Charge 5 black screen

[Skyrose]

We have a Charge 5 that's only a few months old. This morning it stopped synching. The screen is black. We have tried the reset and it only flashes the Fitbit logo and does nothing else. Not sure what else to do.

[Tina.Bowers]

I got the black screen three times over the 3 year period that I owned it.
After that I couldn't get it back. I have read that the Charge model only
has a two year lifespan anything after that they are iffy.. I moved to the
Versa 5 only because I wanted more functionality but they only have two
years as well.

[ryran]

Hmm thanks for sharing Tina. I've had mine for 6 months and have loved it. I'm talking with support now. Fingers crossed.

[MadalenaH]

Mine is doing the exact same thing. It started yesterday.

[dthend]

 Same issue as the two above replies, my Charge 5 started to vibrate constantly and flash the logo then went dead, charged it and black screen so I went through the same procedure as everybody else has and it restarted on its own a couple of times. On a couple of occasions, I was able to get to the settings screen on the charge 5 and reset, it would sync and work for a few minutes then I would double tap the screen and nothing again, "black screen" I've had it for 10 months what a piece of 💩. My wife bought one for 25 bucks at the same time and hasn't had an issue with hers. 

[ryran]

Go ahead and start a support chat with them to get a replacement. That's what I did. Only took 15 min or so and my replacement is now on it's way.

[Wingerr]

This continuing cycle of replacement under warranty is not the best solution because it means it's only usable while under warranty coverage. It's just strange how no one is able to identify the root cause of the display issues, if it's a design flaw and not intentionally expirational, like a replicant in Blade Runner.

[LesPaulMoreRay]

they should just fess up and do a massive recall.

Ray McShane

[Telecaster13]

My Charge 5's screen was black morning of 6/27/23 & when I went to charge it, screen still wouldn't come in to display battery. When I looked on my phone app, it displayed I had no battery left which is not accurate as my last glance showed 75%. Then I got a Firmware message update on my phone... many times I tried the reset button on the end of the charging cable and can feel it vibrate sometimes but still no display after many many attempts. Finally caked Fitbit customer service & I'm being sent a complementary new replacement. That's all great but seriously, it was only 6 months since I got it new. I've seen many others complain about this as well and makes me think of just getting a Samsung or Google watch....

[Julian137]

Totally agree they need to recall the device. It's obviously a manufacturing defect given how many others are having the same issue.

Mine failed after 1.5 years with this issue so it was outside the original warranty period. Fortunately, my credit card company extends the warranty by a year and I am able to get replacement at no cost. If it fails again I'll just go to Apple Watch at this point. Fitbit has gotten much worse since Google acquired them. Soon it will be discontinued like 95% of Google products.

[lolalisa]

Same problem here is as well. It still functions because I can feel it vibrate once I meet my step goal. Resets just work for maybe a few hours. It's a system problem for sure. Hope they will do a recall or a big system update. 

[LesPaulMoreRay]

agreed. they used to be reputable. i had my charge 2 for 7 years and it was still working. i should have kept it. i wanted to “upgrade” 😆😆😆

Ray McShane

[TheOtherRob]

Another dead Charge 5 here - 7 months old. Reported to customer service and going through the replacement under warranty process now.

I tapped the screen to check the time on Saturday afternoon and briefly saw the Fitbit logo before the screen went black. Later, tried the hard reset method several times without success and went to unplug the charger, noticing the Fitbit was very hot (not the usual charging battery warmth). No lights on the back, and no connection to the phone.

I'm assuming the very recent firmware update isn't automatically pushed to the device? It has to be selected through the phone, yes?

[Hayley89..]

I have same thing happened. How do you get replacement I brought mine from amazon bout 1.5 hlyr ago 

Out of interest does anyone else have same firmware version mine is 57.20001.188.58 

[LesPaulMoreRay]

20001.188.58 mine doesn't have a 57 in it

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[pmm58]

Same here - less than a year old.  This is the 3rd time it has happened and this time the reset is not working.

Now what ?

---------------

Tried that and still not working.  This is the 3rd time it has happened and device is only 10 months old 😞

[Lutik]

Hi Hayley89

I’m afraid you’re not going to be eligible. 
Warranty period is only 12 months or at least it was that when my charge 5 broke last November, and I also think devices bought from Amazon were not included (I saw a post sometime ago). 
I know that after 12 months they used to offer some discount on a new fitbit, but not sure if you’d like a new piece of that knowing what is likely to happen with it. 

I have used different models of Charge from 2015. My Charge 5 broke in the same way as all described here in November 2022, almost exactly 6 months after purchase and fourth months after firmware upgrade. I tried resetting in all possible ways, got through the customer services and was sent a free replacement. 
It does not appear to be a popular thread now, but in November a lot of people pointed out that firmware updates were responsible for the battery failure.
So I have never installed the firmware upgrade on my replacement (I have version 20001.142.37) and I always take my Fitbit off before showering, swimming, even doing the dishes or watering plants. It is a bit annoying to do this with a device that boasts water-resistance and also infuriating to constantly see the firmware update reminder on the home screen, but (touch wood) it is still working. 
I’m out of 12 month warranty period now and definitely not buying a Fitbit ever again, mainly due to the lack of appropriate action on the Fitbit/Google side and my posts being removed from the forum several times, but hopefully the above can be helpful to someone and make their device last longer. 

[MadalenaH]

Yes, that is the version on mine.

[TheOtherRob]

Yes, that was the same version of firmware on mine before it died. There definitely appears to be a pattern with the reported black screens and the firmware updates.

To contact Customer Service, I went through the phone app - go to the Settings/Account (top left), then Help & Support (list in the lower part of the page), then Contact Customer Support. This opens a live chat, already linked to your account.

As other people have said though, the warranty only lasts a year.

[jessieh3527]

What is infuriating is that Google / Fitbit refuses to acknowledge that the update is the cause of bricking these units.
One has to wonder if this might be intentional???

[Dharmesh1979]

My watch suddenly decided to go black this morning, its just over a year old. No resolution steps worked, contacted support and they offered 35% discount to buy new one due to over 365 days warrantee. RIDICULOUS, these watches are no reliable and so the support, better buy from other generic smartwatch from amazon which will be more smart and cheap. My wife bought one a couple of months before i bought fitbit charge 5 and it still works like a charm