Ionic- Fitbit OS 4.2 Firmware Update (71.6.19)

[KateFitbit]

Update 9/3/2020: This update should now be available to all customers. If you have any difficulty updating, make sure you are following the directions in this article, and then provide as many specific details as possible in your post so that we can assist.

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We've started rolling out Fitbit OS 4.2 Firmware Update (71.6.19) for Ionic. 

We release firmware updates to all customers in phases. The update will be available to everyone soon, and a banner will appear in the app when you can install the update. If you don’t see the banner yet, check the app again later.

*Firmware releases are not distributed based on region or location and can reach anyone no matter where you reside. We do not recommend performing a factory reset to force the update to your device as your data will be lost and you may not get the update. Please be patient and wait until you see the update banner inside of the Fitbit app to begin the firmware download.

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

Release notes can be found here.

HOW DO I UPDATE?

Step by step instructions for updating your Ionic device can be found here.

We recommend updating your Ionic over a home Wi-Fi network as this can greatly reduce the time it can take to get set up. For more information on connecting your Ionic to Wi-Fi, check out this article. 

If you run into any trouble updating your Ionic I recommend reviewing these troubleshooting tips. 

[05ballardb]

Hi all,

It seems a number of you are reporting that the Fitbit is unresponsive and not charging. From a hardware perspective the connections to the device should theoretically be supplying power to the battery. The issue is likely the interface between the system on chip and the software used to identify/configure the ports on the device. If the display or Bluetooth network configuration files have been reconfigured/corrupted as part of the firmware update then the device is unlikely to work as a result and a physical hardware reset will be required, since the device will no longer be broadcasting any Bluetooth signals and as a result will lose its connection to the phone.

Since the device cannot be reconfigured through the usb power cable supplied, devices that no longer show charging after a factory reset or hard reset are unlikely to work and it would be easier to contact the Fitbit customer support team in order to arrange a replacement/repair. Sorry I can’t be of much help to those that have had problems. It seems the update worked for some people and not others. I will be monitoring my Ionic closely for the next couple of weeks to see if any further issues become visible for those that successfully installed the firmware update and haven’t had issues so far. I will mention that I currently do not have the WiFi setting enabled for the Ionic device which might be one possible reason for the installation working correctly since my phone had to deliver the update over my phone’s Bluetooth connection after it had downloaded the file from the website. Unfortunately I do not have an identical Fitbit Ionic to test whether this is why the software update installed the firmware correctly. I hope Fitbit will get this issue sorted soon. Good Luck Everyone

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[PaulMe]

@05ballardb  I will be monitoring my Ionic closely for the next couple of weeks to see if any further issues become visible for those that successfully installed the firmware update and haven’t had issues so far. I'm one of the "lucky" owners that survived the latest update.  I'm interested to know if a factory reset is likely to render the device U/S. Since owning my Ionic for 6+ months I haven't needed to do a factory reset. But as with many electronics - a factory reset may become necessary or desirable to fix a temporary software/logic issue.  It's sad that the firewall between the Fitbit developers and users can't be lowered just a little so the company engineers can confirm or deny that a reset is likely to be problematic. The silence from Fitbit is deafening!

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[meangene393]

Thanks for the information. My Ionic is dead. --
*Today's Quip: **Age Difference-My generation did fire drills in school not active shooter drills.* *Eugene G., Ph.D.*
Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[PaulMe]

@Kovin I have been in two minds about getting a non-fitbit unit (Garmin, Suunto etc) I'm interested in what Suunto have to offer in a smart fitness watch. I've owned a Suunto D6 diving computer/watch for 12 years. I would never expect an Ionic to last 12 years with a non-replaceable battery. But ~5 years should be achievable. I like the Fitbit because it's designed for hardcore and softcore fitness. I'm very much in the latter - so enjoy the non-fitness functions. Unfortunately Suunto and also Garmin are probably too skewered towards fitness for my usage. Which is the advantage Fitbit may have. Smart functionality is just as important as the fitness functionality for me. But I don't want to have to pray to some mythical god every time I do an update, or wonder when the battery or screen is suddenly going to die.

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[05ballardb]

@PaulMe  If I had the time and money, I would have a look to see if I could recreate the problems on a few Ionic devices and fix them. Since I’m busy in my last 3-4 months of my PhD on semi active suspension control systems, I don’t think I will be able to do it anytime soon. The best I can offer is advice based on assumptions of what system problems could be the main cause of the issue and anything that could be done as a potential fix if people want to try it.

