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

[Ninjajessi]

Mine, too, stopped holding a charge after the update. I have done all the things they suggested, and they just gave me 30% off my "next purchase".....as if I would waste money again. 

I plugged it in to the computer last month or so, and just kind of forgot about it. Unplugged and synced it today, it was down to 70% afterwards, lol.

[Dg8nel]

Mine has lasted for almost a week on a charge since I got it. Woke up the other morning and it wouldn't come on. Plugged it in and it lit up for a second then went black. Eventually got it to charge by unplugging it and plugging it in multiple times. After that I couldn't get it to sync with my phone. Restarted my fitbit a couple times along with my phone and finally got it to sync. Then it died after 2 days and has gotten progressively worse since then. Now it's been off the charger less than an hour and has lost 6%. 

Sounds like I shouldn't even bother contacting support 🙄. 

Definitely going to be switching to another brand if this continues. I get that software updates go wrong, stuff happens, but to deny it completely when it's very clearly a problem, that's just ridiculous. Own your mistakes, Fitbit. Definitely seems sketchy that the 6 just came out and now the 5 is becoming unusable. 

[mark.betts]

Just had the same today after the install and speaking to customer service they explored options but all to no avail so offer a discount off a new Fitbit -   Mmmmmmh suspicious that happened only after update as held battery for a week before 

[9v9z9f]

I sometimes have trouble charging my charge 5 too, but it's usually because it has been been touched/picked up and the wire can come loose (I mean the magnet bit on the charger can come loose from the watch).

[jwilliamsr9]

And fitbit doesn't even offer the charge 5 anymore. If nothings wrong with
their product why aren't they trying to sell it. Hmm

[Dg8nel]

Sketchy for sure!!

[Gorillamimi]

Same here. Very frustrating!

[Mmkss]

Hi,

I just had the exact same problem early this week. My charge 5 was working fine till early of this week with an average charging interval every 7 days/ 3 days when using gps while biking and it has been like this since I had it in late Dec 2022 (almost 15 months).

All startedwith my screen turned black unresponsive even after full charge and hard rest. When connecting it to my laptop later, the screen turned on and start to charge charge again.

Afterwards, i suffered from the same common frustration a lot of us are having: battery can't hold charge and drain in less than an hour or so.

Couple of thoughts to share with you:

- is it common that the battery suddenly malfunction without a deteriorating period where one starts to notice the need for charge on a shorter period ( i.e., gradual decreasing non-charging periods)?

-Most,if not all,  this problem reporting is picking up after the new update and the modest purchase of new released charge 6 (which doesn't provide almost no upgrade to the charge 5).

I am not a conspiracy person but need to understand what is happening and why nowadays. And amassed with the blunt carelessness  replies by the technical non-support team needles to mention the negligence towards those raised claims and frustration by the fitbit customers ( which I am sure will decrease significantly in the next short period)

Finally, I am pretty sad about the general failure of the one day successful brand which will definitely be taught as an example of complete failure after an unremarkable previous success.

[Gorillamimi]

I agree. I have had no issues (battery or otherwise) with my charge 5 until this week. Reminds me of the pbs show "Mr. Bates and the post office". It's a true story of the British Post Office and a software update which caused all sorts of issues....which the post office denied. Sound familiar? Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone

[lasseponken]

OK. Today this happend to me too. Charged it to full at 1am and went to bed. 4.02am it died, stopped logging sleep. The Charge5 was activated feb 11 of 2023 and I charged it approx every 6 days. Charging from my computer from 10 to 15% to 100% would take litte over 1hr and it still does. So this has nothing to do with a bad battery. It is a built in bomb that is designed to go off after 1+ years of use. The database at the G company records when the watch is set to self-terminate and executes it. My 2 cents.

[ryran]

This happened to my first Charge5 in June 2023 after a firmware update when it was still under warranty. I got a replacement and that worked great for the last 10 months. I go on walks every day. I charge it once a week. Love it.

