Android (Galaxy S8+) and Ionic Syncing Issues

[jameskeeling]

I have seen a few posts discussing this issue and having been marked with "Accepted Solutions", but this issue is not at all resolved. I have gone so far as to factory reset my phone and Ionic several times. I've updated Android and the Ionic firmware. Nothing works.

This is absolutely awful and unacceptable. Syncing works initially. Within a day or two, syncing stops functioning. A lot of the time, restarting the phone or Ionic doesn't even fix the issue.

This is a $300 device, Fitbit Team. Please fix it. I'm an IT Professional, and if I am having major issues with the Ionic syncing--there is an issue you guys need to work out. If I want to sync my watch at any time or change watch faces or download a new app, it should work like a $300 device. I shouldn't have to go through hell with my phone or the Ionic just to do basic functions.

[Johnny_Tapia]

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@jameskeeling wrote:

I have seen a few posts discussing this issue and having been marked with "Accepted Solutions", but this issue is not at all resolved. I have gone so far as to factory reset my phone and Ionic several times. I've updated Android and the Ionic firmware. Nothing works.

This is absolutely awful and unacceptable. Syncing works initially. Within a day or two, syncing stops functioning. A lot of the time, restarting the phone or Ionic doesn't even fix the issue.

This is a $300 device, Fitbit Team. Please fix it. I'm an IT Professional, and if I am having major issues with the Ionic syncing--there is an issue you guys need to work out. If I want to sync my watch at any time or change watch faces or download a new app, it should work like a $300 device. I shouldn't have to go through hell with my phone or the Ionic just to do basic functions.

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I completely agree, James...I have pretty much given up on using my Fitbit Ionic because of the persistent syncing issues I have been having over the past month. Every time I want to sync my watch, I have to go through this whole ridiculous process of resetting my phone, resetting my watch, turning Bluetooth off and on...just to get the watch to sync a single time. I'll have to repeat the process again later in the day whenever I want my watch to sync again.

I'm just so sick of spending all the extra time every day fiddling with it when it cost $300 and has constant issues...as I type this, I am back to wearing my regular old Timex wristwatch. 

[Bezzie]

Howzit James

I see this is an old post, but I still have this syncing issue. I've tried everything, many times over and still it doesn't work. Functions for a few days and then it starts all over again. Is your's working now?

[SunsetRunner]

Iam having the same issue ! This stinks !

[asaez]

Came in to say the same thing. Ionic and android do not work well together.

Ive gone through this with them for over a year and they insist its not them, but the phone I am using is just not supported. Funny how this has happened through 3 different phones all with the same OS. I just check my stats at the end of the day and go from there. Seriously considering another tracker. 

Moderator Edit: Format

[sbrentson]

I am having this issue with my note 8. Tech support has no idea why it won't work. after messaging them all day (They knew right from my first message what my phone was) That at 10pm that night they told me my Note * Is not compatible with the Iconic. Even though 4 months ago before my Surge died my phone worked just fine with that. But the newer watch won't work with a newer phone. I wish I could return this thing and get my money back . I'd go buy a Garmin cause this is complete BS.

[asaez]

It's basically bs at this point. I'd try syncing it with your computer if
you can.. Mine is currently synced with my MacBook pro.

[Jlindell]

Yeah, same, since the last OS update things are better, but randomly 2 weeks ago I had to do a full reset of my ionic, at least the system shoysh remer the config of my watch so I don't have to manually set up evert last app and setting. All that after an hour of sitting in wifi range so the OS can update.

[Songbird777]

Was going to upgrade, but after reading the troubles with syncing with Samsung 8+, going to try something new. No more fitbit until the fix this. 

[SteveCoatney]

Mine still sucks at synching.   It is very haphazard at best.  A few weeks ago, I actually went about 2 weeks without a successful synch.  It will usually work for a little while after doing a factory reset / reinstall of everything, but then it fails again anyway, so that time I figured I would gut it out and see if I could cajole it into synching without all that.   It eventually did, but it was still more of a rare occurrence when it would synch.

Since then, after whatever latest firmware is on the Ionic and whatever latest version of Android installed on my S8+, and a reinstall of the Fitbit app, it seems I can get it to synch several times a day for a couple days, until it stops again, at which point I've taken to just reinstalling the phone app, and somehow that seems to knock some sense into it for a couple days.

I will add that I am also doing the following:

• All day synch is turned on
• Wifi is enabled

I have seen posts recommending that we turn those off, but turning them off hasn't helped me.  And with them on, I get that many more synch attempts throughout the day, and with only a small percentage successful, this still seems to yield a few successes per day.  And also, I seem to have more success when I'm at home on wifi.

However, I don't want to give the false impression that I am at all pleased with this BS.   Far from it.

For example, one of the symptoms of a failed synch is that the Ionic resets itself mid-synch.  And if I'm in the middle of some activity that I'm tracking, like a run, or biking, or a workout - which I do a lot of and was using the Fitbit feature to track and record the stats for - that totally kills the tracking of that event.  Thus, that feature is now virtually useless to me.

Also, I've given up on trying to load music to the Ionic, because (a) it's hard enough to get the bloody music download to succeed, and (b) the download is all for naught and has to be redone if I have to do a factory reset, which I've had to do roughly a dozen times or more in the 7 months I've had this piece of junk.  So there's another nice (in theory) feature of my $300 Ionic that I can't use.

