ECG app quit working

[DJStl]

Have a Charge 5.  Tried the ECG app last night for the first time in several months.  Used to work just fine.  Now I get the "put index finger and thumb on the metal sides" and the flashing vertical blue bars but nothing else happens, it never starts taking data.  I have uninstalled the app, restarted the Charge 5 and reinstalled the app, still the same non-functioning result.  Any ideas? (also enabled the permissions)

[Talahthas]

@DJStl Those shiny plates an the sides of your Charge 5 are electrodes. For them to work, your skin must not be absolutely dry. Just try moistening your fingertips slightly before you place them on those electrodes.

[DJStl]

The EDA app works just fine so I don't think it is a moisture issue but I tried licking my thumb and finger and trying the ECG app again several times with the same non functioning results.  All in all I have tried the app a dozen or more times in the last 2 days and twice it has attempted to work, showing the count down screen and advancing from 30 seconds to 24 seconds before kicking back to the "put index finger and thumb on the metal sides" screen

[Talahthas]

@DJStl That really sounds strange. The last thing that comes into my mind is trying a soft reset:

1.) Connect your Charge 5 to the charging cable which is connected to a power supply.

2.) Press the button located on the flat end of the charger 3 times within 8 seconds, holding each press for about 1 second.

3.) Wait 10 seconds until the Fitbit logo appears.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. 🤞

[DJStl · Accepted solution]

OK, so I tried the soft reset with no results and then I tried uninstalling ECG, performing a soft reset and reinstalling ECG with no positive results.  Then I noticed something that will require some background.  Earlier this year I had a Charge 5 that would hold a charge for 24 hours, much less 5 -7 days.  After working with the Fitbit chat guys it was decided to send me a new one.  So the new one arrived without a band.  I removed the protective plastic covering off of the face, swapped the band from old to new and off I went with no apparent problems.  I still have the old one sitting on my desk and was looking at it and noticed that the new one has a protective plastic covering on back side--the side with the charging pins and the sensors, whereas the old one does not.  Duh, should I remove that?

[Talahthas]

@DJStl The replacement service "pebbles" are sent without a hard box to protect them. Thus they are wrapped in plastic cover to prevent scratches during transportation. Please remove all plastic covering your replacement Charge 5 pebble and try ECG again.

[DJStl]

Boy, do I feel like a dope.  Yup, that was it.  I would never have thought about it because all along everything else, SPO2, sleep, heart rate, etc all worked just fine.  Thanks for your help.

[Talahthas]

@DJStl No need to worry! Without your last hint I wouldn't have been able to solve your issue. Thanks a lot for your cooperation!

Have fun with your Charge 5!