Syncing difficulties with Versa and Samsung Note 8

[SunsetRunner]

So my wife and I each bought a Versa at the same time, and have used it with our Samsung Note 8 phones (read as IDENTICAL setup) since April of 2019 with ZERO issues. So that's 9 months of NO problems. Until this week. The past few days it refuses to sync at random. And I've also noticed the time being off. At first it was around 5 minutes, then it got progressively worse....10 minutes....it's currently 18 minutes off. My wife's setup (Again, it's IDENTICAL) has no problems. I have rebooted both devices, removed and re-added the Versa, uninstalled and reinstalled the Fitbit app, and nothing has changed except now it will get to the part where the 4 digit number displays on the fitbit screen, while at the same time saying Connected in the app with the green check mark, however that is as far as it goes. It ends up saying "This is taking longer than it should, but we're on top of it!" I contacted tech support, and they said my phone is not compatible. If I had a no name phone, I would be fine with that. However a Samsung Note 8 is one of the most popular phones. Also, per their compatible list they STILL support a Note 5. A Note 5! 3 Generations older than my phone. They also support the S8 and the S8+, but not the Note 8 apparently. The Note 9 is on the list as well. But the agent could not tell me why the Note 8 was not on the list, when my Charge HR worked just fine with our Note 8's, and the FACT that for 9 months there was no issue with mine, and still no issue with my wifes. I have not had this a year, and it's basically become unuseable. Anyone else having issues or suggestions as the agent couldn't help?

Moderator edit: Subject for clarity 

[RicardoFitbit]

Hi @SunsetRunner, welcome to the Community Forums! Sorry for the delayed reply.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention and the details that were shared in your post, I totally understand how frustrating this matter can be for you. To better assist you with this, can you please let me know when was the first time you experienced this syncing difficulties with your Versa and your Samsung Galaxy Note 8? If you haven't already done so, I recommend you to check how the syncing procedure works here and see if there's a missing requirement on your Android mobile device that's preventing the syncing procedure to be completed.

Then, you can move forward to the troubleshooting steps that are specified on: Why won't my Fitbit device sync? and let me know how it goes.   

Keep me posted and let me know if you have any additional questions.

[SunsetRunner]

Hello @RicardoFitbit,

Thank you for your response. I have had this Versa for 9 months and
have had zero issues until last week when the time started showing way off
and syncing worked intermittently at best. I have triple checked the
"syncing" procedure with both the instructions I got with the versa and
also on Fitbits website. I have a tech background so I've even tried
various combinations of uninstalling the software, rebooting phones or
fitbit. I've also tried syncing it while both wearing it, and leaving it in
the charging cradle. I even tried to use a previous version of the Fitbit
software prior to the update from January of this year. No one from Fitbit
(You're the 4th person I've talked to now) can give me any reason as to why
it just suddenly stopped working. My wife has the same exact fitbit, with
the same exact phone (Note 😎 also bought the same exact time as mine and
she has had no problems. The Note 8 has the same OS as the S8 and S8+ both
of which are on the supported device list. Currently, I can at random times
through the day synce to the appropriate steps and sometimes the sleep
information displays, but not always. It also loses more time as the day
progresses starting from a minute or two off, to over an hour off. I'm not
sure if the Fitbit resync's it's displayed time everytime it syncs to the
software or if it runs internallty as a normal watch would once setup.
Either way it isn't keeping time correctly which makes me think there may
be something wrong with the Fitbit itself. Hopefully this makes sense. If
you have any questions please let me know.

[ionFreeman]

Yes, same boat. They encouraged me to upgrade from the Blaze last May, but didn't tell me I had a unsupported phone (there was no Note 6, btw, so we're only one or two generations ahead of the Note 5, depending on how you think about the Note 7 (of which I had two!)).

This is what Francia from FitBit support sent me:

---

To answer your query regarding your Note 8, we're working to make it as compatible phone for our Fitbit devices. However, as of now, it affects syncing as well as notification due to not able to sync it regularly.

Note that, you can still use your phone to sync your tracker, although, the syncing might be intermittent and some of the features of the tracker and Fitbit app may not be available for use.

In line with this, we have found a Community page for you where in a number of our customers who are similar Android users have opened a Feature Suggestion for phone compatibility.

---

She didn't give me a link, so I'm looking for that community page.

I tend to leave my location off unless I'm troubleshooting problems with a bluetooth device that relies on Google Apps, like the FitBit app. I'm wondering if you, being in tech, also do this and are being bitten by your poor location history. Like, if I have a workout with no location data, and FitBit can't package it and sell it to the Russians or whatever they do with location data, can they not upload it at all?

[SunsetRunner]

I was referring to the overall platform, not necessarily the Note line
specifically. The part that angers me the most is no one from Fitbit can
tell me why I had ZERO syncing or connectivity issues for 9 months. And
then 2 weeks ago, non stop issues. My wife's still works fine.

