Charge 5 Firmware Update 194.91

[LizzyFitbit]

We’re excited to announce that a firmware update version 194.91 for Charge 5 is now available! If you installed it, let us know what you think!

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.

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.

[MrSphandor]

Did the update seemed to be OK now will not sync forward the last 7 days. Permissions checked location on both devices restarted no effect. Please test updates going forward and fix this one. 

[bbunge]

Someone on this forum accused me of being a Fitbit/Google employee. I am not and have never been employed by a commercial IT company. I am a happily retired government worker and have been involved with computers/networking/software development since the days of DOS and WIndows 3.1. One thing I know is that upgrade failures are often the result of users not following instructions or preparing properly. I also know from experience that tech weenies often write instructions over the head of "normal" users.

I prepared for the Charge 5 upgrade by putting the Charge 5 on the charger and restarting it. I then made sure my Android phone was up-to-date, aps and OS, and put it on the charger. I made sure the only open app was the Fitbit app, I started the upgrade, put the phone down and walked away for 30 minutes. Successful upgrade with no follow-on issues.

So, don't blame all the failures on Google. Just saying...

[FloatingSun]

Like so many others on this thread, I also experienced the battery drain issue on my Charge 5. It goes from full charge to dead in < 4 hours. I reported it to Google Support, and obviously they gas-lighted me like everyone else. Let's keep the pressure up here -- they can't ignore the people forever!

[AlanBFit]

Sure they can. Its the thing they do better than supporting their customers
or writing bug free software. Back in the 60's it was called giving a **ahem**.
Now its called.. who gives a **ahem**.

[Boon23]

Please don't de-link your Charge 5's from the app in an attempt to fix this issue. I can't sync now as I can't see the 4 digit code on the fitbit as the screen is black. 

Unfortunately I just have a very expensive paperweight that vibrates every now and then (not in a good way), and flashes a pretty teal logo. If Fitbit had just been honest about this issue many of us might not have gone down this avenue. I'm guessing mine is completely buggered now. 

I used to speak to others highly about my charge 5, but not any more. 

Would be nice to see some sort of response on here. 

[PrincessMelly]

@bbunge 

You can't be serious. Do you think we are all idiots and have never gone through a firmware update before. Updating firmware doesn't require a degree as it's not rocket science. Same issues were happening with their last firmware as well. This issue is 100% on FITBIT/GOOGLE. 

[MMMHHH]

Folks, please tell your story on public forums like twitter, Facebook, trustpilot. This forum is hidden away so it won’t drive pressure for action. Your stories are being quietly ignored.

[Quitbit2]

Join me in celebrating your Quitbit birthday!

Every year, on the anniversary of my Fitbit breaking, I email them a picture of their stock price or recent earnings report (always terrible) and remind them of the incident that caused me to stop buying their products. I've been doing this since 2018. Because this is a tale as old as time.

You can celebrate your Quitbit anniversary too! Join the (re)movement.

My story: After purchasing a $300 Blaze 2 and paying extra for the extended 2 year warranty, the heart rate tracker randomly stopped working ONE DAY AFTER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY I PAID EXTRA FOR ENDED, on October 1st. I swear they plan this stuff and shut off watches on purpose. They rewarded me with the "opportunity" to purchase a new, more expensive model.

This company will always make watches that break too soon, and they will always tell you to just buy a new one.

[SuSu29]

I completed the update but when I want to record a run on my app when I’ve completed it, it automatically reverts back to a walk and you are now not able to change it to a run with the edit facility 

[NSD1971]

Responding to this whilst ignoring all of the issues reported with the December update (i.e. useless devices and people being forced to buy new items before it became obvious that this was something that Fitbit had caused) is a strange decision. Please escalate to senior management for a global update on compensation for those of us who bought a new device (and would not have done so had we understood this was an issue caused by a Fitbit update). Thanks

[MrHaroldA]

My Charge 5 wasn't charged enough to perform the update, so I charged it and by the time it was full, the update was pulled.

I really dodged a bullet here!

[richardbsimpson]

Have shared my thoughts on Trustpilot regarding Fitbit Charge 5 Firmware Update 194.91.

Still questioning Fitbit Support to escalate my case and stop hiding behind Warranty and be active in finding a solution.

[JewlzK]

So obviously Fitbit knew there was a problem if they pulled the update.  I am speechless. 

[iubrian]

Exactly this. I’ve updated dozens of iPads, iPhones, Windows laptops and desktops. I’ve upgraded and patched hundreds of programs. I’ve built my own computers from scratch…not to mention updated firmware on probably 4 generations of Fitbits, but I’m too inept and incompetent to update the firmware on a simple fitness tracker THIS time…it must be operator error!? Get the …. out with that nonsense. 

[LordWest]

For the past few weeks my Fitbit Charge 5 has been constantly unresponsive and the display does not lit.  It is only when I connect the charge 5 to the charger that the tracker becomes usually responsive.  Not happy at all.  Was this done on purpose so that charge 5 owners upgrade to the new version?  

[christekm1]

So why did you take away the ability to categorize exercise our self as of  approximately January 28, 2024??? How do you keep pushing secret  changes/ updates without sending out developer notes? Highly annoying!! Thanks Google for ruining a great product 😡😡😡

[MsDarnWright]

Pulling the update is the first step. They need to make the impacted users whole. 

[Woodey12]

My fitbit charge 5 worked absolutely fine. Then after the update it was instantly bricked and the customer support I've had was non-existent and failed to acknowledge that this is an ongoing problem with other fitbit users.

I've literally just bought the fitbit charge 6 today and after reading all these recent posts, it will be going straight back tomorrow. 

What a joke fitbit has become 🙄 

[FitbitUser249]

So this update thread was started by "LizzyFitbit". So fun, posted with such a cheery tone of excitement. I'll paste here the request for our thoughts so Fitbit can help and connect w us etc. Lizzy or any other rep is nowhere to be found. Thanks for having our back Lizzy???

"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."

[Durrrrp]

@Woodey12 at least the media is finally picking up the story. Hopefully, they will hold Fitbit to account and shame them into addressing the issue. No one will want to risk purchasing any Fitbit or google watch if everyone realizes how easily they stop working after mandatory updates and how little Fitbit/google actually care about customer satisfaction. https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68140297