Ionic Setup Checklist

[CarlosCFitbit]

Everyone -- I really appreciate your candid feedback on your setup experience. 

After reviewing this discussion, I want to provide tips to help you setup your shiny, new Ionic successfully. Please understand that during this process there are certain steps that can take longer, especially the Firmware update, so patience is key. This is the largest firmware we've ever released and contains more data than any of our past Firmware update releases.

During setup, I recommend connecting to a strong personal or work Wi-Fi network that requires a password (public networks like coffee shops or bookstores should be avoided). If you're not connected to strong Wi-Fi connection or using Bluetooth, the process can take as long as 2 hours or more. So please make sure your Wi-Fi connection is strong. 

With that being said, let's get you setup!

Setup checklist

1. Start by making sure your device meets the requirements
2. Un-pair all Fitbit trackers in Bluetooth settings (if any are listed under devices in BT settings)   
3. Remove all Fitbit trackers from your Fitbit account (If any other Fitbit trackers are setup to your account already)
4. Turn Bluetooth off/on
5. Perform a factory reset on Ionic (tap on Settings/ tap on About/ tap on Factory Reset)
6. Restart your device (phone or computer)
7. Plug-in Ionic to charge somewhere close to your internet router
8. Go through the setup process (instructions start on page 9 of the manual) 

What if setup still doesn't work? 

Try giving it another shot. Follow the instructions above and if you get stuck, please tell me where in the process Ionic stalled.

I want to acknowledge everyone's contribution to this discussion and express appreciation for bearing with us through some of the hiccups. We're always striving to improve our product and observe user sentiment and feedback to make improvements where necessary. Rest assured that future firmware and app updates will be released incrementally to address issues experienced by users.   

Lastly, I welcome you to continue sharing your experiences here and provide as much insight as you can. My hope for all of you is a successful setup so you can start reaching your health and fitness goals with help from Ionic!  

[gtazy]

can you factory reset a new device? mine just has "set up" on the screen. tried for 5-6 hours last night. fails every time over Wifi at step 2 of 3

on Bluetooth it said 350 minutes to complete, 6 hours on and its still on step 1 but the watch is showing progression beyond the last dot of the Fit Bit logo. annoyingly I go home in 2 hours and fear it still wont be finished. I am half expecting it to fail near the end any way with only a burned in image of the Fit Bit app on my phone to show for it!

[finkmj53]

My new Ionic needed to be set up and updated before use and the process went smoothly until it stopped at about 93% complete - in step 2 of 3 - which is the download. I called Fitbit support and we tried all the steps outlined here to no avail and the very last thing we did was to try doing he process from my phone instead of my Windows 10 PC and the process completed and my Ionic is now working great. Something was apparently wrong with the App that I had installed on my PC over a year ago when I got my Blaze and now it appears that it is not even possible to install an App - you just run your dashboard from the web interface.Hope this helps someone else.

[chris-bit]

Again... not syncing... It has not been syncing since last Tuesday... 

[chris-bit]

So after trying manual sync a few times, it synced.
I turned on the Always Connected and tap "connect" on my wi-fi. 
Since I did that it synced but the battery consumption of the Fitbit app went up to 2.5% an hour and the S7 software requested to "Fix it" putting the app to sleep.

Why one option that sync once every hour that simply work is not there?

[clsmith393]

My new IONIC setup was easy.  within 30 minutes of unpacking the watch, everything was updated and running with the exception of the time.  For some reason the watch is set to Pacific Tine instead of the Central Time Zone where I live.  I have no idea how to set the bloody time!

[averym]

Sorry but doing a hard restart is not a solution, but a last ditch effort. Wifi not coming on, Bluetooth doesn't always work with head phones (2 diff types) they work fine with my iPhone, Apple TV and W10 notebooks.

Can someone please post how to turn on Wifi on an ionic. I see it in the About section, its off and wont turn on. Ive restarted a few times, I have downloaded the W10 app. While the computer is on the Wifi, when I open the app, it doesn't see the Ionic over Wifi. Even turned on Wifi on my iPhone for hot spot and it doesn't see it either and that is how I initially got it to see Wifi when I got it.

Any suggestions? I don't see anything specific in help and nothing on the forum except full blow it out and reload.

[gashbarka]

Wondering if there's an issue with Windows 10 Fitbit app WiFi/bluetooth connection with ionic, or maybe it's just my computer...

Retried, re-started, formatted watch, re-installed, etc, but kept getting to the point where I wanted to get music from the fitbit app on my Win 10 pc to the ionic, but it won't connect, kept getting the 'bluetooth is turned off' message no matter what, and then can't get ionic onto my home WiFi.

Finally tried using the fitbit app on iphone, which right away works to connect ionic to WiFi, then use the Win 10 pc to transfer the songs/playlist.

Hope this helps if anyone else had the same issue, try using your phone app for the WiFi connection part (maybe that's what you're supposed to do first anyway?)

[chris-bit]

I am not sure if the new update kind of "fixed" syncing for me or I just learned how to do it. I wrote about it here. However, I would be useful if during syncing time the Ionic gave you a little more info than a spinner and an exclamation point once it fails. For example it could update the state like:

App not connected to the Fitbit Ionic.
Searching Fitbit on bluetooth...

Connected to bluetooth
Fitbit Ionic connecting to wifi...

Fitbit Ionic connected to wifi.
Syncing 24%

Or better:

Connected to bluetooth
Fitbit Ionic syncing through bluetooth 34%

And errors like:
Cannot find the Fitbit on Bluetooth...
Cannot connect to WiFi...

