Fitbit OS 4.1.2 Firmware Update (70.7.27)

[MattFitbit]

Hello Ionic family!

We’re excited to announce the release of Fitbit OS 4.1.2.

We started releasing this new update to customers. This is a progressive rollout which means everyone will receive it at different stages until it has been completely released to all users. We roll out releases in phases as a cautionary measure so that we can monitor performance closely and make adjustments if needed. 

*Firmware releases aren’t distributed based on region or location and can reach anyone no matter where you reside.

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

Read our help article for the latest updates.

HOW DO I UPDATE?

Find step-by-step instructions for updating Ionic here. 

If you run into any trouble updating Ionic, review these troubleshooting tips.

We appreciate your patience while we work to roll this out to everyone. Looking forward to hearing everyone's feedback in the comments below. 🤖

[drchris]

It is a shame you have to go through all of that for an update. Especially without clarity from fitbit.

[Hebrews12-1]

@SilviaFitbit 

Can you have them pull this update or at least allow user to permanently dismiss the update message.  It is very annoying to have to dismiss the Ionic Update Available message every time I access the app.

As my watch is way out of warranty there is no way in **ahem** that I am going to update it and risk bricking it.

[CorChappy]

Because my Ionic is still within the 1 year warranty, I took the leap of updating mine.  So far zero issues with the new firmware about 36 hours in now.  Below are my steps:

1) Connected Ionic to charger and left connected and charging the entire time

2) Ensured my phone had at least 50% battery

3) Ensured my phone and Iconic were next to each other with good WiFi signal

4) Did not start the update until my Ionic was over 50% battery

I did lose WiFi connection on my Ionic after the update, so I had to set that back up through the iOS app.  I'll report back if I have any other issues.  It would be nice to know what to look out for, but the change log does not describe the details of the firmware.

[Alldo]

Hi CorChappy - have you tried switching your Ionic off and leaving it overnight until the next morning, One of the main issues we are all ha OMG is when you switch back on the Ionic has had a huge battery drain, 100% before switching off then waking to find it 50% or 60% without any usage in the night. 

[ComputerGardian]

@lucaiuli 

I dont disagree with you about what you said about the hardware, and yes you are correct that its 34 days since I recieved my replacement from the last time this happened. But when the problem keeps happening and this has been going on since Jun of 2019 then you can blame each and everyone to the different companies making the hardware part, because the hardware has to be made within specific guidelines to the company, and has to have the correct software. Yes improvements will be made, but not that drastic enough where it becomes junk in a anywhere from am month to a year, depending on when that update lands in your lap from date of purchase.

@CorChappy 

What you should look out for with this update to show its not working (based on what I read and my own experience), track losing time (Where the watch starts to run slow), gps not locking on, heart monitor not working correctly, battery drains faster then what your use to, basically anything that you didnt experience prior to the update.

@Hebrews12-1 

They will never do that, this has been asked countless times and nothing is done about it. I agree with your suggestion, you should be allow to skip updates but not an option. Believe it or not I changed my android (Play) setting to not auto update any program but yet Fitbit somehow updates itself from 3.19.2 to 3.20. Clearly thats a violation of my personal settings in google play and/or my phone.

[ComputerGardian]

@Alldo 

Stupid question, I just read your msg, and I just had to ask (I could be way off so I apologize). When you say you turn it off overnight, how are you shutting it off? If you are going to about and then shutdown, this feature does NOT work, its suppose to but does not, if you do this then your watch will be in a imbo on state, meaning the screen is off and you think its off but actually its hung inbetween on and off. the correct way at least until Fitibit fixes all their mistakes is to hold the left button and right bottom button until the screen goes black then let go right away, if you hold it longer it will just reset. Just wanted to put it out their for you and anyone else that might have thought the shutdown button on the phone under about was working, Its DOES NOT. They broke that feature.

[Alldo]

@ComputerGardianI’ll try this option and keep the forum posted. 

[ComputerGardian]

@CorChappy 

---

@CorChappy wrote:

@Alldo and @ComputerGardian 

If I hold the top left and bottom right button:

• When pushing the top left, it triggers music controls if I don't get to the bottom right fast enough.
• Once I do get the second button, the screen will flash black for a second then go back to the clock face; sometimes twice.  If I let go, it does nothing else and definitely does not attempt to shut down.  I've never tried to shut it down this way, and reading online it appears this is not an option.
• If I hold them both longer, it reboots as expected. The battery percent is the same when it is back up.
• If on the watch, I go to About -> Shutdown -> Yes... it DOES fully shut down, as the watch does not wake when I push any buttons.  I have to hold the left and bottom right to turn it back on.  Battery is at the same % when I do. 
• I have not tried leaving it off for an extended time yet.

