Ionic Bluetooth Connectivity Problems

[Tundrastruck]

I had a Ioninc that wouldn't record my flights properly. Sent it in to Fitbit and they've replace my device with a new one.  I received my replacement Ionic. I must admit my level of frustration now with this replacement as it is, is worse off than the previous one.

The Bluetooth doesn’t stay connected and is intermittent.  I managed to get the Ionic setup with its initial firmware update and set it up with app. Seems fine....but

Then it wasn’t connecting to my iPhone 6s trying to sync the device. So I removed the device from the app and went to re add it. It gets to where I have to punch in the pairing number and then hangs forever on Connecting to Fitbit. I can force close the app and restart and go through the add device steps and again it hangs after I enter the pairing code.

I eventually did a factory reset on the Ionnic and got it all setup again.  I left it for the night and got up this morning to sync it to see my sleep.

I noticed in the app the heart rate monitor was stopping and going intermittently and it was not syncing and my sleep was not being shown.  Like the connection to the device was working then not and then after a few seconds it would kick in again but never really sync.

I removed the Fit app from my phone and re installed it.  Still nothing, turned Bluetooth off and on again and notihng. So I removed the device to add it again from the App and again I am stuck at CONNECTING TO FITBIT  just hanging there.

I do not want to factory reset this device because if I do it takes 2 hours to get it to download the firmware. On top of that the wifi feature doesn’t work and I have to firmware update through Bluetooth. Same as what I had to do with my old device. This is ridiculous!!!!

I am honestly pissed that I gave my Charge 2 and Flex 2 device up for this $400 piece of crap. I honestly thought Fitbit was better than this.  I am in no way pleased with how this is turning out.

[CockneyWanker]

Hi I thought I would add my experience too. I received my Ionic as a gift about 6 weeks ago. Same experience , three factory resets , hours of frustration waiting to get the update through Bluetooth because wifi either refuses to connect or fails to find the Wifi even if you show the watch the router. When you eventually get it working all is fine for a couple of days then syncing starts failing , fails to record sleep and generally just becomes a rather expensive watch. I have tried both ANDROiD and iPhone with same results. Given the number of people contributing to this forum Fitbit have to admit there is a fault and do a product recall 

[dick2189]

Hi Tundrastruck

You are not the only one!  I have exactly the same list of problems with my new Ionic given to me as a present whilst on holiday in Canada. I am now back home in the UK so cannot even return this useless watch and get my money back. 

On initial setting up:-

(Using an iPad Pro and the Fitbit App.  I tied it on an iPhone 6+ and a 5 too)

WiFi refused to work period even after following all the advice offered on the Fitbit App. After many many attempts including deleting and reloading the App, factory resets etc etc I gave up with WiFi.......

Bluetooth cycles on and off so the watch took a day and a half to finally work long enough to do its update and “work”  Great all working.......NO!

Now it will not sync at all and hasn’t since the day often the initial setup. 

I have gone through all the suggested fixes to no avail. 

I have had a Blaze for a few years which apart from one small problem (sorted in very quick time by Fitbit) has been very reliable. 

Looking at the huge number of dissatisfied customers on the forums you would expect Fitbit to accept they have a real problem and sort out these WiFi and Bluetooth issues pronto but I see many posts are from a year ago or more. I therefore don’t have much hope. 

So we will see what Fitbit says .........

Happy days

Update

Having spent a further 6 hours today trying unsuccessfully to sort out the WiFi and Bluetooth problems I decided to give up on the Ionic and return to my old but trusty Blaze. 

In the Fitbit App (IOS) I went back to Set Up a Device and reinstalled the Blaze which (as usual) worked first time without issue. 

But here is the weird thing .................

Immediately following setting up the Blaze I realised the Ionic had started to sync over Bluetooth. On checking I find the Bluetooth is connected and stable on both Blaze and Ionic having previously been cycling on and off on the Ionic for the past 4 days. 

WiFi still not working at all so I will see what Fitbit has to offer .........

Second update

Having worked for the past 24 hours without a problem (Bluetooth only and still no WiFi) I find that I’m back to square one again. No Bluetooth, refuses to work. Turn off Bluetooth on iPad/iPhone and try rebooting Ionic.........nada! 

