Charge 6 heart rate issues

[nimsaj]

Getting help from Fitbit Customer Service has been less than satisfying so maybe someone here can help. I received a Fitbit Charge 6 for Christmas but was having trouble getting a heart rate reading on it. After customer service decided it was a defected device I returned it, and was able to get a new one. However, I am still not able to get a heart rate reading on my new Fitbit. The LED lights are there, I check often, but no reading. I have made sure it is sitting on my wrist currently, I have restarted and rebooted it a number of times, I have deleted it from my App just to re-add it and reset it. None of this had worked. Whether I'm working out, walking my dog, or literally just laying down I don't have a heart rate. I've tried contacting Customer Service recently, but they stopped responding, offering me no solution. There's no way I got two defective devices back to back, but I do not know how to fix this issue. Without a heart rate reading, this is an absurdly overpriced watch because it doesn't track all the things I need it to. I really hope this is something I can resolve because I think my return period has passed, and I genuinely want the Charge 6 to be a successful device. 

[JohnnyRow]

Make sure you don't have heart rate turned off in Settings, though I doubt that would happen on both.

[nimsaj]

It's definitely on, I've tried turning it off and then back on in hopes of getting it to work.

[JohnnyRow · Accepted solution]

Do you have tattoos?  Try on other arm; even if wouldn't wear there, just for test?  Anyone else who could try it on, to verify it's not something specific to you personally?

[nimsaj]

All this time it turns out the problem was my tattoos! I put it on my right wrist (no tattoos there) and it's working now! Thank you for helping me figure this out!

A bit of a bummer that it won't work on my preferred wrist, but I'm glad it's working!

[JohnnyRow]

If going to move it to other wrist, might want to change setup wrist placement.  On phone app from Today screen, tap battery icon at top left, then your tracker model, then 'wrist placement'.  That setting affects step count only, applying a filter to try to take out some false steps when wearing on dominant wrist from non-step movements such as brushing teeth.  I have no idea how significant this is.

[DennisFB]

Hi,

It might not help you, but might help someone else reading this. I was also having trouble with getting heart rate readings on my Charge 6. Never had a problem with the Inspire 2 I had before. 

I discovered what I had to do was shave my wrist 🙃. My hair isn't that thick, not very thick at all.