Charge 5 is crashing when using Fitbit Pay

[nikstaaa]

Hi,

when paying contactless my Charge 5 goes black / crashes. I can't turn it on until I connect it to the charger. The payment process does not complete. It used to work fine until like 3 months ago.

Current FW 57.20001.188.58

Any idea how to fix this issue?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[TauNeutrino]

Identical issue with my Charge 5.  Started for me three weeks ago (early August 2023).  Tap-to-pay was working fine for months prior.  Battery level is usually <50% when I try, but last four attempts at different points of sale resulted in black-screen fitbit until it was returned to the charger.

FW 57.20001.188.58

A software change broke this feature, can we please get a patch to fix it?

[seanclarke]

I believe there is an update being rolled out, but that started months ago and I still haven't see it (I am still on 188.58) - no idea if that fixes it.

[bmcbryan]

I reported this fault to Fitbit.   They made me do a lot of "troubleshooting" - the usual stuff - uninstalling app, reinstalling app, deleting data, deleting credit card etc.  When I tried to add my credit card again, it failed completely, with Error code 403 - "Forbidden".   So now I have gone from Fitbit pay working about 4/5 times to Fitbit Pay not working at all!  I don't believe that any of the troubleshooting procedures were ever going to work for this fault - it is clearly a bug in the software that needs to be fixed with a software upgrade.   

Now Fitbit are offering me a hardware exchange under warranty.   I will have to bring the device back to the store where I purchased it (or I could send direct to Fitbit online).  This doesn't feel like a hardware problem - it feels like a software problem.  However, it didnt happen for the first year or so that I had my Charge 5 - so perhaps a new device may last for a while before the problem recurs? I suppose I should take this?

[artingu]

Just adding my voice, I see the exact same issue with my charge 5. I'm going to be bold and suggest that it happens on all devices and there is just that few of us using the feature that it doesn't make a bigger splash than this. Great device but until new firmware comes and fixes it this feature can't be used.

[bmcbryan]

I agree - there are probably lots of other users experiencing the problem, but they have lost the will to live trying to get through Fitbit support troubleshooting, and they haven't found solace in this community of users reporting the same problem.  I decided to take Fitbit up on their offer of a hardware exchange under warranty.  If enough users force them to do hardware replacements, it probably won't fix the problem - but they might realise that there is a software issue behind it, and they might ultimately fix this?  

[sunnydale51]

+1 to a similar experience.  Started a month ago.  Same random crash after activating FBP and moving C5 close to an NFC terminal.  Always reboots fine on the charger.  Support just said "it's HW failures".  That seems very unlikely. 

[FranHem9]

Hi guys. Since I reported the problem end on July and with some of you having some suspicion about the level of charge, I have tried to maintain the level of charge above 50%, charging every 2/3 days. I must say, that it seems to mostly work. I just got one crash since then (and for the first time, the payment got through, the fitbit crashed seconds after). Yesterday, when using the vending machine next to my office that I used regularly with no crash, my fitbit crashed again. The level of charge was 50%. One hour later after having charged it to 80%. I tried again on the same vending machine. It worked. 

[SunsetRunner]

Did a full reset and still happening. Anyone found a way to go back a firmware version and test?

[SunsetRunner]

I now have the issue of crashing to black when trying to run an ECG test and when going for a run and the Fitbit can’t rely on my phone’s GPS. Only way to wake up is momentary connection to a charger. Seems any kind of larger than normal current draw on the battery forces a panic and shutdown. It was for this reason Apple’s #batterygate became public years ago. They throttled CPUs of phones with older batteries to avoid a shutdown due to too large of a power draw for what an aging battery could support. I suspect the same issue on my Fitbit with the exception there is no software to intervene and slow things down.

I tried removing all cards and “apps” from Charge 5, removed it from my phone and Fitbit account, cleared cache on Charge and setup again as a new device. Still having the same issues. Only really started after last large firmware update and keeps getting worse.

Fitbit/Google! Please take note! It’s a shame a device less than 2 years old becomes trash and unusable due to apathy. How’s this helping a ecological/sustainability initiative?

[nikstaaa]

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@bmcbryan wrote:

I reported this fault to Fitbit.   They made me do a lot of "troubleshooting" - the usual stuff - uninstalling app, reinstalling app, deleting data, deleting credit card etc.  When I tried to add my credit card again, it failed completely, with Error code 403 - "Forbidden".   So now I have gone from Fitbit pay working about 4/5 times to Fitbit Pay not working at all!  I don't believe that any of the troubleshooting procedures were ever going to work for this fault - it is clearly a bug in the software that needs to be fixed with a software upgrade.   