---

This is where you are making the mistake (Sorry for putting it that way, no offense)

1) You cant press the left button and then the right button, you must press them together at the same time. When you do hold the buttons down and you will the screen flash once like a blink, continue to hold, then the screen will go black, release right away, this is force off.

2 )If you hold them longer then you are correct it reboots.

3) If you go to about and then shutdown it DOES NOT work, you think it works it does not. If it worked correctly then what should happen is the watch should go black, BUT the way you turn it back on is pressing the left button once (Not sure since it hasn't worked for months if its any button or just the left).

You saying the screen goes black and none of the buttons wake it up is cause its crashed, in limbo, hung, pick a word. This is the cause of the battery drain, The left button and bottom right button is a force shutdown and/or reboot when its not responding, just like the 3 button sequence is a force factory reset IF the watch is unresponsive to touch.

Believe me what they are trying to make you believe is not the correct sequence When I bought this watch last June it worked the way it was suppose to with shutting down and turn it on, now it doesn't and hasn't since the first update back in July of 2019.

Want further proof? Factory reset the watch from the about section, once it reboots it will display the logo with all languages, if you leave it alone for 5 mins or more the watch shuts down to save battery. Cause if you press any of the three buttons you will see the watch displays the Fitbit logo WITHOUT the languages, this is the Proper boot-up procedure, then it goes to the welcome in all languages.

(Mysteriously the post I was responding to has disappeared) I will still post this for others.

[dcarrera]

Hi there. I don’t think I said I turned it off. I meant for it to say it turned off. I left it overnight.
Fitbit was in contact with me yesterday and asked that I reset everything and start from scratch. After a couple attempts it is up and working again.

Sent from my iPhone

[CorChappy]

@ComputerGardian 

I have not seen any instruction saying you can shut down with the buttons, but only reboot it.  I am holding them at the same time.  I'm saying if I push the left a tad faster than I get the right down, the music controls some times pop up.  Once both are pushed (together, same time) the screen flashes black then back to clock once or twice.  If I hold any longer than that, it reboots.  There is no way to shut it down that way. I've tried both at the exact same time as best as I can and left then while holding, the right too.

Also, when I shut down with the About -> Shut down, it goes black.  No single button pushes or tapping the screen wake it.  I have to hold the left and bottom right buttons to turn it back on in which I see the Fitbit logo, the same as if I just did a restart (which does still work when holding the two buttons).  Fitbit Help says the left button alone should turn it back on.  https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1257/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=ionic&fs=Sear...

As to where my other post went, who knows.  I guess I have to post it again.  It either got deleted or there was a glitch. - Edit - I noticed 2 of my posts disappeared...

[CorChappy]

I updated my Ionic about 39 hours ago to 70.7.27 (about 11pm EST on 5/9/20).  My app is at 3.20.1 (953).  Below is my accounting so far.  This is a re-type from memory of a previous post that somehow disappeared.  I added more detail.

• Battery - So far it has drained about 31% (maybe a little less as I'm not sure if it was 100% at the end of the update) in the 39 hours.  I'll monitor until it is almost depleted.  This does not include any exercise or GPS usage, but I do use a flashlight app for a few minutes and look at pictures for a minute every night.
• GPS - I forgot to check before the update.  Now, it does not get signal inside the house which is probably typical.  I get signal outside (shows connected) in 15-30 seconds.  I have not tested GPS on an actual run route with it yet to ensure it maps properly.
• Notifications - Working fine so far I believe.
• Apps - The few 3rd party and Fitbit apps I use do appear to work fine (or the same) so far.  Spotify asks me to login, which is not right, but normal, as it has never kept my login session.  Philips Hue asks me to connect to the bridge.  Also normal, as it never seems to retain the setup either.  
• Time - Seems to be tracking along fine when compared to my phone and PC.
• Heart Rate - Appears to be normal.  My resting heart rate is tracking the same, and things look normal.  I haven't tried a stress test or checked heart rate manually to compare yet.
• Shut Down - I have only shut down for a few minutes at a time using About-> Shutdown.  It appears to work, as the screen is black and does not respond to anything.  However, the left button press does not turn it back on; I have to hold left and bottom right to force a restart.  While on, a left and button right button press and hold does properly reboot it.
• Clock Faces - In "Clocks", the current face shows the thumbnail.  However, swiping to see my other saved faces only shows a title text in place of the thumbnail image.  They are in a different order than what shows in the app.  I am afraid to load one of them for fear of it not working.  Most likely, I'll try deleting them from the app and re-adding them.  After pushing the left back button, it does not go back to the apps screen I was on, it goes to the clock face; all other apps go back to the app list screen where that app was loaded from.
• Music - Have not tried.

