Fitbit Charge 5 battery problems since update

[DC..]

How many of you are experiencing battery problems since the update?

Could anyone who's experienced problems with the charge 5 battery please post once on this thread so it's easy to count and present to show it's not a warranty problem and is a result if the update.

I obviously have battery problems. Had to charge it twice yesterday and uninstalled the SpO2 app to try to make the battery last through the night. Managed to wake up to 50% battery instead of it being dead by morning, even though fully charged before bed.

Moderator Edit: Formatting and clarified subject

[Fergal555]

This has replaced my Fitbit charge 5 and is a whole level above my previous devices.
Check it out on Amazon and read the customer reviews for yourself. I love mine after a few weeks of getting used to all it's application.

---

I feel your disappointed in Fitbit products and their customer support which is abysmal.
I've had three new Fitbit fitness trackers in three years. That's seem to be the average lifespan of the two Fitbit charge 5 fitness trackers I've owned over April 2022 to May 2024. It's a battery issue with my charge 5 that stopped holding its charge one month ago.
It's a blessing in disguise because for a fraction of the price you can get a far superior product like the Xiaomi Mi 8 Active €25 or the more expensive Pro model for€45.
They are in my opinion a whole level above the Fitbit products I've owned and a battery charge lasts 14 days with all sensors on.
Check them out on Amazon and see the 5 star reviews.

[ZZI]

My issues with Charge 5 started in March.  When I called I was speaking with Fitbit customer service representative, and he was genuinely sorry I was having difficulty with battery issues with my tracker. (Every single time I have communicated with Fitbit in 9 years, the company stood by its product.  They had a good thing and they wanted people to enjoy them, it seemed.)  And, he related to me that they sold their company to Google. Yes, I updated.  My friend bought a Charge 5 at the same time.He never updated. He has had no battery drainage at all. Mine is basically dead. I bought an Apple Watch.  There are things my Fitbit tracker could do that Apple Watch can’t unless I don’t know the right app to get for it. I had Fitbit trackers since 2015 and loved them from the start.  I am so disappointed that we who are having this problem are having it. It just sounds like something is not right and updates sound possible. I just don’t know how to be certain.  My example with my friend’s is just one tiny piece of data.  Are there people reading this forum who know how to get the necessary data to prove what is needed so the problem with our once great tracker is solved?

[Rprabh]

This is my 3rd Fitbit Charge 5 and the battery only charges to 45%. 

A major technical fault.

I am so frustrated, when I called I was told I now need to have a gmail account otherwise Fitbit will not speak to me…that to me is fraudulent in gmail account users numbers. 

[Rprabh]

Sadly I feel the exact same - not to purchase a Fitbit! 

[FranMorrow]

Yep…FItBit was bought out by Google so we had to make a change even though the messages said we did not have to move to Google. I did that when my FItBit was no longer holding a charge but that didn’t help. They all crashed with the update that Google apparently required. It doesn’t matter…they don’t care and will only offer a 50% off coupon for another style FitBit which isn’t good enough for me. My FItBit was 2 years old and could hold a charge for at least a week. I’ll be moving on to an Apple Watch. Good luck.

[jjgrob]

How do they feel so comfortable to waste everyone's time and then think you are going to buy another one of their products?
I was shocked to find this thread and realize that I'm just one of many with the same issue 

[stevelion]

It's good to see some popular tech news outlets have covered this problem.  The PC World story is probably the best...

Fitbit doesn’t back its products. So why should you? | PCWorld 

Fitbit Charge 5's latest update is bricking it in some cases, once again (androidauthority.com)

This Fitbit-breaking update feels like the last straw | Android Central

Fitbit Charge 5 units dying, Google says it's not because of updates (9to5google.com)

Fitbit Charge 5 users experiencing sudden battery drain after a recent update | TechRadar

[Kpepper72]

I think most of us were shocked, and are shocked at their attitude. .a
giant flip off.

[disland]

My Charge 5 updated to firmware 194.91 and now the screen won't turn on and the battery drains very rapidly. I contacted support and they sent me a coupon for 50% off a new fitbit. This looks VERY much like planned obsolescence and I'm just disgusted at how wasteful and greedy it is. Unbelievable.

[FranMorrow]

Yep…I hope they are listening but that is doubtful. They are now removing posts about moving on to other devises that have nothing to do with Google & FitBit. This may be deleted as well.

Someone sent me these links to media posts about this “planned obsolescence” (love that phrase)! Pass these on.

https://www.androidauthority.com/fitbit-charge-5-update-brick-again-3409627/
Fitbit Charge 5's latest update is bricking the fitness tracker in some cases, once again
androidauthority.com


https://www.androidcentral.com/wearables/fitbit-charge-5-update-allegedly-bricking-wearables-google-...
This Fitbit-breaking update feels like the last straw
androidcentral.com
https://9to5google.com/2024/01/31/fitbit-charge-5-bricked-google/
Fitbit Charge 5 units have been randomly dying for months; Google says it's not because of updates
9to5google.com

https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/fitness-trackers/fitbit-charge-5-users-experiencing-sudden-...
Fitbit Charge 5 users experiencing sudden battery drain after a recent update
techradar.com

[Kpepper72]

I agree. They screwed the pooch and don't want to admit it.

[stevelion]

At least you got 50% off. I only got 35%.

[Clifford2rocky]

There are thousands. They don’t care if you buy another Fitbit. They
probably want you to buy the Google watch.

[Roelbest]

Fergal555,

I have done exactly  the same. So happy with the Ziaomi after months of frustration with my Charge 5.

It now rests in its original box next to my Fitbit 2 in an old drawer.  Never again!!.

I'm very happy with the Xiaomi, great value for money

[LucyN]

Yes i’m having problems black screen after two days of battery draining 

[Dogsmum65]

I just started experiencing the issues all have stated here a week or so ago. So annoying as my warranty ran out in May this year....This is the third time with FitBit products. 

[seandunderdale]

This happened to my charge 5, a year ago. Went from holding a full battery charge for a week, to draining battery in less than an hour. Spoke to support who admitted it was their forced software update that did it.

Had to go buy a new device, and bought a samsung galaxy watch. Thanks fitbit!

[pattisk999]

Both my Charge 5 and my husband's suddenly had a big drop in battery lifespan the past week.  We changed chargers and outlets.  I have reset mine several times.  I also turned off items that could be causing poor battery life.  His is improving.  Mine is not.  The battery in mine only lasts a day.  

[LadyTyrella]

My battery goes flat in 2 hours (after a 24hr charge). I’ve been waiting for months for an update to fix this. 

[KimWeb]

I complained last week about my Fitbit Versa 3. This was part of their response.

I'd like to share that Fitbit starts slowly rolling out the Fitbit App version 4.21 and this rollout is expected to be completed by July 17. If you see a pending update on your Fitbit app, you can follow the steps in updating it by checking this link under 'How do I update the Fitbit app?': https://support.google.com/fitbit/answer/14237011.