Now Fitbit are offering me a hardware exchange under warranty.   I will have to bring the device back to the store where I purchased it (or I could send direct to Fitbit online).  This doesn't feel like a hardware problem - it feels like a software problem.  However, it didnt happen for the first year or so that I had my Charge 5 - so perhaps a new device may last for a while before the problem recurs? I suppose I should take this?

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Hey bmcbryan,

actually... I have the feeling that this is a h/w issue. I have a new device and this one doesn't show any sign of the problem mentioned here. 

Plus the fact that the device simply blocks out could be another indication that this is h/w failure. 

My suggestion right now:

Get an exchange from Google/Fitbit!

[bmcbryan]

You may be right. I got my warranty replacement Charge 5 about 1 month ago, and I haven't had a Fitbit  Pay failure since! However, there are a couple of other possible explanations (1) It might have been a software fault, which is now fixed for everyone,  or (2) The fault only starts to happen after a period of usage - perhaps due to a memory overflow?  The latter explanation is less probable because this should be cleared by a factory reset. 

[nikstaaa]

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@bmcbryan wrote:

You may be right. I got my warranty replacement Charge 5 about 1 month ago, and I haven't had a Fitbit  Pay failure since! However, there are a couple of other possible explanations (1) It might have been a software fault, which is now fixed for everyone,  or (2) The fault only starts to happen after a period of usage - perhaps due to a memory overflow?  The latter explanation is less probable because this should be cleared by a factory reset. 

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(1) true. However.... it looks like people are still experiencing this issue, and I am pretty sure that my FW was up to the most recent one (back then).

(2) could be. This means it could potentially happen now as well, but it has not happened for me for about six weeks. 

We're speculating here 😞 It's unfortunate that no one has gotten an official response from Google - this is not nice. Don't let us hang like this. (And please... I don't want an AI generated auto answer from any of the mods either - this does not help at all).

[nikstaaa]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Did a full reset and still happening. Anyone found a way to go back a firmware version and test?

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Do you still experience this issue?

[EdoMax]

I also have the exact same issue.. only started happening a few months ago.

I bought Fitbit for the supposed reliability, data ecosystem longevity & support -- why else would someone spend much more on the device where similar functionality can be had for much much less !

Fitbit -- Please Pull Your Socks Up and FIX this issue.

[bmcbryan]

Report your problem to Fitbit Customer Care.  They will probably put you through a string of troubleshooting routines which will make no difference.  This is what happened to me.  Eventually they agreed to give me a warranty replacement.  I haven't had the problem in the month since I got the warranty replacement.  I don't know whether they have fixed a software problem, or if it was a genuine hardware fault.   It is also possible that the problem will re-appear after a few months of usage - if it is caused by something like a memory overflow.  My original device had worked ok for several months before the problem occurred, so perhaps the same thing will happen with the warranty replacement?   There is no harm in pushing them for a warranty replacement.  If these faults are genuinely hardware issues, it may solve the problem.  If not, the a large number of customers looking for warranty replacements may persuade Fitbit to react to the underlying issue and fix it.   

[nx6]

Throwing my hat in this ring, too. My Charge 5 also now crashes when using FitBit pay.

I thought the issue was the tap-to-pay terminal on the vending machine at work causing the issue because it was crashing there but there are a couple grocery stores I use it at sometimes with no issue, but tonight I went through a drive through and tried to pay with my FitBit and it happened again. I went on vacation the second half of July, and used FitBit Pay a few times and didn't have any issues then. I didn't keep track of the when the crashing began, but I kinda want to tie it into a firmware update in August.

Calling customer care and getting replacement devices only works if you're still in warranty, and I don't think I am. Also, I see this as a software issue as well. Really feels backwards to be offering replacement devices. Most companies are all about trying to treat something as an issue that can be fixed with software to avoid defective hardware recalls.

[bmcbryan]

It's very worrying that this problem is still happening.  I am convinced that it only emerges after several months or more of usage (perhaps because a memory block overflows after a certain number of transactions?).  Even though I am not currently experiencing the problem on my warranty replacement device, it may start happening when I have used the device for as many transactions as my previous Charge 5.   I don't know how it is in your country, but I live in the EU where consumer protection laws are quite strong.  We get a 2 year warranty on the Charge 5, which worked for me.  Also, in Ireland where I live, suppliers cannot simply use the warranty period to dodge their responsibilities to deliver goods that are free from defects.  While a wear-and-tear issue (eg broken watch strap) is unlikely to be regarded as a supplier defect, intrinsic defects such as software bugs should be protected for the lifetime of the product, in Irish law.  I would suggest that you do not let Fitbit hide behind the warranty period on this one, as it is clearly not a wear-and-tear issue.