Charge 5 blank screen

[Joat23]

On Sunday, 10 September, my Charge 5 screen went all white after an exercise session when I went to put it back on after a shower (I took it off before the shower). After reading some online comments, I tried charging, doing the button reset on the charging cable, etc.  Nothing worked.  On 12 September, the white screen went away, and now the screen is completely black.  The Charge 5 still seems to work. I am still getting updates and sync'd data to my iPhone, but I cannot see anything on the screen, cannot access the menus, set alarms (the primary feature I used on the Fitbit since they took the ability away from doing it on the phone. Why did they do that BTW?). 

After reading more online comments, it seems there are a lot of people who suddenly lost their Fitbits on 10 or 11 September.  What gives?  Also, how long is the warranty in the USA? I have seen statements that it is one year, and others that it is two years.  

Unless I can at least get back the ability to use my Fitbit as an alarm clock (the only thing I really interact at the device level for), or add the ability back to the phone to set alarms, I cannot really use this. I really like the feature set of my Fitbits, but everyone I have owned has failed, just out of warranty (starting with the HR). This is my fifth device so far. I buy them for the App, but the manufacturing quality needs help.

Has anyone devised a solution, or did Fitbit do something to brick everyone's Fitbits?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there, @Joat23. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thank you so much for the details provided in your post about the issue with your Charge 5 and taking the time to troubleshoot it before reaching out. I understand where your worry is coming from. 

To better assist you, please make sure you've restarted your Fitbit device as suggested here How do I restart my Fitbit device?. If the restart doesn't work try to change your clock face. If this fixes the issue, you can change your clock face back to the original clock face.

Regarding your inquiry about the warranty, please note it depends where you're located. For more information, see fitbit.com/legal/returns-and-warranty 

[Joat23]

I did all the steps in the prior discussions (3 button presses, also one press for >15 seconds, changing clock face, etc.).  Also, the Fitbit battery now drains after about 36 to 48 hours (used to be about 6-9 days before this started, depending on usage) even though the screen is blank. The Fitbit Charge 5 was purchased in the USA in May 2022.  All my Fitbits (except one, which was lost because the strap failed), failed within a few months after warranty expiration.

Other than the battery life issue, if the Fitbit App on the phone would add back the ability to add and manage alarms, then I can get about 90% of my Fitbit functionality back, even with a dead screen. I get adding the ability to set alarms from the device itself, but why, oh why, did it get deleted from the app when it was already there and robust? Removing a feature does not make a lot of sense, especially with the limited size of the Fitbit screen.  Setting the alarm on the Fitbit Charge 5 has always been difficult. I can see it if you do not have your phone handy, but making it the only way seems short-sighted.

I really like the Fitbit App and ecosystem.  But with the device regularly failing a few months after warranty expiration is not sustainable.  Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times (or now 5) is enemy action, i.e., intentional; either by intent, or because the devices are poorly designed for robustness, or there are common manufacturing issues not being addressed.

[Joat23]

The Fitbit randomly started giving me a white screen again.  Every so often, the text, very dim, shows up in between screen flashes and I can see the time display. It is so short in duration, I cannot select a menu or try a reset from the device, but it does go to show that the screen is not actually dead. That points to it being a firmware/software issue rather than a true hardware failure. This points to it being more likely caused by the recent updates, than a true hardware failure. 

I tried the three button presses and then the change in screen face after the screen went white, but there is no further change.