Low Battery Warning

[Vitruvius]

I have had my Alta for a week now and finally had to charge it. My question is, how much time do you have to recharge once you receive a low battery message? A couple of hours? A day? I'm new to fitbit so I'm not sure how to read into this.

Thanks everyone for your advice

[Julia_G]

From the product manual "Charging fully takes 1-2 hours".  You can access the full manual here .

[Vitruvius]

I think I phrased my question wrong. I'm not concerned with how long it take to charge. How long can you use the Alta once you get the low battery notification?

[Julia_G · Accepted solution]

Ah, sorry for misunderstanding! I don't have the Alta, but on my Charge HR once I receive the low battery warning I really need to disable all alarms, alerts, all day sync etc, and then I can get at least12 more hours (I have never tested it to the limit...). Everyone's usage varies, and frankly, I try not to get quite that low because on all Fitbits the battery lasts longest if you charge little and often. It is always better to avoid total discharge, if possible.

[Vitruvius]

Awesome! Thank you for the help. Hopefully I can test it out over the next few weeks and update the group. Have a great day

[hoofbeats95]

JuliaG... Can you provide a source for the information regarding charging little and often? I'm not sure that's accurate.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @hoofbeats95, I have numerous sources, and it is indeed accurate.  Here's one that explains it easily, and explains that allowing complete discharge applies to older Nickel based batteries, not modern Lithium based ones:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/how-charge-phones-battery-3619623/

And here is all the technical detail and information you could ever want:

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

[Mrzocor]

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@Vitruvius wrote:

I have had my Alta for a week now and finally had to charge it. My question is, how much time do you have to recharge once you receive a low battery message? A couple of hours? A day? I'm new to fitbit so I'm not sure how to read into this.

Thanks everyone for your advice

 Where does the low battery message show up? I have the win 10 fitbit app on my tablet.

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[Julia_G]

@Mrzocor, it depends on how you use your Fitbit.  My experience suggests that you should have at least 12 hours after the low battery warning and probably more, but if you are constantly getting text messages and calls this may be reduced.

Remember that little and often for charging is the best way of maximising your battery's life over time.  So I would say, once you get the low battery warning, charge it as soon as it is convenient, but don't worry if it isn't convenient for some hours.

[Mrzocor]

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@Julia_G wrote:

@Mrzocor, it depends on how you use your Fitbit.  My experience suggests that you should have at least 12 hours after the low battery warning and probably more, but if you are constantly getting text messages and calls this may be reduced.

Remember that little and often for charging is the best way of maximising your battery's life over time.  So I would say, once you get the low battery warning, charge it as soon as it is convenient, but don't worry if it isn't convenient for some hours.

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 where does the low battery warning show up?

[Julia_G]

You should see the warning in your app.  You can also set up email alerts (via the web based dashboard,  not the app) but I think sometimes these alerts aren't always received -- I am not sure why.

But really the best bet is to get in the habit of taking off your Fitbit each day and putting it in the charger for 15 or 20 minutes, maybe while you shower or dress.  It will give your wrist a little rest, and your Fitbit will always be ready to go.

[Mrzocor]

I never get a low battery warning.