Charge 6 - cannot disengage water lock

[huangj]

I can’t get out of water lock after swimming - I’ve tried restarting the fitbit but it doesn’t make a difference. I have to plug it in to charge to end the tracking. Anyone else having this issue? 

[Triletics]

Just tap twice. It has to be quite a strong tap. You will see a padlock and then tap twice (or more, just hammer that screen 😁) until padlock opens. It takes a while to learn that. Don't do it when screen or hands are wet.

[huangj]

I tried before and after drying off, pressing the center with various strength to no avail…

[SLK54]

I have the same problem with a new Charge 6.  Unable to unlock water lock from Settings or from Swim App.  Only way I can get the Charge 6 to be unlocked is to attach it to the charger and press the button on the USB connector end of the cord.   I have spent a lot of time in chat room and in a live call with Tech Help and they could not help me and activated a process for replacement.  I am having doubts about whether the replacement device will work any better.  Every other function that requires tap or double tap works ok.  I have pressed the lock icon repeatedly,  very firmly.  No luck.  

[CYli28]

I had the same problem but found the trick. First you must get very angry and then double tap the watch face furiously as if you are trying to break it using your dry fingers tips. Violence is required literally but pls don't use a hammer or something hard. Once unlocked, be reminded to calm down using the mindfulness tips.  Watch for irregular heart beat too!  

[Zardoz99]

Yeah, happens all the time. Sometimes I put it in Swimmer mode by mistake and then I swear as I know it will take me many tries to unlock it. All the tips provided in the other replies are valid. Dry hands and firmly tap in the middle. I would add that you should try to alter your tap timing as well. If you tap too quickly or too slowly that also can be a problem. The reason I'm here today is that I just spent 6 minutes tapping my Charge 6 trying to get it to unlock and I came to see how many others have had this problem. I suspect everyone has had it once in a while. Tap till your finger is sore!   

[HelenSinger]

this made me laugh! I have a new charge 6, set to swim today, spent ages trying to unlock the padlock but it hasn’t registered my swim, thinks I’ve been walking. Can anyone help? 

[SLK54]

Hello, I have been swimming with my Charge 6 for a year now. Once in swim
mode (when it locks automatically), to unlock it I have to be really firm
and really hit the lock icon very hard with my index finger, frequently
several times for it to unlock at end of swim. Then tap finish and done to
leave swim mode.

[JFlo47]

I saw your post last summer when I had the same problem with my brand new Charge 6 which did the same thing, making it useless for tracking swimming. I tried practicing with it on dry land, and it still took me 5 minutes of hammering on it to get the screen back on. I was considering sending it in for replacement while it is still under warranty, but before I go through that hassle, I was wondering if your replacement one worked any better. Thanks if you can help.

[JFlo47]

So essentially swim mode is useless with the charge 6 because by the time you dry your fingertip and finally get the timer to stop, the time recorded is totally inaccurate. I was thinking of just putting on the stop watch to get my time, recording it, and then adding my swim in manually later on. How have you resolved his problem?

[Zardoz99]

The lock is useful for saving your battery when you are swimming. Before the lock, the Charge would come on all the time in the water, so it would quickly drain. I think they have to completely redesign the touch sensor for this to work effectively. They probably have it linked to the motion sensor, which is why you have to tap it "firmly". I don't swim enough laps to make this important, so as long as it gets my heart rate I don't really care. I also take breaks every few laps, so having it take a few minutes to stop the lock is not a big issue for me. Lately, I have been better at getting it unlocked. I think the timing of the tap is important.    

[JFlo47]

Thank you so much. That is the most helpful response I've gotten so far.
When I swim freestyle, I kind of do short sets and have to rest in between,
too. But I do like to time those sets to make sure, as I get older (and I am
already old), that I am not slowing down too much. I am talking about 7 - 9
minutes for each set, so adding 1 - 5 minutes to the time would be
significant. Given that touch screens can be problematic for some people, I
don't know why they didn't use the side button to unlock the screen.

[Zardoz99]

Using the side button to unlock would make far too much sense for them to do that, lol. When you tap, use 3 fingers at a bit of an angle so the Charge moves sideways a bit. Wet or dry, it seems to work for me as I think it is the shock of the tap that is the key.  

[JFlo47]

Thank you so much for that suggestion. I will try that!Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone