Why does the Charge 2 not come with a USB dongle?

[MeanDean]

why in the hell does this not come with a dongle ? how frustrating to buy this product and begin to set it up ...only to find ..oh wait .....there is no dongle.?   wtf are you thinking .....so now how do i set it up ...this is my first purchase ..and with stupid thinking on fitbits part they don't ship all the hardware to set the watch up...?... this is so stupid ...i almost threw this piece of crap in garbage .....i would have if it didnt cost me 200 bucks ....Not happy .......

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[Kmransom123]

@MeanDean  The newer trackers are optimized for use with a smart phone and newer computers that support the native Bluetooth.  

How were you going to set up/sync the tracker?  Phone or PC?  You may not need one based on your device.  

[PureEvil]

Hello @MeanDean,

Welcome to the community!

The reason why it doesn't come with a dongle is that in the vast majority of cases, you don't need it anymore.  You can sync with:

• Most smartphones.
• Windows 10 (and since there was a free upgrade from Windows 7, 8, and 8.1, it's a fair bet that you'd be running it).
• Macs

...without a dongle.  It's only if you're running an older OS where you'd really need the dongle.  If you're in that group, I'd contact support.  You never know what they'll say.

I hope this helps.

[ValerieAnne]

To be fair, to sync with Windows 10 your computer still needs to have bluetooth. Because it's an update, the computer being used may be much older and not have it (or even new and not have it). My computer is 2 years old, and I don't have it on my computer. Then again, I don't need it as I do have a dongle and smart phone.

I've heard that if you need a dongle, CS may send you one if you message/contact them and ask though.

[MeanDean]

yup running a older mac ...not that old ..but needed the dongle ....not everyone has the latest computer .  So that being said for that price it should come with a dongle anyway . Set it up with my phone ...seems to be ok ....but nothing more frustrating than not having all the parts ....."Oh yah your new car doesn't come with tires ..."...didn't think you would be using it .....Thanks for all the replys ....DEAN

[Kmransom123]

Glad to hear you were able to get it working @MeanDean 

[Rich_Laue]

To sync with a windows 10 through BY your computer needs to have BTor a generic BT4.0 dongle,

[Weezy-Ambrosio]

I have Windows 10 and have the bluetooth enabled, but it is still asking me to plug in a dongle (which I don't have).  I tried to put my new Charge 2 on via my android phone but it is still trying to get me to update the alta (which doesn't work)...  I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, and getting annoyed! 

Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you.

Lisa

[AlvaroFitbit]

@Weezy-Ambrosio Welcome to our Community! On your computer are you using the Windows 10 app or the Fitbit Connect software? If you are using the app try uninstalling it, restart your tracker by doing the following:

1. Plug the charging cable into the USB port on your computer or any UL-certified USB wall charger.
2. Clip the other end of the charging cable to the port on the back of the tracker. The pins on the charging cable must lock securely with the port.
3. Make sure the button on your tracker is aligned with the button opening on the charging cable. You’ll know the connection is secure when the tracker vibrates and you see a battery icon on your tracker’s display. Your Charge 2 will begin charging.
4. Press and hold the button on your tracker for four seconds. When you see the Fitbit logo and the tracker vibrates, this means the tracker has restarted.
5. Unplug your tracker from the charging cable.

Make sure it is fully charged and retry the setup.

On your Android device remove the Alta by tapping the tracker icon and select the alta, then you will see a trashcan icon, tap it to remove the tracker from it, restart your phone, the tracker, make sure it is charged and retry the setup there.

Let me know how it goes!

[xAng]

Did you go into your bluetooth devices and select the Charge 2 and then Pair?

[luanne613]

Absurd that it is sold without a dongle! I happen to have just recently lost the one I had from the original Flex so now I need to go purchase a new one anyway! Very frustrating!

[Rich_Laue]

@luanne613 what phone do you have, or what computer? A Win 10 or Mac with built in BT won't need the dongle. If you do need one I would contact Fitbit. 

[ToniGo]

I agree with ya.  It's like how some computers don't come with DVD/CD rom drives, they say no one uses discs, everything is streamed/downloaded.  Ya right!

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@MeanDean wrote:

yup running a older mac ...not that old ..but needed the dongle ....not everyone has the latest computer .  So that being said for that price it should come with a dongle anyway . Set it up with my phone ...seems to be ok ....but nothing more frustrating than not having all the parts ....."Oh yah your new car doesn't come with tires ..."...didn't think you would be using it .....Thanks for all the replys ....DEAN

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[SonierJ]

tried all of that and still have a blank screen. I do see the battery followed by vibration and the fitbit logo with 22.48.14 which stay on a few seconds only to go back to blank screen.

[dogismad]

I agree 100%. Would have been nice to know my pc wouldnt support the setup part!!! Nice gift I gave to my wife, only she cant use it! should have bought anything else!!

[SteveinMD]

Call Customer Service directly.  I couldn't set it up on my older Mac, asked for a Dongle to be plugged in.  CS sent me a dongle, no charge, problem solved.  It probably would help to be nice and not yell at them, they don't make the policy.  The rep that helped me was great.  good luck, Steve

[luanne613]

Rich, I have a laptop without blue tooth, running Windows 10.  I wonder if I complained to FitBit if they'd send me one? Worth a try!

[Janeco]

Well that's a genius plan considering I have an S7 and it's not compatable! So now it doens't come with a dongle so I can't sync the **ahem** thing to my computer or my effing smart phone. Do you have a work around for that?

[Misfit1]

Same boat...  I have multiple PC laptops less than 2 years old and none have Bluetooth built in.  Additionally, I refuse to be forced into updating to Windows 10 (where yet another large batch of perfectly good applications no longer work).   This critical purchase information should have been absolutely clear prior to purchase, not discovered later when trying to troubleshoot a setup problem.  Even the setup app fails to mention that Windows 8.1 will not work.  A properly written app would check first before installing.   Now I am returning my Charge 2.  I am also returning the Alta I bought at the same time because I find it incomprehensible that ANY fitness device fails to display heart rate info.  When the description says "carido" I think a basic heart rate display would be an obvious conclusion.

Very disappointed...

[Rich_Laue]

The heart rate can be seen in both the app and the web