One Firmware Release Version 6.64

[KateFitbit]

Update 8/25/2018: This firmware release was completed last year and I'm closing this thread for further responses. If you are experiencing an issue with your One and are unable to find a thread that addresses the issue on the Flex board, please start a new thread. Thank you! 

Update 11/19/2017: The firmware update has now been released to 100% of all users. If you are experiencing any issues updating, please check out this article. 

Update 11/6/2017: We are continuing to roll out this firmware for the Fitbit One, and expect more users will see it as available. This is a progressive rollout, and all customers can expect to have it within a few weeks. We roll out releases in phases as a cautionary measure so that we can monitor performance closely and make adjustments if needed. If you don't see the option to update, you'll have it soon!

We've begun to roll out new firmware for One. This is a progressive rollout, and all One users can expect to have it within a few days. We roll out releases in phases as a cautionary measure so that we can monitor performance closely and make adjustments if needed. This firmware update includes:

• You can now turn off real-time data tracking. For more information, see Can I see real-time data in the Fitbit app?  
• Bug fixes, stability improvements, and an important security update. For more information about security updates see How do I interpret the severity of a Fitbit security update?

Click here to see our firmware release help article for more details on version 6.64

Instructions for updating your tracker can be found here.

[SunsetRunner]

@dlorde If you have All-Day Sync turned off to preserve the One's battery life, then the app doesn't know that your battery is dying and can't tell you. Nice Catch-22, right? Try to remember to manually sync more often by opening the app. I log my water consumption so I'm opening the app several times a day, but not often enough to drain the battery.

We shouldn't have to do this considering how well things were working before Fitbit broke everything in August. Tomorrow is December and Fitbit still hasn't fixed things so I've resigned myself to that never happening and that I will have to manually sync regularly.

[CMCM]

I'm really puzzled why Fitbit would discontinue a popular product like the One.  It might be easier to lose for men, who might put it in a pocket or something, but as a woman I love being able to clip it to my bra and not worry about losing it.  I've had mine almost 2 years, and there were never any problems until recently.  I thought perhaps the battery was wearing down or something, but now I see from these forums that it has to do with that firmware update.  I wonder why that was done in the first place?  I'm so disappointed because there really isn't another product to replace this with.

[CMCM]

Looking at RSMAC's comments above, I turned off the all day sync but my battery still seems to drain too quickly.  However, I do still seem to be getting low battery emails.  I always make sure to open the phone app before midnight and before I go to bed each night so it will sync at that point before it rolls over at midnight.  I suppose that might be when the low battery info is transmitted and can trigger an email.  What I have noticed the last month or two is that I'll have a totally charged battery, then maybe a couple of days later I'll notice that the battery is half down in charge as indicated by the battery icon, and then perhaps a day or two later it will totally drain down and not come on at all until I put it on the charger hooked to my computer.  Once a bit of a charge is in the One, it will light up again.  I've kept all my "low battery" emails so I can see how long a charge lasts...although I'm thinking that because of how fast that last half of the battery life drains down, another low battery email may not get sent.

[bb14logic]

I agree with the comments from above. Fitbit SHOULD come out with a new but old firmware that restores the ability to sync and improve (restore) how fast the battery drains. Anyone heard whether or not fitbit will do that any time soon!

[DonnaOne]

Bought the One 4-5 years ago based on Consumer Reports rating it the best fitness tracker. It was very accurate in counting steps, evaluating sleeping, and climbing stairs. My husband, son and several friends have charge 2s (which cost a lot more) and none of them record data as accurately as my One did. My husband awakes with 150-250 steps from his charge2 each day-before getting out of bed. His charge2 also is haphazard in recording stairs. And, his charge2 has to be recharged almost daily (he may get 36 hrs on a charge if he’s lucky). My One would hold a charge for 2-3 weeks. It was great. Sadly, it died a few days ago and won’t charge at all.  The One could be worn discreetly instead of some bulky thing on the wrist. I guess some management wonder made the decision to scrap the One-too bad. It was the best overall product you made.

[DonnaOne]

Amazing, Fitbit altered firmware and caused the One to quit charging! Great customer service!

[CMCM]

ATTENTION EVERYONE:  I just called Fitbit support, and here is what I was told.  It's better to go straight to the horse's mouth, so to speak, rather than just speculate endlessly:

1.  This rapid battery drain problem started due to a recent IOS phone system update with Apple phones AND a similar situation with several other phones...Samsung Galaxy S8 or she mentioned a couple of others, and of course Apple iPhones.  These phone updates CAUSE the battery drain.

2.  Fitbit's engineers are working on yet another Firmware update to resolve this.  She assured me that YES, they are definitely working on this as fast as they can but it is taking some time and she could not tell me exactly when the update will be available.  Soon, hopefully.

3.  She confirmed that the One definitely has been discontinued and is no longer sold.  No reason for this despite its ongoing popularity.  But they are NOT pulling support for the One.

4.  A notice to do the new firmware update will show up as a message on your Fitbit App dashboard, by the way, so you will know when it is available.

5.  Meanwhile, go read this page "Can I improve my Fitbit device's battery life?" at this link:

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2004/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=one&fs=Search&...