Two days ago (Friday 2024/04/19), the screen just stopped responding to touch in the middle of the day. Twisting my wrist would trigger it to come on, but that was it. Within an hour, it stopped being available via bluetooth and then shutdown. Plugging it in brought it back online, but within 20 minutes, the same thing happened again (screen stopped responding, then shutdown). I repeated this dance multiple times yesterday (as well as trying a manual system restart) before the screen settled on having a bright red X. That's new. It stayed like that all night. By morning the battery was dead and I plugged it back in. Still same issue. I followed one of the moderator's advice posts to install a different clockface. It failed while syncing and now it's in a constant restart loop. The logo shows up for 0.2 to 2 seconds, then black for 1-5 seconds, then repeat. Thanks Fitbit, Google.

[Pirre]

Sama problem, charge 5 battery life drains from 100 percent to 0 percent in less than 60 minutes.

this problems started suddenly and I’ve tried all suggestions and nothing helps. Never ever again will I buy Fitbit 🙁

[Nikisarich]

I’ve had no problems until this weekend. Battery was at 43% when I left for a run and the battery died about 30 minutes in. I’ve been charging for 45 minutes, the app says it’s at 25% but all I have is a black, dead screen on the Fitbit itself. Occasionally it flashes the Fitbit logo and I get all excited, thinking it’s going to come back to life, but no such luck. I raise it, tap it…nothing. As many others here have noted, my Charge 5 is at about the 15 month mark. I’d been wondering when it was going to die on me since they all seem to crap out at just over a year…

Customer support is never helpful. I was told perhaps I was “taking too many steps”. Um, no, definitely not my problem…

[RoleyPoley]

I agree! My screen showed 2% and something that read "Extremely low battery" in red. I placed on my charging cradle. Black screen. It usually shows me how long till full charge. I waited & waited for hours, still black screen. Went on YouTube to see if there was a fix. Guy replaced the battery by using a blow dryer to remove glass screen, partially removed battery that was hanging on wire, removed a metal clasp, removed some micro screws, the vibrator, loosened some more screws, extreme difficulty replacing battery, did everything in reverse and added a sealant before adding back the glass screen. I said NO WAY I'm going through all that. I ordered a new charger from Amazon thinking that was the issue (easier). Black screen. Then I came HERE and saw all the same responses from this community!! I'm now looking at another brand. Hope Fitbit execs got a huge golden parachute to send me some $ too! Maybe if Fitbit didn't sell to Google, this wouldn't have happened? 

[carebear123]

Yeah they won’t do much. They told me how my percent of life changed (like duh I noticed that already) told me to turn off features, charge to 100%. Then sync it…no help as they are like well can’t send you a new one as warranty done. Here is 30% off a new one and to be used in 30 days. NOPE I am done thanks. Very coincidental that so many have had this happen since the update 

[RoleyPoley]

"Too many steps" is too sarcastic! Sounds like Google bought Fitbit to destroy its name, copy its tech and promote their "new" tech!

[pkjohn1]

My experience after 3 months of battery-gate is that the more you have the app open, the quicker the battery drain.  I can charge to 100% in the morning and 9 hours later it’s at 93% (never opening the app).  If you have the app open, even in the background it will take the battery down much quicker, like 80%.  Actively use the app, like anyone would, even using your phone for GPS and it will suck the battery down as you watch it.  I think that it’s the app that is causing the issue.   It my original post with two Charge 5 one on the app and one not connected the unconnected one lasted 7 days without recharge. On the app and maybe a full day and down to the teens on charge.   For me this was a change that happened on Feb 21 to 22 this year 2024

[jwilliamsr9]

How can Fitbit have this many complaints about a common problem and not have any comment besides , it wasn't the up date , here's a coupon go buy another one. 

[carebear123]

My thoughts exactly. This experience sure has put a sour taste in my mouth with Fitbit. I will not be buying s new one anytime soon 

[ShizBit]

Does Fitbit read these forums?  

How about a comment on this problem Fitbit?