New (old) Charge HR will not take update

[GroundLoop]

Was given a Charge HR as a gift in 2016. Never used it. Trying to get it to update now and it will not update. Have looked in the forums and tried all the things that were mentioned. Has to be an easy resolution for this issue now. Any help?

[Odyssey13]

Hi @GroundLoop updates are available for products two years after they are no longer being sold and your Charge HR was discontinued years ago. You can learn more about legacy products here - click to read.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @GroundLoop , wow, the Charge HR is one of the oldest Fitbits there is.  If your gifted Charge HR is still able to power up then congratulations.  Technically it is still compatible with the Fitbit software - I just checked and you should be able to set up an account and register it.

Having said that, it may be that the battery is not up to downloading the latest update so you may be out of luck.

I would suggest giving it a restart and then trying the update again.

Are there any error messages during the failed update that you could share?  Otherwise, I am sorry, but I think it is just too old.  I think in electronic terms almost 10 years (and it won’t have been new in 2016) is well over a hundred years in human terms, and your poor old guy wants to go out to pasture.

Sorry!

[LZeeW]

@GroundLoop   Based on other user posts, Google removed updates for its legacy models three years ago.  The updates are no longer available. 

[GroundLoop]

Should I see it listed in my phones Bluetooth list of devices? I do not see anything that looks like Charge HR or Fitbit. The FitBit app shows the device and says it needs an update.

[GroundLoop]

Talked to FitBit tech support and I am thinking the battery is dead. All I see on bootup is the version number (V36) and then this battery picture. If I disconnect the charger the unit is unresponsive.

[alexthecat]

@GroundLoop the Fitbit Charge HR was discontinued in 2016. This means that your device and its battery are at least 9 years old. Nine years is a very long time for a battery. Rechargeable batteries have a shelf life, even if they are never used. It seems very likely that the battery in your Charge HR is no longer able to hold a charge. 

[LZeeW]

@GroundLoop   I agree.  You have a dead battery.  Please dispose of it as e-waste according to your local rules.

[GroundLoop]

I like the sleek style of this compared to the new ones. If I replace the battery would I be able to update it? Or is it just too old. I watched some videos on replacing the battery. Doesn't look to bad.

[LZeeW · Accepted solution]

@GroundLoop  No, you won’t be able to update it.  Based on other user experiences, Google removed the updates for these legacy models.  I’ve also seen a few posts where people couldn’t even add a legacy model to their account.