Tips for Syncing with your Android

[FitbitCommunity]

There are multiple troubleshooting steps you can try. Make sure you check the required settings on your phone and try all the recommendations listed below before posting on the forums for further support. 

Requirements

• Your phone is running the latest version of Android OS. To check, tap Settings > About Phone or About Device > Android Version.
• Your Fitbit device is up-to-date. For more information, see How do I update my Fitbit device?
• The Fitbit app is up-to-date. For more information, see How do I use the Fitbit app?
• Your phone is connected to cellular data or Wi-Fi.
• The Fitbit app is allowed to run in the background on your phone. For more information, see What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?
• The Bluetooth setting on your phone is turned on. To check, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
• You have location services turned to always on, and the Fitbit app has permission to access your location. For more information see, Why is the Fitbit app prompting me to turn on location services?
• If you use more than one phone or tablet device to sync, make sure the other device isn't nearby. If the device is nearby, turn off Bluetooth on it.
• Your phone isn't managing other Bluetooth connections. If you have multiple Bluetooth products like speakers or headsets paired to your phone along with your Fitbit device, you may have trouble using more than one at the same time. Turn off other Bluetooth connections when not in use.
• Your phone doesn't have a syncing issue listed in What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?
• Your Fitbit device is charged.

Troubleshooting

1. Force quit the Fitbit app, then reopen it.
2. On your phone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth off and back on.
3. If your Fitbit device doesn't sync, restart it. For instructions see How do I restart my Fitbit device?
4. Open the Fitbit app.
5. If your Fitbit device doesn't sync, restart your Android phone.
6. Open the Fitbit app.
7. If your Fitbit device doesn't sync, uninstall and reinstall the Fitbit app.
8. Open the Fitbit app. 
9. If your device doesn't sync, log in to your Fitbit account on a different phone, tablet, or computer and try to sync. 
10. If your Fitbit device still doesn’t sync, remove all other Fitbit devices from your account and from the list of connected Bluetooth devices on your phone and try to sync.

[Rose65]

I started Fitbit in 2015, have upgraded 3x but whatever they did last spring wrecked the app. It does work a little better on my IPad.  My brand new Samsung that by the way Fitbit, said would fix the problem worked for a month, now this week same stuff, different day. Then as of yesterday, it can't even tell times it is 62 minutes behind right now.  FB doesn't seem to understand that we are not stupid and we have tried all of these solutions a 100 times, just fix your app to work with Android, it shouldn't be this hard! I was getting ready to upgrade but at this point, it will probably not be with a Versa because FB does not seem to care that they have hung a whole bunch of us out to dry. Oh and don't bother with customer service because they recite this same tired rhetoric!  🤨

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To edit click on the three dots by your name

[Cdful]

Every time I get the nag screen for the premium, which I am certain is a great service, I think, I can be frustrated amply for free as I do not have as high an expectation. Just do not look quite as often as I know to actually get it to sync, that my thumbs will be tired from closing, resetting and stopping the app, just to restart it.

[Rose65]

It is not your Sense, it is the faulty app. Per this forum, there are all types of trackers having the same issues!

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I went through all the steps for the upteenth time, this is what I get, no wonder it only works once or twice a day. It never works for the phone as described when I paid the money for the Versa. 

“Bluetooth pairing and linking” spins and spins and after several tries, it never does resolve it!

[Cdful]

Please try this, I think I have the steps correct.


1. Power off or reset your phone.
2. Reboothing your device and ensure that there is a smiley face on the screen.
3. Ensure that the FitBit app has been closed.
4. Do not worry about the Bluetooth, it should connect without a pairing request when you start the app.
5. Go into settings, Apps and force a stop on the FitBit app.
6. Restart your FB App and ensure all the pairings are made in the app and then tell the unit to sync.
7. If it does not sync, pull down the area between FitBit and Today, should slide down and indicate "gathering your data".
8. Sometimes mine takes two or three tries before it sync or give me a message that it could not sync at which point I go back to step 5, stop the app, ensure the app is closed, etc.

Rebooting, not Resetting the FitBit (NOT TO FACTORY) seems to work sometimes.

Also sometimes I can sync up with the Windows desk app and that may work.

Other than this, ensure that the app has the correct information about the device. I am now at the end of my limitations and agree with others that there should be some tweeking of the app that would make all this go away.

[Nlg062301]

Super appreciate your taking the time to write out the steps. 

I do however think that it is crazy that one would have to do all that ......... 

[Rose65]

Thank you but I have given up on having it work on my Android phone. It took several tries but I was able to get it set back up with my IPad. I won’t have any of the phone features I paid for but at least I will be able to sync and save my data.😏

Sent from my iPad

[SunsetRunner]

I have a Fitbit Sense and even though I have a Samsung S10+ it still won't connect to the Bluetooth it says "an app is needed to use this device" even though it says it's paired with Sense and Sense Controls. Then it won't even connect to a band new Dell 5406 11thGen i7 which has Bluetooth 5.1, so I ordered the Fitbit's own Bluetooth dongle and guess what still wouldn't connect. I repair Laptops, Tablets, Mobile Phones and Watches for a business for over 30yrs now so it can't even be blamed on user error.

