exceed 40mph for extended periods of time, it would be great to have bicycle rides that exceed 40mph be categorized as motorcycle rides instead. 

[Eeps]

Fitbit Moderator: PLEASE BEAM IN ON THIS THREAD AGAIN AND TELL US WHAT THE THINKING IS. It is crazy that this idea has been out there for four years and hasn't been directly addressed with a simple "yes" or "no." It's a very simple idea: just let us pause the step tracking. Yeah, yeah, ideally there would be a fix so that driving or tying my shoes doesn't jack up my count, but in the meantime...just let us pause. Or at least say, out loud, "no, we're not going to do this." 

I want to love my Fitbit but this systematic overcounting makes me give it thumbs down every time I'm asked about it. 

[SunsetRunner]

Fitbit it's really a shame that such a wonderful fitness tracker doesn't have a pause button...
For many employed drivers; bus drivers, truck drivers, etc. wearing a fitbit to work is an issue. So is taking it off because you have to drive. Then trying to remember counting steps to and from your car, the office, etc 🤦🏻‍:female_sign:
The driving screws with steps, floors, calories burned, etc but mostly with the challenges!!
I know you can delete the steps when you're done but it doesn't delete them from the challenges which deters people like myself from joining them 😒
Perhaps you can work on that. Possibly add a pause button that vibrates every 15 minutes as a reminder (example) in case someone forgets they're paused meanwhile it will still count steps in the background and when you unpause it, it will ask Add steps from 2pm to 5pm? (example).
Why not, it automatically tracks exercise! I would really love some simplicity, please and thank you! Keep up the great work! 

[kateam]

Please also vote for this one:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Suggestions/Add-Motocross-as-an-Activity/idc-p/2664410#M1647...

[woahdavey]

I don’t want driving to count as an “exercise” to my goal of days per week exercising. 

If I do nothing one day except drive, then Fitbit counts that as a day towards my goal. I only want legitimate things like walking etc. to count.

I need to log the driving to reduce the extra steps from bumpy roads. 

[lilsnowy]

I agree that a watch app directly on the fitbit would be ideal. watches are much easier to access, especially when your phone is stored somewhere secure while on a motorcycle.

I also have an issue with extra steps when I am on my riding lawn mower. I don't keep my phone on me when I am mowing. 

[JLMD]

I’m sad to see that in nearly 4 years this hasn’t been addressed.  It is much needed.  It was a problem with my first FitBit (One 2014) and has continued through to my brand new Versa today.  Wouldn’t be nice if FitBit listened to its customers?

[sjelice]

I would love to have the ability to remove stairs that are auto-tracked. Once I sat on a school bus for 1 hour and it tracked 10 flights of stairs. I take that road all the time but I guess because the bus was bumpy, it auto-tracked. Today I got a badge for 25 floors climbed, except I'd simply done an exercise class on a level floor in one room at the gym. I'm not sure how it got it so wrong - perhaps sweat, but it would be best if I could tell it that I didn't do what it thought I did (like the auto-exercising tracking feature allows). Badges are cute, but pointless if you get them for things you didn't earn. Thanks!

[Emjay79]

A "Pause" app on Versa or Ionic will be great.

We are suggesting this thing since 2015, how many time we have to request it?

[Emjay79]

Is it possible to do an app for the Ionic or Versa to stop counting directly from the watch?

Someone can do it? I don't know nothing about programming or I could do it

[Ivar]

Search on the Google store for 'drivebit'. This solution was given to me in this topic. It's ok, and it works. It's very simple and lightweight. Wait, what? So simple it could easily be built in the app or watch itself? Oh my! Wouldn't that be nice. 🤔😏

[djsmomof3]

Tried that but the difference doesn't transfer to your callenges. Other than that, yes, it works good.


Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

[Emjay79]

@Ivar I tried it via iPhone, but how about an app directly on the watch?

If you have one or any other solution directly on the watch pls share with me I will make you a statue 😂

[SunsetRunner]

It would be nice to be able to add Driving or other Activity that doesn't track Steps to the Versa so that they can be started from the Tracker versus having to use a 3rd party app on a phone or manually enter "Driving" as an activity to limit the steps that are tracked when doing rough driving, mowing, etc.

[Ivar]

@Emjay79 to bad. My solutions end here. I would love to see an update for the watch, so this driving option is shown in the activity list.

Can I still have that statues though.. 🤣