Excessive battery draining, 'Always Connected' off

[ajkool]

Dear software team,

Can you please make the Android App do nothing when 'Always Connected' is off. Currently it cuts my (and my wife's) battery time in half.
Only if I turn off Bluetooth, the consumption is brought back to almost the original value (not completely).

So some activity is still going on.

But turning off Bluetooth is very inconvenient, since I need it in my car.

Please solve this issue.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject & Format

[EricBuist]

What is weird is the problem started with the Versa. I had a Fitbit Blaze for two years and the application wasn't draining the battery as much. As soon as I switched from Blaze to Versa, without replacing my phone, battery life reduced.

Seems like a "works on iPhone" classic case. The Fitbit app on Android is kind of a second class, lower priority. As a Linux user, I'm seeing similar "works in Windows" situations and that annoys me.

There should be an option to disable the background service, at least until it can automatically suspend itself and not run all the times.

[Dm999]

I have the same problem after switching to a Charge 3 and upgrading to the latest Android app on my Samsung S8 .  Battery usgae is 30.2%  for the Fitbit app, all foreground . Restarting the phone doesn't help. Tried reinstalling twice. Turning off Bluetooth is not an appropriate recommendation, nor is turning off all day sync. Both features worked without problem for 2 years with my charge 2.  Furthermore I need to use Bluetooth throughout the day, and don't want to have to remember to sync (enhance the app to schedule this perhaps?).  Please advise when this will be solved. 

[SunsetRunner]

Turn off all day sync:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-2/How-do-I-set-notifications-and-turn-off-all-day-sync/td-p/2...

Then make the app an Always Sleeping App:

1. Open Settings
2. Click Device Maintenance (Battery, Storage, Memory)
3. Click Battery
4. Click "Always Sleeping Apps"
5. Click "Add Apps"
6. Add FitBit
7. Done!

This will never allow fitbit to run in the background.  Saving you power.  The only time it will communicate is when you open the app.

[zamboon]

Just bought FB charge 3. I have a Samsung Galaxy 9 and since installing FB the battery life is dreadful. FB usage is 7% in 1hr.  I followed suggestions in this chat and it still runs the battery down.  Wish I had never got the bloody thing...

[zamboon]

I don't have options 4 and 5 on my Galaxy S9. How do I add to always sleeping?  I have "disable" function...not sure if I use this?

[SunsetRunner]

Make fitbit an "Always Sleeping App".

This is 100% the solution to the battery draining.

[zamboon]

I have tried:

Turned off background data usage;

Turned off background activity;

Optimised battery usage for the app;

Disabled location;

Turned always connected off; and

Made fitbit an always sleeping app....

and still the battery is draining.  Showing 13% usage with "active" 24 minutes- I have not used it for 24 minutes! 

[zamboon]

By the way all day sync is also off. 

[SunsetRunner]

If the app is still running when you made it an always Sleeping App, and
you closed the app, then there is another unrelated issue with your phone.

This for sure solves the issue. Android will not allow the app to run in
the background. Do battery optimization, restart your phone, and notice
how it works. FITBIT cannot solve crappy phone battery issues. BUT if you
followed the steps, then you will see it works as expected.

[Dm999]

Making it an always sleeping app forces users to remember to open the app and sync. That's not the expected functionality. It is a very poor workaround to a buggy system that drains battery. If the problem isn't easily solved, I can't comprehend why Fitbit won't allow users a way to schedule a sync as has been suggested and rejected by fitbit on another thread. 

[SpyderBlades]

I had problems with battery after I first got the Versa, but seemed to solve it for awhile.  The last 6 months though, my battery started to really tank.  I assumed it was just the phone, however after turning off my Bluetooth it seemed the battery was lasting longer.  My guess is that they reintroduced the issue with a past update, and my suspicion is that it has something to do with how the device uses Bluetooth low energy and is keeping the phone active in some way that the Android system sees as normal.  My solution was to stop using the Fitbit and remove the software from my phone.  My battery feels like new again. 

I regret ever buying this thing.  Live and learn I guess.

[zamboon]

Thanks, agree FB cannot solve "crappy battery".  I dont think I have a crappy battery because it was fine until I installed FB.  Looking at the other comments, the problem I am having seems to be quite common.  Put it down to a crappy app!

[zamboon]

Me too!  Wish I had never bought this thing...strange that FB have remained "mum" over this.  Turning everything off makes the product virtually unusable and defeats the purpose of owning the gadget.

[Sar785]

I'm having the same problems, only in the last week for the battery. And for a bit longer I'm not being notified of text messages only, I'm receiving all other notifications.. I'd just like to know, by doing the above steps, will I still receive notifications? I like to have that function and if not than it's not fulfilling its spec.

Thanks

[SunsetRunner]

Right, so... if you don't want Fitbit the app to stop draining your battery
the app has to be off... If the app is off, notifications cannot occur.
Also another battery draining property of this is Bluetooth being on and
possibly connected. Between the app and the intrinsic handling of
Bluetooth connectivity mileage may vary on different phones.

Let's be realistic here, the problem is not with the Fitbit, it is with the
App that goes on your phone. They need to resolve software issues with the
phone app. The watch does not have battery issues, so in my opinion it is
fully within spec.

Mark

[lizabeefree]

I just uninstalled and reinstalled the app.  I’m not sure why in the last week that this app started to drain my battery, and “not respond”. Even the update 2 days ago did nothing to help. I’ve been using this app on my phone for over 2 years and just within the last week did the battery drain start.  I’m not happy about that.  

[Sar785]

For me it has improved and gone back to normal. I turned off the always connected option and that has seemed to have worked. Hope it improves for you. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[zamboon]

I have also turned off the always connected option and it seems to have worked. However, it defeats the purpose of having a fitbit.



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[Kasfit]

I am not a techy person, just received a message from my phone, Android Galaxy S22 Ultra, that fitbit draining battery. Asking to change Bluetooth setting, I really do not know what that means, how to do it, and the impact on data collection on fitbit. I need clear step instructions. Thanks