Charge 5 Firmware Update 194.61

[LizzyFitbit]

7/13 Update: We’re continuing to roll out this firmware for the Charge 5 Firmware Update 194.61, and expect more customers are able to update their devices. This is a progressive rollout and all customers can expect to have it within a few weeks. We release updates in phases so that we can monitor performance closely and make adjustments if needed. If you don't see the option to update, don't worry - you'll have it soon!

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We’re excited to announce that a firmware update version 194.61 for Charge 5 will be available soon! Some of you might already have this update available. If you installed it, let us know what you think!

We release updates to customers in phases. If you don’t see it, check the Fitbit app in a few days, and you’ll see a message when you can install the update. We appreciate your patience while we get this update to all of our customers.

*Firmware releases are not distributed based on region or location and can reach anyone no matter where you reside. We do not recommend performing a factory reset to force the update to your device as your data will be lost and you may not get the update. Please be patient and wait until you see the update banner inside of the Fitbit app to begin the firmware download.

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

• All exercise modes are now available in the Exercise app, and your most recently used modes appear at the top. For more information, see How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?
• Find new clock faces in the Fitbit Gallery in the Fitbit app. For more information, see How do I change the clock face on my Fitbit device?
• View your daily readiness score on your tracker (Premium feature only). For more information, see What’s my daily readiness score in the Fitbit app?
• Support for global characters and right-to-left text notifications:
  Arabic
  Hebrew
  Thai
  Hindi
  Vietnamese
• This release includes bug fixes and improvements.

Full release notes can be found here. For more details, please see this Community Blog post.

HOW DO I UPDATE?
See How do I update my Fitbit device? for step by step instructions for updating your Charge 5. If you run into difficulty updating, review these Why can't I update my Fitbit device?

We’re interested in hearing your feedback on this update! Let us know what you like! If you encounter unexpected behavior during or after your update, please post the details below.

[Heretohelp1234]

I can’t see it 😞

[Oh4Vink]

Wow! It's been a long time coming. 

After all this time of frustration, the most critical and important thing is whether or not the battery drain issue has finally been fixed.

[gdio53]

@Heretohelp1234 

Firmware updates are released in phases, not everyone will get the new version immediately. See the first post post in this thread.  It might be a few weeks before the rollout is complete.

[mchili]

When is it coming out? Don’t see it on mine. 

[Heretohelp1234]

What is the estimated time when we get the update?!?

😞

[Mantimae]

Will there be a Weather app/page added anytime soon? This is my first ever smart watch and I was disappointed to see that the charge 5 does not have weather capabilities and that there was a highly liked post from 2021 asking for this feature that has yet to be added.

[Endmost]

My current version is 149.11. There are two previous versions between 194.61 and my version. How do I know with which version will the update bring to? I don't really want my Charge 5 update to any of the previous ones, they are terrible. Any comment?

[bbunge]

My Charge 5 has had exceptional battery life since I set the GPS to Phone. I either bike, walk or spin so I have the phone with me when I am out and spinning I do not need GPS. I have not gotten this new firmware, yet.

[CoreyMS]

I wouldn't update yet.  Not everyone has the new update available and not many have tried it out.  I would wait until it's been in the wild a little bit and see if people are fussing.  I doubt you would even be on the new one yet if you did anyway.  It's not available to me yet either, still 188.58 without issue tho.

[bbunge]

There is no reason to wait. Upgrades usually have been fully tested and are intended to increase reliability, performance and security. Consumers who wait often forget and continue to complain that things do not work. Better to upgrade and then complain!

[Bently77]

So Fitbit expects me to wait a few weeks for an update? And so fit but tell me in the few weeks I’m waiting for an update when my watch won’t sync and it doesn’t count steps. How are you going to reimburse me for this?

I also want you to answer why the Fitbit Hass to be replaced approximately every year to year and a half, especially when a new model is being released, because it all of a sudden stops working correctly. Do we all have to switch to Apple watches to get reliable functioning?

[adamweiss]

I’ve had the update on my Charge 5 for over a week now (confirmed both in the app and by seeing the new sorting of activities on the device), but I do not have the new watch faces yet. Do others see the new faces after installing the update?

[CoreyMS]

If they are there they would be in the gallery in the app.  Is the watch acting normal for you on the latest update?

[adamweiss]

The device is working normally, but there are no new faces in the in-app gallery. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to our new members.

Thanks for taking the time to troubleshoot your tracker, and sharing more details about this issue. I'm sorry you're going through this experience and given this situation, could you go to the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Charge 5 and verify if it shows 194.61 as the firmware version to make sure it was fully installed? This will help me to further investigate on my end and forward this feedback about the battery and display issues to our team.

@adamweiss Thanks for confirming the changes you're seeing on your watch. Given that the clock faces aren't visible, if you haven't done so, let's try force quitting the Fitbit app, rebooting your phone, opening the Fitbit app, pulling down on the screen to force a manual sync and try checking if the new clock faces appear.

[amandareg]

I’m so frustrated with FitBit right now. My charge 5 stopped working at the end of June because of the firmware upgrade. The screen went black and I couldn’t fix it. I contacted support, they had my Fitbit device deleted from the app. Now, I can’t reset the Fitbit. It just blinks the Fitbit logo and eventually will show a red ex. Fitbit tried to offer 35% off a new one since my warranty was up in October. Why should I have to buy a new Fitbit when mine was working fine prior to the update? Is it time to move to Apple products? I love my Fitbit, but this is ridiculous. If a firmware breaks devices, the company should fix this.

[Cpl117]

My warranty ends TODAY. FitBit will not offer a discount. They want me to mail it back to them, and after inspection, will replace it with another Charge 5. I am so frustrated right now. I have been buying FitBit's since 2015. CUSTOMER SERVICE. They seem to think I'm trying to rip them off by wanting this fixed, when thousands of customers have the problem. Why would I want another Charge 5? They need to get a better Firmware team and test the product before release.

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the feedback and comments that you've shared with us so far. 

It seems that most users haven't actually received the latest firmware version 194.61, and instead they're having some of these issues (mostly with the display and battery draining) with older version 188.58. To check your current version, you can go to your Fitbit app > Tap on your profile picture > Charge 5 > You'll see the firmware number at the top of the screen. 

If you still have the older version, please check this thread and share as many details as possible to receive the appropriate assistance, and if you already tried all the troubleshooting steps mentioned here earlier, please get in touch with the Customer Support team so they can provide you with the next steps.

If you do have the new version, please share it here so we can continue to monitor the situation. This will be of great help to keep the community organized and handle each problem separately.

[greenghoulie]

Same thing for many Charge 5 users. Many folks in the firmware thread are talking about it, but the community managers keep referring us to Customer Support. It's frustrating if you're out of warranty (like me) and don't want to spend another $100+ on a year-old device.