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.

[Murphy21]

I contacted them to explain what happened and all I had done to try to fix so was offered a replacement free or 50% some other models

basically the device was bricked and dead and while no admission of a fault they offered the replacement 

[EmHeart82]

Updated, again hoping the battery issue would be resolved, and now my battery has gone from a whopping 24 hours to 6 hours before death. My sleep isn’t even registering on the app, which is the only thing it seemed to still be good for. Did I just get a defective product? This is insanity. 

[AnnaFZ]

Fitbit won't help me until I update the app to 4.08. Small problem - the
update isn't available yet. 😕 I left some feedback. They refuse to discuss
openly on twitter.

[DrWho1957]

I have the same problem…

[PrincessMelly]

Same here. And fitbit will not replace my device. I am not happy about this. They break my device then offer me 50% off versus a replacement. Ridiculous. I swear they broke them on purpose with this recent firmware to force people to buy a new one.

[Daveleeander2]

And when will the fix be in? Like a dummy I just updated without looking on here first and now I have no response from watch. I restarted using charger, got the logo, and still no watch. 

[PrincessMelly]

Same thing happened to me today.

[PrincessMelly]

mlepage

UPDATE: Woke up this morning and my fitbit was still working and had a battery life of 31%. Within about 22 minutes my screen went black... again. My app says the battery life was at 29% at the last sync 22 minutes ago. I tried manually syncing from the app and nothing. 

UPDATE: Now the screen has a red circle and white X. Tried manually syncing again from the app. Didn't work. Put it on the charger and it says the battery life is at 1%. So it went from 29% to 1% is less 22 minutes. 😡

Try a factory reset. From settings scroll down to device info then scroll down to clear user data. That will factory reset the device. I had the same issue for days. Battery would charge then drain quickly or wouldn't charge at all with a black screen. I would tap the screen to no end and nothing. Also got the red circle with the white x a few times and a few times it would not stop vibrating. Thought the device was going to blow up. lol. Totally messed up. But today, I final got it to charge after leaving it off the charger for a while then placing it back on. I did a factory reset and it seems to be okay. While the battery is not great, it is still laster longer than the past week. It went from 100% at 11:30 am to 59% at 11:45 pm. Based on this data, I'm thinking it will last maybe 24 hours at the most on a full charge. We shall see what happens when it gets low again. Who knows. I could end up with the same issues. Crossing my fingers.

[iubrian]

This is so infuriating. I’ve been a Fitbit user since 2016, but the QC with the Charge 5 and the shoddy updates have been abysmal. Initially the performance was fantastic - it could hold a charge for 6 days. Then an update last year reduced it to a day. Over some time, its ability to hold a charge returned to normal, and I was pleased. Then I installed this latest update and it won’t hold a charge for half a day! Looking at others comments regarding their experiences with customer support, why would I bother - an offer to give the same company that rendered my fitness tracker useless more money to buy the same now discontinued tracker at a discount, with no confidence that some update won’t render that new device useless in the future? Reading the comments it is almost as if many are like myself, figuratively begging Fitbit to get its act together and make things right but are instead being forced by its indifference to look for other options. Given the obviously widespread issues these updates cause it makes one wonder what kind of beta testing does Fitbit engage in, or are we the beta testers…

[Murphy21]

Pushing people into buying the Google products more like it and Fitbit will be a thing of the past in a short space of time 

extremely sharp practice overall 

[mlepage]

My actual battery is fine, it was getting 5 days or so, almost a week,
before the firmware update. On the weekend I charged it again to 100% and
it still did not count steps/heartbeat and drained to 0% in less than a
day. I guess I can charge it again and try a factory reset, but that should
not be required. One concern I now have is that while my battery WAS fine,
draining it via bad firmware likely has harmed it (they don't like to sit
fully drained).

[PrincessMelly]

mlepage

I agree with you 100%. Same here. My battery was fine prior to the firmware update. I was getting 5 days on a charge as well with no issues. If you see my update, the factory reset only lasted till this morning then my battery went from 29% to 0% in 22 minutes. I ended up calling Fitbit support vs. chat. I will take this to the furthest level because this is ridiculous. They break our devices with their firmware yet want us to pay for new devices. Irritates me to no end.

[PrincessMelly]

Extremely shady. And if they want people to move toward Google products then why sell new fitbit devices. Beside the fact that the Google products are not up to par. I would never buy Google. 

[AnnaFZ]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on. Apparently updating my app (with
an update that isn't yet available to me) will fix it 🤣🤣🤣

[mlepage]

Wasn't the update supposed to come January 8? I imagine it may be delayed
now. 😞

[SunsetRunner]

I had a similar conversation and got the exact same response. I even told them. I wanted to keep my device as evidence.. They still don't care. I think they're trying to sink fitbit.

Sent from Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
Get Outlook for Android<>

[TuTTi57]

Well said. I started back in 2014 with a fitbit 2. Even had it fully replaced at one point. They actually replaced it with a new fitbit 2. I don't contact them anymore I come here to the community to see what's going on. I just wait and hope they fix it.Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[caiticatcai]

I updated just a couple hours ago and my Fitbit won’t turn on at all or sync to my phone. Not worth the update. Waste of money and time at this point.

[Piollo]

My Fitbit Charge 5 worked seamlessly. But, right after the 194.91 update, my watch's battery drained in less than a day, and the touchscreen did not work as smoothly as before. It is a shame that a firmware update can make the watch completely useless. 
C'mon Fitbit/Google, you can do it better! Work on a solution to this, ASAP... 

[PrincessMelly]

Yup, I got the lovely mod email. And to boot, after my phone went black again this morning then getting the red circle with the x, I finally got it to come up and charge. Then at 58% charge it went black again. Put it on the charger and nothing. I can't even believe that Fitbit will not own up to this mess.