Etc.

That will help people to find out what it going on. 
Trying differnt things and find a pattern that works for them.  

Moderator edit: format

[Jgorden]

Please give me the app that you use to connect your Wi-Fi 


Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S8+, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

[MVHokie]

Just received a Fitbit ionic purchased at full price from the company.  Sale price two days later!.  Unable to set up using Mac Sierra OS 10.13.1.  Can't get beyond the ""Hi, Get started at www...." screen. Company chat room rep says I need a "dongle" to establish a bluetooth connection.  Local Best Buy rep unfamiliar with terminology.  Sorry for this purchase and I'd never recommed.  

[Bret_Pitt]

I haven't even been able to start using the Ionic, because of bluetooth issues during set up. It's incredible my phone has no trouble whatsoever to connect to my car, my wireless earbuds but this Ionic (which cost about three times more than my earbuds) can't seem to get or keep the watch connected.

Every single time I try to connect he finds it, but then gets 'bluetooth issues'.

I've deleted all other Bluetooth devices from my phone, I've rebooted Bluetooth, the Ionic, my phone countless times.

My phone is a OnePlus Two btw.

This kind of troubles for this kind of money is really not acceptable. Would really appreciate some help.

(And I get the feeling that all these comments are just screams in a desert)

[debraguk]

My phone detects my ionic via Bluetooth but doesn't sync 😞 maybe it's because I've got a blackberry PRIV. Sure it used to sync

[nana52]

After two days still no luck syncing thus putting in box an back it to the store

[Gisaco]

Thank you! My first try failed, but I missed the notification telling me of the fail, so O let setup spin for 3 hours. Second try, I deleted all Bluetooth devices from my android phone and skipped the wireless step on setup. Setup complete in about 90 minutes. Still having an issue with notifications, but getting there. 

[KarenCat]

I received the Ionic to replace my Fitbit Blaze today for Christmas. I’ve tried everything to try to connect it to the Fitbit app on my iPhone 6 Plus with no success. Initial set up was successful to my iPad Pro but I realized I’d have to constantly sync my iPad to the Ionic instead of my iPhone so I disconnected it and tried to pair it with my iPhone. I’ve tried EVERYTHING.

Restarted Ionic;

restarted iPhone at least 10x;

uninstalled and reinstalled FitBit App multiple times;

deleted all other Fitbit Devices from iPad and iPhone;

turned iPhone Bluetooth off and then back on at least 5x;

plugged my Ionic into the charger (it’s at 99% power);

trying connnecting while being in the same room as the WiFi router;

held left side button and bottom right button to restart Ionic too many times to count;

reset Ionic to Factory Settings.

I am incredibly frustrated. My iPhone manged to “find” my Ionic 2x while trying a frustrating circle of the above steps but then got stuck at “connecting to tracker” and would not go any further. It simply will not connect. Followed various suggestions found on the Community board without any success whatsoever. Any new help would be greatly appreciated.

[averym]

Been having similar issues. One thing I have discovered is that the ionic does not like to sync with multiple devices . If you have migrated from another fitbit, turn it off. I can’t get the ionic to sync to new or alt Wi-Fi but by turning off my other iPhone and other fitbit device I have got it to work reliably . Try that.or try reinstalling on your phone.

Avery 

Moderator edit: Removed personal info

[Dragonbird]

Just got my Ionic for Christmas.  Spent most of the day attempting to get the stupid thing to work. Here we are almost 24 hours later and I'm still messing with this thing!  I've gone over the checklist and the the most I can get it to go is somewhere along step 2 then it loses connection and that's it. I am so annoyed, aggravated and disappointed.  I was really looking forward to this one too, I'm not sure what else to do besides return it. 

ETA: I tried once more, to start it up but setting up the wi-fi later, and the stinking thing started actually doing something during step two. That was five hours ago.  It is still doing something-and even showing me some progress.  Fingers crossed.  Just thought I'd mention that in case it  helps someone else in the same situation.

ETA Part 2:  I got it to finally finish that stupid set up process.  Still can't connect the device to wi-fi and mostly everything doesn't work.  It figures out the steps and the heart rate and that's about it. I can't download different clock faces, the weather won't work, the device won't alert me of messages or phone calls and those are just the things I've noticed so far as I'm about to cry looking at it now.  I have literally been wasting every spare second messing with this thing and getting more and more aggravated.  

ETA Part 3:  I turned off the device and turned it back on (using that shutdown otpion under 'about').  After I did that it seemed to sync a little better and at least I was able to change the clock face which was a bit fun.  I can also now get my notifications which is huge.  Still can't connect it to wi-fi or get the weather app to work, but I'll take this small improvement as a win for today. 🙂 

[Metsfan302]

On Christmas day my fit-bit took 24 hours to update etc/ set-up via Bluetooth,  my wife's took about  hours.    Stick with it!!!!  

[Psaltina]

Received Ionic for Christmas. Took about 45 minutes to update firmware and set up. Added alarms, notifications and changed clock face. Now off to explore other options. I was hoping to add music stored on my phone but I only see instructions for computer. I'll keep looking

[SabineRivers]

How can a Company release a lemon in this time of age? I wonder how many ppl have no issues? Everyone has the same problem that it doesn’t sync. They should finish their testing, make sure they work and ship new working Ionic to everyone that purchased one. This is ridiculous!