Introducing Charge 5 Firmware Release - Version 1.171.50

[FitbitCommunity]

We’re excited to announce that a firmware update for Charge 5. Some of you might already have this update available. If you installed it, let us know what you think!

We release updates to customers in phases. If you don’t see it, check the Fitbit app in a few days, and you’ll see a message when you can install the update. We appreciate your patience while we get this update to all of our customers. 

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

See What's changed in the latest Fitbit device update? for release notes.

HOW DO I UPDATE?

See How do I update my Fitbit device? for step-by-step instructions for updating your Charge 5. If you run into difficulty updating, see Why can't I update my Fitbit device?. 

We’re interested in hearing your feedback on this update! Let us know what you like! If you encounter unexpected behavior during or after your update, please post the details below.

[SteveCDN]

Thank for this

Hope you recorded that promise…

[jabob]

Hoping you have positive results and looking forward to your update. 

[Devora9]

Ever since this update my fitbit is stuck in the reboot cycle. I have gone through so many forums following customer supports steps to troubleshoot for my charge 5, but even thought i was able to ( by many tries and a few literal miracles) i was able to to change the clock face and re-pair the device, and it changed nothing except make the reboot window even shorter. My watch is unusable now

[DrDaveUK]

Yes, a transcript of the conversation was saved. Will update in the morning, so I don't lose today's data. 

[Catwoman777]

Interesting

[Casick]

So I reached out to Fitbit once again and surprisingly this time I got some positive results. They are replacing my damaged Charge 5, however I still can’t get a clear answer as to whether or not to do the firmware update to my wife’s Charge 5 or to the new one once I receive it. Will continue to reach out till I get an answer or they replace the update with one that acknowledges the problems the last update caused for many Fitbit users and fixes it. Good luck. Onward through the fog!

Sent from my iPhone

[SteveCDN]

Good for you.. the firmware update question is a central issue particularly as it may trigger the same circle of events going forward.

Fitbit needs to remove the update nag on their app until they can provide a positive and workable solution.

What should have been a simple firmware upgrade has turned into a costly disaster and a potential brand and PR nightmare.

Good Luck

Steve

[CoreyMac]

@SteveCDNWhile I agree with you I do not see that they actually care about the costs you list.  No official response, only private responses on a case-by-case basis with inconsistent action.  No acknowledgement anywhere of the cause(s), or even that it exists.  No accepting of responsibility.  Nothing...

All they needed to do was say "Oops.  We were very concerned about a new day-0 security exploit and the fix unfortunately caused unanticipated problems for some small percentage of our users.  Contact us and we will make it right."  Done...

What an unnecessary fiasco...

Instead they continue to brick countless Charge4, Charge5, Versa2, Versa3 models and a couple of others all while damaging the brand and continuing to generate a lack of trust for the entire FitBit name and ecosystem.

[radesix]

Agreed it’s best to acknowledge the issue. Except that this has nothing to do with a zero day security exploit.

This is shoddy programming and testing for a firmware update intended to fix a battery drain issue.

[radesix]

Why are you waiting for them to tell you what to do about accepting the update? It is clear they don’t want to publicly acknowledge the situation and are still encouraging everyone to update.

Everyone should make their own decision about firmware updates by asking these questions:


1. Does it fix/close a security vulnerability?
2. Does it solve a problem I have?
3. Does it provide new features and functionality I want or need?

If the answer is no, don’t update.

Given that this update doesn’t really introduce anything new and if you have a working Fitbit it doesn’t fix anything, and there isn’t a security issue… combined with the fact that it’s a flip of a coin on whether it works or not…

The choice seems clear to me regardless of what they say to do. It’s a resounding no.

Come back in a few months and see if they have released another update and enough time has passed to see what others are saying in the forums about whether it causes problems or fixes them.

[Catwoman777]

Thanks. Following

[delawareBirder]

@radesix  For some of us, the firmware update would restore the ECG function that didn't exist in the 1.142.37 version of firmware.  Replacement pebbles are being shipped with that version of firmware.  So updating the firmware would introduce something new (if the upgrade works).

[CoreyMac]

I have been hearing of conflicting information about the updates on multiple models.  For example, the Charge4 and the Charge5 both are failing in similar ways after their most recent update at the same point in time, but only the Charge 4 lists the security issue.

The same results with the Versa3 and Versa2  Only one lists the security fix but both are being bricked by their latest updates showing up at the end of July, beginning of August.

The release notes are almost useless and provide nothing about what was actually fixed.  This creates a host of items like:

The symptoms are the same or nearly so

The timing is the same

Are they suffering from the same security bugs even though they are not listing the security patch on all the models?

Is the fix causing the failures related to the security fix and did all the models then really need/get the security patch?

Which other models are affected?

With such a complete lack of official response from FitBit, how will we ever know? 

https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1372.htm

Look at the version numbers for example:

Versa 2

Version 35.72.1.19

This release includes an update to the Fitbit OS. For more information, see

Versa 3

Version 36.128.6.17

-------------

However, the actual versions listed look like this:

What's changed in the latest Fitbit OS update?

Updates to Fitbit OS provide new features, improvements, and bug fixes for your Fitbit watch.

OS 5.3.1 (Sense and Versa 3 only)

OS 4.2.3 (Versa, Versa 2, and Versa Lite Edition only)

OS 5.3 (Sense and Versa 3 only)

OS 5.2.1 (Sense and Versa 3 only)

We asked them about this previously and they had to look up each version to tell, but there was nothing written we can refer to or read.

[mmuller1212]

How to i roll this update back. It doubles my heart rate constantly. This makes trscking zone minutes useless.

[CoreyMac]

FitBit will not allow roll-backs.

[VballKitty]

What is a replacement pebble? 

[DrDaveUK]

The pebble is just the Charge 5 unit after removing the band. I only had to send that in for replacement. 

[CoreyMac]

When they first came out without their case they were very small hard and smooth all around like a big pebble.  They were held in place on a band or in a waist band clip by the rubber shaped slot they were squeezed into.  Sometimes they had the nickname of a "pebble".  Nothing official I know of.

[VballKitty]

Thank you! 

[CoreyMac]

@mmuller1212 

It seems clear from all the public forums, like here, Facebook, Twitter, etc... that they have REALLY screwed up these recent updates on several platforms. 

You can open a case up with FitBit Support and if you are under warranty and they can't fix it they will send you another.  Otherwise they just let you have one of the older models at a 35% discount.  Discounts don't apply if you want a newly announced model or one of the others excluded from their list..