I'm really not a negative person at heart, am very tech savvy, and am used to encountering and resolving problems with technology (I do it for a living).   I've never seen such a ridiculous situation with technology drag on and on and on and on …...

Wish I had better news to pass along.

- Steve

Moderator Edit: Format

[SunsetRunner]

Me too !

However, I sent mine back and they said they would refund my money.

[SteveCoatney]

Yeah, seven months ago when I bought my Ionic and immediately had problems, I too should have sent it back for a refund, in hindsight.  But at that point, I had such a track record of good results with various Fitbit trackers, and good support whenever there were problems, that I assumed we would work through them.  But as per my last post, it's been a sad, sad story ever since with this Ionic.

But, there is still hope. Yesterday, I got on a chat with support, explained the long sorry history of this device, and they agreed the device must be bad.  I'm sending it back, and they're sending a new one.  Given the -poor track record of Ionics with so many other users, I'm not holding my breath that this will solve it, but as I said, there's hope.

As  footnote, I'm now wearing my trusty Charge2 that I used with no problem for quite some time before purchasing the Ionic.  I must say, what a joy it is to wear a Fitbit that actually does what it's supposed to do.   I recharged it, added it back to my account in minutes with no issue (I had removed it as one of the bits of advice they gave us poor Ionic customers, i.e. to remove as many possible points of contention in the syncing process), and it began tracking and syncing with no problem.   Ahhhhhh! 

If the replacement Ionic fails to work properly, I'll just set it aside and use the Charge2 while I pursue some sort of recompense from Fitbit.

I will say that I'm very pleased that they've agreed to take this step of allowing me to return what is clearly a bad device, and sending me another to try. Many thanks, Fitbit.   I'll report back once I have the replacement.

Moderator Edit: Format

[johnmccash]

Updating for the first time since my last post in April: Some update either on the Samsung side, or of Ionic seems to have fixed the issue for me (knock on wood). I haven't had a problem in four months. I even got all my music to load on it, finally.

John

[SantiR]

Hello everyone! Thanks for your continuous participation on this thread regarding Ionic not syncing with Samsung Galaxy S8+.

There is a new version for the Fitbit app for Android (version 2.75), released on July 25th. Please feel free to update it and then try the syncing process.

If it is still not syncing, feel free to contact customer support for further assistance. I can help you contacting them too, let me know.

Keep me posted! 

[gmshots]

Been using the Fitbit ionic for over 6 months....

the journey has been very rough and depressing.

Lately, it just refuses to recognize the Samsung S9+ 

Have tried to uninstall the apps from the phone.

have tried to factory reset the Fitbit.

after many many tries it did install, however, upon installation of the main program, there was a request to update to version 2.1 which I was using for many moons. This version could not be installed as the phone would not Bluetooth sync with the ionic.

short of throwing it against the wall, have tried all manner of steps to recover.

i have ordered the Galaxy as the latest version comes in the desired size.

I have divorced the Fitbit ionic and would actually call it a hell of a relationship.

now looking forward to a better relationship with the Galaxy S9+ and Galaxy watch.

good bye Fitbit ionic and glad it’s all over.

Gmshots.

[SantiR]

@gmshots I hope you're doing well! Thanks for posting the experience you are having with your watch and your Samsung Galaxy S9+. Thanks for trying those troubleshooting steps in order to sort this out. 

I was checking the list of supported devices and the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is not showing there as of now. This is the main reason why you are experiencing this situation. 

The developer team is aware of the need to add new devices to the list of compatible devices. There are some users who can synchronize with non-compatible devices. If your phone meets the requirement of Minimum Supported OS (Android 4.4 KitKat), you can try the tips on this helpful article (if you already tried some of those steps, please try them again in the order given there for best results).

Note that we don't guarantee that the synchronization will be successful as we are still testing on this phone model.  

Also, please make sure your Fitbit app is updated to its latest version (version 2.76.1 released on August 10th, 2018). 

Hope to see you back with Fitbit again. See you around! 

[gmshots]

Hi there,
The ionic is still in my drawer and not on my wrist.
I had the S9+ for more than 2 months and only last week it hang up thus do
not understand the compatibility issue.
Anyway, the situation is almost moot now.
Thanks
Guna M
--
Regards, Gunasekaran M

[SantiR]

@gmshots Thanks for your reply and for providing those details.

It's unfortunate to read that Ionic is on your drawer. You can still use Ionic; I'd recommend using a compatible device or a computer to sync it. Check the steps here.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[mkbobscott]

Really frustrating and annoying.  It's 2018 it should work.

[bkunneke]

This is ridiculous, I am having this same issue on my Moto X for the past month or so.  Periodically, it will just stop syncing and I have to spend 1-2 hours getting it to work again.  Unfortunately, this was a fathers day present almost 5 months ago and I'm past the return period with Target.  Given that Fitbit seems uninterested in fixing the issue, how can I get a refund?  $300 is way too much for a glorified watch and that's all this device is without syncing to my phone for all the reasons I bought this watch.

[Songbird777]

Samsung is a major phone, there should be no problem. This is stopping me from purchasing your newer products. Thinking of going to the Samsung watch. I know for sure it will work. 😳