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.

[sandymwp]

Fixed it with help of rep....2 hours later, deader than a
doornail..disgusted. less than one year old

[sandymwp]

After much work with fit bit, mine worked for two hours…and then dead.
Sent from my iPad

[KirkChg5Pix6a]

I did have some problems after I updated. I had excessive battery drain. Failure to track sleep. Inaccurate sleep tracking. Alarms not going off.

I did some searching and found the advice to do a reset from the charging cradle button. I did that three times. I also restarted the watch from the watch command. I unlinked and relinked the watch. I cleared the phone app cache. Can't remember, I may even have uninstalled and reinstalled the app. 

Not sure which of these actions fixed the issue. But after a day or two, the watch was back to behaving normally. 

Don't skip steps troubleshooting.

[RDH10]

Same as many people in this thread, have had my charge 5 for a long while, always very happy with it, no real issues up until about a week ago when it did a firmware update and since then the battery dies after about 5 hours. Have tried to troubleshoot with no results, it is past warranty so I am now left without a watch/tracker. 

Having had Fitbits for over 5 years I love having all my historic data within the one app, however seeing the amount of issues with the product (seemingly since Google started to get under the hood) I'm leaving.

Huge shame, Fitbit was soo good for so many years. 

[dan3458585]

RDH10, did you try the charger cable three button press to reset and changing clock theme?

[rudiesdaddy]

I now have the same battery issue with my Charge 5 that many users are experiencing with this update.  My Charge 5 is over two years old (I guess I should consider myself lucky) and after the update, the device drains within a day.  Previously, I would only charge the device once per week but now need to charge daily, if not twice a day.  Moreover, my behavior and tracking settings have not changed AT ALL.  I contacted support (and did all the reboot/recharge to 100% steps) only to ultimately be offered a 35% discount on a new device.  I just want this fixed and shouldn't have to purchase a new device because my Charge 5 was working great.  I also have zero confidence that upgrading to a Charge 6 will solve this problem.  I have satisfactorily owned a Charge 3, 4 and I really liked the Charge 5 until this update.  If I wanted to recharge my device every day, I would have purchased an Apple Watch but appreciated the week long charge of the Charge devices.  Please fix this Fitbit/Google.  

[sandymwp]

yes, three times....battery lasted two hours. did not change clock face.

[sandymwp]

Full charge at 9:09....already dead. WTF. I'm done.

[sandymwp]

How did you get to the replacement?  No one has offered me that deal.  Would love to have replacement....if it would last for awhile it would be worth it.  I had the Versa and Versa2, but don't like the size of the device.  Love the size of the Charge 5.

[GWB67]

Mine was replaced recently as my previous one was only 8 months old and wouldn't respond to any attempts to reset.

It's not a brand new replacement but refurbished (they claim no new ones are available), which at the moment works ok, but then it's still on the previous firmware. I do find this and the previous Charge 5 do occasionally miss a chunk of sleep.

I won't be buying another Fitbit after this though.

[KA3792]

I did a charger plug restart and a restart on the device itself, changed clock faces, deleted and reinstalled the app, everything I have seen listed in the comments plus what customer service suggested.  No luck.  Time to move on.

[Jfeen82]

Hey Fitbit mods; @LizzyFitbit @MarreFitbit have all these issues and complaints been reported to Fitbit? Are they aware that suddenly after a firmware update there are all these issues? (Even though they aren’t taking responsibility.)

[Deer35]

I have the same issue like a lot of other people here, only started 3 or 4 days ago. My batterie used to last at least 7 days, now it doesn't even last a day. Hope there will be a patch soon, or maybe the option to go 1 or 2 update backwards, this way I'll have a working watch at least.

[jjustjen]

well well, i'm having the very same issue as all of  you - one day out of the blue my charge 5 stopped holding a charge - last about an hour. literally overnight i went from having a charge last for a week to less than a day. i contacted chat and they said, disable 02 and clock face. my charge 5 is about a year old. so disappointed. i had a tomtom watch for 8 years! it still works but i wanted some of the other features on the fitbit. never again!

[Markfm]

Update on my C5.

Fitbit approved an RMA for my Charge 5 (bad HR sensor) on 4/26.

I shipped the failed unit back quickly.  There was some processing delay on the Google/Fitbit end after it had been received by them, so I gave a couple nudges (Chat sessions with Fitbit staff).

My replacement C5 is due to arrive today, they provided a 1-day FEDEX shipment once I reached someone who followed through.

[KA3792]

Is your device still working since your last post to this forum?  I'm just curious because I did all the recommended steps and mine still isn't working.

[rudiesdaddy]

I followed all the steps suggested to me by support and even tried items suggested in this thread (like changing the clock face.)  My Charge 5 will go from 100% to 0% in about 12 hours now.  I'm holding out that Google/Fitbit will actually confirm the issue and fix it.  Otherwise, I need to move to something new.  I don't have the time to babysit this device.  It's so disappointing (and frankly insulting) to just be offered a 35% discount on a new Fitbit when I did nothing to cause this issue.  Why should I spend more money?

[Markfm]

After my initial HR issue in mid-March, the steps I listed got it back running fine for multiple weeks, but then the HR sensor really tanked.  When I was confident that it really needing replacement I reached out to Fitbit and did e-mail exchanges on the case they opened, providing the requested information/screenshots.  The end of that round was their agreeing, providing me an RMA.

Honestly, though the e-mail iteration took longer than it should have (info/screenshots requested 2x in some cases, as the case transitioned between Fitbit staff), overall it was similar to what I've seen/done for multiple years for other manufacturer products that had issues.  A bit of patience, providing the information requested, basically "working the system", resulted in success.

[sandymwp]

I, too, got a replacement....different case cover....but who cares.  So far so good.

[sandymwp]

I didn't have to return the failed one.  Told me to throw it away after deleting my info.