Fitbit exercises with GPS won't sync to Strava

[ilaudor]

Not sure if Fitbit support even checks this forum but any data sync to Strava is still not working for a lot of people.

I have opened so many tickets and its always the same automatic reply - remove and readd connections which we all know does not work.

time to dump this device and get a garmin watch.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Staners and @t.parker. @Davey9 Welcome on board.

Thanks for the detailed information and your efforts while working on this matter. I understand where you're coming from and I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Every feedback shared by our members helps us to improve our devices and features, and yours is truly appreciated.

@Davey9 I noticed our Support team sent you an email with more information. Because they have access to your details, my best advice is to keep the communication with them in order to receive assistance.

@Staners Before anything else, let me explain the instructions suggested in this thread were shared to help the members who visited the forums at that time in order to find an answer. Nevertheless, I appreciate your feedback on this and because your post didn't mention, may I know what activities aren't syncing with Strava? Was the GPS enabled during your activity? As the original user, do you also have a Sense? Or do you have a different Fitbit device model?

[leanne.innes]

I fixed my problem. I bought a new sense or rather had it replaced through JB hi-fi. Fitbit didn't do anything to help me so I used the warranty through JB. Logged out and synced new sense fine.


Sent from my Galaxy

[ChuckieEgg]

I’m having exactly the same issue. It always worked before. 

[Staners]

@LizzyFitbitThe instructions you shared are frustrating as it implies the users cannot follow the instructions give be the developer and manufacturer and are shared automatically by all moderators who then have a tendency to mark the queston as solved and that is frustrating as many many people are looking for an actual answer to a geniune known issue.

In answer to your question, Yes the GPS is working and is working fine. I do my exercise and my charge 4 sends the data to the app on my iphone, this in turn sends that data to the Fitbit servers where it appears perfectly both in app and on the web based dashboard showing all data and GPS. This is where it stops working, It refuses to sync to Strava.

I have revoked and re-enabled access numerous time leaving varying amounts of time for this process ranging from a few hours to over an month. nothing changes, it still wont sync with Strava.

I have had no luck with Fitbit but Strava have said there are issues with Fitbits servers which failing to push the data from Fitbit's to Strava's servers

I can transfer via TCX files and when I do this it works fine and all the data transfers perfectly is just a pain to do.

Can you answer what is the solution to this problem?

I am aware this is a first world problem and tbh I have conceeded this will be my last Fitbit, which is a shame as its been invaluable in its time, but will move to another brand of device when this one dies.

[talltimbers]

I've had every generation of Fitbit with GPS. The Sense 2 is a disappointment. It fails with HR during workouts and now the failure to pass data to Strava... I'll probably go with Garmin after this.

Moderator Edit: Formatting 

[Davey9]

Hi @leanne.innes , was this the Sense or Sense 2 you bought?

I have tried setting it up on a replacement Sense (not Sense 2) but it's still not working for me. I think there could be a fault with this particular model.

[leanne.innes]

I just have the sense.



Sent from my Galaxy

[Davey9]

Thanks @leanne.innes .

I tried on two Fitbit Senses now.

Setting them up from scratch, re-connecting with Strava, revoking and setting up access permissions, updated Fitbit and Strava apps, updated firmware. Nothing! 

Not blowing smoke up my bum, but I'm very technically able too.

[leanne.innes]

I must have just lucked it when my new one synced.
I haven't had any issues since. I knew my old sense was faulty because the step count was nearly 2000 out from the Strava app. Once I replaced it, everything was fine.


Sent from my Galaxy

[Davey9]

Could potentially be a faulty batch of Fitbit Senses.

Glad yours is working. But I still have a fight on my hands with Fitbit.

If I were to buy a new device it would be a Samsung or Garmin.

[leanne.innes]

Fitbit were useless in helping me solve any problems. I took my watch back to big W and had it refunded through their warranty. The watch was only 6 months old. I sent screenshots and all the evidence in the world and they treated me like an idiot who didn't know what I was doing. Big W have me a refund, no questions asked, when I showed them all the evidence of the faulty watch.



