Fitbit OS 4.1.3 Firmware Update (70.80.0)

[MattFitbit]

Hello Ionic family!

We’re excited to announce the release of Fitbit OS 4.1.3.

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. 🤖

[KayCocoa]

Please provide a real response regarding the problems those upgrades have caused to the folks that have already received the updates. My Fitbit has been reduced to a simple watch (it no longer tracks, heart rate, accurate exercise, sleep, steps, etc.). What is Fitbit going to do for all of us that are suffering and without use of the watch as it was intended?

No one from Fitbit appears to be providing any real help or explanation. Why is that?

[mlrvpl]

My ionic was in perfect condition and worked perfectly for over a year. This latest update bricked it completely. I tried all the known methods to restore it but no luck.  I contacted Customer support. The 25% discount on a new one was the only offer. I am in Technology, been a CTO and CIO and Product Manager.  If any of my dev teams created a software load that 'bricked' a clients product it would be Severity 1 priority.  If the update was not appropriate for the age of the product, don't suggest the customer apply it. This update was advertised/allowed as supported on these devices.  If the software download bricked it, it should be addressed. If its fixable the tech team should do so.  If its not fixable adn especially if this is 'rare' as has been publicized, then the device should be replaced for free.  There is really no excuse for having a supported software update render a customer's product useless, much less no fix or replacement.

[SunsetRunner]

A ticket was ‘opened’ in my name a few days ago and no one has reached out to me. This is disheartening to say the least after nearly seven years and over ten Fitbit devices in my family. Anything outside of an Ionic replacement will be unacceptable. 

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[YojanaFitbit]

Hi everybody, thank you for getting back to us. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and we have sent this information to our team. 

As mentioned before, if you already have a case open with our team please wait until you get a response. Sorry the delayed and thank you very much for your patience. 

@Xilibrius sorry to hear that you're having issues with your Ionic. I've requested to our support team to create a case on your behalf. You should soon receive an email from customer support at the email you used to register with the community forums.

@DaveChisnall Please try to restart  your Fitbit Ionic this should help you to get back on track. Also check these troubleshooting steps about notifications: How do I get notifications from my phone on my Fitbit device?

@SunsetRunner welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thank you for sharing this information. Please try to restart  your Fitbit Ionic one more time. If this doesn't work, you can attempt the factory reset on your Fitbit. Remember to remove your Ionic first from the Fitbit app and from the Bluetooth settings on your phone. Later on please try these steps: Why isn't my Fitbit device's battery charging? 

@eaveyk welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums and thank you for letting me know that you´ve been having issues with your Fitbit Ionic for a while. Have you tried these steps: Why isn't my Fitbit device's battery charging? 

@badass76ta nice to see you on the Community Forums. Since you´re a new user, please confirm that you Fitbit is able to sync with your phone: Why won't my Fitbit device sync? If your Fitbit is successfully syncing you will see the option to change your Fitbit clock face: How do I change the clock face on my Fitbit device? Please confirm that your phone is up to date.

@KevinR1970 sorry to hear that you're having issues with your Ionic since last year. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums, I've requested to our support team to create a case on your behalf. Thank you for sharing all the steps that you´ve follow to connect your Fitbit. You should soon receive an email from customer support at the email you used to register with the community forums.

@KayCocoa thank you for sharing your comment. As mentioned before we don´t have more details about this release but we really appreciate your feedback. We´ll take this into consideration for future updates. Please confirm that you´ve followed the suggested steps here.

@SunsetRunner our team is handing all cases as soon as possible, thank you for your patience during this difficult time. 

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.

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

To all Ionic user please have in mind that we started releasing 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. 

Let me know if you have more questions, I'll be glad to keep assisting you.

[SunsetRunner]

I'm new to the Ionic, and was a bit worried about attempting the firmware update, especially after previous posts on 70.78 and these reports with 70.80.0 Ionic update.  I also searched and found a whole bunch of cautionary articles warning against the update.  Of course, I did it anyway, and it was problem free.  It would be helpful if Fitbit would offer a more robust description of what the update is for and why customers should want to have it.  Fitbit might also explain that there was a hiccup with the initial release, but that it's fixed now, and if they should have a problem where to go - if that's the case.  Worked fine for me though.  All good!  

[Markyzs180]

SOLVED

So, after the dreaded update my Iconic did not dispaly the time etc nither could you get into any of the sub menus but it was still logging steps and sleep. Having tried a couple of resets this is what worked for me....

Firstly do a full factory reset as below:

1. On the device, hold all three buttons for about 10 to 12 seconds. 
2. When the Fitbit logo disappears, quickly release the bottom right button, continuing to hold down the left and top right buttons (releasing the bottom right button as soon as the logo disappears is time sensitive). 
3. When the device vibrates, release all buttons. 
4. Wait for approximately 1-2 minutes while the device clears all data. Eventually, the Fitbit logo appears and the device boots and displays Fitbit.com/setup.
5. When the device successfully resets, please use the normal out of the box process of updating the firmware.
   

