Battery drained in 4 days Charge 5

[Delphinus]

Hi there,

it seems like I’m not the only one who has battery drain issue with Charge 5 and clearly also not the worst case based on some of the existing topics on it. My Charge 5 is less than a month old and it would only last for about 4-5 days with a full charge ever since I received it.

The battery is supposed to last 7 days with a full charge, which is the same as my old Charge 3. I’ve never had any battery issue like this with Charge 3. Please advice how this issue could be resolved.

many thanks for your attention to this matter in advance.

Moderator edit: format

[DavideFitbit]

Hi, welcome to the Fitbit Community forums, @Delphinus. 

I appreciate all the information that you've shared about the inconvenience you've been having with your Charge 5 and for confirming that you already tried a few troubleshooting steps. 

I've been informed that you already contacted the Customer Support team for further assistance with this and it seems they've provided you with some instructions. In this case, they will let you know how to proceed. 

Let me know if you continue to experience the same problem after the steps suggested. 

I'll be around. 

[Delphinus]

Hi Davide,

thank you very much for your reply!

in addition to the battery problem, the GPS on my Fitbit has never worked either. Unlike my old charge 3, I have never seen a map showing my walk or run on my Fitbit app ever since I changed to charge 5. The GPS on my charge 5 have been on dynamic since I set it up.

After my call with customer service, I was told to observe it for a few more days. As the problems persist, I’m unclear what the next step should be. Do I have to call customer service again?

Thank you again for your help!

have a good day!

Estelle

[DavideFitbit]

Hi, thank you for sharing this information about the trouble you've been experiencing with your Charge 5, @Delphinus.  

If the GPS is getting disconnected during your activity, the Charge 5 may track different information for the the distance. Before considering other options, make sure to follow the steps suggested in this article. 

All devices with GPS sensors require a direct path to GPS satellites to calculate location. A weak GPS signal might affect the accuracy of your route and other activity data. Your device uses your step count to calculate distance until it finds a signal, so the total distance calculated for a workout may be slightly less accurate when GPS isn't available for the entire time. In particular, please make sure of the following: 

• That you are  in open sky and moderate trees
• Adjust how you wear the tracker when you want to use GPS 
• Make sure the Location in your phone settings is set to Always or All the time for the Fitbit app (if you're using connected GPS)

If you continue to experience the same behavior and your GPS is getting disconnected, make sure to try following the steps listed in this article to complete a restart, as this has been useful for other users experiencing something similar. 

In case the problem is related to the app not showing you the map, please follow these steps as well:

• Log out from the app.
• Clear Cache for the Fitbit app on your phone's settings (Settings > Apps > Fitbit app > Storage > Clear cache)
• Restart your phone. 
• Log back in to check if you're able to see your information. 
• Try to set up your Charge 5 as a new device in your account if you're still having the same problem.

I'll be around. 

[Delphinus]

Hi David,

Happy New Year!

I'd like to follow up on my post as it's been a few months since we spoke about the battery and GPS issues.

I have tried what you suggested above numerous times but my Charge 5 battery consistently only lasts for 4-5 days, instead of 7. GPS never worked, not even once.

As the GPS never worked, I don't believe the battery drain is related to the GPS usage.

As I mentioned previously that I had 2 Charge 3 and the GPS functions on both of them worked well, I'm familiar with the GPS function on Fitbits. It is not normal that the GPS function has not worked once ever since I have this device.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Best regards,

Estelle

[DavideFitbit]

@Delphinus Thanks for sharing your reply. 

The GPS feature would actually make the battery drain in just a few hours if it stays activated, but there are other features that also consume battery: 

• Built-in GPS (Charge 5 can have a battery life of up to 4 day when using this feature regularly, or up to 5 hours if you use it continuously).
• Always-on display (Charge 5 can have a battery life of up to 3 days when using this feature). 
• Tracking SpO2 (Fitbit points out in this article that you may have to charge your Fitbit device more often when collecting SpO2 data)

Before considering other options, please make sure that you've followed the steps provided in this article. In addition, try to perform a restart following the steps listed here below, this has been useful for other users experiencing something similar: 

1. Connect your device to the charging cable. For instructions, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
2. Press the button located on the flat end of the charger 3 times (end if the USB cable), pausing for 1 second between presses. Then wait 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo appears.

[Delphinus]

Dear David,
Thank you very much for your reply.
I have gone through the steps in your instructions. They are the same ones you provided in our last communication on this issue.
I have been a loyal Fitbit user for many years. I even bought them for my parents. Unfortunately It has been quite a disappointing experience with this new Charge 5 and the way Fitbit deals with the battery drain issue. If Charge 5’s battery life is 4 days with its full functions, it should have been advertised as such. Battery life is one of the major criteria when one purchases a fitness tracker. No one buys a fitness tracker with the intent to use only part of its functions. It is deceiving to false advertise.
Regards,
Estelle


Sent from my iPhone

[DavideFitbit]

@Delphinus Thank you for sharing that you're still having this inconvenience with the Charge 5. 

I've gone ahead and sent your information to the Customer Support team for further assistance, so you should be getting a reply soon. Please keep an eye on your inbox. 

Have a good day. 

[Delphinus]

Your help is much appreciated.
Have a great weekend.

Sent from my iPhone

[DavideFitbit]

@Delphinus No problem! 

Have a great day.