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

[SunsetRunner]

Unfortunately, it seems that the battery has a limited lifespan of 2-3 years. Mine did the same about a month ago and a customer service rep walked me through numerous attempts to “fix” it, but when none worked, I was told that the battery would not hold a charge any longer and was offered a 25% discount if I ordered a new Fitbit product. Having been through 3 Charges, an Alta and 5 sets of Fitbit brand bands for the Alta over 6 years, I’ll spend my $ elsewhere this time. 

[AngieBrown]

Thanks - that’s very helpful to know why it’s not working anymore. Like you, I will not bother with the discount as for such a limited life it makes it overall an expensive purchase.

A

[Majenn]

I am having the same problem. I am running v21.40.02. The Fitbit Alta only working when plugged into charger although it is fully charged. I have tried resyncing to app. Shut down and Restarted  the phone and resynced to the app again. Any ideas what to do?

[AngieBrown]

Dear Andrea,

It seems that quite a lot of people as I have said previously have had this trouble. Someone mentioned that they’d been told that the battery does wear down and thus cannot be recharged. As this happened after less than 3 years I don’t think that I’ll buy another one, even with a discount, as it’s not good value.

Thanks

Angela

[RaphLu]

My Alta is doing the same thing (only comes on when plugged in, yet shows a full charge).  I just got mine in December (4 months old).  Was there a software update that affected all the Altas?

[theredhare]

I agree with those who are not thrilled with a discount on new product.  With bad experience with Alta, why would we buy something new from FitBit without some further guarantee?  Also, I've invested $ in different bands that only fit the Alta.  I'd have to start that all over again as well.  Not a happy client.  

[Benferrianne]

Hello, I am having similar issues, the charge is only lasting approximately 36 hours and isn't syncing with my phone. It us only 9 months old has been working perfectly before.

[kiwigirlsa]

Hi there,
Thanks for passing on the info about the battery life. I won’t be spending any more money on a Fitbit either.

Sent from my iPad

[Nje]

My Alta stops showing info on its screen also.  Even when it has medium battery. 

[Araceli143]

I’m experiencing the same thing and I’ve only had mine for a few months 😞 

[daisygirl_edh]

Hi, I just started having this same issue. I plugged in my fitbit Alta to charge and once I took it off the charger the display shows the fitbit logo, the version of my Alta and that I have a full battery. Once it does that the display "dies" and I can't get it to display anything. If I plug it back into the charger the display will go thru the time, steps, etc. but as soon as I take it off the charger I get nothing. I have tried to restart it a few times but with no luck. What is my next step?

[AndreaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Forums. It's nice to see new faces around. I apologize for the delayed respohnse ad will be glad to continue assisting you with your Fitbit Alta inquiry. 

@MMP-21, thank you for sharing what happened to your Alta with us and that it is no longer under warranty.

@theredhare, did the charging cable customer support sent work? I'm sorry to hear you're not a happy client.

@Percelle, I'm sorry to hear you're upset. Could you please try the following steps to fully charge your Alta:

• Clean the charging port pins using the instructions in How do I clean my Fitbit device?
• Try a different USB port or a UL-certified wall charger. Don't use a USB hub.
• Restart your device. For more information, see How do I restart my Fitbit device?

@hutchsa, thank you for sharing the steps you have followed in order to resolve this situation.

Please let me know how it goes. Does your Alta turn on when it's charging?

Thank you for your feedback regarding Fitbit products @SunsetRunner. This will be taken into consideration.

@Majenn, welcome to the forums. Thank you for indicating that you have already tried re syncing and restarting your phone. 

I went ahead and created a case on your behalf. Please check your email to receive further assistance. 

Thank you for your feedback and comments @AngieBrown. 

Welcome to the forums @RaphLu! I got in touch with our support team and they informed me that they have already helped you. Thanks for visiting our community.

It's nice to see you here @Benferrianne. I recommend changing your charging source and following the steps from Why won't my Fitbit device sync?

@Nje, welcome! Have you tried restarting your device?

@Araceli143, it's nice seeing new faces around. I got in touch with our support team and they informed me that they assisted you. Is your situation solved?

@daisygirl_edh, thank you for troubleshooting this before contacting us. I went ahead and created a case on your behalf. A customer support representative will contact you soon. Please check your email.

Keep on visiting the forums.

[Jayneperkins]

Hi Angie my fit bit I's just over a year old and that's exactly what happened with mine..They sent out a new one but as soon as I plugged it in it started to charge then got very hot and wouldn't come back on...I've now got to get to my library to print of a returns note and send this one back with charger .. They must want to check my charger 🙄

[Ctokst]

I’ve already logged this error and have a case id. I’ve carried out the recommended actions, which haven’t worked. I’m trying to discuss again through live chat but can’t find it. Can you assist please?

[Jayneperkins]

How would you like me to help you?

[MMP-21]

Thanks Andrea

I have been on Live Chat and discussed my problem.  I have already done everything that the chap suggested, so he has given me a discount link for a new one.  Really not sure I want to get another if it’s only going to last two years. 😏. 

[KMUser]

The latest update seems to kill the Alta. There have been numerous examples of people updating and then the Alta proceeds to only work when plugged in.

I’m surprised that Fitbit hasn’t come up with a fix for this yet.

[ShelleyPowell]

I'm having the same issue. My fitbit is 18 months old, and there is no button on the charging cable that will allow me to restart. It will only sync when on the charger, and then goes dead when unplugged.

[Benferrianne]

Hi am going to contact Fitbit customer support. I want a replacement.

Sent from my iPad

[AndreaFitbit]

Hello there, I apologize for the delayed response and will be glad to continue assisting you. 

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @Jayneperkins! It's nice to see new faces around. Thank you for sharing your experience and please let us know what happens after sending your device with the charging cable. 

Nice to see you around @Ctokst,. I got in touch with our support team and they have informed me that you were able to contact them. Let me know if you need further assistance.

Thanks for getting back to us @MMP-21. Our discount is an option that can be considered if our customers wants to stay within the Fitbit family, I'd like to encourage you to check all the new trackers we have in the store in case that you're interested.

Thank you for your feedback regarding latest firmware update @KMUser. I checked and there are no reports regarding what you're mentioning at this time. 

Welcome to the forums @ShelleyPowell. Where did you buy your Fitbit? Did you get your charging cable with a retailer?

Thanks for getting back to us @Benferrianne. I went ahead and created a case on your behalf and a customer support representative will contact you soon. Please check your email.

See you around.