Syncing on El Capitan

[scote]

I know there are other posts about this but wanted to put my two cents in here as well.

This issue has been going on since El Capitan came out.  Fitbit needs to get this fixed.  Telling your customer base that you need to sync with your phone is not a long term fix.  I waited patiently for a fix to come out sine El Capitan's release.  It took way too long to address this problem Fitbit.  Now, I updated my Fitbit client and it still has issues.  I have to disconnect the dongle everytime I turn off or put my computer to sleep.  Not acceptable.

Fitbit has done well, and I think sales look good.  There is a lot of competition out there though.  From what I have experienced in the past with Fitbit and seeing with this issue, Fitbit has oversold their ability to support their hardware.  Fitbit, you need to address this now or you will risk your reputation.

[ColinJack]

Just been given a Charge HR for my birthday only to find it won't sync with my Macbook Pro running El Capitan 10.11.3. Going through the forums my heart sinks when it becomes apparent that it is a known issue (and has been for about 6 months) and that Fitbit don't care that their software doesn't work with the current Apple OS.

Daft comments from Fitbit mods saying "You need to run the MAC version of Fitbit Connect on a Mac" really is insulting and also shows a complete lack of understanding - since when can anybody install anything other than a Mac version on a Mac? Doh!

I have been an IT professional for over 30 years and I cannot get it to work. This is not an Apple problem - absolutely all other bluetooth devices are happy to connect to my Mac apart from my Charge HR. This is a Fitbit problem - time they sorted it. The stock price falling should be ringing some bells somewhere?

As a new 'fitbit user', but a very experienced IT professional,  I am amazed that the tracker still requires a bluetooth dongle. It uses the built in BT on the iPhone and iPad and other smartphones but can't use the built in BT on Mac or Windows laptops? That is weird. I can pair pretty much anything with my Macbook Pro except my new Fitbit Charge HR ...

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Choreo]

I posted this in another thread, but if you are having a problem syncing with El Capitan, I have found a workaround that "seems" to be working for me the past week. It is a PITA, but at least it is syncing this way.

I have a 2012 MacPro Tower with the dongle connected to one of the USB ports. Try removing the tracker from your wrist, connecting the charging cable and plugging that into one of the other USB ports and then choose “sync”. It makes no sense to me why this works, but it is the only way for me to sync at this point and I have a “new” FitBit HR.

Worth a try!

[wtwolf]

Choreo - Thanks for the tip..  I have a Fitbit One and a late 2013 MacPro.  The charging cable occupies one USB port, and the dongle, another.  Thought I'd give it shot, plugging the One directly into the charging cable.  Unfortunately, the (!) associated with the Fitbit icon on the menu bar remained.  It isn't until I reseat the dongle will the (!) disappear, resuming sync operations.

[TandemWalker]

Hi @wtwolf. I get this too when my iPod is still running the Fitbit app with a live BT connection to my Fitbit One. I won't be able to sync with my Mac until I turn off Bluetooth on the iPod. I believe that Fitbit uses a single-channel Bluetooth connectivity for all of its trackers, such that it cannot have a live connection with two devices at the same time.

TW

[SugarPie]

The real problems started with the last update Fitbit sent. Until then I was able to sync with OS El Capitian. This is probably my last Fitbit if you can't just sync easily.

[wtwolf]

Hi TW,  BT isn't enabled on any iOS device.  However, BT is enabled on the desktop for a wireless keyboard and Magic Trackpad.  Nothing I've tried has been successful in recognizing the dongle after a reboot, outside of reseating.

[TandemWalker]

@wtwolf

@SugarPie

This is just a shot in the dark, but I'm running Fitbit Connect version 2.0.1.6757 - is this what you have too? And the Mac is running on OS X 10.11.3 (15D21).

TW

[wtwolf]

TW, Identical to your configuration.  In addition to the Fitbit Connect version, Dongle v2.5 is listed.

[SugarPie]

Exactly the same systems. It’s a shot in the dark trying to sync but sometimes it just works. Annoying.

[TandemWalker]

Hi @wtwolf. My dongle version is 1.0, but I doubt that this is at the root cause. What's your Bluetooth status on your Mac? Mine is OFF.

TW

[wtwolf]

TW - Bluetooth in enabled on the Mac.  I'm using a wireless keyboard and Magic Trackpad so it's not an easy feat to disable.  Remember, there were no issues with sync prior to El Capitan, using the same hardware.

Interesting about the dongle version.  I pulled the dongle and on the bottom is inscribed Model#FB150.

[SugarPie]

Just looked and mine says FB150 as well.

