Turn off “Enable location services” prompt

[rigilbert]

Every time I go to the Fitbit app on my iPhone, I get a prompt asking me to “Enable location services”. I’m quite capable of turning on location services for gps tracking of exercise when I wish to, thank you very much.

It only started happening with the most recent app update and I find this “pop-up” to be very annoying and intrusive. I most certainly don’t want to see it every flippin’ time I go to the app.

Is there a way to disable it?

[Joe369]

Yes, still in the return period. Going to return if this dn get straightened fast. I applied some of the cures suggested. Only succeeded in temp fix. While unbalancing the rest of my settings 

really google?

[kaggiw]

It really is constant and after years if loving my Fitbit I think this is going to make me return my new one and move to an Apple watch as I can’t stand this (I know, first world problems). 

[Ender3313]

Agreed! This has always been annoying the the app seems to think it’s needs tracking enabled all the time, but recently the constant re-prompting has become ridiculous. Getting ready to start looking for a replacement for FitBit if it keeps up. Once I choose to “Allow tracking while using the app only” that should be the end of it. Period. The question should not need to come up again. Makes me wonder why the app is so insistent on this?

[Alexadk]

And once you say never it should never prompt you again.

As I said in a prior post, my guess is they get paid to track people by other entities and I would guess some people just give in and allow the tracking just to avoid frustration.

ButFitbit is really hurting themselves by not fixing this I know a lot of people who are going to leave Fitbit and go to an Apple Watch or another device because of this.

If anyone from Fitbit is reading this stream you need to get your act together.

Sent from my iPhone

[NCFatBoy]

I read they were trying to determine if Fitbits could be used for Covid
contact traffic.

--
John

[BradMCK]

I have been on this thread for a long time and they have never come out and given a position, so clearly they think infringing on our privacy is not an important matter. I am also more and more getting irritated and will move. Pity as the charge 4 is one of the smallest , lightest built in GPS devices out there.

listen to your customers Fitbit!!!

[Paperfeat]

I’m experiencing this issue as well. I hope it’s a bug, but given the long running thread that seems less likely than a deliberate dark UI choice.

Fitbit/Google — you will absolutely be turning off users and customers by not respecting location and privacy preferences. The marketplace is paying attention, and we know which companies are treating customers’ data and privacy with respect — and those that don’t. 

[LiliyaFitbit]

Hello everyone. Thank you for your updates in this thread.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, I understand that this can be very frustrating. I would like to advise that this issue has been reported to our team and they are already investigating it and looking for a resolution. I appreciate your understanding. Please keep an eye on this thread for updates. 

See you around.

[NCFatBoy]

Ridiculous.This has taken too long for too simple of a fix.

--
John

[Slymo]

So excited to see this issue rear it’s ugly head again, NOT!!!! Well, the developers fixed it once....fix it again!!

[stbail]

They dont want fix it.

Sent from my iPhone

[NCFatBoy]

They fixed it.

--
John

[Alexadk]

But Nope-it just came up for me. But I will reinstall the app and try again. But I shouldn’t have to do that - all I should have to do is say no.

Sent from my iPhone

[JustinC4Privacy]

Looks like this may have been fixed for the iPhone in version 3.42.

The time it took the fix this issue is really, really sad. Moreover, some users surely acquiesced and gave up trying to protect their valuable personal data, and simply set it to “Always”.

Google Fitbit has now lost my trust. I will be exporting my data, filing a CCPA request to understand the companies they data share with, filing a subsequent CCPA request for deletion (note: not their internal deletion system, which likely is more lax with retention), and migrating to Apple Watch.

I’m so disappointed. It’s 2021 - we all need to vigorously protect our personal data and demand the enablement to do so from service providers like Fitbit.

[JustinC4Privacy]

I was mistaken. It is not fixed in version 3.42.

[stbail]

No they didn’t. Read the posts. 100s of people have been tricked for a week. Get back to me when it starts up again. It will.

Sent from my iPhone

[NCFatBoy]

It has.

--
John

[RC463]

This is what I found that works for me when an updates starts causing this problem. On an iPhone, Go to Settings/Privacy/Location Services. Scroll down to Fitbit and select Fitbit. There are options for Location Access ("Never"..."Ask Next Time"..."While Using the App"..."Always")...Select (Ask Next Time)..Log off the Fitbit app... Close and relaunch app and log in. The next time a box will appear with the following.. "Allow "Fitbit" to use your location? Your device requires location data for apps and exercise tracking." There will be three options.."Allow Once".."Allow While Using App"  "Don't Allow".  I select "Allow While Using App" and I do not get the constant Pop Up. This will work for a number of weeks. I think that after an update, I have to repeat this process.

[Alexadk]

Thanks - I appreciate the info, but I don’t ever want Fitbit to access my location, so when I click NEVER, it should mean NEVER.

I am pretty much done with my Fitbit and will probably never buy another one. I rarely go on the app and just just my watch to see steps, etc. Very sad that Fitbit has really done themself and their customer a huge disservice.

This should have been fixed months ago.

[LarryInSeattle]

Add me to the list of those requesting that these location access and Bluetooth sharing reminders that pop up every time I start the iPhone app be turned off. It’s very annoying - please fix! Once a month or even once a week would be tolerable, but several times a day is too much. Thanks