Uninstalled Ionic from Fitbit App and try to install again.  Immediately sees the Ionic and gives me 4 number code. Then nothing........again....and again.....and again. 

[gcoupe]

The Fitibit app on my Nokia 7 Plus (Android) smartphone tells me that the last time my Ionic (firmware 27.32.10.20) synced with it was on the 15th September - three days ago. I've tried manually syncing, and restarting the Ionic, but nada, zilch. It doesn't work.

Then I took a look at the Troubleshooting tips, and discovered that the Nokia is NOT listed as a supported device. What? So I assume that the Ionic is now just so much junk because Fitbit isn't going to do anything about it? Not impressed; not impressed at all.

[mulder0768]

I am also having the same problem. Removed my Ionic form my account and tried to re-add it. finds it fine through Bluetooth but goes no further.

Extremely frustrating Fitbit should really be doing something about this NOW!

[gthartjr]

Seems lots of Ionic's have connectivity problems, & no fixes are happening either!  Just got one from Amazon, now at $250, but it's going back.  Tried iphone 6s, Ipad Air, Galaxy 9+, Galaxy S3 tab, and Win 10 Laptop.... none would connect consistently.  A couple have connected once in a while, only then to fail to connect afterwards. This is the worst product I've ever seen from Fitbit, & I've had 4 other various types before.  One would think that SOMETHING would get fixed after almost 2 yrs the Ionic's been on the market. 

[achicagoboy]

One of the things that really gets to me is that FitBit doesn’t acknowledge the issue.  When I called in to speak with customer service several times they would tell me that they did not see any issues reported.  I asked them if they had read the comments posted on the community site and they said they searched and did not see anything.

 I gave up and purchased an Apple Watch.  I will never purchase another FitBit product again.

[Stone2lk]

I posted this same comment months ago and it was removed from the blog and I received a nasty gram from Fitbit that they don’t tolerate these kind of comments about lawsuits.  I was not impressed.  This situation has been going for far too long to way too many people without appropriate compensation or any action on their part to fix the problem.  They won’t even acknowledge the problem publicly. 

[JRaf]

Ok, thank you for the warning. I copied all the source html from the
beginning of the topic as evidence that it exists so if they delete it it
will only hurt them even more as it will serve as evidence of
acknowledgment and bad intentions.

[AirMurdock]

It is a known issue (by the community) that the Bluetooth signal emitted by the FitBit Ionic is very weak.  The result of this problem is we get poor bluetooth connectivity with our devices (ie: earbuds, etc.)

• FitBit staff have not really acknowledged this issue
• There are some workarounds, but they aren't all that successful - your mileage may vary.

Here is a brief list (each with web-link) of some other threads from this forum that all describe problems stemming from the weak bluetooth signal emitted from their fitbit device:

• Bluetooth issues
• Ionic not able to keep Bluetooth Connection
• Fitbit Ionic Bluetooth headphone problems?
• Static when listening to music
• 2018: True Wireless Earbuds That Work With Fitbit ...
• Music cutting out every 15 seconds
• Pandora Music Skipping

And certainly there are more threads on these forums, but that should get you started and give you an idea that you are not alone with this issue.

We all hope dearly that Fitbit staff will recognize this issue, acknowledge it, and attempt to somehow improve the bluetooth signal from the ionic.  But absolutely - the ultimate problem is a weak BT signal from the Ionic, and somehow that needs to be better.

[gthartjr]

Bluetooth connectivity is a problem with the Ionic as I noted in my post several days ago, and seems to have been for the entire time the Ionic has been on the market. 

Also to note... When updating the Ionic firmware during initial setup, the WiFi connection was unreliable, spotty, & dropped numerous times during update.  With fully charged Ionic, usb charge cord connected , & good strong WiFi signal, it took over 5 hours to update, with lots of "failed updates". 

Could both Bluetooth & WiFi connectivity problems be a common "bad communication system issue"? Power or ground drain would affect both.... just thoughts.   

