Android 9.0 (Pie) not able to sync

[AlessFitbit]

Fitbit Update: 3/6/19

Hello everyone! 

We have some updated troubleshooting suggestions we'd like for all of you on Android Pie (9.0) to try. 

First, turn off Background Restrictions/Limitations: Phone settings > Apps & Notifications > Fitbit app > Background restrictions or Background limits.

Then, disable battery limitations:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Fitbit app > Advanced > Battery > Battery optimization
2. Change view to All apps
3. Search for Fitbit app
4. Choose Not optimized

Please give the steps above a try to improve syncing with your Fitbit device and Android 9.0 OS. We're still researching and testing out long-term solutions to this ongoing syncing issue. We thank you for all your patience while we continue to work on this effort.

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Fitbit Update: 2/14/19

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all your reports and patience with these Android 9.0 syncing difficulties. We’re aware of this ongoing issue and have been working to identify a resolution as quickly as possible. 

We're sorry for any trouble. We appreciate your patience and look forward to getting you back on track as soon as possible. 

I'll let you know if I receive any additional information on this matter. 

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Fitbit Update: 10/3/18 

Hey Everyone!

Our team is still working on implementing a longterm fix for syncing with Android devices on Pie (9.0). 

For the background syncing issue, I have posted an update in the other floated thread which you can find here. 

We released Fitbit for Android version 2.80 today which contains improvements for that syncing issue. 

I'll make sure to keep you all updated with more information, as soon as I have it available. We're still working on this and I really appreciate everyone's patience. 

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Fitbit Update: 9/26/18

Hey everyone! 

Thanks so much for your patience and cooperation. We are aware of the issue and working with Google on a solution.

I will continue to provide updates here, so keep an eye on this thread. 

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Fitbit Update: 9/10/18 

Hi, everybody! 

Thanks for your patience while our team continues to work on improving syncing for those on Android Pie (9.0). They are actively working on this and for the time being, I recommend you keep the Fitbit app updated on the latest version for best syncing results. Right now that is version 2.78, so if you're not on this version please update! Also, another troubleshoot we recommend is performing a restart on your phone. 

When there are more improvements made in the future I'll announce them here. Stay tuned and subscribed to this thread. 

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Fitbit Update: 8/19/18

We have escalated these syncing issues for those who are now using Android Pie (9.0) to our team for investigation. There aren't any updates at the moment, but rest assured we will keep you informed in this thread when more information is available.

Thanks for your patience! 

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Fitbit Update: 8/11/18 

Hi, everyone! Thanks for stopping by the Community Forums. 

Seems like many of you who updated to Android Pie (9.0) are now having trouble syncing your Fitbit trackers. I'm going to escalate this to our team so they can look into it.

In the meantime, please update the Fitbit app to version 2.76.1 if you haven't yet. Let me know if that changes the syncing behavior. Please follow this thread for updates. I'll keep you all posted here! 

[tompabes]

@LanuzaFitbit it's Jan 2019, almost one year after Android Pie has been released to developers for testing (March 2018). According to what you're saying, there is a team working on the issue, and working with Google as well, and still they haven't been able to sort out the problem? Pie should have been tested between March and August, that's why Google releases betas to developers. This is the last straw for me. I have seen all sorts of bugs during these years with Fitbit, but this is unacceptable, I wonder if Fitbit has realized how serious this bug is because we simply cannot use our trackers anymore. And you want us to believe that, 10 months after Pie was released, they're still investigating and working with Google?

[CKorthoudt]

Hey all, 

Been having the same issue as you all since a while, and had extensive help from the Fitbit support team.

the basics: Fitbit Charge2 on Nokia 8 (HMB), Android 9

Since the update to Android 9 the Charge2 decided not to sync anymore. Before, it worked like a charme on the otherwise *NOT* supported Nokia 8.

I didn't even know it wasn't a supported device until I followed the extensive test-steps the support guys asked me to follow. 

Anyway, long story short, I got it to work following these steps. Credit to Android Authority, link bellow.

Copy pasted the most important part:

In the meantime, some users have had success using a workaround technique that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The workaround steps are below:

1. Open the Fitbit app and start the sync process. It will say “looking…”
2. While it is looking for your device, quickly go to Android Bluetooth settings, choose Pair New Device, and select the tracker as if to pair it for the first time.
3. Switch back to the app and the sync process should complete.

