Water damage first time Charge 5

[LM2022]

Hi

I only brought my Fitbit Charge 5 in January 2022 and have always been very careful around water with it. I tried to use it the first time when swimming and it seems to have got damaged. I was only in the water for a very short period of time and the watch wasn't submerged more than a few feet. It now won't turn on, charge and just has a black screen. I have tried leaving it in rice too. Is this covered in the warranty as I have had it less than a year ? 

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[DavideFitbit]

Hi, welcome to the Fitbit Community forums, @LM2022. 

Thank you for sharing all this information about the inconvenience you experienced with your Charge 5. 

Before considering other options, could you please confirm if you're able to see anything at all on the display? Let me know if you see anything when you connect it to the charger as well or if you see any condensation on the screen. 

I'll be around. 

[LM2022]

Hi

So there is no visual sign of condensation.

The screen is blank completely black. When putting it on charge it doesn't not even register it us connected, the screen stays blank, completely black and also there is no vibration at all when connecting it or disconnecting it.


Many thanks

Lilly
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[DavideFitbit]

@LM2022 Thank you for your reply with this extra information. 

Since your device should be water resistant to 50 meters, I've gone ahead and sent your information to the Customer Support team for further assistance, so you should be getting a reply soon. Please keep an eye on your inbox. 

See you around in the Community. 

[MLW64]

I am having this same problem and don’t see a fix.  Can this fix be posted?  

The difference with my issue, is that I can track my progress via the app, so the Fitbit is working, but just has no display.

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums, @MLW64. 

Thanks for sharing that you experienced the same problem. 

If you started having this problem out of nowhere, there a few steps that have been useful for other users. However, if you specifically started having this issue after you used it to swim or in the shower for example, it will be necessary to continue the assistance process with the Customer Support team, since the device should be water resistant. 

I've been informed that you already contacted the Customer Support team as well and it seems they were able to provide you with more instructions. In this case, they will let you know how to proceed. 

I'll be around. 

[AuthorWayneDKra]

Hello,

I have a very similar problem.  I went swimming in a pool with my Charge 5, and after just a short time it stopped working.  Completely blank screen, no vibrations, and no response to the charger.  I attempted to reset but that did not work. I can see moisture in the back sensors and assume that's the problem.  I'm on vacation with my family now and wanted the Fitbit to record my activity.  Any quick solutions?  Thanks!

[Evisbr]

I am having a similar issue. 

Yesterday, something weird happened to my watch. I practised exercise at the beach and rinsed my legs in the shower, the only water that could have spilled on it. 

Later in the day, I noticed my watch had a red cross :cross_mark:️ on top of it and wasn't responding. 

In the evening I put it to charge and it was as if it had drained all the battery, despite being charged the previous night. 

Later in the day, I charged it and it was as if it had been reset and showed the 1st of Jan and the wrong time, not connecting to the phone. I then attempted several restarts without success so I removed it from the connected device and did the process to reconnect it to the phone and it all seemed successful. However, I charged it at 100% at 11pm and woke up with it without baterry. At 1h06 am there was a notification that my fitbit battery was running low. 

Any idea what may have been wrong with it?

[DavideFitbit]

Hi, welcome to the Community forums, @AuthorWayneDKra @Evisbr. 

Thank you for confirming that you're experiencing a similar issue after using the device to swim or at the beach. 

I've gone ahead and sent your information to the Customer Support team for further assistance, so you should be getting a reply soon as well. Please keep an eye on your inbox. 

Have a good day. 

[Jjd18]

Hello,

I've recently been experiencing this same issue after wearing my Fitbit charge 5 into the shower. I took it in the shower to clean it but then noticed it stopped working immediately after. The device no longer shows anything on the screen or responds to the charger. Could you please send my information to the customer support team as well?

Thanks!

James 

[sianelise]

I'm having the same issue. I swam with mine on in a pool today and now it's not working. The screen is black, there's what looks like condensation in the back and a red light is on. It registers when I connect it to the charger and have tried resetting it using the charger - it vibrates every time I press the charger button but does nothing else. 

[TheMaytals]

Davide

I too have experienced water damage whilst using the Fitbit. I have owned it since June 2022 and I usually take it off when showering/washing etc. However sometime in early January 2-23, I had it on whilst bathing and the screen went black and then after some time continued to vibrate not stop until the battery was flat. Further attempts to reset and charge haven't worked, the Fitbit would continue to vibrate continuously and after a few attempts is no longer responsive at all.  

Can you please assist? 

[Salgirl24]

Hi there,

I have just experienced this with my Fitbit too, I’ve tried putting it in rice overnight is there any other solutions to fix this? 
thanks 

[Surfista]

There are numerous threads about this problem. The Charge 5 is sold as a swim tracker. The instructions state that it can be submerged in water up to a depth of 50 meters. Since none of you have said you have worn your fitbit more than 160 feet deep in the ocean, it is clear that your device is defective. You should contact customer support ASAP and get a replacement for your defective Charge 5.

[Mcquang]

I also have the same problem.

While swimming I was checking my progress and it wouldn't turn on. I put it in its charger after drying it and it started heating up. I saw a lot of condensation in the sensors. I'll post a photo with this post.

----------

I can't post the photo as it is too big, but there is condensation  in all of the sensors but not the screen. 

[Surfista]

Contact customer service and get a replacement. You cannot repair it. It is defective and will be replaced.

[Mcquang]

Is there an email I can contact them with?

[GretchZ]

I have a similar issue. Purchased 10/31/2022 and used Water Lock Mode several times in the pool with no problems. On 3/8/2023 I again put the watch in Water Lock in order to retrieve the pool cleaner. My pool is maybe 7' deep at the drain. Since I was going to be working around water for several hours I decided to leave Water Lock on. When I next looked at the watch it was dead with no screen, vibration, nothing. I contacted support but was not able to stay on the chat long enough to finish troubleshooting. I was given CASE #48601069 and then life got in the way for a few days.

On 3/11 I discovered its last sync to be 3/9, meaning it's actually NOT dead. Strapped it on and realized it was turned on but the battery was at 1%. Charged it up and I thought it was okay, but a pre-set alarm did not sound or vibrate at the correct time. I discovered the device appeared again to be dead. I plugged it in to charge and found the battery at 1% again. I left it charging overnight.

On 3/12 (today) the battery was at 100%. I strapped it on and this time paid close attention. The battery was down to 10% in about one hour. It is now back on the charger and I'm leaving it there until I hear back.

Thank you.

EDIT: I forgot to tag @DavideFitbit can you please help?

[AuthorWayneDKra]

As a follow-up to this, Fitbit did get back to me about a month after this.  They offered a discount code toward a replacement or different version.  This was despite me telling them that I already bought a replacement Charge 5 as I needed a working one and hadn't heard anything back.  I took for granted that Fitbit would offer me an actual solution I could use.  As this was explained, again, Fitbit refused to offer any method of compensation for the replacement I bought.  They said this is because I didn't buy it from direct from them but from a retailer.  (Which is weird to me, as I have always bought from a retailer.)

So...Fitbit might offer you support options.  But they also might knowingly offer you an option that's of no actual use.

[DG59]

I had exactly the same problem that everyone is reporting. After a swim when it was on swim lock, it went dead. After a lot of back-and-forth with customer support, they told me there was nothing more they could do and since it was barely out of warranty, they would give me a 35% discount to purchase a new one. I went ahead and did that but after reading so many people having the same problem I’m wondering if I should’ve switched brands 🥲