Alta randomly shutting off

[dmcbeck]

I searched through postings and don't see one answer that solved this problem. My Alta is about two years old and suddenly this month has started shutting down without warning. Doesn't matter if the battery is fully charged or half full, just shuts off. I have reset it & I've cleaned it. I have an iPhone 6.

As I read through the forum I see this has been an ongoing problem since the beginning of the year. Has anyone at Fitbit found out why? I also see that it's being recommended to purchase a new one. Why would I buy another one if the problem hasn't been solved. Two years isn't a long time, was working perfectly until July. Anyone have any other suggestions? 

[Wilfwalker]

Mine was out of warranty and support offered me a discount so I’ve bitten the bullet. It was fine one day then switching off randomly the next. New one arriving this week. 

[MBJinty]

After reading all of these reviews with issues and no resolution- looks like I’ll be wasting time going to customer service. My Alta is only 11 months old and I’m really disappointed this is happening! I’ll try to get at least a replacement.

Moderator edit: format

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone. Thanks for participating in the Community Forums. I'm sorry for my delayed response, and I'll continue helping you with your Alta devices.

I appreciate the time that you took to share your thoughts about your Alta and our team. I see where are you coming from, and I'm sorry that you've had this experience. Fitbit relies on the Community posts to improve our devices based on your feedback. Your comments will not be taken for granted, as it'll help us to evaluate and work on our products and overall environment.

@Carlikin, @Shepat and @ERC5, thanks for letting me know about your Alta devices, and I'm sorry that you've had this experience with them. To help you out with this, may I know if you've tried to clean the contacts, restart your devices, as well to charge them with other USB ports or a UL-certified wall charger? Please confirm this information so I can go ahead and share your information to our Support Team.

@SunsetRunner and @sjsevera, thanks for sharing detailed information about the behavior on your Alta devices, as well for the troubleshooting steps that you've tried. You did a good job, and since the issue persists I've requested a case on your behalf so you can receive further assistance. Make sure to check your inbox.

@di410s, @MBJinty and @dianizon, thanks for bringing this to my attention, as well for your efforts while trying to get your Fitbit devices working again. I've been informed by our team that you already have a case created with them. They're currently providing you with assistance, I'd suggest to keep working with them so you can receive more details about your case.

See you around.

[Krissyk1]

Exact issue for me, and I've had mine for LESS than a WEEK.

[ERC5]

Yes. I clean the contacts when I recharge, and have followed the reset instructions. Device now shows charging screen while I am wearing it, before reverting to clock.

[Amag5]

@Krissyk1 You’re in the refund window so I would get your money back and run away from Fitbit! They don’t deserve your money. Read through the forum. The moderators just copy and paste generic responses but offer no real answers as to why the Alta stopped working. 

[dianizon]

Sent back and got a refurbished one that started doing the turn off 2 days after I fully charged and wore it. My next complaint a week later was answered by coupon 50% off so I replaced it with inspired hr  at reasonable cost. Been with a Fitbit 5+ yrs now. 

[MBJinty]

Exactly what are they doing and why haven’t they let me know?
I’ve only seen emails from the Community- those who are experiencing the same issue.

I have 2 questions -

1. How will they contact me?
2. When will they contact me?

That information would be helpful.
Thanks



Sent from my iPhone

[Denny4]

I’m searching because both my little girls bought Fitbit Alta with their own money and I noticed they stopped wearing them recently.  Both having the same problem!   It’s crazy.... and now they basically threw their money away which is hard to explain to kids why they worked so hard to save but now it won’t wotk.   I have a couple fitbit One devices much older than these that I’ve not had trouble with (*knock on wood).   This problem was reported in july and after all the comments and no resolution by Fitbit I’m struggling with this as a reasonable outcome.   Hope to find a resolution soon.  I checked for firmware updates but the device is up to date.  Would be great if Fitbit would provide instructions to end users for what to do next.   This can’t be a user or single device issue considering the volume and timing.  

[dmcbeck]

MBJinty, they won't and if they do contact you they will give you no solution and no advice. THEY DON'T CARE! My advise? Don't purchase another Fitbit. Money talks.

[SunsetRunner]

@MBJinty , one of the Fitbit moderators took note of the replies and comments I had left, and it seems they opened a case with my account since I provided a bunch of troubleshooting information. I received an email noting that a case had been opened for my account so a customer representative could log and investigation of my device issues. I'm currently in conversation with a rep, which so far has included them giving me the official device restart instructions and asking me to confirm I've followed those steps correctly. I have been following those steps, so I replied their email with a list of the persisting issues and what I've had to do as work-arounds so my Alta Fitbit is still somewhat functional. 

In short: if you don't email customer support directly, a community moderator may take note of your account if you keep posting to the thread here. You'll receive an email from Fitbit saying they've opened a case for you. From what others are saying, it seems like the result of communicating with customer support may lead to a modest discount on a newer model device. From what other forums are saying, there was a recent firmware update that screwed with the devices, and that's why so many people are reporting to have encountered this issue at the same time. I'm not confident much will come of this beyond the company encouraging customers to just buy a newer model Fitbit. 

[SunsetRunner]

From what I've read on various forums, a firmware update (likely in July) is what messed up the devices. That's why so many of us are reporting the issue starting around the same time. 

No idea if the company is working on a firmware update to repair the damage, or if they're just offering discounts and encouraging customers to buy a different model Fitbit. It's super frustrating. 

As a work-around: I've found that charging my Alta overnight each night helps keep it alive for use during the following daytime hours. I can't use it to track my sleep cycles anymore because it starts shutting down again after about 24-36hrs of continuous use, but charging it overnight does seem to keep it functional for daytime activities. Definitely frustrating. Might be worth trying this overnight charging method with your kids' fitbits so they can get some use out of them.

[Krissyk1]

Thank you. I appreciate all of this.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Denny4]

Agreed! I won’t be buying another Fitbit and nobody in my family either
unless there’s a fix or replacement. How does a mom tell two little girls
that saved their money for months “it was a bad buy”. They didn’t buy junk
toys... they saved for something that should hold up longer!

[Mummysj]

I have exactly the same issue! Charge up at night, dead by morning. I’ve reset several times. My Alta is 2 years old

[Jkalz4]

I've been experiencing the same issues since July. I've restarted, uninstalled and reinstalled my Alta and well as the App. At 1st I believed I had to simply turn off "all day sync" and that would solve the problem, not so lucky. I can only go a few hours with a full charge, then it's dead. The "battery charging" icon is always on display when tapping the screen or rotating my wrist to get the time etc. Please advise, as I really want to be able to count on my Alta again. 

[MBJinty]

Thanks for this information - hopefully I’ll hear from a customer service rep soon. It’s very annoying as I’m sure you’ll agree.
Good luck with yours!

Sent from my iPhone

[MBJinty]

I appreciate this advice - since I really want to track my daily activity I’ll give this a try. I was interest in my sleep pattern too but if this helps I’ll give it up - grudgingly though.

thank you!!

[Mummysj]

Support told me to fully charge and then report to them when it drained. They said it should be 5 days, it lasted 14 hours! I’ll see what they say next. Hope you get yours sorted!

[Krissyk1]

Thanks!Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone