Fitbit MobileTrack step count very different from Apple Health step count

[chimerical]

I've been noticing that my daily step count in the Fitbit iOS app (using MobileTrack) is far off from the Apple Health app's step count, or even a parallel test with a completely differnet fitness band (Misfit Flash) that I'm wearing to figure out which one is off.

Any thoughts on why this might be happening? Thanks!

(iPhone 5s, iOS 9.2)

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @chimerical ! I'd recommend checking the How do I use Mobile Track? article to get a detailed information about this. 

Let me know if this works! 

[Faibs]

Same issues here. Link provided was no help. Looks like mobile track isn't functioning properly. 

[MarreFitbit]

Hey @Faibs, welcome to the Community ! Have you checked if your Fitbit app is up-to-date?

Once you've verified that, try doing the following:

• Log out of your Fitbit App
• Force quit the App
• Restart your Charge HR at least three times in a row
• Turn off the Bluetooth
• Shut off your phone and turn it on after 1-2 minutes
• Turn on the Bluetooth
• Log back into your Fibit App

Catch you later! 

[Yasyeg]

Did you guys ever find a solution? I have the same problem 

[Biker_Bill]

Neither will be perfectly accurate. Mobile track relies on the phone motion sensor. I read somewhere around the pre 6s release that Apple attempted to look for specific motions to help keep the step count as accurate as possible.  Both phone and tracking bans can be fooled not necessarily on purpose. Although you can lay on your sofa and shake/ wave your arm with both fitness band and phone in hand, and you will see the step count increment differently on both. But different movement or shakes while walking will affect each differently. I know my Fitbit goes crazy when I am using a Push Mower. 

Maybe the foot pods are more accurate. Anyone have experience with them?

I have measured and adjusted my stride but I still have not had a match on distance. 

I believe they are only good for a relative measure to compare your efforts from one day to another. 

[Huerdy]

Wow...all those steps to get Fitbit app to track right (pun intended). My watch is still reading nearly double the steps that Fitbit syncs. When will Fitbit be correcting this issue? 

[Navymalones4]

Any update?  This is crazy that my Apple Health App has twice as many steps as Fitbit App.

[AndyDP]

Was there any solution to your message?

I have the same problem.

• Steps according to Apple Health: 5583
• Steps according to Activity: 5485
• Steps according to Fitbit (via Mobile Track): 3117

I can understand that it won't ever be exactly the same, but 2000+ steps difference?   I was under the impression that Mobile Track isn't really measuring anything, but reading out the Health (or Activity) data?   If that would be the case, I would expect the MobileTrack number to be either the same as Activity or Health, after doing a sync. 

Any ideas anyone?

[shauneliastam]

Hi Guys,

Any update to this issue? Fitbit MobileTrack is still not working correctly and greatly differs from the Apple Health step count. For example Apple health was 8,541 and Fitbit showed 18 steps which is crazy as it used the same data. Apparently MobileTrack isn't measuring steps, but reading the Health (or Activity) data from the iPhone. If this is the case then why would the amounts differ.

[Zaleen]

I'm also having this issue, my Fitbit app on iOS shows 1731 steps and my apple activity/health shows 6653, like 4 times higher! I have and use Apple Watch 

[shauneliastam]

I'm wondering if it has something to do with the activity data in Apple Health (from the Apple Watch) not being included in Fitbit MobileTrack. I think MobileTrack only uses the steps being calculated from the build in iPhone sensor. The problem may therefore be that the iPhone won't double-count steps and first uses the Apple Watch activity data and then fills any gaps with iPhone activity. So effectively most of the steps would come from the Apple Watch whereas a small amount from the iPhone... If you refer to the screenshot it shows most of the data in Apple Health being from my Apple Watch whereas there is only a few steps from my iPhone

[Zaleen]

Removing dupe response 

[Zaleen]

I can confirm this is true. In my further google searches last night I found official docs from Fitbit support saying that steps on the Apple Watch do not count in Fitbit, it does not interact with Apple Watch. It only counts the steps completed by your phone itself. You can verify this. In health or activity, I was able to show exercise by device and my phone device was very close to Fitbit steps, the rest were steps assigned to my watch. There is a feature request on Fitbit people are up voting asking them to incorporate watch to their app, so I voted for it. For me my phone is I often in a bag or purse and doesn't register the steps I think 

[shauneliastam]

Effectively this means that almost all Apple Health steps could be ignored by fitbit MobileTrack on a daily basis as the iPhone only records additional steps which the watch hasn't somehow logged as it won't double up if you are for example carrying your iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously- it will use the watch as the 1st source...