Can’t see display when outside with Charge 3

[Mtcurtis0971]

No matter what  display brightness setting i can’t see the charge 3 display while outside.  What can be done to fix this.  My current display brightness is Normal,  that seems to be the brightest, but it’s totally useless while outside.  Help!!!

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Mtcurtis0971! Have you tried restarting your Charge 3? If not yet, please follow these steps to perform a restart on your tracker. 

If this doesn't work; I'd recommend voting for this Feature Suggestion:

• Charge 3 - B&W vs Gray Scale (Brightness Issue)

Feel free to create other ideas if that one doesn't really fulfill what you are asking for. 

We're constantly striving to improve Fitbit products and services, and we very much appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers. 

Hope this helps. Keep me posted! 

[Gettingfit19]

Has the brightness issue been resolved?  I see a lot of posts that the display is too bright inside at night & not visible outside in sunlight (have both these issues).  I have taken it off the auto brightness to normal & have done a restart as recommended.  Any other recommendations?

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Gettingfit19! Thanks for restarting your Charge 3 as recommended in the Community Forums! 

I went ahead and created a case for you with our Support Team. Someone will reach out to you soon to offer their assistance. Please keep a lookout in your inbox to the email address associated with this account.

Please let me know if there's anything else I may do to assist. 

[KPJGPM]

Set brightness to auto. It works really well outside. It was VERY sunny and I was able to read the display with no problem. And didn’t have to shield it with my hand or anything. 

[Gettingfit19]

I originally had it set to Auto. It would be too bright in a dark room
(blind me when I wear it sleeping at night) and have to strain to make out
the display when outside in the sun. Defeats the purpose of checking my
status working out when I can't see how I am doing. May need to revert to
my Garmin for walking or any other exercise outdoors.

[MarreFitbit]

Hello there @KPJGPM! I'm glad to hear your Charge 3 works really well outside. I appreciate you have shared your experience here. 

Hi @Gettingfit19! Someone will be reaching out to you within the next 24-72 hours with next steps.  

Ping me out if you need further assistance! 

[Gettingfit19]

Display is still not visible when I am outside.

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there @Gettingfit19! We know about it, that's why a case on your behalf was created so our Support Team can further assist you on this matter. Please keep an eye on your inbox, someone will contact you soon! 

[SuJay22]

None of the resolutions have worked for me. This watch is as good as useless if you can't use it outside. I'm unable to use it to track runs as I have no idea how far I've gone. Im now going to go back to garmin and try and get a refund for this watch as it's been mis sold to me.

[SuJay22]

This doesn't work for me

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Community @SuJay22! I am sorry to hear that you are going through this situation. I appreciate your feedback.

Thanks for restarting your Charge 3 as recommended above. Since the restart did not improve your Charge 3's brightness, I've created a case to get you in contact with our Support Team about this. They will be able to work with you and review your options. Please keep a lookout in your inbox to the email address associated with this Fitbit account. Someone will be in contact with you soon!

Let me know if there's anything else I may do to assist you with. 

[SunsetRunner]

I just started running and could not see display. I have followed all the recommendations and still to no avail. Is there something else I should be doing? 

[SuJay22]

I’m still liaising with their customer service as all the resolutions so far have not resolved the issue

Sent from my iPhone

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Community Forums @SunsetRunner! Thanks for troubleshooting your Charge 3 in order to solve the issue with the screen. 

I've created a case to get you in contact with our Support Team about this. They will be able to work with you and review your options. Please keep a lookout in your inbox to the email address associated with this Fitbit account. Someone will be in contact with you soon.

Hello @SuJay22! Please keep an eye on your inbox for further instructions. Our team is more than glad to continue assisting you. 

Let me know if there's any questions present. 

[Caniskipthis]

I have the same issue. Just bought it yesterday. Went out for a run and can't see the screen outside. Defeats the whole purpose of buying this. I was sold on the idea of seeing real time stats whole running, etc. I'll probably be returning it. Do all the models have this issue? If so I'll be trying another brand. Restarting does nothing. Normal and Auto settings are both are too dim to see anything. Also didn't sync with my MapMyRun even though the app is linked in my account. The run didn't stop when I stopped MapMyRun. And I couldn't see what was going on on the Fitbit to stop it manually or whatever it was prompting me to do.

[SuJay22]

Yes had all those issues. They are sending me a replacement as unable to fix. However shall be going back to garmin for my runs.... no comparison really. The digital display on the Charge 3 is too small to see at a glance when you're running along as well!

Sent from my iPad

[Caniskipthis]

Thanks for the response. Part of the appeal of the Fitbit for me was the
minimalist design. I don't want a bulky screen. But if I can't even see it
outside then it's not worth it.

What model of garmin do you use? I definitely want one with a HR monitor
and sleep tracking. I want to be able to track HR while working out and
actually be able to see it while outside. I thought it was going to talk to
MapMyRun while I was doing a run and display it on the fitbit. But it
didn't do any of that. The mileage on the fitbit was different.

I also thought Fitbit had a lot of users so I could add friends and stuff,
but I searched and NONE of my contacts were shown to have them. How's the
social aspect with garmin?
--

Best,

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Matthew68]

Has this issue been resolved for anyone yet? I've done everything (changed brightness settings, restarted etc.) But can't see the display outside at all in the sun and barely during cloudy weather. I'm having to wear an extra fitness tracker outside just to enable me to see the time and distance.

[AmyThurst]

I have had the same issue. I have tried restarting and changing my display settings several times to no avail.