RESOLVED: Distance travelled does not match distance logged

[DerrickS]

Fitbit Update 03/09/17

Hi everyone -- Some good news to share! This issue should now be resolved!

If you were previously experiencing this issue on iOS, please try it again as our team has pushed out a fix. Feel free to give me some feedback about your post-fix experience. Thank you for your patience as we worked to get you all back on track.

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Fitbit Update 2/28/17
It was recently brought to our attention that some iOS users are experiencing their mile splits for GPS workouts don’t add up to the total distance of their workout. Our team is aware of this issue and is currently working towards a fix.

[Cybersonic]

I submitted this issue to FitBit support and they have acknowledged the problem and are working to get this fixed. They suggested in the meantime to use Run instead of Walk - I haven't tried that yet though. 

[JNagano]

I have the same problems with the Fitbit app not accurately tracking distance run and run times. From the looks of it, the question came up during September 2016 and users were promised a resolution "soon", but the update software issued in December 2016 did NOT fix it. The Fitbit Charge 2 app has under-calculated my distance run by more than 50% today. They need to fix it!

[tracey2]

'Run' missaved my distance and pace today, too, though the discrepancy was less than I tracked with 'Walk' a few days ago.

In short: Still wrong, but less wrong.

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

@AlvaroFitbit: I am afraid the issue is not solved - I have the latest firmware on Charge 2 and app - done a GPS 8.82 mile walk with 20:25 pace - however the the summary on fitbit shows 5.32 mile with a 38:43 pace?  See screenshot below where you can that the mile split is correct for a 8.82 mile and DOES NOT MATCH the summary distance above . Also, I export the tcx file and upload into mapmyrun; the walk summary there also shows the 8.82 mile - this is just ridiculous.

 

[JNagano]

That's EXACTLY how my running stats look--the summary above bears no resemblance to the overall distance run and splits/mile that appear below. Furthermore, the GPS map showing my run is accurate. FYI I've also updated my software to the latest version 22.48.14. So what's the fix for this problem???

[Javaid]

I am having exactly the same problem for the last ten days. The walk is tracked accurately on GPS and also as time & distance splits, BUT the summary gives much reduced distance & speed.  Please help. IMG_2160.PNG     0 Votes

[Javaid]

I am having exactly the same problem for the last ten days. The walk is tracked accurately on GPS and also as time & distance splits, BUT the summary gives much reduced distance & speed.  Please help. IMG_2160.PNG     0 Vote

Walk summary is wrong, whereas the split times & distances are correct

[majbugman]

Biked into work this morning and the fitbit was only off by 3/10 mile from what the actual distance is.  This is the closest it has ever gotten. I have determined that part of my problem was a competing Bluetooth device. Seems the phone must have a continuous connection with the fitbit. The fitbit app continuously sends GPS data to the fitbit. If there is a break in connection the app doesn't cache the data and burst it once connection is restored, it just is a gap in the data.  When there is a gap it seems to fill it in with a straight line to where the next data point is.  So instead of a curve you go straight line distance through the trees.  The downside is if you want to use a cadence sensor with your fitbit I am not sure it will work.

[SunsetRunner]

@majbugman I feel that your issue is different from the one that most of us in this thread are having. Have a look at the screenshots on my post -   showing wrong distance on the top of my screen (summary), but correct on the split lap. You don't need bluetooth connection to use the GPS Connect data and GPS Connect data is not transmitted to the Fitbit Charge 2. In fact you can run without bluetooth and sync afterwards.

[majbugman]

Hi @SunsetRunner,

 Yes, my situation is somewhat different.  I am biking, not running, I have GPS inaccuracy issues and Bluetooth connectivity issues. That said, my ride today was off today even without Bluetooth connectivity issues.

  I wish I could start a ride with the app.  Alas, you cannot.  Only options are walk, run, hike.  I can only start a bike ride on the fitbit itself. 

