Issue with GPS Tracking on Fitbit iOS App

[user456w]

I wanted to bring up an issue I've been experiencing with the Fitbit iOS app recently, and I'm hoping someone here might have some insight or solutions.

It seems that the app is not marking all GPS points accurately during my activities, and at times, it's even skipping waypoints altogether (drawing lines over none pathways etc). This has made it impossible for me to trace and record my data accurately, which is incredibly frustrating as I rely on this information to track my progress and performance. mi pretty stable in my routes so I know what the data output should be.

I'm not sure if this is a widespread issue or if it's just affecting a few users like myself, but if anyone else has encountered similar problems or has any suggestions on how to fix it, I would greatly appreciate your input.

I've tried restarting my phone and reinstalling the app, disable/enable the location permission but unfortunately, the issue persists. If there are any troubleshooting steps I haven't tried yet, please let me know.

[GeorgeScott]

UPDATE:  With Location Services set to While Using App, I got good tracking for a walk started from the app.  BTW, it is not necessary to have the app open and displaying for GPS to work with the WUA setting.  I walk with my phone locked in my pocket and tracking works. 

Unfortunately, a walk started today from the app with Location Services Always On resulted in the usual GPS failure -- sharply straight lines between random points along the route or near the route.  Next test will be to change Location Services to While Using App, which did work before for an app-started walk.  Before this issue, I always left it on Always On, if only because the app will hound you to change it to Always On if you don't have it that way, suggesting that the app won't work without it Always On.  

[BethGandy]

Well I updated the app to the most recent version, did everything you suggested in your post, and the app worked correctly…….for one day.  Now it’s not working properly again.  I am attaching photos of what it should look like, (I use multiple app to track my activity since the Fitbit app hasn’t been working for months now.) and what the Fitbit app shows.  The actual walk was just over 3 miles, but Fitbit shows it being just over 2.  I really wish Fitbit would fix the problem.

 

 

my route being.

[JoSimpson]

Hi, I've done this update and it's still not working. My maps aren't recording at all and the distances are all out. Any other suggestions as to what to do to fix this please?

[giugiubee]

I’ve been following this thread for months. Large group users reporting the same issue, many providing detailed info just like you did. It’s clear the fitbit/google are aware of the problem, and simply do not care. There have been no new updates given by fitbit staff despite having months to determine a cause. The only logical conclusion is that google is ultimately going to stop making fitbit branded products, and has already begun winding down support for both the fitbit app and fitbit wearables. Google is valued at 2.5 trillion dollars, buy apparently funnels zero dollars to their fitbit unit. I suspect they will terminate the fitbit line, and push customers to buy google branded or garmin branded products. Fitbit was purchased by google undoubtedly with the goal of winding the company down, and shifting consumers to google’s preferred watches. Runners everywhere still use fitbit products, and the absolute silence from fitbit customer support and its engineering teams is a slap in the face to loyal users. People shouldn’t have to spend months waiting for (friendly) strangers on this community board to identify “workaround” solutions to extremely basic problems that google itself is too lazy to fix.

[Runrepeatrepeat]

I could not agree more!

[mcw53]

@giugiubee  I believe this techradar article explains what's happening to fitbit. Notable quotes from the article:

"It’s a familiar story: a successful company is bought by a huge conglomerate and run into the ground, while the conglomerate takes the smaller company's best ideas and products and incorporates them into its brand."

"Alphabet has shut down the facility for developers to create third-party apps for Fitbit OS, preventing new content from being created for the platform."

"...it’s sad to see the best Fitbits slowly being stripped of some of the features that made them great."

"The end result is that customers who made their purchases based on those features now own a device that's fundamentally different from the one they originally bought; and to get those features back they must upgrade to the Pixel Watch, or buy a device from another brand."

"Fitbit will probably stick around in some form for a few years yet, but it’s already as good as dead. Rather than being a picture of health, Fitbit is on life support, waiting for Google and Alphabet to finally pull the plug and harvest what's left of its vital organs."

[KAustad]

This is my belief too. 

[BethGandy]

So sad and disappointing!

[Mavis57]

I’m the same! If I use another app whilst tracking a walk, the line just
leaps across the time points from when I started the other app to when it
ends( such as Google Maps etc).
The map function of the walk doesn’t save any more and the distance is
random usually about half of what it should be.
Really frustrating!

[Lopaolo]

Today I made a test.
Ios 17.5.1, iphone 13 pro, Fitbit app 4.17

If I set localization as “always” the walk path is not tracked.
If I set “only when use app”, it works but not completely. I mean, in the history of the weekly walks, there is no path anymore. It’s disappeared.
I had removed the app, rebooted the smartphone and reinstalled the app.
I’ll probably stop using Fitbit when the Versa4 will stop working and I’ll buy the Apple Watch. Thanks Google.

[Gumbaman]

@JuanFitbit 

i have same issue. GPS on iPhone app is so bad. 
on my verse 4 it tracks it perfectly. 

[mhouse]

Now that the GPS is working from the app with "While Using" selected I have been unable to change the Exercise Type.  For the last 3 hikes I recorded - I changed Exercise Type from WALK to HIKE but it still recorded the activity as a WALK and there's no way to edit the activity to correct.  It's always something......

This is still an issue - Is anything being done about this or the fact that weather & tracking can't be used simultaneously?

[JuanFitbit]

Hi everyone ! Thank you for your comments and for those who did it, sharing your tries and solutions. 

Our team is still investigating this and hopefully will come with a solution soon. 
I'll be updating the thread as soon as I receive further information. 

[t4fit]

I've been having the same problem for a few months now. The tracking of my movement on the map has been erratic (you'd think I was jogging right through people's houses), and the distance logged for my run is way below what I have actually run.

Inspire 2

FitBit app version 4.18 (41829025)

iPhone 13, iOS 17.5.1

[tomscot2]

I had it fixed, but now it is back to erratic mapping and distance tracking

[lala98]

Hi, how do I set it up that that my Versa 3 uses my Iphone's GPS? I'm so sick of my watch always loosing connection...

[mcw53]

Hi @lala98 

Sorry it took me so long to respond; I am no longer getting notified about activity on this forum.

I don't know about your Versa3, but I do the following: 1) On my Charge4 I swipe left to 'Settings', 2) tap on 'Settings', 3) scroll down to 'GPS Settings', 4) tap on 'GPS settings', 5) tap on 'GPS mode' to toggle between 'Built-in GPS', 'Phone GPS' and 'Dynamic'.

Hope this helps

[rnb2274]

Was a solution ever found for this issue with the update?  Problem continues !

[Gumbaman]

Mine has been pretty consistent now. Map does not deviate. Maybe it was app updates and iOS updates that fixed it. The only issue I have now is that I start activity on my Fitbit app on phone and also on my watch. The 2 do not have the same distance at the end. 
same steps sometimes but distance is always different. See attached screenshot   the Fitbit app is always the lower in distance. 

[JuanFitbit]

Hi everybody! Thank you for your posts, comments and screenshots. 
Our Team informed that this should be solved with the new app update (4.21)

When and if possible please update the Fitbit app and turn your phone off/on afterwards. 

Let us know over here how it goes afterwards.