And another related page "Why isn't my battery charging?" at this link:

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1190/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=one&fs=Search&...

About charging generally:

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1799/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=one&fs=Search&...

General Fitbit One help page link:

http://help.fitbit.com/?p=one

http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1190/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ABattery&p=one&fs=Search&...

[SunsetRunner]

---

@CMCM wrote:

ATTENTION EVERYONE:  I just called Fitbit support, and here is what I was told.  It's better to go straight to the horse's mouth, so to speak, rather than just speculate endlessly:

1.  This rapid battery drain problem started due to a recent IOS phone system update with Apple phones AND a similar situation with several other phones...Samsung Galaxy S8 or she mentioned a couple of others, and of course Apple iPhones.  These phone updates CAUSE the battery drain.

---

This is just Fitbit passing the buck to blame Apple. There was no iOS update done when this battery issue started. I'm on iOS 10.3.3, which was released in mid-July, a month prior to my battery life being dramatically shortened. Fitbit updated their app in August and within a couple days my battery life was down to 2 days from 2 weeks. Fitbit's app update started all the problems.

Several phone manufacturers simultaneously releasing updates that cripple the One's battery life coincidental with Fitbit's app update? And turning off All-Day Sync in that app fixes the problem (for me and many others)? And this is the phone manufacturers' problem and not Fitbit's? Nope. I'm not buying it. It doesn't pass the smell test.

Fitbit needs to own this problem and until they do, we suffer.

I still haven't updated my firmware due to the numerous reports of people "bricking" their devices. I put that in quotes because I know Fitbit doesn't like the term, but it's the one that best describes to me the state of the One after a failed update.

Should Fitbit offer a second firmware update, I will avoid that like the plague too until some more adventurous folks here install it first and report 100% success completing the upgrade, and that it fixes the battery drain and sync issues.

[SunsetRunner]

My reaction was the same as that of @SunsetRunner. The fact that Fitbit refuses to take responsibility for the problems it has created for itself is the sign of a very unhealthy company culture. It's becoming clearer and clearer that we can't believe anything they tell us.

[CMCM]

Maybe that is correct, that Fitbit is lying to us about an upcoming firmware fix.  Who knows?  I do take issue with why they don't as a company watch these forums (or at least, they appear not to) to see what their customers are talking about.  And if what I was told is true, why on earth didn't they have one of their people post on this forum with the information they gave me on the phone?  All I can say is that eliminating the One isn't going to "push" me towards buying one of their other products.  I absolutely do NOT want a wrist device and won't buy one.

[bb14logic]

maybe you should phone them and ask? 😎😋

fitbit should publicly announce they are working on a fix for their
disastrous firmware and WHEN it will be availble!

[dlorde]

---

@CMCM wrote:

... 

1.  This rapid battery drain problem started due to a recent IOS phone system update with Apple phones AND a similar situation with several other phones...Samsung Galaxy S8 or she mentioned a couple of others, and of course Apple iPhones.  These phone updates CAUSE the battery drain.

---

This is just false as far as the battery drain problem is concerned. I use my One with Android and it was been fine until I updated the One to the latest firmware recently. the phone hasn't changed - although the Fitbit Android app may have been updated too. 

Either way, the One firmware update has caused the problem for me.

[MikeKC]

I have to charge my One multiple times a day. The funny thing (not really funny) is that after 5  - 10 minutes it shows as full.. then a couple hours later is shows as empty.. but at least I didn't experience the connectivity issue that most have reported here

[MikeKC]

@CMCM

I have a Google Pixel XL running the latest Android OS and have the battery drain issue. Not just IPhone

[CMCM]

When I called the other day, the customer service rep told me is was Apple IOS as well as several other brands that she named including Samsung.  Perhaps their story is all just a brush off for those of us who are disgruntled enough to call them, and she was told to say this stuff to people who complained.  I guess they wouldn't want to admit that their firmware update was responsible.  I just hope they really are working on a fix for this as she claimed, but we can't really know what they are doing behind the scenes.  Perhaps nothing, in the hopes we all go away or buy another of their products.  I may call again and presumably would talk to someone different, and it will be interesting to see if the story is the same with them.

[GaborPaller]

My replacement device arrived just today. It syncs fine and as far as I can tell after half a day of operation, the battery consumption is reasonable.

Of course, it has the 6.60 (the previous) firmware. There is no way I am going to upgrade it. 🙂

[Woodc]

Bravo!! Well said this was a total marketing disaster for Fitbit

[GaborPaller]

Interestingly, the app still tries to convince me for an upgrade. Are there happy customers outside and there's just us, a small minority of disgruntled fitbiters making the noise here? Because this upgrade is generating victims daily. Why wasn't it revoked?

[dlorde]

I got in touch with support (via online chat) and they offered me a 25% discount on another product. I told them I shouldn't have to pay for their error and they should make good my loss of use. 

Eventually, although it is well out of warranty, they offered me a replacement as a '1-time exception'. I accepted, of course - hoping  it doesn't have the latest update yet! 

[Cullzer]

Enough enough enough!

My battery doesn't last 24 hours!  This morning it said it was full, I walked 20 minutes.....drained!

Come on Fitbit!  Please fix this problem!!!!