Alta keeps dying when fully charged

[Whatisthewifi]

Hello,

I've been having continuous issues with the Alta line of fitbits. I was gifted one just over a month ago, and within the 1st week it kept dying. 

It was fully charged and I tried resetting it. This would work as a very temporary fix, as it would die again within the next couple hours. 

Figured maybe it was just a faulty watch, so I went back to Sportcheck and exchanged it for a new Alta. Problem is, I am having the exact same issues with this new Alta as well. 

I really want to use this product, but at this point it just seems like a poorly made gadget built to die. I've read countless reports of the same problem with this device, and am hoping the Fitbit company can do something about this situation. 

I could easily go and exchange the watch again, but I dont know if its worth it if the product is just bad. 

Hope to hear from a representative. 

Thank you,

Brooke

[LJR46]

New Alta has worked for one week, then quit suddenly two days ago just as I started an exercise. Unfortunately didn’t notice until I check 4 hours later. 😞 It had been fully charged in the morning, then suddenly was ! I recharged it via USB outlet and is working now. Have already had to restart it twice! Yow.

[Jetwall]

Tried all the recommendations but Alta still dies.

Moderator edit: removed personal information

[laura316]

I’m having the same problem. My Alta can be fully charged and stop working. This is the 3rd one it’s happened with. Sure it works for a whole after resetting but that’s not helpful when I’m out and want to know the time etc. I’m ready to move on to a different tracker option. Here I am out with my mother and grandkids for the day and no display on my fully charged Alta. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Jetwall and @LJR46, I'm glad to see you around. @laura316, welcome on board.

@Jetwall, thanks for getting back. @laura316, thanks for restarting your device. You have done a great job to get your device back on track! Since the issue persists, I've gone ahead and contacted our Support Team on your behalf. They'll be contacting you back via email.

@LJR46, thanks for letting me know what has worked on your Alta. I appreciate your efforts in trying the restart process and if this happens again, don't hesitate to let me know.

[Ferry22]

I've been having the same problem with my Alta switching off when fully charged. It's disappointing to read all the emails that this problem is so widespread and seemingly unsolvable. I've tried all the solutions suggested to no avail. My Alta is almost two years old (almost out of warranty) so I'm feeling quite cynical that this is just a devious way to try to get people to keep buying new trackers. A shame as it's otherwise a great product but I might have to look around for a different tracker.

[Halenbopp]

Hello Everyone.  I thought I would reply with an update of my Fitbit Alta HR issues.  There is a good outcome, so please let me explain my experience, which may help others. 

Like many of you, I was very frustrated with my Fitbit losing charge very quickly; in under 1 day.  I received a replacement Fitbit as mine was still under warranty.  That replacement had the same problems.  I requested/received another (2nd) replacement through warranty guidelines.  That Fitbit had the same problems.  I received a 3rd replacement, but this Fitbit would not even hold charge and the readout often did not work.  I received a 4th replacement that had the same issues. 

Now the good part. 

To receive my 5th replacement, customer service instructed me to mail back my Fitbit AND my power cord.  I did so and received the 5th replacement.  I also was instructed to update my Fitbit Mobile App (Firmware version).   This 5th replacement is working just fine...holding charge for at least 6 days if I do not turn on all day sync.

So, I figure that Fitbit had some software changes or updates pushed to the Fitbit Alta HR that caused issues with charging/holding charge.  My advice is to use your warranty and get replacements as the company seems to have worked through the problem.  From my perspective, there can be a positive outcome to this possible software/sync/charge glitch.  Technology is not foolproof.  And, use your warranty options like I did.

Yes, I know that some Fitbit owners no longer have a warranty, but I wanted to provide some positive feedback on my experience as it may help others.

Halenbopp

[Ferry22]

Hi Halenbopp

Thanks for getting in touch. My problem however is not the fitbit losing its charge. In common with many others on this forum, it just randomly shuts down, not logging any steps etc. For instance, today I walked around 10 kilometres but when I got home, I'd logged only 176 steps even though it was 80%charged. This is annoying as I'm taking part in a charity walk which requires me to log at least 10,000 steps per day so it's very frustrating.

But good to know that you at last have a happy result.

Ferry22

Sent from my iPad

[tdraper12]

I am having the same issue.  I even bought a new charger from the FitBit store to ensure it had the reset button as I didn't realize my replacement one I got a while ago was compatible but not official FitBit product.  My Alta keeps crashing when the charging level shows in the middle -- about the halfway point.   I usually use a wall charger because I do not have regular access to a laptop/computer that my FitBit can be plugged into -- and because I didn't know it would affect battery life.  What else can be tried at this stage?

[MommaBear73]

@LizzyFitbit I am having a similar issue with my trusty Fitbit.  It will still fully charge when plugged in, but after about a minute off of the charger the screen goes blank and does not work.  When I plug it back in, it restarts and shows a full charge.  I've cleaned it, restarted it, removed from account and readded it, and nearly anything else you can think of to fix it, with no positive outcomes.  Is there hope that it might be saved?  It is about 2 years old and started showing these signs about a month ago, turning itself off after having a half of battery life, and progressively getting worse. Please help! Thank you!

[StevenMillen]

There is no fix for this problem. Unfortunately, there are many posts here about the issue and Fitbit has not put forth any meaningful solution.

they may offer you 25% off a new Fitbit or a replacement Alta (although the same thing will eventually happen to your replacement Alta). 

[LJR46]

Agreed. I finally gave up after returning two altas and bought an “Inspire”. Similar problems. Reinstalling, turning off and on phone and computer, checking updates, and frequently dropping internet connections, so not counting steps. Honestly!

