Fitbit Alta suddenly turning off

[G.Kristin]

Ever since I did the update  I've noticed my Alta all of a sudden shuts off with no warning. Every time the battery is on yellow but not dead. I get nothing on the screen and it stops syncing. I mainly use it for phone or text notifications so not having it working with no warning is a problem. I am able to restart it by plugging it in. But that option is not always available. It never did that before the update. Now I regret doing the update. 

Moderator edit: Updated title for clarity

[DLedford1966]

Yes, my Alta started shutting off randomly after the update.  It is dead on my arm right now and I am nowhere near my charger to get it back on.  I am in step challenges at work and have lost all of my steps because of this issue.  Please let me know what the "fix" is.

Thank you

[G.Kristin]

All I got when I contacted them was make sure all updates are done. Also apparantly we can't let it drop below like 34% on battery. Apparantly they consider that level to be a dead battery and the main problem. I've let mine get way lower than that in the past but not anymore. I think I'm going to have to buy another charger to keep at work in case mine dies again. Also, you need to contact them while it's dead so they can see that it's dead. Soooo, basically there is nothing they are doing for us. 

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[rjdibert]

The length of time a charge last is shorter since the update and when I synch it sometimes had days of data missing...I wear mine 24/7 so there should be data for all days. 

The good news is that I took out a repair warranty when I bought it so I took it back to Harvey Norman and their techs are going to replace my 9 month old , best guess, with a new one. 

I am disappointed that the life span is two years as I also cannot afford a new unit every two years!

[NEELU]

please specify step wise ,how to go about removing it...will be greatful

[SunsetRunner]

My Fitbit Alta will shut off once it hits about 75% battery, and whatever steps I accumulated before then are lost. Once I plug it back in, it will start up and charge right away, but again, when it hits about 75% it will shut off. I tried restarting it 10 separate times and that did nothing.

[LoveMyAlta]

My Alta also powers off without warning. Worked great for a long time now so I am heartsick. Morning alarm missed the van, missed phone calls, awesome steps not even tracked. And the time is wrong after you turn it back on, which tricked me once. I thought maybe it got wet when I was giving my kids a bath. After reading the posts, I realized that it always shuts off at the same half power mark. And that the computer was prompting for some sort of update not too long ago. Really hope this is resolved without me having to buy a new one!

[Ellen07]

Having the same issues. Goes blank after 2 days when used to last 4-5 days. No notification battery low and shows 75% when I plug it in.  Wish it would last longer like it used to. 

[denamo]

My Fitbit Alta is doing exactly what has been reported here.  It will shut off as if it has a dead battery, but shows a 75% battery level. 

One thing I have not seen reported here is the battery graphic.  It continues to look like it's charging with the wavy lines even when removed from the charger.  It won't go to being a solid fill.  Anyone get that?

Since so many are in the two year range of ownership, it's almost like there is an automatic shut down in the firmware once the device has hit two years!  Can you say conspiracy theory?  LOL

Of course I contacted customer service with no real "service" other than to spend more money with their company for a new device.  Off to look at others.  Might as well try a different one if I'm going to spend money anyway. 

[rjdibert]

My Fitbit alta hr was replaced by Harvey Norman at about 14 months as I had paid $40 for an extended warranty. However when I asked about a warranty on the replacement I was told that it is no longer offered on the Alta hr so I would say they are not going to continue selling this defective model much longer.

Rita Dibert

Moderator edit: Removed personal information

[TSQMcL]

Yep! #MeToo!  Thanks G. Kristin for starting this thread.  Like most everyone else on this topic thread I am having the same issues.  I hadn't used my Fitbit in over a year (stopped June 2017, restarted August 2018), so I had actually thought it was related to that being the issue/problem I was having - slow getting moving again, just like me right now! 
For me, my Alta tracker will occasionally vibrate before it goes "dormant" but sometimes I have no warning. To get it going again, I have to plug it into a power source. Just plugging it in for like 10 seconds will jump-start it though, then it's good .... until the next stall out.  The battery indicator shows about 75% battery life still available; the clock will show the time at which it went dormant (painfully telling me how long I haven't been recording any "steps"). It takes synching up before the clock corrects itself.  Because I hadn't use it in over a year, when I started back up, it immediately forced the upgrade on me.
I'm writing mainly so that when a resolution, other than disconnecting/reconnecting the device from the app, is provided I'll be notified of it through thread responses. 
p.s. - how many people have to get pissed off before Fitbit (1) deals with this Alta issue; (2) make devices that last longer than 2 years.  Full disclosure, I am interested in the Charge3, but if Fitbit can't make right these issues, then I am re-thinking the company and the brand itself, and will not be willing to spend any money for their profit.