[MikeDmyterko]

It is entirely maddening.  The ionic will sync out of the blue then it won't.  The only way I have found to consistently get the thing to sync is to "set up a device" and "replace your ionic".  Then it goes through the reconnections.  Once connected, it will sync data not yet in the system but nothing more.  It will show the steps I have taken for that moment in that day only but will not keep the data until I do the replace again the next day.  What a waste.  When it works, it is an awesome thing.  But its not worth the time it takes.  I am looking to buy the apple watch and live with shorter battery life.

[MarreFitbit]

Hello everyone! Thank you for the thorough feedback for the Fitbit environment, customer service and devices. This has not gone unnoticed and be sure that I will pass this along.

We don't want to create frustration in our customers. Fitbit has been designed to provide motivation and help you to reach your daily goals to success. Please know that we provide feedback to our team based on community posts and we are always working on improving our devices and overall environment based on that feedback.

I'd still recommend checking the following articles:

• Why won't my Fitbit device sync?
• Why won't my Fitbit watch connect to Wi-Fi?
• How do I connect Bluetooth audio devices to my Fitbit watch?

I've seen that some of you have contacted our Customer Support Team. If you're still having Bluetooth connectivity issues after exhausting all the troubleshooting steps provided in the Community Forums, I'd highly recommend to contact our team by your preferred channel: https://help.fitbit.com/?l=en_US&cu=1&fs=ContactUs

If there's any questions present, let me know. 

[JRaf]

Thank you!

At least now I know you know what we all know.

Was beginning to think Fitbit was completely ignoring their customers. Is refreshing to see a reply, I appreciate that and I am sure others will also appreciate knowing that Fitbit got their backs.

I hope they find a solution. 

[dick2189]

I too would like to say thank you to Fitbit for replying to this post/thread. I contacted them directly and asked them to look at this thread and to respond and to my issues.  

I received an email within 24 hours asking me to carry out some procedures and to report back. I was unsuccessful in getting the WiFi/Bluetooth to work using their suggestions and they now have me a replacement.  The replacement was authorised and sent out the same day. So I will have to keep my fingers crossed that the replacement works ok but the customer service I have received to date is first class. 

Thanks again. 

[Dynagirl2006]

I'm on an Android, too, and getting extremely frustrated with getting it to sync properly. Sometimes it will partially sync, other times it won't at all. I just want to scream!

Moderator Edit: Format

[SantiR]

@JRaf @dick2189 Welcome to the Fitbit forums! Thanks for posting on this thread sharing your positive feedback regarding this situation. Fitbit is always looking to improve their customer experience. I'm glad to read that customer support has been helpful.

Once you receive your replacement unit; feel free to follow these replacement set up steps for you to not loose any of your previous data.

@Dynagirl2006 I hope you're doing well! Thanks for reporting the situation you are experiencing with your Ionic not syncing properly with your Android device.

If you keep experiencing the same; I'd recommend trying the syncing troubleshooting steps provided on this helpful article. Try the steps in the order given for best results. This has helped other users in the past.

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[CockneyWanker]

I would just like to add that after reporting the issue to FitBit support everything moved very quickly and a replacement IONIC arrived within two days. The replacement works flawlessly ( so far ) .

Fitbit Support have also followed up to ensure things are going ok - excellent service thank you! 

[dick2189]

Good to hear.  

I will not be able to set up my replacement for a couple of weeks so fingers crossed. 

Dick

[Bert6868]

Here Here i put my apple watch away to use the ionic instead glad i didnt sell the apple watch because the ionic simply is not in the same league.

[Stephtara]

Once upon a time I was elated when I received my Ionic after dropping down $300.

I quickly got it out of the box and wanted to motivate activity on my new device.

I was very surprised when it took over 2 hours to be ready for use.  It was the slowest update I ever saw or experienced.

The Wifi never worked.  Reset several times and spent countless hours on line and phone with support.  They were no help.  Everything had to go through BlueTooth.

After 5 months, the display one day just went dim with no color.  It slowly worked toward a dim barely readable display.

I am 8 months in and my $300 investment is worthless.  I will be investing in an Apple product as they stand behind their product and have what appears to be superior engineering and manufacturing.

Simply dismal product and support.

Fitbit should be ashamed !