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?

[DibsL]

I have read this thread. It has been happening since Google acquired Fitbit. Very cynical they want to track our every move! I have this problem too. I can’t be bothered fussing around With the below instructions why should we have to? If you select you only want location services while exercising the prompt shows each time you turn it on for a run. It shouldn’t do this. They want us to give up and set to location “Always on” . Typical Google. This is wrong and an invasion of out privacy by big tech. If you don’t turn location to “Always on” your run isn’t GPS tracked and then your proper fitness data cannot be captured . I’m thinking of leaving Fitbit now that Google owns and going with apple or garmin 

[DibsL]

This issue really annoys me too and like you I will be migrating to Garmin or maybe Apple Watch. The trouble with turning location services to anything other than “Always on” is the persistent prompt to change location to that and when you don’t your run isn’t GPS tracked and your fitness data doesn’t update either therefore. Definitely creepy Google acquiring Fitbit has not been a good thing for users they want to track and own all of our data 

[stbail]

Doesn’t work. 100s of us have tried it because Fitbit said it was a solution but it comes back. Don’t be naive.

Anyway of stopped using and recommending Fitbit because they won’t do a simple fix. They are clearly selling your data and now that fitbit is part of google good luck with your privacy.

Sent from my iPhone

[DibsL]

Hi, what have hundreds of Fitbit users tried I’m unclear what you are referring to?

[BradMCK]

I just manually updated the app to version 3.37. And went out of the Fitbit app a few times now, still with location set to “ only while using”. And the prompt is not coming up , let’s  see, maybe they have realized how serious this is !

[Padster]

There is no 3.37 version. The latest is 3.36.

(sent on the move)

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[BradMCK]

[cid:95B01B90-4A36-4D37-8A39-CCA0F9096E2E-L0-001]

Regards
Bradford

[NCFatBoy]

That's interesting, 3.37 is on my phone and still asking about location services.

[BradMCK]

Ok short lived supposed fix , it’s back to asking me again.

but here is the work around but still not ideal and I remain hugely disappointed in Fitbit’s position and support.

” Don’t leave the app open in the background, you have to open it clean which enables the only when using the app Location service to activate, I see the arrow come on.. when you done close the app completely ”

[DibsL]

Thanks for that. So you’ve got to turn on your Fitbit watch and then also open the app then close it straight down each time you want to do a run or form of exercise ? It would be much easier to just sync the run data from the strava app to Fitbit but then Fitbit fitness data wouldn’t be updated as it wouldn’t class that as a GPS run I suppose...

[MdRtsHAaKu]

Thanks for this hint, it was asking intermittently and now I realize it doesn't ask when the app is first opened, but only when you go back to it having left it open.

I've had location set to 'only while using the app' forever and this prompt just started happening to me all. the. time.  Now I have it set to NEVER and I see a lot of "swipe up to close" in my future (and less using the app overall, since I know how annoying it will be every time I open it.) 

[SunsetRunner]

Unfortunately, I have the same problem and I tried almost all the solutions mentioned in this thread. It didn’t work. Finally I had to switch the notifications of the Fitbit off from setting of apple iphone. This solved the problem for me. 

[jlgjeff]

This issue continue on my phone and I’ve tried all of your suggestions. Any news ideas?

[Alexadk]

I too get the prompt to turn on location services a half dozen times a day and I am really tired of it. I do not want to location services turned on on my Fitbit. I have changed my settings to never, I have logged off, shut my phone down and started it up again and it still does the same thing. I am so tired of this I’m about ready to dump my Fitbit and go to some other device. There must be a way to stop this – this is absolutely ridiculous.

[Jensne72]

Ditto.  Once google took over I am getting HAMMERED with this message.  Never stops no matter what I do ever.  Hello Big Brother.  Big tech wants to be in our guts 24/7.  Horrible and unethical. Disgusting. 

[SimonKennedy]

My exact experience - the only thing that worked was turning off notifications.  I'm running 3.41.1 (1050), and this only started a few days ago, whereas I can see from the beginning of the thread some people encountered this issue years ago.  Not thrilled that Fitbit doesn't seem to have found a solution yet

[SimonKennedy]

Whoops!  Spoke too soon - turning off notifications only blocks the message the FIRST time I open the Fitbit app - after that, if I switch from the app to something else then back again, it returns.  So turning location services to never, privacy/location/fitbit to never, and notifications/fitbit to off ALL, in combination, don't work.  If this persists like others will have to explore switching platforms - likely to Apple Watch, which I've been thinking about anyway but too lazy to pull the trigger until now...

[Alexadk]

They obviously CAN fix this, but have chosen not to, because they want to track our locations - or they get paid by an entity that wants to track us.

Once this Fitbit dies (as they all eventually do) I will probably go to an apple watch. This really stinks!

[Joe369]

I’m returning the Fitbit then. I’ve used one for years but will not be subject to this purposeful inanity & harassment for fitbit’s new owner Google’s revenue stream 

[Wrecca]

This is absolutely doing my head in. Like a few of you I have had and loved my fitbits for years and sadly now am seriously contemplating swapping to Apple. Why they can’t just allow us to not have them track us is beyond me. Instead they they happily lose members of the Fitbit community. Awful customer service.