[denamo]

I sent a PM to Fitbit via Facebook.  Sent the link to this thread.  Basically got the response, Sorry your Fitbit Alta is out of warranty.  The agent you spoke with gave you a discount on a new one. That's the best we can do.

I asked them to read through this thread.  This many people cannot be having the same problem.  Here is their response: 

Their response: Thanks for getting back to us. We understand the need of having a functional and reliable tracker that meets it's purpose and is worth the value paid for. We appreciate you giving us feedback that will help us to provide good customer service and improve our product's quality. Upon checking, we confirmed that our support team has reviewed the warranty of your tracker and sent a discount offer for you to purchase a new device. Feel free to contact us if you need help or info in the future.

My response to this: What needs to happen is this problem addressed, not just say buy another.

Their response: Appreciate your response. Rest assured that this will be heard and will not be taken for granted. Our engineering team ensures that our Fitbit trackers go through rigorous testing to ensure that they meet the high-quality standards expected. Should you need further assistance, please let us know.

So...Do I have much faith that this problem will be resolved?  Not really. While I realize my Alta is no longer in warranty, there is a problem.  I figure this tracker is on it's way out anyway with people wanting so many other features such as HR, so Fitbit has no need to attempt to figure why this is happening. 

[SureshGS]

Myself experience same issue.  Fitbit Alta shows it drained off but it doesn't when put for charging shows 75% charging.

Initially I also thought that I didn't use alta for quite some time so it might be happening, but after going through blog it seems update was the reason behind.  Infact before I stopped using fitbit I did update and then due to my charger was broken I didn't use for sometime now (say around 2 months).  Now when I got my charger replaced, I started using the same, but having this problem.  I did restarting of device several times but still same issue.

Hoping to get resolution from fitbit sooner.

[ssmith255]

I am so sad! I literally just opened my Fitbit today after waiting for it to come in the mail for a week now, and it's doing all the things you guys have been saying. except mine is brand new. it took forever for the new update to happen because it kept failing. I have tried all the reset tricks. My battery says it's almost fully charged or it is fully charged. I just wanted to track my sleeping patterns. That's all. 

Moderator edit: format

[Ellen07]

I have the same issue except the last time it didn't even charge.  Finally got it to.  I have seen one on facebook by a company by veterans that is 1/2 the price, is waterproof and does a lot more.  I am seriously thinking about getting it

[NEELU]

Yours in the warranty period so write to the company... Sending all your receipts details...
They will hopefully replace with a new one.
But honestly.. Fitbit is loosing it Goodwill....
I'm planning to go for another brand... Which will have some ownership for this expensive products.


Send from my vivo smart phone

[denamo]

Doesn't seem Fitbit is willing to research to see if the update caused an issue, but it is certainly coincidental. 

If a brand new one out of the box is having the same issue those of us who are longer owners are having, there is something wrong.

Wish Fitbit would listen!

Moderator edit: format

[LLDMorris]

I am not sure where you bought your but my Versa I just bought from Amazon
wasn't working correctly and I sent it back and they sent me a new one no
questions asked. This one is working.

[Rubyclassified]

I am in the same boat. Got mine yesterday, didn't work out of the box, plucked it in, managed to get it to turn on and link to my phone with some trouble. Then updated forever. Then it finally worked seemingly fine, but suddenly shut off after about an hour. I have been able to get it to work for only a couple hours at a time since then.

[NEELU]

Send mail to fitbit directly.. Cause yours is within warranty n can be replaced.
All the best

Send from my vivo smart phone

[FerdinandFitbit]

Hi there everyone! Good to see you all in the Fitbit Community Forums! 🙂

@LLDMorris, I'm happy to hear about your new Versa. I'm pretty sure you will like it very much!

@DLedford1966, my recommendation would be to give your Alta a restart. You can easily do this by clipping your tracker to the charger and plugging the charger to a USB port on your computer or a wall charger. Then, Press the button on your charging cable three times within four seconds and your tracker should vibrate and show the Fitbit logo. This will make your tracker to reboot.

Anything else you guys may need, I'm always around!