  My best option is to track the ride using Strava and then have the ride back door to fitbit.  I'll get the heart rate data on the fitbit app, but not on Strava.

[Javaid]

Split distances & times are correct, BUT the summary is absolutely WRONG !

[rachellerene]

This is exactly what my Charge 2 is going. During the run it will tell me accurate distances. It will even be accurate when I go to complete my run, but then everything changes. The map will continue to show the correct mileage but the stats at the top are completely off. This just started happening too. At first it only affected three of my runs, now it is going and changing runs from the past month. I contacted a Fitbit representative, but that did nothing. They tell me it is my GPS even though I know the GPS distance is correct because I run on a trail that is marked and the fitbit used to match these distances. I do not understand why it is changing runs that were correct, and apparently neither does Fitbit. They just ignore the problem. They emailed me yesterday "I hope we resolved your issue" To which I responded, "You have not done anything, so how could the problem be resolved?" And still no reply. Obviously this is the Fitbit not the phone because we are all having the exact problems with mileage distances showing two different things.

[SunsetRunner]

@rachellerene thank you - same problem as you - I feel that my reply and yours give a true full pciture of the issue. The new and sad news is that it is changing retrospectively/previous runs as well....That is even worse than I imagined - that means the issue here is changing our running history. 

In a nutshell, either this gets sorted soon or I am buying a Garmin instead, cancelling my FitStar and selling back my Aria scale - so that is clear, I am leave the brand completely . The issue has also been raise on social media and running forums so brand loyalty is already affected. 

@Fitbit Moderators - are you seeing this? It is not good.

[SunsetRunner]

@majbugman Bluetooth does not affect your biking distance - for example there are people that use the Fitbit app to track their GPS runs but they actually don't have a FitBit device so they actually don't use the bluetooth connectivity at all.  If the distance for a GPS run/cycle is not correct; that is down to either the software or the GPS connectivity - try running two GPS tracking apps simultaneously and see if there are differences.     

[majbugman]

Unfortunately a bike ride cannot be started on the app, only on the watch.  If Bluetooth connectivity to the fitbit is broken it does not receive the positional data from the app and the device logs your bike ride with either incomplete or non-existant GPS data.  I wish I could track a ride using just the app and have the HR data linked after but that is not possible. 

I do log my rides on Strava, which provides accurate distance.  However, if I don't track bike ride using the fitbit device I don't get HR data on Strava.

[SunsetRunner]

@majbugman: Got it  - thanks for explaining.

There is a way for you to do it but it is not simple and not complete:

1. Do your cycling tracking using Strava only for the GPS but do wear your Fitbit for the HR tracking.
2. Upon completed, manually log the exercise on FitBit using the distance and time from Strava, this way you have the HR data grouped as a workout.
3. Export the created workout from Fitbit from the Fitbit dashboard into a .tcx file and then uploaded into Strava dashboard.

With the above you will have two twins workouts on Strava - one with the GPS tracking and one with the HR data. Unfortunately you will not have both combined and this annoys me.

[JNagano]

@SunsetRunner you are so right! I've suffered through stupid product defects like the Fitbit Charge HR not synching my running stats at all to having it completely break off when I tried to recharge it. This is the last straw. If it doesn't get fixed in the next few weeks, I'm abandoning Fitbit and going back to the Runtastic iPhone app, which at least tracks your run and gives you split stats and summary stats accurately.

[SunsetRunner]

@JNagano: I am copying some moderators here - let's see if they can help us .

@MoungjeanLee  @KilimC @MarreFitbit @SilviaFitbit @KilimC - please see above - can you help? 

[Digger.2009]

Do you have any idea as to when this will be resolved? It's very frustrating 

[DerrickS]

Just a heads up, I merged a few threads into this one in order to keep the conversation in one place.

@Digger.2009 Our team is currently working towards a fix, but I unfortunately don't have a timeline for when it will be pushed out.