FitBit One - Connection/Update problems

[Jwilson23]

So, a friend of mine just bought a fitbit one off ebay so we could battle each other for steps.... so today we are trying to get it all erased and synced with her app. We got it erased, and connected to her phone but it keeps giving us this 'update device' issue. Then when you try to update it it says update failed. The tracker is near the phone, the battery is fully charged, and I can't figure out how to get the firmware to update. Right now it's a 6.4.6 I think.

Also, after we reset it, it said she had zero steps, zero floors, yet burnt 963 cals... that seems very odd to start out at! 

Any help on both of these issues would be super helpful! 

Thanks all! 🙂

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Jwilson23, if ever you are having difficulty getting an update via the phone app the simplest solution is to try the update using a computer, if at all possible.  Did the One include the little Bluetooth sync dongle for plugging in to a computee and communicating with the One?

As for the calories, those are calculated based on the information she entered when she set up her profile: gender, age, height, weight.  They are called BMR calories and are the calories her body will have burned just staying alive.  These are counted whether or not she has taken any steps (even a body in a coma burns these calories) and are reset to zero every night at midnight.

I hope this helps!  Enjoy your stepping battles.  Welcome to the Community!

[Jwilson23]

Julia,

thanks for the info.. that totally makes sense as far as calories go. And no, she doesn't have the sync dongle, and neither do I. But since I have never had issues with syncing or updating, I didn't think she would need one either. We have different phones, so I thought maybe that was the issue. Are there ways to update without the sync thing? 

[Julia_G]

If you have the Windows 10 app installed on a computer the sync dongle is not required...

If that is not an option, one thing you could try (though a bit laborious) would be to do the upgrade via your phone.  So first remove your One from your account (don't worry -- it won't affect any of your data) and set up your friend's One as a replacement.  Instructions here.  Make sure your One is at least 30 ft away so its Bluetooth doesn't interfere.  Do the upgrade on your phone (hopefully that will work).  Then repeat the replacement device steps to get back your One...  Once it is upgraded retry setting up your friend's One on her phone.

In all cases it is a good idea to keep the Ones at least 30 ft away from eachother while you are setting up, syncing, and upgrading in case the BT signals conflict and cause failed connections.

I hope this makes sense!  Alternatively find someone with a Fitbit sync dongle.  You can also buy them as accessories on the Fitbit website.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on.

[Jwilson23]

Thanks for the great ideas. I will try these out tomororw and see what works. I'll post results later! 🙂

[cwhornbec]

This is a FitBit problem.  For the past couple of days, my One is taking for ever to sync with my phone, and then that info is not showing up on my web page.  FitBit needs to look into this and fix the problem.  I have been using Fitbit since they came out with their first one.  Fix the problem.

[Jwilson23]

My one is not having any issues though, only hers. So i'm not sure if it is actually a fitbit issue or just an issue because it's a new device and we are attempting to erase it and start over while the firmware is not updated. 

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Jwilson23, there are so many different phones that it can be difficult to diagnose exactly what the issue is, and when there is an update involved it gets even more complicated.  Hopefully once it is updated it will sync with her phone -- although it may always be a little more temperamental than yours...  

Let us know if you get it working -- reporting fixes can often help other users!

[Jwilson23]

Well, we synced her fitbit to my phone and tried to update but it took so long that we had to unpair it... and now my own fitbit won't sync back up with my phone. We have just decided to buy a sync dongle. 

[Julia_G]

Wow, I am really sorry for all this mess.  I hope the sync dongle solves it.  Keep us posted!

[cwhornbec]

Hopefully every one is set. My syncing came back to normal today through
my phone which I use at work. Not sure what the problelm was, but back to
normal for today.