Alta battery not holding a charge as long

[SunsetRunner]

I got my Alta in early August 2016. It used to keep a full charge for a couple days after I charged it. Not anymore. I charged it yesterday and not even 24 hours later it's down to medium. I Googled it and tried the following - auto sync is off and movement reminders are off so I'm not killing the battery with those. What's going on? I had a Zip for two years no problems at all. I'm upset. 

[JMWI2017]

My Alta is also no longer functioning as expected.  I got mine in Feb. 2016 and in the last month I have had to charge it every other day.  It used to keep a charge for five days.  I have turned off hourly notifications and all other syncs were already off - as recommended online.  Not a happy camper.  My Zip had problems with battery life, so I got the Alta.  My next purchase may not be from Fitbit.

[SunsetRunner]

My next step will be calling Fitbit. If they can't help, sadly I may be done with Fitbit too.

Jessica Black

[CHUTT68]

I received my Alta on November 17.16 and noticed a change about a week and a half ago. Mine was holding a charge for a week then suddenly it went down to three days then no communication with my phone letting me now the battery was low. This morning when I woke up it was dead and again no email it was low. Will be calling tomorrow. 

[Ichy]

I have been reading the forums and this seems to be a common problem. I too am experiencing the same issue in the same time frame as most have mentioned. Very frustrating as I love my Alta minus this very aggravating and frustrating problem!

[Pink44 · Accepted solution]

I'm having the same problem.  I have tried all the suggestions from this site, to no avail.  I have had Fitbits since May, 2014, and never had an issue like this.  I had read (before getting my Alta) that it was suggested to preserve the battery it should be charged only by connecting to a USB port, not plugged in to an electrical outlet, so I have always done that with this Fitbit.  I think it's an issue that needs to be addressed by Fitbit.

[LucyAP]

It's great to see that you've visited the Fitbit Community @Pink44, @JMWI2017, @SunsetRunner, @CHUTT68 and @Ichy! Thanks for sharing your experience with Fitbit Alta. You can try a couple of suggestions. 

• Check if the contacts on the tracker are dirty. To clean the charging contacts, use the instructions in How do I clean my  tracker?
• The USB port or outlet is faulty.If you haven't done so, try a different port. A UL-certified wall charger will also work. Don't use a USB hub.
• The tracker isn't connected securely to the charging cable. Check the alignment and try reconnecting your tracker to the charging cable. For illustrations and tips on how to know if the connection is secure, see How do I charge my tracker?
• When in doubt, it doesn't hurt to turn your tracker off and back on. For instructions see How do I restart my tracker?

If this doesn't help, please contact Support for further help. Just make sure to let them know about the troubleshooting steps you already took.

Good luck and keep me posted! 😉 

[Pink44]

Thank you for your suggestions. I have tried them all. I contacted Support and they are having me do a battery check, which is almost done. Hopefully, that will lead to more suggestions or a remedy.

[LucyAP]

Thanks for the update @Pink44! I'm sure they can find a way to help out. Remember to keep me posted with the outcome or if you have more questions. 

Catch you later! 😉 

[Mskmac]

I have had to charge my Fitbit three days in a row. Each time, it is plugged into a USB.. I have never had this issue. I bought it on 2016. I used to charge once every three days..Help!!!

[Pink44]

I had the same problem and finally had to contact Fitbit customer service.  They had me do a battery test.  It showed a defect. so they replaced the Alta tracker (not the band.). No problems since.  They were extremely helpful and responsive.  

Just an aside....  I had always charged with an adapter and an electrical outlet, not USB connection.  Then I read that the battery wouldn't last as long if you didn't use the USB to charge, so I started doing that.  Maybe just a coincidence, but that's when I started having the battery issues. So after getting the replacement tracker, I switched back to the adapter/electric outlet for charging and haven't had any more battery problems,  May be worth a try once your problem is solved.

[Mskmac]

Thank you for the information..

[Wiggly1]

I seem to ba having the same issue.  I have had the Alta for a while but no issues.  Within the last 3 weeks it shows fully charged and within 12 hours it is dead.  No warning, not notifications, nothing.

suggestions?

[Pink44]

I wound up contacting customer service. They had me do a battery test and then replaced the tracker (not the band).  They were very helpful and I've had no issues since.  Good luck!

[Cherylkoehler]

I just got my Alta yesterday.  I charged it overnight.  I’ve had to charge it twice today.  I am using the charger supplied and plug it into a wall with an iPhone usb ....thing

[mischcan]

My FitBit Alta is only working when plugged in. As soon as the charging cable is unplugged, it goes black and does not work.

Contacted support but they say I am out of warranty by a few months and have to buy a new one.

Anyone know how I can change the battery? I cannot afford to spend so much money on a new FitBit especially since they seem to stop working so easily.

[sKalert]

Lots of talk on here about doing a battery test. Can someone explain that process so that I can test it first before calling. My Alta doesn't last 2 hours after charging via USB port until it reads full. 

[Wiggly1]

Totally tired of the issues. Apple Watch is now working much better than the fitbit...

Totally Bummed.

[Wallace11]

Threw mine brand new Alta HR in the trash rather than waste time on rubbish tech. Battery could never hold a charge, support no help ditto the store. The price of a decent meal lost. 

[Wallace11]

So how long have you worked for fitbit?  I'm getting nowhere, zero assistance just repetitive requests links to reset.