Fitbit Alta doesn't work unless plugged in to charger although battery shows at full

[AngieBrown]

My Fitbit is nearly 3 years old and working fine then suddenly the display was lost, activity tracking and synching and although on checking the battery is full. Display and synching only possible when the Fitbit is plugged in through charger

[AngieBrown]

That’s helpful thanks. What’s the number?!

[traceyhot]

I looked up Fitbit.com and under help is the number

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @stolendreams84 @renzrosell @Apowers12 @NorahZhou @GO2840 @RachelC08 @nancy57 @JessicaZehr @smrenee @Taffydog @Tara2669 @Wanderlust107 @JonathanChapman @traceyhot @DivyaJain. It's nice to see you around @janna_gale @StevenMillen @MMP-21 @AngieBrown. I am sorry for the delayed response. 

@stolendreams84 @traceyhot @DivyaJain I appreciate your participation in the Forums and sharing the details of the issue with your Fitbit Alta's screen. Thank you for your efforts to resolve this, I am glad to hear you love your tracker. I've shared your post with our Support team and they've mentioned that you already have a case with them, please continue working with them. I know they will be glad to help you out and provide you a solution.

@traceyhot I am glad to hear you're getting a replacement!

@renzrosell @Apowers12 @GO2840 @smrenee @Taffydog @Wanderlust107 thank you for joining the conversation and sharing that you're experiencing the same issue. Have you tried to restart your device to see if this helps: How do I restart my Fitbit device?

@Taffydog I totally understand how you are feeling and appreciate your feedback, your participation in the forums and your efforts to help other users. We're constantly working on improving our devices and user experiences. If the issue persists after trying to restart your device, please let me know. Our Support team will be glad to review your options based on your warranty. 

@Wanderlust107 if the issue persists after the restart, please let me know and I will be glad to forward your case to Support for them to assist you further and provide a solution. 

@Tara2669 I'm sorry to hear about your experience with your Fitbit Alta which you got in February. I understand how frustrating this is for you and would like to confirm if you've tried to restart your device? 

@NorahZhou @JessicaZehr @JonathanChapman thanks so much for taking the time to troubleshoot the issue with your device. Since the steps you tried didn't work, I've gone ahead and escalated your case to our Support team, for them to assist you further and provide a solution. Please keep an eye on your inbox for further instructions.

@JonathanChapman thank you for sharing that you received the tracker as a gift. Our Support team will be glad to review your warranty options. The warranty period depends on the country of residence and you can take a look at this page for more information about the warranty policy.

@janna_gale I'm sorry to hear about your experience, I understand how you are feeling when the device is no longer covered by the warranty, but even though our Customer Support is eager to help with any problem you may experience with the product, they do need to adhere to the official warranty policy. I appreciate your understanding. 

@RachelC08 thank you for your troubleshooting efforts. I appreciate the purchase details you provided. I totally understand how you are feeling. Since the issue persists, I've sent your case to our Support team so they can investigate further. You will receive an email from them soon.

@nancy57 thank you for joining the conversation and sharing the issue you're experiencing with your Fitbit devices. I am sorry to hear you are going through this situation. I totally understand how you are feeling and appreciate your feedback. Our team is always working on improving our devices and user experiences, and your comments are always welcome. I've gone ahead and escalated your case to our Support team, for them to assist you further. Please keep an eye on your inbox.

@StevenMillen @MMP-21 I appreciate your participation in the forums and sharing your feedback and thoughts. We're constantly striving to improve Fitbit products and services, and we very much appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers. 

@AngieBrown you can use this link to get in touch with Customer Support. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[Tara2669]

I have tried restarting many times. At first it worked, but now it no longer does. Cannot hold a charge. I need a replacement or a refund.

[stolendreams84]

Thank you for the reply! Unfortunately, they are saying that there is nothing that they can do. They gave me a 25% discount on a new Fitbit, unfortunately they no longer sell the Fitbit Alta. Which is a bummer because that was the one I liked the most. 

Hopefully they figure out the issues and get them resolved. Because I don't want to leave Fitbit all together, but this could easily cause me to leave this platform if it happens again. 

[Ireneu]

Mine works only for a few days then display turns off and when I go to sync it, it only shows “looking” not “syncing”. It does have some battery (59%). Then I charge it and it will sync. 

