How do I turn turn GPS off on my Sense?

[smurphette]

I've toggled GPS off for all activities that use it...but still feel a buzz when I walk briskly for 5 minutes and it's connecting/connected. The battery life has been extremely disappointing and I want to keep it OFF unless I choose to turn it on. I don't know why it's soooo difficult to do this even if it worked, but not to be capable of turning it off at all is just ridiculous. Very very glitchy product. 

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[LZeeW]

@smurphette   There is a setting in the Run exercise shortcut called Run Detect and I think this is what you are describing.  Tap on your Exercise icon on your Sense > Run > swipe up on the tiny "^" at the bottom of the screen until you get to Run Detect and make sure it is toggled to Off.  The default setting is On.  It sounds like your brisk walk is brisk enough that it activated this setting.  Run Detect has been on Fitbit smartwatches since the original Versa.  I hope this solves your problem.  

[smurphette]

It's toggled off! GPS toggled off and the run detect is greyed out. 

I allow it to detect exercise via app setting because part of the reason for having a Fitbit is being addicted to it telling me I'm being a good girl and getting my days in. But GPS shouldn't come on even if it detects exercise if I've told it not to. 

Thanks for trying to help!

[LZeeW · Accepted solution]

@smurphette   How very strange!  This Run Detect feature is the only shortcut that will signal the GPS/Exercise app to come on.  I have a wild guess to try:

• Choose the Run shortcut and swipe up
• Toggle the GPS option on
• Now go down to the Run Detect and make sure it is Off
• Toggle the GPS off
• Back up all the way to your clock face and restart your Sense

I wear a Versa 3 and it has the same OS as the Sense.  I would try to reproduce your problem, but can't run fast enough right now due to an injury.  😢 I want to report this as a bug.  Did the suggestion help?  When you get this connecting/connected vibration, what exercise is it trying to connect to?

[smurphette]

Thanks Laurie! I've tried that and will see what happens tomorrow and try to make it detect something. It's a pity that my exercise will count for less, but trying to optimise battery life is going to be my primary aim for now. 

The weird thing is that it doesn't even say what type of exercise, just "exercise" and a start button with notification re GPS.

Thank you and fingers crossed for my tech and your injury!

[Guy_]

@smurphette-  if your aim is to get good battery life, try removing the SpO2 Tracker app and not use an SPO2 clock face, you will get a glorious extra 2 days battery life! The SpO2 can be so erratic and you only get one value per night at best, but if its working fine for you that might not be an option.

Right now some of the functions [automatic time zone, move reminders] don't toggle in the App properly, and this may be due to a firmware issue on the watch. The GPS may just be another one of the faults.

The annoying thing is there is no option to use the GPS of the phone.

Make sure that you don't have goals or laps defined in exercise as these will cause a vibrate.

When you click Exercise on the watch you should get a list of them. When you click Walk there is a start button, but if you scroll up there should be  parameters to set.

[smurphette]

I'm almost afraid to say it, but think this worked! So far so good anyway. Fingers crossed! Properly running will be the real test, but brisk walking was uneventful this morning and it seemed to trigger it before...

[smurphette]

As an update, turning off SpO2 helped, but the GPS was still turning on when I didn't want it to and it was the fix from @LZeeW that finally made it stay off. Now I'm at 6 days between low battery alerts, so that's matching the 6+ days I hoped for. Happy!