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[Brownsugarbair]

Someone recommended the moto360 3rd generation to me

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

[05ballardb]

@PaulMe I have been thinking of developing a test board for a large scale prototype of a new fitness tracker and operating system. While it’s still only a very rough concept at the moment it would be interesting to see how much interest there would be in the new design. I would certainly like to have the device capable of running a minimal memory Linux or Android operating system with the ability to flash your own operating system onto the device if you so desired. The technology is available (Raspberry Pi Zero) but downscaling it could become more of a problem. Either way I would need to look into things more before it’s even ready for final prototype testing. Who knows, I might start a kickstarter program to see who is interested and look into getting funding to develop the concept into a reality.

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[SunsetRunner]

I'm sorry @Brownsugarbair. I've tried all the reset functions and even got
ahold of tech support which pretty much if you research the community you
will find various steps on how to's. Sad to say that my Ionic stayed black
the whole time, my saving grace was subscribing to addtl warranty. This
will be my last Fitbit product and I will wait till it craps out (pretty
much 1 year and 9 mos from now, seems like they only last 2 yrs). Will
switch to Garmin or anything other than what I have now.

[SunsetRunner]

I know right... I expressed that to the Fitbit Team and I didnt get a
response. I even told them about why do we need subscription if we have the
product (it's all about that green paper sad to say). I just keep it
simple...

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi everybody, thank you for sharing your comments and feedback about your Fitbit experience.

@SunsetRunner @DrYool @Vilda007  I've reported this information to our team, you will be getting an email shortly to check what is happening in every case. Thank you for your patience. @SunsetRunner and @GeneSD thank you for contacting our team. If you need more details about your case, let me know so I can request a follow up email for you too.

Step by step instructions for updating your Ionic device can be found here.

We recommend updating your Ionic over a home Wi-Fi network as this can greatly reduce the time it can take to get set up. For more information on connecting your Ionic to Wi-Fi, check out this article. 

If you run into any trouble updating your Ionic I recommend reviewing these troubleshooting tips. 

Please know this is a thread about Firmware Update (71.6.19). Thank you for your understanding. For general issues you can check our help articles. If you already tried troubleshooting steps and you're still having issues with your Fitbit, I can request a case on your behalf. 

See you around.

[NeilFinny]

Loving the new So2 watch face.

[robbijay]

It does look quite funky.
Doesn’t tell you calories though. I’d have thought that was the main use of a fitness tracker?

[sarnott153]

Thanks, But yes, I tried this!

Scott

[SunsetRunner]

This is a very good question. And

it is a pity to see so many devices being dead after a firmware update! I would've accepted my ionic to die 'naturally' in a sea or sauna, but not after a firmware update. Sorry, but no... And somehow the story smells in the time when a new Fitbit Sense is announced. On another hand now I also learned that this happened for many users with previous firmware updates. Anyway, I enjoyed time with Fitbit and most probably will switch to Garmin if the issue won't be reasonably resolved (which I doubt, since my Ionic was 2.3 years old).

[Vilda007]

I have been contacted by Fitbit support via an e-mail recently. And I have to say I feel insulted as they were proposing things like checking the charging connector, cable, charger, perform the reset.... Simply all the stuff normal user does automatically before contacting support. The mail is clearly some pre-prepared template. It also looks like the support guys did not read the description of the issues I am experiencing (and - as I see from this forum and other internet sources - I am definitely not alone with the very same behaviour of the Ionic watches).

Will there be any RCA provided about what went wrong and (more importantly) how to fix it?

[SunsetRunner]

Sam had me do all the things I tried already! Not so helpful. I’m still
without an answer and a Fitbit!

[MclovinDaPuncak]

I updated my Ionic this week and after the update I got a single green line in the middle of my screen and then it faded to black. Now the entire screen is black with just a small sliver of light showing at the top of the screen. I completed a factory rest, but now I can't setup the device because I can't see the screen to run through the steps. Please Help!

[MclovinDaPuncak]

Kind of a bummer. This is the second watch I've had and neither made it past the two year mark. Support seems to offer the same response for all issues "We can offer you a 25% discount." Kind of a slap in the face when you pay almost $300 for a product.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi everybody, thank you so much for sharing your experience with our support team. 

If you have more doubts about your Fitbit warranty please reply back to the last email you got from support. 

As mentioned before, each scenario is different, I really appreciate your feedback. If you have doubts about the response that received from our team, please feel free to get back to them. They will be glad to give you more details about your warranty options.

For troubleshooting steps you can check these instructions:

Step by step instructions for updating your Ionic device can be found here.

We recommend updating your Ionic over a home Wi-Fi network as this can greatly reduce the time it can take to get set up. For more information on connecting your Ionic to Wi-Fi, check out this article. 

If you run into any trouble updating your Ionic I recommend reviewing these troubleshooting tips. 

See you around.

[Snoopy1000]

Hi since I updated to 71.6.19 my sleep pattern as well as heartbeat stopped working. What now?