Fitbit and Pixel XL 2 compatibility

[J_A_251]

Hi.

I installed the final release (not Beta) of Android 9 Pie on my Pixel 2 XL on Monday (8/6/18 - it's release day).

Ever since then, I have not been able to get my phone's pairing to "stick" with my Flex. I'm been using my Flex for over 2 years and never had this kind of problem before so I believe it is related to the update to Android 9 Pie.

Essentially, when I try to pair my Flex to my phone, the "Flex" entry in terms of which bluetooth devices my phone sees seems to silently fail and move from the "spinning" icon (showing it's trying to pair) back to the list of seen devices. Multiple attempts don't work. I tried removing my Flex from my phone's Fitbot app and adding it back. That seemed to prompt me once for asking if I wanted to add the Flex as a device and it may have synced once. But trying to update it later fails again.

So far, the only predictable way I've been able to sync my Flex since this update is to plug the Flex into the charger and then plug the charger into my laptop. Then, my phone will sync. But as soon as I unplug the Flex and put it back on my wrist, it won't sync.

Hoping this is a simple problem that can be fixed in an update soon but wondering if others making the upgrade to Android 9 Pie are seeing similar behavior.

Thanks for any help/fix.

Moderator edit: Updated title for clarity

[J_A_251]

Not sure about the Charge 3 but a friend at work has a Charge 2 and it isn't having any problems with Android 9 Pie. His syncs just fine (and the Charge 2 shows up as a paired device without any problem). But it may be best to see if someone with a Charge 3 can answer more specifically about the Charge 3.

[Rev-rick]

I also have a Pixel 2 and was told the same thing. Ready to toss my Fitbit in the trash and look for something else!

[lcthompson1979]

Been using Google Fit to track. Need a decent sleep app and I might get rid of Fitbit altogether. Really disappointed.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello everyone! 

Thanks for sharing your feedback and experience on the matter. 

Some users with phones that aren't on the list have mentioned that following the steps in this help article has helped them. If you haven't tried them maybe you could give it a shot. As soon as we have any updates on the situation we'll be sure to let everyone know.

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

[MyWrath4]

I'm ready to ditch mine too. This is ridiculous. Plus I've wasted time trying to find answers with customer service who keep saying they have no info and to plug the flex into my computer. I would like to know my steps in real time, not just when I have access to a computer!!

[Rev-rick]

How can they not find a solution. I would assume that soon all Android's
will go to Pie. I have been waiting patiently 😡

[Ankit46]

Don't get your hopes up. They can't keep up with the Android OS pace and look for every excuse to blame you or they feed you with empty promises. 

[LanuzaFitbit]

Welcome to the Forums @MyWrath4. Hello @Rev-rick and @Ankit46.

It is important to note that the 2XL being or not being supported is not the same situation as the Android 9 situations.

In fact, the 2XL should be supported now and will be added to the list soon.

Be sure to keep an eye on the Android 9 thread for any updates on the matter. 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

[SunsetRunner]

I finally got my Flex to re-pair with my Pixel 2 XL, but it won't sync. So is that a phone problem or an Android Pie problem?

[DannoVB]

Another system update dropped on my Pixel 2 yesterday. Seems to have fixed the syncing issue for me. Thanks to Fitbit and Android for working together to resolve it! 

I guess I spoke too soon. 2 hours later my device informed me that it had updated the Fitbit app which promptly broke the syncing again. Seriously?!? This is getting ridiculous.

[Rev-rick]

Must be an Android Pie issue. Many people, myself included we're able to
sync but not since the update. Fitbit is blaming the Pixel phone but it was
fine before.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello  @Rev-rick, @SunsetRunner and @DannoVB.

Given that the Pixel 2XL should now be a supported device, it seems like the situation is related to the Android Pie issue I mentioned above. We are working on that but don't have any updates to share the this moment. 

Be sure to keep an eye on the thread I linked above for updates.

Let me know if there is anything else that I can help out with.

[J_A_251]

As I've mentioned above... In my early testing, the problem is between the
Fitbit Flex *device* not the app. The Android 9 Pie os doesn't establish a
Bluetooth connection to the device. Every time I've tried (and I've tried
it a lot!), Android Pie can see the Flex but after tapping "pair", it
leaves the list and then quickly appears back in the list very quickly. So,
my diagnosis is that Android tried to establish a connection but fails very
quickly in the process.

So, it's likely that the Flex needs a firmware update to let the Bluetooth
connection be established.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hey @J_A_251.

Thanks for that insight.

If that is the case, then setting the Flex up with any other device would update the firmware and resolve the syncing issue.Do you have access to another device to try and connect it with? Do keep in mind that the pairing has to be done with the Fitbit app/software and not with the phone's Bluetooth settings. 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

[Rev-rick]

I don't agree. I think the app itself has to work with Android Pie. My
phone synced fine before the update. I have the Zip and it will only sync
with my computer. Will there be a firmware update?

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Rev-rick.

Ideally the app should work with Android Pie, yes. The issue is that in some cases it isn't, as mentioned in this thread. The best alternative in this case is to try syncing with another device while the issue with Android Pie is resolved. 

Please let me know if there is anything else that I can help you with.

[Adrury]

What if I don't have Pie? I looked in my android and don't see anything about Pie. When I look at the Bluetooth settings I don't see the Flex listed unless it says something different. For two weeks now I run into a problem multiple times during the week where it doeant sync. If I restart my phone, it will sync

[J_A_251]

Yes, after hearing the explanation (and being reminded that we don't add
the Fitbit as a Bluetooth device on the main Android Settings page for
Bluetooth), I also now believe that an update to the FitBit app will be a
crucial part of the solution.

Since there was hinting that some kind of fix somewhere had been made, I
took the drastic step of removing my Flex device from my FitBit app and
tried to re-add it. It couldn't be seen at all.

So, I then uninstalled the FitBit app from my Pixel 2 XL and re-installed
it. Then, went through the steps to try to add my Flex to the fresh
installation of the FitBit app. Again, the app doesn't see the device when
I try to pair it.

But, I can sync it to my laptop using the dongle. And, I dug out my old
phone (that I originally used with my Flex) and confirmed that it can still
see/sync with my Flex.

Hoping there's a new combo of Fitbit app and/or firmware that the Fitbit
app can push to the Flex to get this fixed!

John

[Adrury]

Its frustrating because my firmware is up to date and my Fitbit app is updated. I just set my Fitbit app for Continuous sync to see if that helps but I'm afraid that is going to drain my battery. We will see.

Alisa

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Adrury and @J_A_251.

@J_A_251 Thanks for your feedback, it is very appreciated. As soon as there are any news on the matter we'll be sure to let everyone know.

@Adrury Android Pie is another name for Android 9.0. If you go into your phone's setting and then going into the section that mentions details about the phone. Please check what Android version is it that you are running and let us know.

Look forward to your reply.