[ionFreeman]

We're a blended family -- while my wife has a Versa, she's an iPhone user -- so I can't compare phones. But, you could. There could be another app or service interfering. Actually, it's most likely bluetooth.

I unpaired my Versa, and it wouldn't repair. I restarted both the phone and the Versa, and the phone can't see the Versa consistently. It sees a Versa, but can't pair. She's close enough that it may actually be my wife's Versa. I'll check her firmware version later.

I was having problems from May through October last year, but I had 3 1/2 solid months of operation before problems started again; it sounds like you've had a better experience.

I do not understand the decision to keep the Versa from synching through the desktop. Well, I guess they synch with Windows, just not my desktop OSs. I'll get one of the kids' laptops... nope. It loaded the Windows Ten app and paired with the watch (or some watch) but it would not synchronize.

Incidentally, your time float is the same problem -- the Versa is not much of a watch qua watch -- it can't really keep time very well. If it floats ten seconds every hour yet synchs every twenty minutes, there's not much of an issue. But, after two days you'll be eight minutes off. I left my Versa die and charged it, so it's several hours off, and will be until it synchs.

[SunsetRunner]

I just don't understand why all fitbits aren't compatible with most Android
and iPhones. The android software, at least the OS portion is almost
identical in the past couple lines of phones. Samsung is the top selling
phone manufacturer and the Galaxy lines are the most popular. There really
is no reason Fitbit, a company that has been out for quite some time, is
not compatible with the most popular phone platforms. These phones also
abide to a bluetooth STANDARD. So why do some work and some don't?

[ionFreeman]

Soon Fitbit will be part of Alphabet, the company that sponsors Android. So, it'll be more embarrassing.

[ionFreeman]

I reset to factory settings, set it back up with my Galaxy Tab 2, and the app on the note 8 found it fine. But, it won't synch. I think the last OS update for the note 8 may be an issue. Did your wife not update?

[SunsetRunner]

She updated as well. They are literally the exact same setup. Both devices
bought at the same time and through the same vendor. That's why it makes no
sense.

[ionFreeman]

It also won't synch with the tablet

[ionFreeman]

OK! I turned all-day sync off and always connected on (I've been flipping these switches) and it started working. So, the steps are

(1) Grow increasingly enraged

(2) Do a bunch of random stuff

I hope that helps!

[ionFreeman]

Briefly. It worked briefly. I managed to set it up as new last night, but didn't get any data off it and it hasn't synched since, although it somehow believes I've taken 52 steps burning 2098 calories today. I don't know how that jibes with not synching since 10:17 last night, when I set it up.

It won't synch with the Note 8, the MacBook Pro or the Galaxy Tab 2. It won't synch fully charged, on or off the charger. I've attached it as new twice, so I know it can make the connection.

There are many forum posts about not connecting, and the forum web site is slow to respond, as if it were seeing unexpected use.

Any news on your end?

[SunsetRunner]

No news on my end. I left it sit in the charger for a few days because I'm
so angry with fitbit and decided to try something. I went into the fitbit
app and removed all devices allowed to access my Versa. For some reason
there was a lot of connections from my Note 8 and 1 from my windows PC.
(Not sure why my laptop was listed). I deleted and restarted everything and
them my phone found it immediately. I was even able to change the face a
bunch of times (though it hung up once). It appeared to be working but now
it seems to be losing time again. It's now 4 minutes off. We will see
tomorrow where it's at and if it logs my sleep data. (Hasn't done that for
weeks either). If the time keeps falling off it would seem to be an issue
with my Versa. Turning off the connected all day and syncing all the time
would still allow it to run like a normal watch until a successful sync. I
think I'm going to try to call Fitbit and see what they say.

[ionFreeman]

It synched again about three hours ago. So, that's something.

[SunsetRunner]

Looks like I spoke too soon. Now it won't sync or find device, even with versa and phone restarts.  And now it is running 12 minutes behind. Android shows the Versa being detected, yet the app says no device. That tells me this is either an app or Versa issue.

 

 

[moonboots]

I have a samsung galaxys8 plus and i cant sync and now after deleting my fitbit and trying to set it back up i cant even do that

[moonboots]

 

[SunsetRunner]

That's what I've been getting for the last 3 weeks and noone from Fitbit can tell me why all of a sudden after 9 months of no issues. I feel like I'm talking to robots with the same exact response. "Try a different device." So many people have this issue, but apparently Fitbit doesn't want to invest the time and fix it. (Ironic since they still support Note 5).

[ionFreeman]

Well... now it's synching again -- All Day Sync and Always Connected are both off, location is on. And the Note 8 has a system update, which, with great trepidation, I'm going to run.