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!  

[Jamze]

Wow, what a mess. Wished I'd looked here first. Treated myself to a new Ionic on holiday. Setup/sync to an Android always worked flawlessly with my Blaze and other simpler Fitbits. Wasted a day trying to get the Ionic up and running and currently back on the Blaze.

- Just adding it as a new device (as you should be able to) fails - disconnects from Bluetooth during the first update process never to connect again, then times out. Give an option to do over Bluetooth but that hangs too.

 - Started to read various threads on here, so removed my other devices, removed any Bluetooth settings, removed the Fitbit app, restarted the Android phone. No better.

At this point gave up on the Android and installed the Fitbit app on an iPhone to see if I could get it working.

 - Still not great, but a little better. Connects, gets as far as trying to update over WiFi then stops at 5%. Times out, suggest update via Bluetooth, which works (slowly). I then end up with a working Ionic but syncing to my wife's iPhone. Not a good solution.

Hope this gets sorted.

Update after day 2

I think I've managed to isolate my issues to my Android phone. I'll try and get some help from Fitbit.

I have the two Fitbits here (Blaze and Ionic) and two phones (OnePlus 5T and iPhone 6). Both phones patched to latest available OS, Oreo (8.1) and iOS 11. I'd got to the point yesterday everything worked on the iPhone only (not my phone!)

So followed suggestions here, on the Android, completely removed all Fitbit devices from my account, cleared Bluetooth connections, data and cache, wiped the cache on the phone, removed the Fitbit app and rebooted. Rebooted the Fitbits. Now with both the Blaze and Ionic, neither will connect at all - setting up a new device just doesn't see them.

But on the iPhone, you get the PIN code, and they connect with no issues.

So I reckon there's some Android Oreo permission thing going on related to Bluetooth, or incompatibility establishing a new connection.

Working!

Spoke to someone on Fitbit's chat help. He said he could see attempts to sync on the Android, suggested turning off the iPhone - and it's now syncing. Notifications working too - so not going to touch anything 🙂

So it seems you can setup/update it on one phone (iPhone) and then install the app and sync on another device. There was a popup message on the Android once I turned off the iPhone, said something like 'add Ionic to Fitbit app' or something - assume that added the pairing in the background?

[DINATALE145]

GREAT DETECTIVE WORK. I hope this works for other people

[nana52]

I purchased for my husband for Christmas to connect also to an Android phone, and after 3 days worth of frustration with on line chat support and phone support and was told they would investigate and get back to me (it is March - almost April) and have heard nothing back. Seems like they were in a hurry to beat the Christmas sales and did not do enough testing.


Frustrated, we boxed the Iconic back up and returned to the place of purchase. Maybe after they get the bugs worked out, we might try again.


I have a Fitbit ulta and simply love it.

Maybe plain and simple is the answer.

[Jamze]

'Maybe plain and simple is the answer.'

Yes - I have a Flex and Blaze also, both have been fine. Seems the Ionic has some teething problems and isn't as resilient as the other devices. It's a metal/unibody, maybe radio performance is a challenge compared with the plastic fitbits?

I think I'm now sorted - still dependant on an iOS device if I ever have to factory reset or maybe upgrade the software. Won't know until the next update.

[DINATALE145]

I hope the money you spent on the ionic was worth all the time you spent on
trying to get it to work. I am in the middle of my tax season and just did
not think that after spending the almost $300.00 on the unit that I should
go through these problems. Solution, I am back on a new Blaze.

[Jamze]

I've still got both, so will see how reliable the Ionic is now it's syncing. Came close to returning it today, but with the help of tech support got it going. Logged my gym session correctly this morning, so looking positive.

[prost22]

The Ionic was syncing yesterday, but not today. What's the number to tech support?

[Jamze]

@prost22wrote:

The Ionic was syncing yesterday, but not today. What's the number to tech support?

---

I just used the chat support, managed to sort it online.

[DINATALE145]

Just out of curiosity, how much time have you spent to get this thing on
working?

[Jamze]

---

@DINATALE145wrote:
Just out of curiosity, how much time have you spent to get this thing on
working?

---

Me? Spread over 2 and a bit days. Prob 5 hrs or so. Not downtime though, left it updating when I went out, I was having a shave while talking to tech support 🙂

Still working reliably, was using the app to monitor HR in real-time on the treadmill this morning.

[prost22]

On the first day, just to do setup, and afterwards, syncing was working, 90 minutes. On the 2nd day, had to work the syncing problem again. I fixed this problem by reinstalling the Fitbit Connect, so I could do manual syncing. Manual syncing appears to be working, but automatic syncing does not yet.

[prost22]

Oh I forgot to say..30 more minutes wasted looking for Fitbit Connect on the Internet (never did find a source I could trust), and then after realizing that I had the Fitbit Connect executable for installation already on my computer, less than 15 minutes to reinstall Fitbit Connect.

[DINATALE145]

And the problems go on. Not a big fan of the new watch.

[prost22]

I still have no idea how to contact tech support, email, chat, phone, whatever. How do I contact them? Please just don't say "chat" because I find such a 'chat' link no where on any Fitbit screen I can see.

[Annlorraine]

Some one set it up for me I learn as I go along

Sent from my iPhone

[averym]

Use Bluetooth option
Also download new iOS 2
I haven’t used the Wi-Fi since my initial setup as I travel too much. If
you need regular Wi-Fi use a Mifi, but for 99% of things, Wi-Fi not needed
and shouldn’t be used to sync in the field.
Alt, zap it and reinstall at home or work where you spend most time.
I think new version gives option to use blue tooth
GL

Moderator edit: removed personal information

[prost22]

You know the expression, "everything's better with Bluetooth"? Doesn't seem as if that's true with the Ionic. The only way so far I have been able to get it to work, first the set up and now the syncing, is to disable Bluetooth on the phone and laptop, use the dongle, and install an old copy of Fitbit connect. At least it works, but some of the functionality is lost because we can't use a cell phone to sync with the Ionic.

BTW--my wife installed the Fitbit app to her Samsung cell, installs ok, but it makes her cell phone reboot whenever it wants to reboot. So she removed it from her cell. Don't know how you're supposed to have the Ionic talk to your phone if the Fitbit app messes with your cell phone.

[prost22]

Conspicuous by its absence is any Fitbit tech support in this conversation. Where are they? Are they following our list of problems here? Do they care if some of the people posting here think their Ionic leaves a LOT to be desired? Do they understand that setup should be the easiest thing to do (thing PnP--plug and play; remember when it would take you an hour to set up a printer? Now it's just PnP--plug and print), not the hardest?

[prost22]

what does that mean, "use Bluetooth option"? Bluetooth option in the cell phone's Fitbit app? Bluetooth option in the laptop?

In the past, when I have used Bluetooth on the cell phone to try to detect the Ionic, it doesn't detect it. Can't see it with the laptop either.

[DINATALE145]

GO TO FITBIT SET UP
THEN GO DOWN TO HELP
LOOK FOR LETS TALK

I don't think they want us to bother them. They always point to the
community. They rather we help each other so that they don't. Try the
above, hope it works