Does the Fitbit Have GPS? While exercising, it’s important to carry a device that indicates your progress. Also, having a tracker that further indicates your location, especially during physical exercises, is imperative.
In our guide today, we’re going to explore the Fitbit tracker and its GPS. So does the Fitbit have GPS, or how does it keep track of your location?
Take a look.
Table of Contents
- Does the Fitbit have GPS?
- How to connect Fitbit device to GPS
- Launching an exercise with GPS on my Fitbit device
- Turning off GPS on your Fitbit watch or tracker
- How to choose the best Fitbit for you?
- Do I even want a Fitbit?
Does the Fitbit have GPS?
A young woman with Fitbit.
Certain Fitbit types come with built-in GPS sensors. They include the following:
- Fitbit Sense series
- Fitbit Charge 4
- Fitbit Ionic
- Google Pixel Watch
- Fitbit Sense and Sense 2
- Fitbit Versa 3 and Versa 4
Hence, as you pursue your fitness goals with Fitbit, go for these devices if you’re looking for a device with a built-in GPS. They also come loaded with GLONASS.
Also, others have a connected GPS property. Hence, you must connect them to your smartphone and use its GPS. Such Fitbits include the following:
- Fitbit Versa LE, Versa, and Versa 2
- Fitbit Inspire HR, Inspire 2 and Inspire 3
- Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Charge 3
- Fitbit Luxe
How to connect Fitbit device to GPS
An Activity Tracker.
Let’s explore how to connect your wearable device’s Fitbit to GPS (Built-in GPS and phone-connected GPS).
Best Practices for Built-in GPS
A woman with an activity tracker.
- First, charge your Fitbit device before launching the Built-in GPS. Operating it without initial charging will lower its days of battery life as the app is power intensive.
- Next, connect it to GPS but ensure first that you’re outside. Also, establishing a GPS connection may take a short delay time. Once the device indicates a connection, it’s time to select play on the device and start exercises.
- Also, regularly synchronizing your Fitbit with the Built Sports Apps is imperative. It will ensure that the device connects to the Built-in GPS sensors immediately without delay.
- Now, the built-in GPS performance is optimal. But, the exercise apps only apply to monitoring the physical distances you cover while exercising.
My Fitbit device cannot connect to Built-in GPS.
A fitness tracker.
You might realize that during your outdoor workouts, the fitness band still doesn’t connect to the GPS. Another key issue is the presence of gaps in your workout intensity map. If you experience either, here are the solutions.
- First, the problem could be how you wear the device. Ideally, the correct way should be placing it in your hand and joining the bottom band to the top band first loop, then locking it.
- Also, you may try to loosen your bant. Again, ensure that it barely touches the wrist bone.
- It will help if you initiate the exercise after connecting the GPS. Also noteworthy, connecting to GPS may not be straightforward if you’re in a new area for the first time.
- If your device doesn’t immediately connect to GPS, don’t initiate the exercise promptly. Instead, please wait for a short while, preferably between 4 and 5 seconds, then start again.
- If your Charge 4 or charge 5 Fitbit cannot connect to GPS, switch it to phone mode, then initiate the connection.
- Lastly, aligning your arms parallel to your body or in a position where there’s no obstruction will help it connect fast to GPS.
Connecting Fitbit device to Phone (connected) GPS
A fitness tracker and smartphone.
- Primarily it would be best if you were outdoors and ready to start your physical exercise.
- Also, ensure no compatibility issues between your Fitbit App and your phone’s GPS exist. If they’re incompatible, they won’t connect.
- Thirdly, allow Location Permissions on your cellphone to ensure you can access a nearby GPS satellite.
- The distance between the phone and the Fitbit matters too. The two should not be further by more than 30 feet. Otherwise, they won’t connect.
- Lastly, ensure your device supports running the exercise app in the background.
My Fitbit device cannot connect to my Phone’s GPS
- Let’s assume you had tried to connect Fitbit to a compatible smartphone GPS to no avail. Primarily, disconnect the former connection and open the Fitbit application.