[wtwolf]

SugarPie - I'm sure it's a pretty standard dongle, shipped as an accessory with the trackers.  I strongly suspect the Fitbit Connect client as being the culprit.  Perhaps it's not playing well with El Capitan.  The fact of the matter, all El Capitan users are not affected.  Though, many of us are and have been since the GA release of El Capitan.

[Choreo]

I'm also running Fitbit Connect version 2.0.1.6757, Mac OS X 10.11.3 and Dongle v2.5. All my devices are hardwired and I do not use bluetooth for anything and it is turned off on my Mac.

I have only had my FitBit HR for a couple weeks. When I received it, I charged it overnight the first night before using it and I have been re-charging it for an hour each night when I take it off.

The first couple days it synced right up, then I started having to unplug the dongle and plug it right back in to get it to sync. Only one time during that first week did it “auto-sync”.

The past week the only way I can get it to sync is to take the tracker off and actually plug it in to a second USB port to charge. As soon as I do that, I can manually select “Sync” and it syncs the first time every time so far. (I sometimes still have to unplug the dongle and plug it back in for the app to see it; however, the Mac “always” seems to know it is plugged in according to the System report panel).

So this has me wondering if it may not be a “power” issue with the battery inside the tracker? Why else can I hold the tracker right next to the dongle and it not be able to see it and yet if I plug it in to a USB power source it syncs right up?

[SugarPie]

Yes, plugging device in to charge does help it sync. Sometimes I just go and record food or activities and it will sync while I am doing it. Still it’s annoying.

When I first upgraded to OS X El Capitian it still synced automatically. But soon after I got an upgrade from Fitbit and then it stopped syncing automatically. To me the problem seems to be with Fitbit.

[wtwolf]

Choreo - On the Mac "Menu Bar" at the top of the screen, to the right is the "Status Menu".  A number of icons appear and one of them is the Fitbit icon.  Each time I boot, the Fitbit icon includes an exclamation point (!).  As  you mention, according to the System Report, OS X sees the dongle, but the Fitbit Connect client does not.  It isn't until the dongle is reseated, when that exclamation point disappears and syncing of the tracker resumes normal syncing functionality.

Twice, I've opened an incident with Fitbit tech support.  The first, it was recommended that I sync via a bluetooth connection on the iPhone, as a workaround.  This works, but not a viable solution in my opinion as turning on bluetooth sucks the life out of an iPhone battery.  The case was apparently closed, with no further communicaiton outside of a survey being sent.  The second incident, tech support asked that I install the Connect client on another Mac device.  In addition to the MacPro, I have a MacBookPro running El Capitan.  With the first reboot, it appeared that the dongle was recognized, but each successive boot resulted in the same behavior.  The dongle wasn't found.  I relayed my findings to tech support and I've received nothing further.  That was well over a month ago, and the obligatory survey is all that has shown up in my inbox.

I've run out of avenues to pursue.  Tech support has offered nothing in terms of a definitive solution, or even a forthcoming solution.  With the number of posts in this forum, there are others experiencing the same problem.  Enough, that would suggest a defect exists and yet, I have no idea if anything is being done or if Fitbit is taking ownership.

[Choreo]

Your situation is a bit different than mine apparently. I have never seen the "warning" icon appear in my menu bar. That sounds to me like "maybe" another bluetooth device may be interfering with the signal or the system does not know what it is, but it knows "something" is there?

[SugarPie]

I have the fitbit icon on my desktop with other icons. If I try to sync, it doesn’t work unless I plug the fitbit in to charge. If I unplug the dongle, it has a ! point next to it. With no !, I try to sync and it tells me it’s not working, to try again. Then if I plug the fitbit into the charger and hit try again, it works sometimes. Most of the time I have close the window and start over.

[KristenS.]

This is beyond frustrating. I've tried all the suggestions and workarounds. I don't have an alternate device to sync with. My system, El Capitan, and Fitbit software (fresh uninstall and install) are all up to date. The problem just keeps getting worse. At first reseating the dongle every day worked, but now, it's a no go. I have permanent exclammation point. Such a waste of time. If no solution soon, I'll be looking for a new brand of tracker.

[SugarPie]

It’s frustrating. I have the Fitbit One. I don’t know what each of you have. I have to put the dongle straight into the computer, not the power hub. I have the charger plugged into the power hub. I have to put the Fitbit One into the charger before I even tell it to sync. If it doesn’t work, I go ahead and record meals and activities and then when I go back to the dashboard, my sleep and steps and everything are synced, sometimes. If it didn’t sync, I have to start all over again. This is my third Fitbit One and I hate to move on but if there is no fix my next purchase will take more thought. I don’t have anything on wireless except my phone and I never use it for my Fitbit. The only other phone in the house has no bluetooth.