FitBit Charge - Delete Steps "Earned" While Driving in a Car

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DumbDoorKnob
DumbDoorKnob Posts: 31 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there,

This is my first full day using a FitBit Charge and I'm having a hard time understanding how I can delete steps that showed up while I was driving to and from work. I found the Delete Data faq on fitbit's website (http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/Can-I-delete-data) and this is not helpful, when I go to the activity log it does not find the activity Automobile or light truck (not a semi) driving. When I try to create a custom one using that title it makes me input calories burned, to which I type 0 and then it won't let me log it.

Can someone please help? I don't want to be discouraged on my first day using it, I want those 834 steps removed! Thank you!
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Replies

  • DumbDoorKnob
    DumbDoorKnob Posts: 31 Member
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    Okay found how to log the driving activity, but it does not remove steps/stairs/etc earned doing that timeframe as the FAQ section said it would. Anyone else have this problem? Anyone have a way of fixing this? Thanks.
  • DumbDoorKnob
    DumbDoorKnob Posts: 31 Member
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    So just in case anyone is looking this information up and comes across this thread, I spoke with FitBit customer service and apparently this is a known issue that they don't have a fix for right now but they are working on it. They are aware that the steps aren't coming off when you update your activity to show that you were in the car for a period of time. In the meantime I'm going to return my FitBit as obviously the stats it gives me means nothing. If it were only adding 1 or 2 steps during my car rides that would be fine, but it's literally adding hundreds of steps that equal over a 1,000 at the end of the day. Will look into getting one again after I can confirm that they have fixed the issue.
  • mesal65
    mesal65 Posts: 2
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    Thank you for the info :)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I can see your frustration but for others, bear in mind that 1000 steps is about 10 minutes of walking, and we do burn calories above BMR while driving, too. Fitbits aren't so much to get a literal step count but to get a rough baseline of your activity levels to motivate you to improve over time.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    So, pedometer that counts bad step counts. lol. My fitbit flex was doing that, logging steps while I was asleep, even though it was also tracking sleep. >_<
  • vreddi
    vreddi Posts: 18 Member
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    is it worth getting at Fitbit??

  • hoktauri
    hoktauri Posts: 24 Member
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    I turned it to dominant so it takes more to register a step, I love my fitbit but if you move your hands a lot it's going to count it as something. Inherent tradeoff in the design.
  • AgentOrangeJuice
    AgentOrangeJuice Posts: 1,069 Member
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    vreddi wrote: »
    is it worth getting at Fitbit??

    It's worth it if it motivates you to do more. However, in hind sight, I'd totally go with a GPS Watch like the Polar M400.

  • irchrismm
    irchrismm Posts: 95 Member
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    The Surge coming out soon would probably be better as that is a 24hour HRM versus just counting steps. I have short commutes, so it doesn't add very many steps to my count.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I have a tracker with continuous HR monitoring and I really don't see much advantage to the heart rate data, but I haven't really figured out yet if it causes things like cycling to be tracked better. And I don't really use them for calorie estimates, just motivation to move more. I guess it's good to see that my walking could be more vigorous, for general health purposes. And that my resting HR is in the range I already knew it was.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    vreddi wrote: »
    is it worth getting at Fitbit?

    I find my Fitbit Flex really motivating. It buzzes & lights up when I hit goal, so if I get home and see I'm thisclose to goal, I walk around the block.

    I get extra "steps" in the shower & stuff, but your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). I've maintained for six months, so my Fitbit burn is obviously accurate.
  • rnegrey
    rnegrey Posts: 3 Member
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    there is an app for the fitbit when you're driving. I think it's called drivebit, it's in the play store. It seems to be working for me, I usually have to take my phone out of my pocket to sit down anyway, so I just hit the button, then again when I get out of the car.
  • kkdeese
    kkdeese Posts: 1
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    DDR, thanks for this info. I was trying to figure out why logging the driving didn't change anything like the website said it should. I have to say---I am disappointed to have my fitbit be so inaccurate right off the bat, followed by incorrect info on the website. Plus they say they have done research etc, to keep the driving from affecting the fiibit much - I was driving on regular roads, no extra bumps, etc, and had 300 steps added. I expect some wiggle room, but still...
  • StvnLucr
    StvnLucr Posts: 1 Member
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    Easy for you. I'm a bus driver. My overpriced watch logs over 10000 steps I don't do
  • tommyrog
    tommyrog Posts: 1 Member
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    I've just tried this. If you search for Driving (add it to your favourites) Then it will remove all the steps for that time period. You just need to know a start time and duration.
  • cmcdermo73
    cmcdermo73 Posts: 1 Member
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    Still confirmed as an issue by Fitbit. They have since released another app called DriveBit. I am not interested in having to use another app.

    I drive 120 miles per day to work and back. So i have been getting around 2k-3k steps extra each day, even going through the messing about of logging in via the laptop and deleting data from the logs doesn't actually delete steps??????

    I feel the fitbit should clearly display this on the packaging, i have spent £129.99 on the fitbit HR and after 3 months of emails i have found out the product and the stats it produces are a waste of time.
  • FohnGirl
    FohnGirl Posts: 1 Member
    edited March 2016
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    My fitbit flex also adds hundreds of steps during driving. I understand that calories are burned constantly, but they don't add up to THAT much. Fitbit should include a setting, like the sleep setting, that doesn't count the steps while driving (even though I sometimes also get steps while sleeping)... I also have added Driving on activity and it does not get rid of the steps during that time period. I also do not want to use another app just for driving. They should make them all into one.
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
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    I had this issue when I was working in retail. Folding a shirt would give me anywhere between 7-15 steps even with the "dominant wrist" setting.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    I've never noticed this problem with my One. Is this just a Flex/Surge/whateverothernameforbracelettracker problem?
  • kuroshii
    kuroshii Posts: 168 Member
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    My Zip does not log steps when I drive either. Might be a "bracelet-worn tracker" thing. Yet another reason why I'm not as thrilled with the idea of wearing one on my wrist. ::shrug::

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