Black screen after attempted update

[SunsetRunner]

It's going from bad to worse. My fitbit screen stopped responding to touch/swipes 2 weeks ago. I attempted the update as prompted in the app believing it might fix the issue. The installation failed and now the device's screen is black. The green light inside the watch face is lit however. I'm pretty much ready to throw this away and never ever buy a fitbit anything again. I thought Fitbit was the definitive brand of step counter and health tracker devices. Very disillusioned by the poor reliability of this 7 month old device and the lack of useful help offered by what I suspect are merely bots incapable of offering anything beyond basic scripted advice for given topics. Fitbit needs to acknowledge the problem and offer recalls, replacements, and/or refunds. 

[newtothis83]

mine went black before I formally did the update. maybe it was available and I tried to Sync but I dont believe so. It went black while i was at the pool so was not on charge (which is needed for the update). I had charged it that same afternoon so assumed maybe I didnt dock it very well... sadly no such luck. 

[Talahthas]

Welcome back to the Fitbit community, @SunsetRunner!

Sad to hear you're having issues with your Charge 5. As a first attempt to get things fixed I'd suggest restarting it. Before doing so you should make sure you've synced your device to not lose any data tracked so far. Also you should verify that the charging contacts on your device are clean and the charging pins on it's charging adapter are clean as well and can move flawlessly. In doubt, please have a look here:

How do I clean my Fitbit device? 

Next please closely follow these instructions as timing is crucial for this procedure:

1.) Connect your Charge 5 to the charging cable which has to be connected to a reliable power source.
2.) Press the button located on the flat end of the charging cable 3 times within 8 seconds(!), holding each press for about 1 second(!).
3.) Wait around 10 seconds until the Fitbit logo appears on your device's display.

I'd like to point out that it sometimes requires more than one attempt to restart Charge 5. So, before throwing the towel, please give it another try.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[Brenre1]

Mine went black after the attempted update. I tired the reset like you described multiple times to no avail. My charge five is officially dead because of this update!!

[SunsetRunner]

Fitbit company, I'm giving up on this forum and device. You've lost a brand-loyal customer who sticks with the same brand for her cars, shoes, cellphones, over and over when they prove deserving of that loyalty. I won't be a repeat customer of Fitbit. My life has too much more important going on for me to constantly have to visit this forum to get basic, simpleton advice anyone could figure out on their own for when things aren't working. I'm fed up with the time and energy required by your faulty devices. The fact that loopholes are preventing the company from offering to replace or fix the problem with our Charge 5s is disappointing. Chalking this up as a $100+ loss and chucking out the device. Done with it. Lived all my life not knowing how many steps I took, and can simply go back to not knowing or caring. I'm out! 

[mitchtl]

My Charge 5 died completely on July 6, I have been trying to get answers / solutions / replacement since then. I have tried all the recommended fixes, nothing works.My unit was 16 months old, it should not have expired, just like so many others on this forum. Fitbit / Google stand up and take responsibility for the damages you have caused. Replace at no cost to your loyal customers, all the non functioning Charge 5 trackers. Show that you are a reputable company.