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.

[Lmgetfit]

The Fitbit updates are now a nightmare even when doing resets.

Every day it won’t load all measures the front panel doesn’t reflect what it details behind especially for what is called health metrics which only cover sleep.

Sleep itself is not loading automatically needing updates manually and then taking more than one attempt.

Not happy with the new app or the tracker

Lynne

[OctavianM]

If google would be fare they should let the possibility to downgrade to 188 version for anyone with problems. But they want to make you buy next tracker. **ahem**ty marketing attitude!!!

I have activated a new Charge 5 for my son ( of course it was a gift...I will never buy fitbit) and updated, but to 188 version and everything is ok. Probably google offered 194 version update for older trackers out of warranty to brick them

[Moodyme]

Did not receive 194.91 on my Charge 5 but did update it to 188.58 and also having the same crazy battery drain from 100% to 0 in just couple of hours. Now my Charge 5 is forever stuck at the charger only and being useless. Tried rebooting, factory reset and change clock face. Nothing works....  and my Charge 5 is not even 1 year old and now it is just a useless device. Money gone to waste....

[MsCapriccio]

mine is also on 188.58 and the battery drains very fast. and I am constantly getting the add a card notification...they won't do anything for me bc the warranty doesn't apply since I didn't buy my Fitbit from fitbit.com

[Philip-C]

My charge 5 updated yesterday and hasn't been able to sync since. I've gone through all the steps to get it to work, restarting on the watch and the charger, turning Bluetooth off and on, force stripping the app, even forgetting the device and trying to reconnect. Now it won't even show up on my Bluetooth. I've never had a problem with my charge 5 until this update.

[CHCHAN]

Eventually got this method of recategorizing exercise to work, but that lasted until mid February. Then it stopped and can no longer get back to the old app to recategorize. Stuck

[nana57]

I have had issues with the battery draining quickly after the latest update.  I am lucky if the battery lasts 24 hours before requiring a recharge.  The screen also goes black quite often and I have to place on charger in order to get my screen back.  I have removed, readied, restarted and nothing helps.  I also can't see the sleep information on my tracker.  

[HT1967]

Same problem here. Have also sent a message to support

[Rjs37]

Yep same issue here, device is stuck in a reboot cycle and as a result the battery is draining super quick. Reached out to support and as I'm still in warranty they're just replacing the device, but gonna start looking at alternatives as this situation - bricking old devices - just isn't acceptable

[LadyMiss]

My device also bricked. This is the second one this has happened to. I’m not prepared to engage with Fitbit help staff, I wasted hours when the last one failed.  Nothing but delay tactics from Fitbit, no serious attempt to help. If you’re considering buying a Fitbit product….. DONT BUY FITBIT !

[ffranny]

Just looked at my app (Charge 5) on my Samsung Galaxy Tab A after several months. Wanted to check out the graph of my morning treadmill workout. Had a hard time finding it, and the small size is *not* very useful. Also it only showed the total distance at around 1 mile, when it was actually three. Thought maybe it just hadn't synced... no way to sync! Why? How? What????

Do Not Like this new version.

[SnowCatMacDobhr]

Replying to myself. 

Yesterday, spent 20 minutes in chat with Customer Support. After stating I have: cleaned the ports and prongs with alcohol, left on a fitbit branded charger overnight for 2 nights, plugged into 2 different USB ports, hitting the button 3 times (waiting a second inbetween), and my Charge5 is dead as a doornail, they are replacing it again. 

I'd like to get more than 7 months out of this one. 

[Djs01]

Since doing the update performance has been terrible, took it off the charger at 100% and within 2 mins it had dropped to 96%, now an hour later it is 82%. The green light on the back is on all the time and is very bright. I only use for time and tracking steps and before the update it used to go 6-7 days between charge. Is there a way to sort out the green light being on all the time as I think that is probably causing the issue?

[SunsetRunner]

Mine is doing the same thing. After reading all the issues surrounding customer support, I won’t even bother. I’ll be moving to a competitor when this Charge 5 goes bad. 

[DC2570]

After doing this "update" in January, I thought I'd escaped the curse of the bricked Charge 5 because mine was only dropping sleep data after about  3 hours of display.  However, this last week, I've come to realize the other issues.  A few days ago, I glanced at my Charge 5 at dinner and saw 11,600 steps and 44% battery power left.  10 minutes later, I looked again - nothing.  No display, no green lights, nothing.  I attached it to the charger, still nothing.  I pressed the button 3 times as directed and finally got the logo and it began charging.  The time was wrong, the battery power went from 44% to 20 something and back up again.  I charged it to 100%, synced it, wore it for an hour and the same thing happened.  I was on vacation at the time so packed it away until I got home yesterday.  I charged it again to 100% last night around 6:30 pm and it seemed to work okay but by 7:30 this morning, it was down to 44%.  It appears that it needs to be charged twice a day at this point. Because Fitbit has done nothing in the 3 months I've been watching this discussion board, today I ordered a $39 smartwatch/tracker from Amazon.  After 5 Fitbit devices, I think I've paid enough.  Average life seems to be just over a year and a half per device.  Just long enough for the warranty to expire.  So long Fitbit.  I loved you and will miss you but we can't be together anymore.

[AsiahTD]

My Charge 5 suddenly went from 2 -3 days to 5 hrs of battery life. As far as I can tell the new update is not pushed to my device.
I have contacted customer support reset the device and my app. The version reported on the device is 57.200001188.58
I have followed instructions to use minimal notification settings and phone GPS. 
The Fitbit was purchased Oct 2022 one owner and not abused.
It is very strange to see such a sudden loss in battery life.
I will have to shop ffor a more reliable band This one is unusable.

[Waddyawant]

So frustrating this problem! Mine only started having problems yesterday but there must be 1000's as they've already offered a free replacement without any sort of debate!! 

[De1012]

Yes this just happened to me yesterday. I left it to charge overnight and it worked for about an hour then quit again!!! So not happy about this. 

[ChudBud]

Fitbit has tarnished it's brand and the Charge 5, which was once a great product. Sad that they had to stoop this low to make a little extra bank. 

[DanFBVT]

You just have to love these rascals!

After bricking last fall and spending several months in a drawer, my Charge 5 came back to life two weeks ago when I tried one more reset. It was still on 188.58, and has been working fine for the past two weeks. Then today it started showing "You must add a card to your wallet", and wouldn't do anything else. Went to the app, and it says "Update Available" (doesn't say the version, though). OK, nothing to lose, let's try it (since the watch is stuck on the card message). Agree to the terms, start the install, watch shows that it's loading something, then... Fail! "Not working, try again?" message, over and over and over. Resets don't help, the watch is toast again. Oh well, I had two weeks of a Charge 5 I had given up on, which is better than nothing. Back to my reliable Galaxy Watch 5.

I mean really, you can't make this kind of corporate performance up!