[stolendreams84]

Honestly, call customer support. There isn't a fix for this. It seems to be a software issue that they do not intend to fix.

The only thing I can think is that they are trying to faze them out. 

I received a 25% discount to buy a new Fitbit. 

[janna_gale]

You see the problem here is all the same, whether I am in warranty or not,
old user or new. It's obviously a common problem among Fitbit users. Take
note, this thread is not just one but there are also several threads
complaining about this. Anyway, I've already accepted that my Alta is all
gone now. I am just amused that you can still provide us a concrete
solution.

[huker325]

So..after all the chats, the new charger and more chats...it's a battery issue...

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @Ireneu .Thank you for your replies @Tara2669 @stolendreams84 @janna_gale @huker325. I am sorry for the delayed response. 

@Tara2669 thank you for your efforts to resolve the issue. I've shared your case with our Support team, they will continue assisting you on this matter and will be glad to review your warranty options. 

@stolendreams84 thank you for your advice and feedback, we're constantly working on improving our devices and user experiences. I understand your concern, but hope that the discount will help keep you in the Fitbit family. 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. I encourage you to take a look at our latest models to find a device that’s right for you. Take our quiz on http://www.fitbit.com/compare to see which device meets your needs best.

@Ireneu thank you for joining the conversation and sharing the experience with your tracker. I appreciate your efforts to resolve the issue. I recommend restarting your device to see if this helps. 

@janna_gale @huker325 thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and experience; comments from users are always useful to continue improving the quality of products and services.

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[dwthomas]

no it's not!

[dwthomas]

yes the Alta is being phased out.. to be replaced by the Inspire.. that does not mean the Fitbit should just drop all the Alta's .. doesn't seem like good customer service to me!

[huker325]

Well, apparently for laughs and giggles...I'm taking mine off the charger and just letting the battery drain down to nothing...going to put in on the charger in 3 days to see what happens.  

[LiliyaFitbit]

It's nice to see you around @dwthomas @huker325. I am sorry for the delayed response. 

@dwthomas thank you for your feedback. 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. Please note that we’ll continue to support Alta from a software standpoint, along with any questions you might have during your use of the product. You can take a look at this page for more information about the warranty policy.

@huker325 thank you for your input, I appreciate your time and efforts. 

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

[SharinaH]

I see that several people are having the same issue with their Fitbit. Mine is fully charged, but will shut down without any reason. Other than "restarting it" has anyone found a solution to stop/ prevent this from happening? Very frustrating!!!

[huker325]

Right now I'm fairly disgusted.  The company isn't doing anything about the issue...apparently they're truly done with the Alta.  After numerous attempts to get help, advice or even information I actually started looking at other brands...here's the irony.  Consumer Reports rates the Alta above the Charge 3 and the Inspire.  So...you made a great product that you don't care about or you're actively letting them crap out.  There were only 2 other devices that rated higher by the way...only 2...

I've got some decisions to make, feel free to advise me...

[Taffydog]

I feel exactly the same and I have now completely given up on my Alta as it repeatedly shuts down until I connect it to the charger and then I have to update the date and time every time so mine is now lying in a drawer and will probably end up in the bin.

Sent from my iPhone

[BDiane]

My Alta is 6 months old. Every two weeks it stops syncing, then it takes 3 to 4 days to reset and sync again. Now it has the same issue as others... It is charged but only works a few seconds after unplugged from charger. I called today was on hold for 22 minutes and gave up. Tried calling again tonite, still on hold 10 minutes later.

[Joanne_12]

Same problem ...cleaned contacts., restarted by pressing the button 3 times with in 4 seconds..this is my 4th Fitbit,  the first 2 were Charge HR's that basically fell apart where you connect the charger cord.

then I got an Alta, that died and silly me , I bought another Alta in May 2018. I am extremity disappointed in the Fitbit company for not coming forward and admitting that the latest update has rendered all our Alta's useless! I will not be recommending Fitbit to anyone ! and no, I do not want 25 % off another one , I want a new one that will work for more than one year, for free!

[renzrosell]

i restarting it many times and it doesn't work, it still doesn't work when its not plug to the charger. please, tell what i should do?