(If you have no display to see for step 2 it is approx 10 seconds.)

This then puts your Iconic back to 'out of the box' condition and you should be met with the 'To start download the Fitbit App' screen.

Put your Ionic in another room (far away enough from your phone to be able to pick it up via Bluetooth) and leave it there for 30 minutes.

On your phone, log out of the app, close the app and the turn off your phone. After 20 seconds or so turn your phone back on and let it all load up.

Go get your Ionic, load the app on your phone and start the setup process with everything crossed!!!

This worked for me and my Ionic is now working perfectly (phew!)

Interestingly....my wifes Ionic (which is 12 months older than mine) updated flawlessly!!??!!

Hope this helps someone out there... good luck.

[PLEON]

Well, I updated my ionic and it resulted in display issues. I called Fitbit customer support and was guided through the troubleshooting steps including a factory reset. Now the ionic will not turn back on. So, I got the Fitbit solution. Buy a new device for a 25% discount. 

[SunsetRunner]

I received countless notifications that I have an update. I tried several times to update and the app could not find my tracker even though my computer and phone did. Eventually the notification went away and then popped back up a week later. A short period later, my computer couldn't find my ionic but my phone still did, all this time with the syncing on the app being sporadic. I removed and re-paired my ionic, and it would get halfway through syncing with the app and failing. I also removed the app and factory reset my ionic and after three days I reinstalled the app and it synced, however the update failed twice, and now the time on my display is incorrect unless I resync my ionic (I don't keep it synced all day). The time always worked correctly until the time of the update. Now the update notification does not show up and when I checked for updates, my ionic is up to date..... Has anyone else had a similar situation? Thank you for reading, I'm trying to keep from having to call support.

[Arnaldor]

Great, but anyone have any idea what to do when the watch is completely dead? After the update it when black. Thanks

Arnaldo

[SunsetRunner]

Yes, my situation was identical. All started with sync errors, incorrect time, no bluetooth connection and then over a periode of +/- 1 week my Ionic completely died (black screen). Fitbit Support offered my a 25% discount for a new one, only after sending in the faulty Ionic and paying myself for the shipping cost. Unbelievable company policy to treat customers this way. Device was working fine before the update.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPad

[Xilibrius]

After having to reset my device when it stopped connecting with Bluetooth
it errored during the rest process and I had to fight to get it to connect
to sett it up again my device finally updated. Unfortunately now it didn't
track my sleep at all last night so definitely something wrong with the
build.

[RBGUS]

 I updated my firmware a couple of days ago.  Last night my ionic quit syncing with the app. What do I need to do to reestablish a connection?  It shows up on my Blue tooth. It is showing the last sync at 9:57 pm last night.

[KerryOB]

Ever since the latest Ionic software update, my Ionic hadn't been syncing with my phone.  So this morning I tried holding the three buttons to restart the Ionic, and then my Ionic got stuck on an endless loop of Fitbit logo (startup screen) / blank screen. 

So then, I decided to do a factory reset, using the "hold all three buttons for 12 seconds, release the lower right button, wait for the Ionic to vibrate" method.  Which seemed to work.  But ever since THAT, my Ionic has been displaying the error message "Data not cleared, Sync & try again".  So I do the factory reset again, and then the error message "Data not cleared, Sync & try again" returns.  Again & again.

To top it off, my 12-month warranty expired yesterday.  LITERALLY YESTERDAY.  PLEASE offer me a solution!

[RBGUS]

I discovered that the new firmware evidently dropped my connection with my ionic. I am reconnected the Fitbit ionic and now waiting for it all to sync up

RB Gustavson MPH, RN, CHRNC-A, CWCN, CHT-A, CRT

[SunsetRunner]

@KerryOB, when your Ionic shows the 'data not cleared' message you should go to the Fitbit App and Add the Ionic as a new device. It should pair with the 4 digit PIN code and download the software. Make sure it's unpaired from Bluetooth and deleted from the App first.



Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S9+

[KerryOB]

UPDATE:  I called Fitbit's toll-free customer service number, and the young man who helped me was able to get my Ionic up & running again. I'm very thankful.  Vipercat, the young man who helped me basically had me do what you described (with a couple additional steps) -- so you obviously know your Ionic!  

[Markyzs180]

I meant to add... this took a few attempts so stay with it and keep trying. Having said all of this and having had issues with both Ionics and Fitbit HR's in the past I look at both of my kids with their 'Pear' watches and hoe they integrate seamlessly with all of their other 'Pear' devices and wonder whether my money would have been spent better elsewhere....

