Inspire 3 - How to restore to factory setting without using device.

[ShelleySky]

I have to send back my Inspire 3 because it won’t swipe off the watch face. I need to reset it to factory settings before I send it but I can’t on the device because, as mentioned, I can’t swipe. Is there anyway to do it on the app?

[Odyssey13]

Hi @ShelleySky you need to do it on the device itself. click for directions. If you're returning the device, why not just remove it from your account?

[Bill_209]

Putting your Inspire 3 on the charger, ensuring that it is charged to at least 30%, and then pressing/holding the two side buttons for at least 10 seconds should Factory Reset your device.

[ShelleySky]

That resets the device but does not restore it to the factory settings, aka clears the information. It normally requires you to scroll down on the device but I can’t scroll. 

[Bill_209]

I stand corrected, sorry for the confusion.

I mistakenly thought that having the device in a charger while pressing/holding the side buttons for more than 10 seconds would perform a Factory Reset.

[Odyssey13]

@Bill_209  it's a common mistake. A restart of the Fitbit is the same as restarting a cell phone or a computer with no loss of content. A factory reset would be the same as wiping your phone or computer to put them back to factory specs, which removes personal data.

[Bill_209]

Understood, but I incorrectly thought that a Restart happened when only the two side buttons were pressed/held without connection to the charger and a Factory Reset happened when the two side buttons were pressed/held with the device in the charging cradle, to provide a way to Restart and Factory Reset the device when the screen is inoperative.  

Having  no way to Factory Reset the device when the screen is inoperative in this case forces the customer to return their defective device for a replacement with their customer data still on the device, which is not an ideal situation.

[Nyles]

I’m having the same problem. My screen doesn’t work. I’ve been asked to restore it to factory settings before shipping it for a replacement. However, I can’t do it on the Fitbit Inspire 3 since the screen doesn’t work, and I can’t find a way to restore it to factory settings in the app. When I Google how to, all the answers show how to do it on the Fitbit itself or provide instructions to change it in the app for a different model of Fitbit. I know this isn’t an answer to your question, but I thought I’d post anyway in hopes that Fitbit sees that people are having the same problem with Inspire 3 and will provide a solution.

[Bramble13]

Try changing the click face on the app. I don’t know if it will work but somebody said to try it! Then I think it might unfreeze.