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?

[Ceerig]

LOL - that's super not cool 🙂 Social Media is usually the next best place to go. Companies hate bad buzz, so posting that they're not responsive, and having folks share/chime in, may get more attention.

I'll probably put something on Twitter.

Doesn't solve the problem immediately, but it's something to try!

[stbail]

I have fixed the problem for myself. As it seems Fitbit is unwilling to fix it. My new Apple Watch arrives next week. After 5 years and 4 Fitbit products moving on due to the rude and unhelpful “help” with this issue. Goodbye Fitbit.

Sent from my iPhone

[mpacker]

I turned mine to always.  Force quit fitbit app then restarted.  Killed app again and reset to “while using” and they went away so far

[Petitedoglover]

OK...I will give it a whirl. I thought I had already tried that based on other posts, but at this point I am willing to do anything.

Thank you!

Envoyé de mon iPad - Sent from my iPad

[Elle-Jay]

Sounds like Fitbit just want your stats!! I keep saying “no” to the prompt. It’s really annoying - but J don’t want Location turned on - it’s not even turned on in my iPhone. My stats and my location are my business 😜

[fourthirty]

Fitbit - 

Can you please inform your loyal community of users why you now require Location access to be set to "Always"?

The GPS tracking worked beautifully in past versions when set to "While using the app" with my Charge 2.  I had no problem with the Fitbit app having my location while I was running/biking/hiking with the app open.

However, I'll NEVER allow Fitbit to "Always" collect my location data.  Why is this required?  How is Fitbit using this data, or who are you selling it to?

Your silence on this issue is very concerning.  Please revert back to "While using".

[PNH-0]

This has been happening for more than a year now.  At first it used to piss me off but then I figured why waste the energy?  Now I just ignore it when it pops up via notification and it goes away in its own.  Or I click “no thanks” when it awaits a response from me.  Yes it is incessant and I don’t have the time to try all the suggestions to address it because they don’t work.  It keeps coming back.  The only way to “fix” it is to turn on location services to always and seeing as I don’t want to do that, I’ll just live with the annoyance of having the message pop up and ignoring it.

We’ll see who can outlast who...impersonal app that’s just doing what is was programmed to do, or emotional human being who used to get really pissed off until he figured out that if I want to continue using the device for ALL the other good features, then I could learn to live with this one.   So there...

[SunsetRunner]

It seems as though, by setting our location to never, we are throwing off this study fitbit is participating in. https://www.digitaltrends.com/news/fitbit-wants-your-help-to-find-out-if-wearables-can-predict-the-c....

Maybe i would be inclined to turn on my location every now and then if i knew it would be used for something good,  but i rarely see a response from them regarding any post about location services which leads me to believe it's being used for something else

It would be kind of cool if  the fitbit app sent me a warning that i was entering an area full of corona patients, but I think i'm more likely to get a popup for a facemask or some tylenol  and then be redirected to google shopping.

I'm just going to keep mine set to never until better clarification can be provided. @KateFitbit  do you know why it's required?

[Zapato728]

Thanks much Savvy_Frog!  I was having that annoying problem too and your solution worked!  You're better than the fitbit technical support team!

[Jlegett2000]

They know very well what they are doing. It’s data gathering. Who knows who they sell it to.  When this current poorly made Fitbit dies.  There will not be another one bought by me. 

[jogger_aloha]

hey creepy programmers at FItBit, you keep this up (prompting to "Enable location services" every time the app is open), my next update/purchase won't be a FitBit.

[TrickB36]

It is just another way to track things for data mining. They want it turned on so make it so irritating you eventually turn it on. They could remove this easily with the do not ask again option but noticing they won't do that. Thinking of moving to more secure platform.

[Libzag317]

This happens to me everyday so I’m happy to see the thread! I love my Fitbit but now I’ve become obsessed with stopping this intrusive and repeated question!!!! Can’t wait for an answer.

[Petitedoglover]

Don’t hold your breath...look how long I have been waiting!

[jchristo2003]

I am having the same issue.  This is very annoying.  It seems to be a bug with the recent update.

[Patachou82]

Same here, can we PLEASE finally have an answer regarding this issue?

[Flynz]

I live I. A country where the virus is under control and I do not need an unofficial tracker.  Turn it off FB

[Flynz]

Agree it did not happen when I bought Fitbit a few weeks ago.  Recently started. 

[greginsantacruz]

I've been having this issue for several months and have tried the solutions both on this thread and other forum threads.  It appears that multiple users have this issue, and that solutions are not coming.

I contacted Fitbit via their chat feature.  After the person on chat was unable to solve this issue for me, they "escalated" this to their "higher support".  For the past week I've had an email conversation with this "higher support."  After sending in multiple screenshots, and even videos of what this looks like as I try to use the app, I received this response via email yesterday (Direct quote in its entirety):

"Hello [.    ],

Thank you for your feedback.

Based on our higher support, as of the moment there is no way to permanently get rid of the pop up.  We'd like apologize for this inconvenienced this has caused.

Sincerely, 

Angela Ro. and the Fitbit Team"

So it doesn't appear that Fitbit actually has a solution at all.  

The only solutions offered (maybe one will work for you):

• Disable Notifications from the Fitbit app by going to your phone Settings > Notifications > Fitbit and disable "lock screen" and "banners".
• Go to your phone Settings > Fitbit and turn off "Bluetooth Sharing"
• "As per advised by our higher support team, please try to remove the Versa from your Fitbit account and set it up again.

As another person on this thread said, I'm solving this for myself by going with Apple or Garmin.

Goodbye Fitbit.  

[Flynz]

Fitbit needs to update the App and remove the pop up.  No App has permanent access to my location services and never will.  It’s a lost cause.