Sent from my Galaxy

[t.parker]

@Davey9 problem has nothing to do with a device. The problem is server-side and is on the Fitbit side. It doesn't work for some users (some account data corruption on the server? Possibly). The device isn't responsible for syncing the data to Strava. Once you can see your GPS activity in the Fitbit account that's it. The server side does the rest, which should forward data to Strava (Strava has a rule of not pulling anything from external services, so it's not a Strava issue either). I'm among users for who that integration just works. It works fine for me with Sense and Sense 2 but since there are many who report the problem, Fitbit should step in and look into their own backend (where the issue is) not sending users for a wild goose chase.

[ilaudor]

My Versa3 was working totally fine for over a year until Nov 2022.  At that time many may people with different devices reported this same issue. 

Every response was just the standard "remove and re-add" robotic responses to the issue no matter how I escalated it.  Strava support already stated they have the same reports and the issue is on the Fitbit Backend servers not pushing the data to them anymore for large groups of customers.

Garmin to Strava sync works every time

C2 rower app to Strava works fine

Based on all the comments on this forum, its not a device, software version issue, phone app issue, or even User error as some responses from the support agents.

I dont know why or how the Fitbit support team cannot talk to their own internal IT teams and get this sorted out, but they keep pushing this back to us customers like we don't know what we are talking about.

my Fitbit is now basically now just a watch and I dont even use it to record any GPS activities anymore because whats the point if I have to manually download and upload files to my preferred platform (Strava).

All of this is a first world problem, but it would be great if the product features actually worked the way its supposed to.

[jmwolf]

I've been having a similar issue as you (with my Fitbit Sense) and it started for me around the time of this post; the last recorded activity I have that was successfully pushed from Fitbit to Strava was a run I recorded on February 26th, 2023 (just one day before your post).  Ever since then I have not had a single activity automatically push from my Fitbit account to Strava.

All the steps you listed are essentially everything that Fitbit support had me do when I opened a ticket with them looking for help.  Unfortunately that process ended with the issue being unresolved, "Thanks for confirming that for us and letting us know about this issue. We’re aware of it and are working to identify a resolution as quickly as possible."  That was the last response I got for Fitbit support from April 3rd, 2023.

In the meantime I have just been downloading the .tcx files for my activities and uploading them to Strava that way.  I continue to randomly try some of the troubleshooting steps in (e.g., revoke and reinstate access) but at this point it is looking like the only way to get activities that will automatically sync to Strava is to go with a different brand of watch.

[ChuckieEgg]

Hi,

They said the same to me. Just “still looking we’ll get back to you”

Sent from my iPhone

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to our new members.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, and the steps tried prior to posting. As some of you were told, this issue was already reported to our team and they're working on a solution. I'm sorry for any inconvenience this has caused and I appreciate your feedback as it'll help us to keep improving.

In the meantime, I'd recommend downloading your individual GPS exercise as a TCX file and importing it into your Strava account. Please note Walk, Run, Hike, and Bike are the only GPS exercises that sync through Strava.

[ANF1]

Thank you but I’ve been told ‘your team is working on a solution’ several times since November 2022 - how intractable a problem is this? Very frustrating.
Taking the phone on runs and engaging Strava directly is the best workaround, imo.

Sent from my iPhone

[MarkFizz]

Fitbit are still advertising their devices as being able to automatically sync with Garmin….. THEY DO NOT!

[t.parker]

@MarkFizz are you sure you meant Garmin? 🙂 My Fitbit syncs with Strava until now. I tried to break it several time so I could reproduce the issue some users experience and no luck. Can't break it. There is a bug deeply hidden on Fitbit's server-side that affects only some users. I doubt anyone is investigating it, especially that Fitbit-Strava integration was never taken seriously by Fitbit. It's one of things that is there because everyone else supports it and it adds to number of features but apart from sync issues, this integration was always a joke 🤷. It does work for me in its very limited scope (only-GPS activites swimming can't be added to my Strava weekly/monthly swim mileage) but usefulness of that is nearly none. I use Strava but not with Fitbit (I have two Strava accounts and the one for Fitbit is just there, serves no other purpose but verifying whether syncing still works for me). Time to face the music. This issue isn't getting fixed.

[MarkFizz]

Correction FITBIT not GArmin