[ComputerGardian]

---

@CorChappy wrote:

@ComputerGardian 

I have not seen any instruction saying you can shut down with the buttons, but only reboot it.  I am holding them at the same time.  I'm saying if I push the left a tad faster than I get the right down, the music controls some times pop up.  Once both are pushed (together, same time) the screen flashes black then back to clock once or twice.  If I hold any longer than that, it reboots.  There is no way to shut it down that way. I've tried both at the exact same time as best as I can and left then while holding, the right too.

Also, when I shut down with the About -> Shut down, it goes black.  No single button pushes or tapping the screen wake it.  I have to hold the left and bottom right buttons to turn it back on in which I see the Fitbit logo, the same as if I just did a restart (which does still work when holding the two buttons).  Fitbit Help says the left button alone should turn it back on.  https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1257/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=ionic&fs=Sear...

As to where my other post went, who knows.  I guess I have to post it again.  It either got deleted or there was a glitch. - Edit - I noticed 2 of my posts disappeared...

---

Well I can shutdown the fitbit by pressing the left and bottom right button takes like 10 seconds, but it can be done, if you'd like I can video it and link it for you to see. And yes if you hit shutdown from the about screen its SUPPOSE to shut off but doesnt, in goes into limbo where you are forced to hold the left and bottom right buttons to turn it on, which should NOT be the case, but ever since July of last year they have not fixed this problem.

@dcarrera 

Glad it worked for you, I tried everything, now I lay in wait as the one i sent back they received and I am awaiting the email for my replacement.

[dcarrera]

The buttons do not shut it down. On the Fitbit go to settings. Scroll down to About. Scroll down you have a choice of factory reset or shut down.
I hope my origin post hast confused people.
Good luck.


Sent from my iPhone

[jadeanderson910]

Came back from a run... synched... must have updated... now i am getting a fitbit logo screen of death.  i have only had this watch a week... help, please.  -fitbit ionic

[nativenolagal]

Could they devise a way to allow some of us to roll back the update? Would that be a feasible alternative? I have until May 31 to send it back which I’ll likely to be doing unless there’s a fix provided quickly. Already have a Garmin FR245 on order.

Sent from my iPad

[CorChappy]

When I chose to update my Ionic, the app showed very little progress for most of the process.  The watch showed the logo for a long time, and eventually the background behind the logo started turning turquoise covering top to bottom starting on the left.  After steady movement across the screen, once it got a little past the logo, it stayed in that spot for several minutes.  It then went further until the whole screen was shaded behind the Fitbit logo.  I believe the screen then turned green for a bit, then it was back to normal.  Same as I've seen for the other updates.

[sytzeng]

@CorChappy 

I learned from local distributor that FITBIT changed the way to turn on an iOnic.

To turn on, just press and hold the left and right bottom keys like soft reset.

[jadeanderson910]

So, quick update.  Had a good experience with online chat- ran through all the troubleshooting steps, but didn’t work out.  Sent me an email and my replacement Ionic is on the way.  This one lasted two days, hope the next one works a little bit longer.  No complaints from me if i get my tracker this week...

[Moinfazle]

Hi Team , 

I am also facing same issue, after update my Iconic is blank, after reset it's ask for upgrade,againaagain completing 95% of software update the screen goes blank, it starts occassionally and complete the installation. Post completion it again ask for upgrade. Attaching the last three screen shots of upgrades.

 

 

 

[Jacobichi]

I updated my Ionic around a week ago, at the time everything seem to be working fine. somehow yesterday after noticing that is not counting my steps or measuring my heart rate I decide to fully charge it and then reset pressing the left button together with the bottom right one.  

Today after several tries of resetting nothing and now the whole thing is dead and is not restarting at all is just like dead. 

I am also very frustrated as I feel this is a very expensive piece of equipment to measure my health, something I am focusing on and now is not only not helping in a way it is even making it worse by stressing me out . I am not sure about the rest of other owners but money in this difficult items we experiencing right now is something I don't have in spare and I cant buy an other one. 

Please help me figuring it out how to make my fitbit work again. 

Thanks