Fitbit Android update vs mapmywalk
lfrazier2482
Posts: 82 Member
I did a search for this on Fitbit, this forum, and the web. Sorry if this has been discussed already.
This morning my Android phone had an update available for Fitbit. After I installed it and opened it I noticed that a new category was there. I is called "Track your exercise". It appears to be very similar to the mapmywalk app that I currently have linked to my Fitbit. A GPS that can track and log your exercise. From what I can tell this is similar to the IOS update that rolled out for Iphone a few months ago. If that is the case, then I was wondering what peoples experiences have been with it.
This morning my Android phone had an update available for Fitbit. After I installed it and opened it I noticed that a new category was there. I is called "Track your exercise". It appears to be very similar to the mapmywalk app that I currently have linked to my Fitbit. A GPS that can track and log your exercise. From what I can tell this is similar to the IOS update that rolled out for Iphone a few months ago. If that is the case, then I was wondering what peoples experiences have been with it.
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So far not good, it overrides my One’s step count and it is out by quite some way. A Facebook group I am in has confirmed it’s a bug so I am waiting for the Android phone updates before giving a proper opinion.0
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Thanks for the heads up. I think I will leave it alone for now.0
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Phil, you mean even if you're wearing your One it will estimate the steps from the gps track instead? Any chance this could be a time zone issue? I took a 37 minute walk at lunch with the new updated app (on a nexus 5 android 4.4.4) and didn't notice anything sketchy, but didn't do a serious back to back comparison. Actually was pretty happy they added this new feature but not sure what to think now... Also what happens when you lose gps signal while the gps app is running?0
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I use the FitBit Flex. I tried the 'Track my Exercise' for the first time today. (I have the LG G3.) I also have 'Map My Fitness'. Usually I use MMF for my walks. I have noticed that the miles are off between FitBit and MMF. I did not do a measured setup for the lengths of my walking and running strides, I went with the automatic stride length. Is it possible that this is what is happening? It was pouring rain this morning so I didn't do a route that I already have saved on MMF. I will be going out again tomorrow and will use both apps at the same time. I will try to remember to post here afterwards.0
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Depends on if you want accuracy in calories or steps.
What's more important to you - losing weight and therefore knowing what you really burned which effects what you really ate, or a step goal.
It is tracking by GPS your mileage - instead of calculating your mileage on seen steps and assumed stride length, and calories based on those better stats.
When it logs it as a workout, just like a manual walk/run logged activity, the mileage is trusted over the steps - the steps is actually recalculated for the assumed stride length.
Same thing happens if you manually log a walk/run with known distance.
So if steps go down or up - you have your stride length wrong.
But the mileage and calorie burn are more accurate.
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Depends on if you want accuracy in calories or steps.
What's more important to you - losing weight and therefore knowing what you really burned which effects what you really ate, or a step goal.
It is tracking by GPS your mileage - instead of calculating your mileage on seen steps and assumed stride length, and calories based on those better stats.
When it logs it as a workout, just like a manual walk/run logged activity, the mileage is trusted over the steps - the steps is actually recalculated for the assumed stride length.
Same thing happens if you manually log a walk/run with known distance.
So if steps go down or up - you have your stride length wrong.
But the mileage and calorie burn are more accurate.
Thanks for the explanation - the clearest I've read - but I don't see why, when synced, the actual steps can't override the GPS-estimated steps (without affecting the calorie ount or active minutes). The main pedometer steps are bound to be the most accurate, so why does the MobileRun figure take priority?
I spent a while in Summer working out my stride length and I got it as near as I could, but it is still a few hundred out per 10,000 steps when done as an activity compared to as the normal step count.0 -
Phil, you mean even if you're wearing your One it will estimate the steps from the gps track instead? Any chance this could be a time zone issue? I took a 37 minute walk at lunch with the new updated app (on a nexus 5 android 4.4.4) and didn't notice anything sketchy, but didn't do a serious back to back comparison. Actually was pretty happy they added this new feature but not sure what to think now... Also what happens when you lose gps signal while the gps app is running?
Yes, it also overrides the actual step count, which I find very odd. I am really hoping this is a bug and gets corrected.0 -
It's because the feed from that aspect of the app is seen as any other synced account or manual entry for walking or running, and they have just setup their method of dealing with walking/running entries to replace all stats actually seen by the Fitbit.
Yes, seems it should be easy fix. Keep the steps, or option to keep the seen steps. Replace distance and calorie burn.
Just a flaky way of doing it. Not a bug. It's probably saving them some backend programming.
Hopefully they'll figure it out. All they need to do is when an activity comes in that is tagged as running or walking, replace only the miles and calories, leave the steps. But give option to update them if desired.
Kind of like MFP throws the calorie adjustment from many daily trackers like Fitbit under Exercise, and therefore just treats it like exercise. Even though it could totally be normal increased daily activity and no exercise.
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