GPS not working correctly since updating to iOS 11

[KateFitbit]

Hi Everyone, our team has reported this issue is resolved. If you haven't already, please update your app to version 2.45. I'll be closing this thread for new comments. If you are experiencing GPS issues with your tracker and iOS device, please see the help pages below. If that doesn't resolve the issue please post a new comment.  

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I've merged a few threads together. Our team is aware of some users having issues with GPS intermittently disconnecting during exercise after updating to iOS 11. Users see incorrect distance or see "Check Fitbit App" message. I do hope to have a fix soon and will update this thread when I learn more. 

If you haven't already, check out this article on why GPS isn't working for potential fixes. If you are still experiencing this issue you may also want to try tracking your run with MobileRun and GPS as a workaround. 

[Tinysuz]

Definitely a software problem because mine worked perfectly for a long time until I installed iOS 11. Fitbit are not owning responsibility for the problem and I do not want to buy a new tracker when the one I have is not faulty. I am getting very cross with Fitbit who say they are working on the problem but I don’t believe it. They want us all to buy the Ionic but as I am losing trust in Fitbit I shan’t!

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[LauraNP]

Agree. Their solution was a new tracker. There was nothing wrong with my Blaze until this software update happened. This needs to be a priority. I'm ready to abandon FitBit and it makes me mad because there's nothing wrong with my Blaze.

[Tinysuz]

Exactly Fitbit will lose a lot of valued customers over this. I loved my Charge 2 but then iOS11 happened!

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[BikeTex]

Same here. Track, don't track. Track, don't track. Phone turned off, then back on. GPS turned off, then back on. Fitbit App closed, then reopened. Track, don't track. Now I've lost track of when I'm tracking and when I'm not. Siri decided not to work this morning in my car with Bluetooth. Might mean something. Maybe not. iPhone 6 with Charge 2 worked great since last Christmas. iPhone 8 with IOS11, 11.1, 11.2, 11.3 not so great. Sounds like progress to me folks. By the way, there is a similar Garmin forum. Haven't read through it much, but appears to be a collection of similar posts as here.

https://forums.garmin.com/forum/into-sports/garmin-connect-mobile-application/garmin-connect-mobile-...

[Holden7]

This most likely is an Apple issue. If other fitness device makers are having the same problems since iOS 11 then it sounds like Apple has hosed something in their Bluetooth API specification. It would be nice to get some feedback from Fitbit themselves though.

[BikeTex]

Maybe they should change the name from "Fitbit" to "Fits and Starts". Since Fitbit is my first fitness tracker bought for me and not by me, I don't really know of the others except Garmin and I think Polar. Seems like there's a lot of different ones on the shelves. I think I read that Polar was having IOS 11 issues with heart monitor syncing (Lord, hopefully no one has a heart attack over it thinking they are in the safe zone, and its just not working right). So, my knee jerk was to get a different brand, but I may be hesitating on throwing good money after bad if the problem is Apple. Especially after my Siri decided not to work today. May just go retro back to pre-personal computers about 1983 before the 1st Macintosh and exercise till I'm tired and forget about it. Seemed to work fine then, but I was also in my 20s so it didn't really matter. That was when a 12 pack the night before was good fuel for 12 miles the next day. Not anymore!!!

[mbhfromnh]

Perhaps Apple wants us all to buy the Apple watch?  Just sayin'.  Apple wants to keep you in the Apple family.  I have an iphone, ipad and imac at home but at work I have a Dell because I use a lot of microsoft programs.  My husband has an Apple at work and he has similar compatibility issues between Apple and Microsoft. 

[Tinysuz]

Maybe, but the iWatch has bad battery life and does not register sleep patterns. I also think Fitbit wants us to buy the New Ionic

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[Dela60]

I am having the same issue with GPS not working with my iPhone.

Just started yesterday but it looks like this has been an issue for awhile. Hope it is fixed soon. Also my notifications stopped working today too. 

[KateFitbit]

Thanks everyone for your reports, Our team is still reviewing this issue and I'll update this thread when I learn more. Also, in case you haven't reviewed the help article, check out GPS connectivity tips in this article. 

[Tinysuz]

It is taking Fitbit a very long time to resolve the GPS issue, not good.

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[scelllus]

I don’t understand why they don’t clearly say here that there is a software issue, for there definitely is. Instead they just offer a lot of suggestions about settings, satellite visibility, etc. These things are helpful when the device works. Now it does not.

[Tinysuz]

This is my point exactly. Fitbit keep saying reboot phone and deleting and reinstalling app which do not apply in this case. My tracker worked perfectly until iOS 11. These problems only occurred after the iOS update and not just to me.

Therefore, as you say it is a software problem but unfortunately although Fitbit say they are working on the problem, nothing seems to be on the horizon which will rectify the problem.

I have contacted Apple but they say the problem lies with Fitbit and they must sort it.

I feel Fitbit are so busy flogging the Ionic that they have forgotten about all their existing customers with other trackers.

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[scelllus]

It is possible of course that they are prioritizing the high-end trackers if they see more business there. Maybe they have grown too quickly, and just lack the resources to keep their customers satisfied. But I suggest instead of speculation we just wait, and then maybe get a bit angry if the wait is long as it seems to be, and then our next trackers will maybe not be made by this company. 🙂

They seem to have some problems communicating honestly what is going on. There was another incident with the original Charge and its resting heart rate algorithm.

That’s how it goes. Tech companies are not perfect, as a customer your take a risk, and sometimes that realizes. Personally, I have purchased devices for three people, total of five devices. I think I will reconsider other options more carefully on the next round. 

[Tinysuz]

How long do we wait? my next tracker will certainly not be Fitbit if they take all this time to resolve problems.

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[Craig_B]

Has there been any update to this issue?

[Tinysuz]

No all I got when I e-mailed Fitbit about two weeks ago was they were working on the GPS issue but did not want to rush out a solution until they were sure they had corrected the problem.

iOS 11 was released 19th September and I complained about lack of GPS almost immediately and STILL no solution.

I personally think Fitbit have no will to sort this out, they want us all to buy the Ionic. For me this is not going to happen.

I am running out of patience

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[Alicat2104]

Mine is fine now @Tinysuz

Logged out of the app, restarted my phone, logged back in - fixed.

[Yúmyúm]

ALicat2104 wrote:
“Logged out of the app, restarted my phone, logged back in - fixed.”

This workaround works for mostly max one day.

[Tinysuz]

Yes it does fix it by logging out and into app but you cannot do that every time you want to use it.

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