- Next, switch off the Bluetooth. At this step, we are presuming it’s on due to the connection you had tried to establish earlier.
- Lastly, you may find that neither of the above remedies helps. At this juncture, restart the phone and repeat the connection process.
Launching an exercise with GPS on my Fitbit device
An Activity Tracker.
- Ensure you’re outside and ready for outdoor workouts before launching an exercise.
- Next, select your Exercise App and click it.
- Allow the GPS some time to connect though it shouldn’t take long.
- Now select the play button to start the exercise. You can now start your outdoor activities.
Turning off GPS on your Fitbit watch or tracker
Using a Fitness Watch
Checking if the FitBit Has Built-in or Connected GPS
A Fitness Watch
Before knowing how to turn off your Fitbit’s GPS, it’s imperative to know if it has an inbuilt GPS or if it is using a phone-connected one. Primarily, the steps of switching it off are different depending on the type.
Also noteworthy, some Fitbits allow you to connect to a phone’s GPS while simultaneously having an internal one.
They include Fitbit 4 and Fitbit 5. This feature (Dynamic GPS) is imperative in conserving a day’s battery life as it will use an external GPS whenever your phone is near.
Thus, a Fitbit with these features is imperative in generating real-time stats as it’s always connected to some GPS.
How to Turn off Fitbit’s Connected GPS
Controlling an activity tracker.
Sometimes, you don’t require real-time stats, and using GPS unnecessarily affects the device’s battery life.
The solution is to disconnect your phone’s GPS connection from Fitbit. Generally, you will first click the exercise app and then click the activity type you don’t intend to track.
Some that don’t require GPS include:
- Breathing rate/ breathing exercises
- Heart rate variability tracking
- Electrodermal activity
- Exercises to reduce stress levels like swimming.
Next, select the option to switch it off from a phone connection, and that’s all.
How to Turn off Fitbit’s Built-in GPS
Notably, the process of switching off the inbuilt GPS is dependent on the model you’re using. But again, like in the above case, you need to launch the ‘Exercise Settings’ on Fitbit.
Next, on the exercise screen, choose the training you want to avoid monitoring and turn off the GPS on them.
Turning Off GPS on Fitbit’s online Platform
One of the key features of the Fitbit device is that it allows you to control it from its online platform. Here are the steps to apply:
- First, log in to your Fitbit account and click on the settings app; It is represented in this case by a gear icon.
- Next, identify the Fitbit model you’re using, and once you’ve identified it, click ‘open GPS.’
- Now select the off option.
Also, selecting the sync option in settings is imperative to allow regular updates.
How to choose the best Fitbit for you?
Several Fitness Trackers.
When buying a Fitbit device, there are some things you cannot afford to get wrong. We’ll look at them below.
Fitbit’s Features
Do you want a Fitbit for monitoring just a few exercise and health metrics, or are you looking for one with advanced features like heart rate monitoring? The key health hack is choosing one that best suits your needs.
Connected or Built-in GPS
Again, do you want a GPS you can use with your phone or an independent one that doesn’t depend on an external device to function? Both types have helpful health metrics, although each model has unique features.
But a built-in GPS is helpful when you don’t want to carry any other device while exercising.
Smartwatch or Fitness Band
If you want to track health metrics, a fitness band is a more realistic option than a smartwatch. The former has numerous other remarkable features, such as sleep tracking and heart rate monitors.
On the flip side, a smartwatch is simply a device similar to your cellphone, Only that you wear it on your wrist.
Do I even want a Fitbit?
A couple with fitness watches.
You don’t necessarily have to settle on Fitbit for a fitness GPS tracker, as many other equally effective options exist. You can go for Garmin, Xiaomi, and even Huawei, who manufacture high-quality wrist-based heart rate trackers.
Summary
In the realm of fitness trackers, Fitbit is the king thanks to its GPS feature that allows users to keep track of coordinates during physical activity.
Above, we’ve highlighted how to tinkle with the GPS feature while using Fitbit to optimize its effectiveness. We hope the tips will be handy in improving your user experience with this top-rated device.