Original link:

https://www.androidauthority.com/fitbit-sync-android-pie-901608/

Worked for me, pairing took a while, and I thought it didn't work at first. I tried this on a new installation of the app, and the process seemed to hang on the eventual pairing (after I got the pin numbers and put them in the app). After waiting a bit, I restarted the app, saw that the Charge2 was again 'linked' to my account, so I tried the sync process successfully!

So even if the process 'hangs' on the sync, don't give up hope. Restart the app, see if your Fitbit is linked again with your account, and try to sync.

Good luck to you all!

[tessierp]

@tompabes

It is more like, for the last 10 months they have been too busy enjoy the beach and cashing in on people buy watching and giving them hope so they would keep the watch, you know making them believe a fix was right around the corner...

[SunsetRunner]

I participated in the Pie (9) beta program.  I had the last two PIe beta releases installed on my Pixel and the Fitbit App would sync without any issues.  It wasn't until the final release of PIe on August 6, 2018 that my Pixel 1 and Fitbit Zip stopped syncing (and hasn't sync'd since.)  What changed between the last beta version and the Pie final release?  None of the suggested fixes posted on this website have worked and support from Fitbit and Google has been both non-existent and worthless.

[CKorthoudt]

@SunsetRunnerthat sucks. 

During the couple of days I have been playing around trying to get it to work again, I did feel it had something to do with BT not coupling at the right time / BT coupling was timed out waaaay to fast on one of the devices (be it the fitbit or the phone... I guess it would be the phone, since that had an update).

Anyway, I can't comment on support from Fitbit, nor google, since I have not seen much either from both parties. Nothing except an extensive troubleshooting list.

But on the other hand, Fitbit was trying to help and collaborative from my perspective, even when dealing with a 'non supported' device.

But a normal running solution would be... ahum…. slightly overdue, yes.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Welcome to the Forums @ChuckyK, @Romy100, @CKorthoudt and @Hedvigsm. Hello @agarcia86 and @tompabes.

@ChuckyK and @Hedvigsm If you have not, please be sure to try the steps listed in this help article. I understand that  you might have already tried some of the steps there, if not all, but if you have not please give them a try.

@Romy100 Thanks for sharing your experience and trying to help other users. Same for you @CKorthoudt! Thanks for posting all of that information that helped you out.

@tompabes Please know that we're hard at work to get this to work correctly again. As soon as there is anything, at all, to share we will be sure to let everyone know about the situation.

@agarcia86 Do you get some sort of error message when you try to start an activity and get the GPS to connect? I'd like to take a closer look at your situation as it doesn't seem to be related to this issue.

Feel free to reach out with any further questions.

[Mariol100]

Hi,

I owned a onePlus 5. Since I upgraded my phone to Android 9, I can't synch with my phone anymore !

I always get "Bluetooth Issues" box to restart bluethooth.

I have the fitbit app 2.8.5 installed 

Any idea why I can't synch !

Thanks,

Regards,

Moderator edit: Removed persona info

[tessierp]

Hahaha this is funny.. FITBIT is finally waking up.. It only took 10+ months for them to wake up. Now that people are being active and seeking alternatives, they actually come out and talk to the public.. Too little too soon! People shouldn't have to go through these workarounds to get their products to work PERIOD! My own workaround doesn't seem to work anymore and I can't get my VERSA to sync anymore. FITBIT is failing big time.

Furthermore, they censor some of us by DELETING POSTS. Of course, they don't want the newest arriving to these forums that some people have been enduring problems for months, let alone sharing alternatives.

For those who are tired of being censored, I encourage you to rate their application in the Google store. This is the ONLY WAY people will learn how they are failing. These people have no respect for their customers and it took all of this time and people actually getting mad for them to react and they do it in the most despicable way.

[atlanticpdx]

We have to keep in mind that it's not the forum moderators who are the bad guys here. They can only relay what the product/engineering teams are giving them. I've been beyond frustrated too, but taking it out on Lanuza/etc (which I've been guilty of too) isn't going to help anything and only result in shooting the messenger.

[tessierp]

@atlanticpdx

This has nothing to do with shooting the messenger. He is a Fitbit representative. And I couldn't care less at this point about their rules. We purchased products from them WHO ARE NOT WORKING! It is their OBLIGATION to make sure these products work and to properly communicate with the public, which THEY HAVEN'T DONE up until now because they now see a risk to their business.. This is IMMORAL and really shows how much this company cares.

