Charge 5 device issues

[Shel777]

Looks like I’m in the same boat with a lot of people as I’m having issues with my charge 5.

Firstly, there are some sort of device issues. It goes off like it’s dead & when I plug it in to charge it has battery. Like today, I went to check the time it was dead & when I got home & plugged it in it had 48% battery! 

Another thing is it is not responsive to touch and appears frozen & I hav to plug the charge in as I can’t even reset it.

Lastly, the ECG is not responding to my fingers and therefore not able to take a reading. When I reset the device it went dead & then I had to put it in charge but it had battery.

I think the device itself has gone faulty. Can anyone advise on how to fix or am I able to contact Fitbit for a solution? TIA

[NancyH2]

I am having the same problem.  I believe it it very strange that so many are having the same problem.  What is going on FitBit?

[Shel777]

same here, I read a few posts but mostly either dead or battery issues. I’m wondering if mine is also a battery issue & is just not updating correctly on the app. I charged it fully yesterday evening & it’s already down to 64% at 12.17pm. 

I was on live chat last night & they had me go through some troubleshooting, some of which I already done. The last thing she had me do was change the clock face?! So I’ve done that & I'm not monitoring to see if the problem still persists. My ECG still doesn’t work so I’m sure it does. 

I asked what the next step was & she said  about checking warranty. When I asked what the warranty was she said 2yrs U.K. But mine is over 2 but not 3 (weirdly last night after the chat I got badges for being in the Fitbit community 2 & 3yrs?!). She said don’t worry ‘we won’t leave you with nothing’… which I’m assuming from what I read is they will offer discount on a new one. If that’s the case I’ll be kicking off! 

[RiekoC]

Hello @Shel777 , @NancyH2 

As best as I know, there's a blank screen issue with some Charge 5 devices. The team is aware of the issue and is working on fixing the problem. However, we haven't seen a timeline for the fix.

There are other issues with the Charge 5, including failing battery. So, I'm not sure what/which issue you're experiencing. 

Since you've tried the recommended troubleshooting without success, there's an unconventional method that a user tried which restored their Charge 5 by exposing it to freezer temps. They describe what they did in this thread (<-- click). This method has worked from some, but not all. It might be worth a try at this point. 

[Shel777]

Hi Reiko, thanks for the response. I explained my issues  at the begging of this thread. 

Since updating the clock face on Tuesday night my battery didn’t even last 24hrs & the battery was not my original issue. However I charged it to 100% on Wed night again & it’s currently now on 71% which is fine so idk wtf is going on. Sometimes when it presents dead & I put it in charge it has battery but then the battery sometimes goes down eg on Wed after it died & I put it in charge it was 31% but then quickly dropped to 18%.

My ECG also still does not work after updating clock face, which is part of their troubleshoot. 

The agent I was chatting with said they were rolling out an update sometime this week but it’s not hit me yet. I’m waiting on it & still monitoring my FB to see before contacting them again. I’m not buying another FB that’s for sure, as it’s not even 3yrs old! 

[feefifofum777]

My Fitbit Charge 5 HR is also suddenly having issues - blank screen, battery going up & down, I’m able to restart it and quickly synch it but then it only works for a few minutes before going blank again. Has been happening for nearly the last 24 hrs. What did Fitbit do in the latest update???

I’ve got nothing to lose so will try the freezer trick. 

[Shel777]

I’m not sure but when I mentioned lots of ppl in the community were suddenly having issues from July, the agent was quick to say there was an update coming like it was going to fix all issues. I’m thinking it won’t! 

There are a few threads I read quickly with the dead screen issue, but that is not my problem as mines does come back on. 

[feefifofum777]

I tried the freezer fix and I got really excited because I was able disconnect and then reconnect my Fitbit and synch with my phone but then I tried to update the clock face and the Fitbit died - I haven’t been able to get it to stay on now for longer than 1 second at a time! 

If there is an update that fixes this issue - I won’t be able to utilise it because my Fitbit won’t stay on long enough to update!!!

[Shel777]

I did find an update there as I noticed my Fitbit wouldn’t sync, maybe that’s my issue? However, my ECG still aint working. Still monitoring my other issues. Did u check the other threats for black screens? 

[Ronnievmp]

I am also having this same issue. After resetting my watch face is stuck on a default date of 01/01 and time of 12:00

I can't even attempt to change the clock face. It says it failed every time.

[feefifofum777]

I tried a number of fixes but my Fitbit won’t stay on for longer than a second at a time; I managed to get through to support and after trying all the options they suggested, it was confirmed that I was eligible for a refund or replacement. I opted for a replacement, but because I’m currently on holidays, I’m trying to work out how to return my device to Fitbit and where to get the replacement delivered to.

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Have you contacted support? They were very helpful for me. 

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Moderator edit - Merged messages

[Shel777]

I changed mine as it’s part of their trouble shooting but my time is ok. 

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Yes I contacted support, it was them who told me to change my clock face as apparently it’s part of the trouble shooting. 

How old is your Fitbit? 

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Moderator edit - Merged messages 

[Ronnievmp]

I think Nov will be 2 years since I got it.

[Shel777]

@feefifofum777 @mine won’t come on now!

[dallasro]

Same here.

tried to restart, change the clock face, and a factory reset.

I tried all of these and it didn't help. The customer service told me to just call it defective. They said they cannot pinpoint the reason.

[Pam722]

@Shel777 Thanks for your post. My Charge 5 was working fine until it wasn’t. Suddenly the screen went unresponsive and dark. I put it on the charger to reset it. The Fitbit logo came on but the screen remained dark. When I tried to pair it with my phone, I was unable to see the pin because the screen stayed dark. 

This is so frustrating. Every Fitbit I’ve owned has encountered some sort of issue that is never resolved. I purchased a Fitbit Inspire 3 to replace the Charge 5 and Charge 6 (Charge 6 has battery drain issues caused by Google Wallet) until I can do research on Garmin and the Oura Ring 4.  Fitbit has lost me as a customer.