Ionic not working after factory reset

[inserthoses]

Hey guys,

So I've really been enjoying using my ionic since I was gifted it for my birthday last November. It's been a great motivator for working out and I've managed to shift quite a bit of weight since I got it. 

That was until a week and a half ago when it decided to die. After it ran out of battery one day, I charged it up to full, but it couldn't reconnect with my phone for whatever reason. I was advised to perform a factory reset of the watch after performing a number of other steps - so I did. Probably not a great idea, as that was the last I saw of it alive.

I've since tried every reset method possible (different chargers, different outlets, every button combination imaginable) and I've had no luck bringing it back to life. If I leave it for a few days and try to reset it, it will sometimes flash up with the 0% battery screen. Alas, charging doesn't bring it back to the land of the living (I've had it on charge for the last four days with no luck.)

I've contacted Fitbit support who have told me that because it was bought on eBay (new) from an unsupported seller, I have no warranty and are now left with a dead device. This seems... sketchy? 

I've read quite a lot online about this type of thing happening (although I do believe you can find anything online if you search hard enough) and I'm just thoroughly disappointed that a simple factory reset has turned a once faithful companion into a useless, orange paperweight. 

Have any of you encountered similar problems before and know if a secret way to fix my ionic? I'm quite tech-headed, so wiling to try literally anything. 

Thanks!

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[RicardoFitbit]

Hi @inserthoses, welcome to the Community Forums! 

Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and personal experience with your Fitbit device, I understand your situation and how frustrating this matter can be for you. I'd like to let you know that we are always striving to improve the Fitbit experience with our products and services, therefore, the feedback that's shared here in the Community Forums is always appreciated and really helpful for us to evaluate our procedures and make sure that we are delivering what our users want and need.

Since you already received assistance from our Customer Support team, I suggest you to contact them back if you require further assistance or if you have any additional questions about the outcome of your case. Also, for a better understanding of the information they provided to you, please check our warranty policies here. 

Let me know if you have any additional questions, I'll be around.

[barryb53]

I am also in the same position. Carried out a factory reset after several soft resets not fixing problems. Now completely dead. Also purchased from Ebay 14 months ago. I am amazed that using a function in settings ie factory reset it destroys the watch. This is a software fault and should be sorted by fitbit. I take it you didn't find a fix?

[inserthoses]

I'm afraid not Barry. I was in a 12 months warranty but Fitbit wouldn't honour it because it wasn't from an "approved eBay seller", and trying every trick on the internet didn't bring it back to life. My old Fitbit is unfortunately now shoved in a drawer.

I've moved across to an Apple Watch instead, which is a shame because I absolutely love the Fitbit app and community, but if the hardware is so unreliable I need to say a prayer every time I have to do something as basic as a factory reset, I've just got no confidence in their products anymore. 

[barryb53]

Thanks for reply. Mine to is shoved into a draw. I still think it's a
software/firmware issue that Fitbit should address.

[tvos]

The same happened to me! I performed a factory reset in order to make my device work properly (battery was draining and lasting not even one day).

What happened? Now is not turning on!

[inserthoses]

Hi tvos,

It seems this is a fairly common issue with factory resetting Ionics, and there's unfortunately no answer to it. 

Apparently some people have had success by draining the battery to 0% by clamping down the left and bottom right buttons (as if performing a reset) until the device stops buzzing, then plugging it back in to charge. I had no such luck I'm afraid. 

[tvos]

Hi inserthoses,

So you have just lost your money?

[inserthoses]

I had this problem months ago and gave up trying to get a fix for it. I've moved on to a different device since. I got about 10 months of use before it died on me.

If you've bought your device in the last 12 months you should be able to get a warranty repair from Fitbit through their support channels. Unfortunately I couldn't get a replacement as I didn't purchase mine through and 'authorised seller'.

[tvos]

I also bought on the same way @inserthoses. Fitbit should realise that so many people buy through this way.

But now that Fitbit definitely belongs to Google they might solve this issue! Please Google, solve this issue!

https://blog.fitbit.com/2021-update/?utm_source=go_mar&utm_medium=blog&utm_country_code=en_US&utm_ca...

[bertbasset]

It appears there are a catalogue of problems that everyone is experiencing - and it seems to be related to the previous firmware upgrade 

I pretty much had identical scenario to yourself

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Fitbit-Ionic-will-not-even-turn-on/m-p/4645819#M141499

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Ionic-Common-Major-Issues-in-last-two-months/td-p/4664884

[I got the 0% pop up after a nearly two weeks of non-use - tried to recharge - back to blank screen again]

I think Fitbit have hosed everyone's Ionic - Lets hope Google can sort this mess out

Like yourself this is my last Fitbit