Beyond my frustration, I see it as my duty to help people find solutions and to expose what Fitbit is doing to try and cover their tracks. I have nothing against Lanuza at all! However, again like I said before, he's a Fitbit employee. The least he can do is report the problems and help. Censorship is certainly NOT GOING TO HELP and will only exacerbate the situation.

[Phaze]

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@LanuzaFitbit wrote:

Welcome to the Forums @ChuckyK, @Romy100, @CKorthoudt and @Hedvigsm. Hello @agarcia86 and @tompabes.

@ChuckyK and @Hedvigsm If you have not, please be sure to try the steps listed in this help article. I understand that  you might have already tried some of the steps there, if not all, but if you have not please give them a try.

@Romy100 Thanks for sharing your experience and trying to help other users. Same for you @CKorthoudt! Thanks for posting all of that information that helped you out.

@tompabes Please know that we're hard at work to get this to work correctly again. As soon as there is anything, at all, to share we will be sure to let everyone know about the situation.

@agarcia86 Do you get some sort of error message when you try to start an activity and get the GPS to connect? I'd like to take a closer look at your situation as it doesn't seem to be related to this issue.

Feel free to reach out with any further questions.

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Hard at work to get this to work again. I'd believe that a fre months ago, but this has been broken for just over five months at this point. This is pathetic. If FitBit isn't going to fix this, they need to at least say so. Dragging this out over half a year is unprofessional to say the least. I am on a fresh image on a Pixel XL. OS has nothing saved, full clean wipe including my data for this image, which is the latest release by the way. This should work out of the box. 

[ChuckyK]

Unfortunately while trying to correct my problem i have list all my history. Can i get this back ?

Get Outlook for Android

[SunsetRunner]

@tessierp

Wow!!!! I had to stop making comments because I see FitBit can careless. This is unfair for all of us who paid our hard working money to purchase these tracker. Wow! I'm so speechless right now. I realized about a week ago, in order to receive my Notifications,  I have to shut down my tracker for 5 mins then reboot it.  Every 5 mins? Not fair......

Nonetheless , it syncs when it wants to.... 

In the words of Kevin Heart

          "IM DONE"

Moderator edit: Format

[Webfeet]

Here is a potential contributor to the problem.  Some phone manufacturers install their modified version of Android that kills apps running in the background to save power in violation of the Android rules.  Some users have power saving apps installed that are also killing apps running in the background. This is frustrating some app developers who are then blamed by users when their apps fail that need to run in the background.

https://www.xda-developers.com/phone-software-killing-apps-background/

"Nokia has the worst rating, according to the website. It says Nokia devices on Android Pie “kills any background process including sleep tracking (or any other sport tracking) after 30 minutes if the screen is off.” OnePlus also has a bad rating, while HTC and Stock Android were found to be the least offensive. Check out the website below to see how your phone rated and learn how to fix the issue."

https://dontkillmyapp.com/

[tessierp]

@SunsetRunner

Indeed... It is pathetic and it is not fair. If ONLY they would have bothered to properly communicate with the community and would have provided information on the progress, something!!! But nothing, just excuses and insults in the form of shutting is up and censorship. And still some people are making excuses for them. 

I would understand a mistake. As long as someone would care to explain me what is going on.

Like you said, I'm done as well.

[Webfeet]

Check whether your phone is killing apps that need to run in the background and what the suggested workaround is.  This may be contributing to the problem for some phones.

https://www.xda-developers.com/phone-software-killing-apps-background/

[M2D2]

Yes, I’m still looking at my useless Fitbit Versa, realizing I will probably have to buy a different phone other than my Samsung Galaxy 4 if I want to use it.  Phone works great, shouldn’t have to update, and it’s on the approved list.  Sigh...

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@tessierp wrote:

@tompabes

It is more like, for the last 10 months they have been too busy enjoy the beach and cashing in on people buy watching and giving them hope so they would keep the watch, you know making them believe a fix was right around the corner...

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[Kamleman]

Be careful. Even if you change your phone there is no guarantee that it
will work on any Android 9 phone. And when it doesn't don't expect Fitbit
to help, as they still don't know how to solve the problem.

[Yant]

Just updated to Android 9.0 and sync has failed. Tried updating the app, and that doesn't help. Seems like I need to dig out my old Garmin.

[Paulzip]

With my Pixel 1 and ZIP I have to remove the ZIP battery to reset my ZIP if
I want to sync, I have to do this every night, what a drag. Have had to do
this since August when I upgraded to Pie. My wife has stayed with Android 8
and her syncing (same set up) is still working. I wish I could revert back
to Android 8!