Moderator Edit: Word choice

[Michele063]

It would be helpful to explain How to reboot ( what buttons on the watch to hold down and when to release them) I have a Versa and have never seen a smiley face. There have been multiple times that I charged,updated with my phone to the watch only to find the next morning that it did not record my sleep stages etc. This happens a lot which infuriates me. Thanks!

[BraulioFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community, @Michele063. Thanks for the details shared in your post.

I understand where your frustration is coming from. You can find the steps to restart your Versa on this help article since not all of our devices can be rebooted using the same method.

See you around. 

[Miller16018]

Yes , since they sold out to Google  it hasn't worked ,it's not singing I m sick of trying to use it , won't buy another one

[mmmsssaaa]

Here's a tip for everyone: The Android app is rubbish. I have better luck downloading the Fitbit app for Windows and using that to sync and track (laptop has bluetooth). 

[Melcarp]

I have the  versa 2 and can't get it to sync right, I don't have Alexa or my music and a few other things.

[Miller16018]

I bought a Alta HR specifically for the HR , and now it doesn't sink any things, you can't even get it to let you reset it or edit it of sync. It's very upsetting . This is how they treat their customers , I dont want another Fitbit.


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy Tablet

[BraulioFitbit]

Nice to see you here, @Miller16018.

Thanks for the details in your post. I see where your frustration is coming from. If your Alta HR stopped syncing with your phone, you can try the troubleshooting steps from this help article: Why won't my Fitbit device sync?. Please make sure that your phone or tablet has the requirements to sync with your device.

Hope this helps.

[munkze]

I had an Inspire 2 and now a Luxe with a Honor 10 phone. Only one thing helped me manage to sync the Luxe (don't know about the Inspire 2 because I only tried it now in frustration since yet another device was not syncing...).

Some Android phones seem to have a very aggressive battery optimization and will turn off background processes it seems.

Go to Settings -> Battery optimization -> Fitbit  and select Dont't allow optimization.

All other tips from Fitbit were garbage and beyond frustrating. I don't want to think about how often I restarted the phone, the app, bluetooth, cleared the cache, reinstalled the app etc. Nothing else than turning off the battery optimization helped, hope it helps you too.

[Chanton]

I recently replaced my Inspire HR with the Fitbit Luxe. I used the Inspire for the past year on my current Samsung phone with absolutely no problems. It would sync to my phone and to my Virgin Pulse account seamlessly and never had a problem. I can't say the same for the Luxe. It arrived with the screen frozen. A call to Fitbit resulted in my having to update the firmware. That solved that problem. I then immediately set it upon my phone and the problems started. It refused to sync at all, telling me to "fix it" by going to my phone's settings, going into apps and doing a force stop of the Fitbit app, then going into "Connections" and disabling bluetooth, then re-enabling it. That worked for that single sync. The next day, the same problem. Called Fitbit again and they ran me through a bunch of troubleshooting, none of which accomplished anything. Still had to go through the 'force stop' and reset bluetooth to get it to sync. This happened daily whenever I tried to sync. Over several calls to Fitbit, they had me jumping through hoops, doing everything from a 'refresh' to a full factory reset. None of it worked and the gadget kept refusing to sync without going through all the app force stops and resetting bluetooth. On my final call to what they call 'customer service', the rep ended the call with, "Well, what do you want me to do about it?" and she then abruptly hung up.Finally, after a month of trying to get it to work properly, I gave up, realizing this was nothing more than a piece of buggy junk. Into the trash it went! I now have a Garmin and it works perfectly, with the big plus of giving me way more info than the Luxe (or Inspire) did. The Garmin syncs quickly every day, including with my Virgin Pulse account.

Don't waste your money on this junk. The Garmin (Vivosmart 4) cost the same as the Luxe, works flawlessly, has a much better app interface and gives a lot more info than any of the Fitbits.

[Jaelaroche]

Can the fitbit people help me please 🙏  my watch wont sync.  

Read my bio

[Sooz]

I use an Android tablet and hadn't had a problem syncing until I changed my password. I don't know if a recent update or the password change affected it, but it won't sync. I have done absolutely everything (uninstalling, rebooting, using my phone instead, sacrificing a goat...jk) to make it work right, and must say, I am severely upset, frustrated and pissed off. Now what?

[MissiiiH]

I get it to sync when I turn my Phone on and off,and take off my fitbit,
and than I take a test vibration and it connects

[Sooz]

I did that and it worked! Thanks. It shouldn't be such contortions to sync, tho!