[YojanaFitbit]

@SunsetRunner thank you for sharing this information. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, we'll take into consideration this for future updates. We roll out releases in phases as a cautionary measure so that we can monitor performance closely and make adjustments if needed. 

@Markyzs180 you did a great job trying those steps. Thank you for sharing this information with us. I'm sure other users will find this information really helpful.

@PLEON and @SunsetRunner Sorry for the issues with your Ionic. Thanks for contacting our support team. Fitbit is always trying to provide great products and customer experience. Each scenario is different, but I think that you can use the option available according to your warranty information, as it was mentioned by our support team. 

@SunsetRunner I really appreciate all the details in your post. I'll be glad to give you a hand with this. Sorry to hear that you're having syncing issues with Ionic. Good to hear is that you can see that latest update on the Fitbit settings. I'd suggest to remove your Ionic from your computer and try to keep syncing only with your phone. If you're using a Android phone confirm each one of the requirements: 

• Your phone is running the latest version of Android OS. To check, tap Settings > About Phone or About Device > Android Version.
• Your Fitbit device is up-to-date. For more information, see How do I update my Fitbit device?
• The Fitbit app is up-to-date. For more information, see How do I use the Fitbit app?
• The Fitbit app is allowed to run in the background on your phone. For more information, see What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?
• The Bluetooth setting on your phone is turned on. To check, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
• You have location services turned on, and the Fitbit app has permission to access your location. For more information see, Why is the Fitbit app prompting me to turn on location services?
• If you use more than one phone or tablet device to sync, make sure the other device isn't nearby. If the device is nearby, turn off Bluetooth on it.
• Your phone isn't managing other Bluetooth connections. If you have multiple Bluetooth products like speakers or headsets paired to your phone along with your Fitbit device, you may have trouble using more than one at the same time. Turn off other Bluetooth connections when not in use.
• Your phone doesn't have a syncing issue listed in What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?

@Arnaldor thank you for posting your comment about your Ionic. I noticed that you already have a case open for this issue. I suggest to wait until you get more details about this. Our team will be glad to give you a hand with this.

@Xilibrius I really appreciate all the steps that performed to update your Ionic. Thank you for sharing that you're having issues tracking your Sleep. If can't see your sleep from last night please try to log it on the Fitbit app and confirm if you can see any after doing so. What is the information that you can see on the Fitbit app? Then restart your Ionic and check the information on these help article: Why don't I see sleep stages today? Please keep me posted on the resolution. 

@RBGUS thank you for letting me know  that you're having syncing issues. Have you tried the steps suggested here: Why won't my Fitbit device sync? Try to follow each one of the steps to have better results.

@KerryOB you did an excellent job performing those steps. As you already know, this error "Data not cleared, Sync & try again" usually happens when you performed a factory reset without before unpairing the Fitbit. Usually you should unpair your Ionic, forget Bluetooth and perform the factory reset. I will leave these steps here in case other users need it:

• Unpair your Versa from your phone's Bluetooth.
• Force quit the Fitbit app.
• Turn off the Bluetooth.
• Shut off your phone and turn it on after 1-2 minutes.
• Turn on the Bluetooth.
• Setup your Ionic again.
• If there is no connection, restart your Ionic. If you can't get started with your Ionic, usually a missing requirement is the cause. Carefully review the requirements provided in the help article: Why can't I set up my Fitbit device? 

@ghate56 thank you for the feedback. I've updated your case, please keep communication open with our team. They are already aware of this comment, they will be checking your options. 

@badass76ta thanks for bringing this to our attention and for feedback that was shared in your post, I understand how frustrating this matter can be for you. To better assist you with this, can you please let me know which mobile device are you using? Are you trying to install a third-party clock face or one from us? If it's a Fitbit original clock face, please share with me the name of it. 

In the meantime I receive your answers, I suggest you to restart your device and then troubleshoot the Fitbit app following the next steps (it's important that you follow the order of steps):

1. Force quit the Fitbit app.
2. Uninstall the app from your mobile device.
3. Make sure that the operating system version of your phone is up to date.
4. Reboot your mobile device.
5. Reinstall the Fitbit app.
6. Login using your account credentials.

Let me know if the issue persists and if you have any additional questions.

[PaulMe]

Like others I have spent good money on these products. All we ask is for reliability. If not getting it is due to software coding issues OR hardware issues - then Fitbit have an obligation to fix the issue(s) and support owners with faulty devices. 

[Rosco200]

I am still awaiting a meaningful response from customer services regarding their willingness to replace an out of warranty Ionic if the firmware breaks it. As I have mentioned I am on my 2nd free replacement because of previous firmware updates. Can you a moderator please chase this up?

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