Blank screen after swimming Charge 5

[Flizram]

After swimming,  my fitbit stopped working and will not charge.

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity.

[DavideFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi, it's good to see you visiting the Community forums for the first time, @Flizram. 

Thank you for sharing all these details about the inconvenience you've been having with your Charge 5. 

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

Have a good day. 

[Lizevdb]

I got the same problem.

Is there a solution?

[Surfista]

Contact customer service and ask for your defective charge 5 to be replaced. 

It is sold as a swim tracker, so if it is not waterproof, it is defective. 

[Flizram]

Thank you! I did and they are sending out a new one.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Flizram]

Called CS and they are sending me a new fitbit. Important that you registered when you purchased.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Bhealthee]

I called my screen broken but I think this is what happened to mine.  Thanks for posting everyone

[PeeJay2]

Hi, I have just experienced the same problem. Having been told to do swimming by a physiotherapist to address a fractured vertebrae I checked to confirm that it was safe to wear my Fitbit Charge 5 in the pool. On the first occasion I did, and following the swim my tracker screen would not return from the water lock mode. 
My first action was to connect the tracker to the charging cable and whilst there was a vibration the screen remained black. This made me think that water had somehow got into the unit. I therefore placed the tracker into dry rice for approximately 24 hours. When I subsequently withdrew it from the rice the screen lit up with the Fitbit logo but would not respond further. Can someone tell me if my tracker is now “gone” and why it failed to live up to the ‘water proof’ commitment? This is despite the fact that it would not have gone deeper than 1.5 metres.

[Surfista]

Contact customer service and ask for your defective charge 5 to be replaced. 

It is sold as a swim tracker, so if it is not waterproof, it is defective. 

Putting it in rice will not fix it.

[Flizram]

This has happened twice to my charge 5 and this time they replaced the unit. I have not had success in swimming with it on.Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device

[PeeJay2]

Subsequently spoke to Mark L. (Live Chat) who talked me through a procedures to fix the issue. Great service.

Unfortunately once the tracker rose from the dead the battery wouldn’t last for more than 10 or 12 hours. Once it went dead I was back to square 1.5 - Fitbit logo only. Looking to see if I can get in touch with Mark again.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, thanks for sharing that you experienced this issue with your Charge 5. 

It seems that most of you were able to contact the Support team for further assistance. If your device got wet, it’s important to take it off and dry it well before putting it back on. If your device has come into contact with any liquid other than fresh water, you should clean it with fresh water and a soap-free cleanser and dry it with a lint free-cloth. If your device is not vibrating at all, I'd recommend trying the steps below:

• Clean the charging contacts on the back of your device and the pins on your charging cable using the instructions in How do I clean my Fitbit device?
• If the error "insufficient power source" appears on your device's screen, remove other devices plugged in to your power source, or plug your device in to another source.
• Try a different USB port or a UL-certified wall charger.
• Check the alignment and try reconnecting your device to the charging cable. For more information, see How do I charge my Fitbit device?
• Restart your Fitbit once again.

If the screen is still completely unresponsive, I recommend that you get in touch with the Customer Support team for further assistance with this. They will let you know how to proceed. 

The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. You can click here to get connected.

[Surfista]

Hi Davide,

I don't understand why you give the advice below to people with this problem: 

"If your device got wet, it’s important to take it off and dry it well before putting it back on."

If the Charge 5 is not defective, there is no need to dry it as it should be water resistant.

   If you do need to dry it well, it is defective and should be replaced.

[DavideFitbit]

@Surfista Thanks for your feedback about this. 

These these are just some general recommendations that are part of the Wear & Care guide as well, to take care of the device and for optimal performance, but as you pointed out, the device is water resistant and should work after using to swim or after taking a shower. 

[Sonjaberton]

I have a Fitbit sense. This is the second one I had. Neither lasted more than 6 months. Swim mode does not work. It goes blank and shuts down entire watch for a day or two. Then works again. But died again when in swim mode. I have plenty of battery life. I called Fitbit support and they will not honor a replacement.  Very disappointed! If you are buying this for swimming I would look elsewhere!