Fitbit One Battery Life reduced since September 2019 change?

[michae1a1ee]

Do we have any verification that something has changed this month (September 2019) that is negatively impacting the battery life of our Fitbit One trackers?  I've also been having the sync issues other people have commented on, but but have been manually restarting my One using the charging cable connected to a PC USB port and holding the button down for 10-12 seconds.  I've been able to get the syncing working again for a day or two at a time.  That's still not good, but what is perhaps more alarming is the sudden severe drop in battery life.  Are you seeing this as well?  Has Fitbit acknowledged this?  I am only syncing the One with a single Android phone with an updated Fitbit app, version 3.6.1.

[KathyHillU2]

I have been having the very same issues...not really getting any answers from customer service!

[Tonyroomba]

I did, they were fantastic!

[chimbo23]

The response when I posted an idea for the rollback of the software was 'no plans for the future'. Fitbit ones are a dead end. They don't want to keep us, just get us to upgrade. I'll keep on using it till it fails I s'pose. It's still best for sleep measurement IMO, which is most important to me. All the best, James

[chimbo23]

I have seen inconsistent results from the display when charging after waking up, dead display initially, then plugged in for charging and half charge is revealed. Wiggling in charging point changes charge level on it's display. Something is wrong somewhere.

[michae1a1ee]

I'm still using my One daily and living with a 4 day battery life, but I wanted to comment on that Sleep monitoring remark... The One is not actually the best for sleep tracking.  My GF's Fitbit Alta (not even current either) has more advanced sleep monitoring and analysis provided.  Her's shows sleep information and analysis in the Fitbit App that my One does not provide.

[KathyHillU2]

Thank you! I am just a little frustrated with the short battery life and the fact that it didn't record any steps one day with full battery. 🤷‍:female_sign:

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[KathyHillU2]

Frustrating and with not much help from customer service, the just sent me here 🤦‍:female_sign:

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[chimbo23]

I follow what you mean about more advanced sleep monitoring. my feeling is that rather than be dazzled by umpteen metrics, tested on a select few populations, the start stop timer, consistent bedtime display and my feeling is the best tracker. 1step beyond a note pad and stopwatch in convenience.

[michae1a1ee]

Got you.  Yes, I totally agree and like the start/stop button for the sleep timer.  Absolutely.  The metrics/analytics are better in the app for the new models but you're right about the convenience of the One with it's manual timer start and stop.

[SunsetRunner]

My fitbit One is old, so I wouldn't be surprised to see the battery degrade, but what I have seen is it has plummeted since the updates. I was getting 2 weeks+ consistently, and now it won't last 2 days.

I am tempted to replace the battery, but aren't really that confident that it is the only issue.

The One has been a great device, but there is now nothing in the Fitbit lineup to replace it. I really think it was an odd move for them to discontinue this.  I already have a good watch, and I just want a pocket device with a long battery life!

[KathyHillU2]

I totally agree....I don't wear a watch, don't care for them so the ONE has been great up until now for me. 🤷‍:female_sign:

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[Rita_G]

So you all are having this issue because you have your One linked by bluetooth to your phones?  I have mine linked via Wi-Fi to my computer.  I don't have the battery problems you describe.  I think it's the app - it is forcing Bluetooth to continuously search between the two causing the battery to exhaust itself.

[theumpire]

Just a thought, do those people that are having problems with battery drain have their app set to all "always connected"?  That might be causing a problem.  

[neal2zod]

I turned off "always connected" and "sync all day" but it doesn't help with the battery. The only way I can get battery life over 2 days is to go into the Android Settings and force stop/kill the Fitbit app when it's not in use/not syncing.

[chimbo23]

I totally agree with you and am disappointed they have removed the device and floor climbing function from the range. I use a polar hrm for running which imo isn't as good as the fibit for sleep monitoring on a start stop basis. It'll be the same or very similar analysis I'm sure. Cheers James

[Williger]

@SunsetRunner I'd hold off on replacing the battery until it's absolutely necessary. 2 days is frustrating but totally manageable. When I'd replaced mine, it was dead (i.e. only showing "life" when in the charger) and figured I couldn't make it worse. The new battery gets around 2 weeks between charges ever since the new firmware updates and runs like a champ! 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Certainly in my case all day sync and always connected are both turned off and always have been.

I typically sync manually every couple of days.

Interestingly despite this, the fitbit app is also usually amongst the highest battery users on my phone as well.

Thanks for the info @Williger  at least its nice to know if I do go down that route there is a good chance it will sort things.

[roadrunner66]

I have to plug my one in every time I walk it will not hold a charge.

[SunsetRunner]

I finally tried uninstalling and reinstalling on my Android Phone. That was the trick! So far it's been holding a charge after 4 days! I was having to charge it every day or every other day. Also I don't have the problem of it telling me it can't find my device.

[Rita_G]

Sounds like your battery is dying. But there have been some reports of problems with the cell phone app.  Search this forum.