Resetting a Charge 5

[Maranello61]

My device would not respond and was showing a row of 5 dots. I contacted support via chat, and was told to reset the device by attaching the charging cable. I asked if the other end had to be connected to a usb port and was told it wasn't necessary. The device would not reset. I then plugged it into a powered usb charger and it worked. 

Was I given the wrong advice? I was about to ditch the device and buy a different make

Moderator edit: format. 

[JohnnyRow · Accepted solution]

First, let me caution about being careful about the terms here, and even char support might have used wrong terms.  There is a big difference between restart and factory reset.  So just using the term reset can be confusing. Don't mean to single you out; this is very common and one of my personal peeves, I think often leading people do unnecessarily do factory resets, causing other problems.

Off of my soapbox, from How do I restart my Fitbit device? 

I just realized, it doesn't say the charging cable has to be plugged in, though I had always assumed it should be.  Perhaps it is assuming the charging cable would be plugged in.  So it seems what support told you matches the on-line help section, but perhaps the on-line help section should say to have it plugged in.  I guess safer to have it plugged in, and perhaps the help section is in error.

[SunsetRunner]

I have the same problem and charging the device didn’t fix the problem. 

[SunsetRunner]

Charging or charging and clicking or holding the button on the cord doesn’t work. 

[JohnnyRow]

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@SunsetRunner wrote:

Charging or charging and clicking or holding the button on the cord doesn’t work. 

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Did you not it said pressing the button "3 times within 8 seconds", not just "holding the button"?