[Rubberleg]

I'll add to the chorus of 'me too' here. My issues started yesterday, after charging my Alta fully, I didn't notice the blank screen til I got home and saw no steps were logged for the day. It's over 3 years old so well out of warranty. On plugging in again the screen came back to life and is currently working, but it's hard to rely on it now I know it can randomly shut down... 

[AbhiD]

Fitbit has made this very clear now. It is making its older devices useless, so people buy their latest models.

It’s been a long time when this issue was raised to them and no update is released yet. This is very unfortunate and clear indication that they don’t even want to fix it.

Best Regards

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[user99999]

I'd just like to add a "ME TOO".

4 month old Alta becomes completely unresponsive, battery definitely not flat.  Can be revived by simply connecting to the charger for 3 seconds.  Then works for hours, days, sometjimes minutes.  Then dies again.  Restarting make no appreciable difference to behaviour

It isn't a battery problem

It isn't a charging contacts aren't clean problem

It's an Alta not working problem.  

And it appears the moderator has even given up on this thread.

So this is going back.  They get one shot at a replacement, if that doesn't work it's money back as the goods are clearly not fit for purpose.

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @user99999 @Ferry22 @tdraper12 @MommaBear73. It's nice to see you around @AbhiD @Rubberleg @LJR46 @Halenbopp @StevenMillen. I am sorry for the delayed response.  

@Halenbopp I appreciate your participation in the Forums and sharing your experience with Fitbit Alta HR and Customer Support. I'm glad to hear that you had a great experience with them and your replacement device is working fine. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback as it's really important to us. Our team is always working on improving our devices and user experiences. I am sure your advice will be helpful to other users. 

@MommaBear73 @Ferry22 @tdraper12 I'm sorry to hear about the issue you're experiencing with your trackers. Thank you for your efforts to resolve the issue. I've sent your information to the Customer Support team so they can get in touch with you and provide further assistance. You should be getting a reply soon. 

@StevenMillen thank you for your input. Our Support team always try to help in the best possible manner according to the Fitbit Warranty. Thank you for your time and feedback since this helps us to keep improving.

@LJR46 thank you for sharing your experience. I would like to confirm if you've tried to restart the device and if you continue experiencing difficulties with your new tracker after that? I will be glad to assist you further.  

@Rubberleg thank you for joining the conversation and sharing that you're experiencing the same issue. I appreciate the information that your tracker is over 3 years old. Have you tried to restart your device to see if this helps: How do I restart my Fitbit device?

@AbhiD thank you for your time and feedback. While we introduce new products and make changes to our product line, we continue support Fitbit Alta.

@user99999 thank you for sharing the details of the issue you're experiencing with your device and the steps you've tried to resolve it. Your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated, we're constantly working on improving our devices and user experiences. I am glad to hear you're getting a replacement device and hope you continue enjoying Fitbit experience. 

[AbhiD]

As mentioned by you, that Fitbit is still supporting Alta devices.
Then how come there isn't any firmware update from last so many months?

*Regards*

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[LiliyaFitbit]

Hi @AbhiD, thank you for your reply. 

I appreciate your feedback regarding the firmware update. As we introduce new products, we occasionally make changes to our product line to keep you on track with the most up-to-date health and fitness tracking tools. As a result, we no longer sell Fitbit Alta, but we encourage you to take a look at our latest models. We continue to support Alta from a software standpoint, along with any questions you might have during your use of the product. 

[Pjpell]

I believe you are correct, to a point.  Fitbit has no intention of even trying to correct this problem.  But more likely, Alta is on it's way out because they CAN'T fix the problem and they know it.  I owned the Charge originally.  Went thru something like 4 failed bands under warranty (couldn't change bands on those) before I upgraded to Alta.  I bought my first Alta a few yrs ago.  It was ok for most of a year, then I performed the update and began experiencing the shutdown issues.  Got my warranty replacement.  Again, same problem, but now out of warranty.  Even with the 25% discount they offered, I couldn't bring myself to spend the money knowing I was destined to have the same problem again & that Fitbit doesn't stand by their products.  I then swore off Fitbit.  I love the look of the Alta, but hate the continued problems.  Then a well-meaning relative gave me one for Christmas last yr.  So here I am again.  The "gift" lasted until about June.  I updated, then it kept dying.  Got the warranty replacement.  It wouldn't even connect for set up!  So now we're on to #3.  I set it up today, but truth is, I have no expectations that this one will last very long.

Just once I'd appreciate it if Fitbit would just come clean and admit they have a big Alta problem. Isn't it hilarious that when you call they claim no one else has experienced THIS problem?!!  Even the moderators of this community are sipping that Koolaid!  Seriously?  Look at all these complaints.  Years of them, many of mine included!  How can they keep denying the existence of this problem?

My plan now is to ride out the warranty period on this device.  But once that has expired and the Alta dies (and it will), I'm off to Garmin.  It may be a bit bulkier than I prefer, but at least they work. Perhaps if more people fled to the competition, Fitbit might take a serious interest in the quality of their products and the honesty of their representation.  T

[AbhiD]

I have a very simple question. Why is there no firmware update to Alta? And when was the last update released?

Best Regards

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Ferry22]

Hi T
Sounds like you've had a similar experience to mine. I'm on my third Fitbit product and am fed up with the customer service (or lack of). So I'll be researching the competition for a new product when my Alta warranty expires next month.

Life's too short for misplaced loyalty....

Best wishes

Sent from my iPad