Charge 2 won't sync

[kowallekdi]

My Charge 2 has been syncing just fine since January.  Worked fine Monday.  Now it says it can't find my tracker to sync.  I have not changed anything on my laptop (I do not have a smartphone, only hooked up thru laptop).  I have rebooted the computer several times.  Unplugged and reinstalled the dongle.  It says it is finding the dongle but when I try to sync, it can't find my tracker.  I have also reset my tracker several times.  Any help?

[va3prs]

I have had my charge 2 for almost a year and am having the same problem. First it wouldn't sync, now it won't recognize my fitbit. I haven't had any luck getting help to fix it. I'm sorry I can't help you, but I wanted to let you know you aren't the only one experiencing this problem. I'm starting to think it might be time to get a new device from another company. It shouldn't be this hard to get the support you need when your device doesn't work.

[kowallekdi]

It worked so well for a few months.  Now I am stuck with just an expensive watch.

[MichaelFromCali]

My Charge 2 Fitbit apparently has joined the parade ... woke up this morning, wouldn't sync, tried all the suggestions, still no sync.

[PeggyPo]

I'm having the same problem for the past week. My Charge 2 is just over two years old. For several days it mostly wouldn't even tell me it was looking for my device. Once in a while it did, found it, and I was able to sync. But for the last 24-36 hours it keeps telling me to try again. I spent about an hour this morning in an online chat with a Fitbit agent but in the end nothing we did helped. We installed a software update as part of our process, but that didn't work either. I'm giving up for now, but I'm really frustrated. If it's an age issue, my feeling is that products like this shouldn't die within two years. They cost a lot. This is the second issue I've had with Fitbit that makes me unhappy with their service. I won't be buying another one.

[MichaelFromCali]

Dear Peggy:
At first I thought it was just accumulated 'trash' on my iMac (programs encroaching on each other, memory overwrites, incomplete cleanup when closing a program, YouTube remnants, etc.), so I rebooted as clean as I could ... and still no sync.  I also downloaded the current 'Tracker for Fitbit' app from Apple, thinking there might be a hidden software upgrade that I missed -- still no sync.
So I think the problem is on the Fitbit's side of things, but whether it is planned obsolescence (designed wear out at 12 or 18 months), poor Chinese manufacturing techniques, or just accumulated oxidation, or another chemical reaction, from repeated wear affecting circuitry (sweat and environment working through the back side), the result's the same: FitBit aggravation.
Michael

[Scrapperdeb2]

Mine worked fine until I got this **ahem** android phone 😡

[Gingersnapper]

I am having the same problem with my fitbit charge 2 which I've had for 2 years.  I don't know what's going on but it has been frustrating.  I thought it was a problem with my fitbit only but apparently not.

[whatever6]

I'm having the same problem in the last 48 hours.  I've rebooted, reinstalled, etc.  And my current Charge 2 is only TWO MONTHS OLD.  This is unacceptable.  I am NOT buying a new one.  It also stopped counting stairs about 3 weeks ago, but I could live with that.  I will be pursuing a refund if Fitbit doesn't get this fixed soon.  

[Scrapperdeb2]

Okay, I thought it was just me!! Hope they figure it out soo. Frustrating!!!

[evarburg]

well, it's comforting to know I'm not alone. As for the reason it obdurately won't sync,I vote for planned obsolescence and I am quite pissed. Mine still counts everything correctly, however. 

What really get my blood pressure up is that there is NO customer service worthy of that name, no one to contact in order to get answers -- of course, if it IS planned obsolescence, they wouldn't tell us anyway. I noticed that Charge 2 has disappeared from the main Help page (I had to do “Fitbit Charge 2 Help” to get here.)

[CathieWalkz]

I'm having the same problem. Charge 2 has synced with my MacBook Air for two years. Synced fine yesterday morning. Today, no luck. I tried turning Bluetooth off and back on, tried resetting the Fitbit. It keeps telling me it can't find my FItBit. The fact that this is happening to so many of us all of a sudden makes me think it's a problem with FitBit Connect. I checked versions and it's telling me I have the current version. Haven't tried phone support yet.

[va3prs]

Hopefully this is fixed soon. If we still don't get any help from the company soon I'm going to be on here asking for recomendations for a similar product from another company. 😉

[MichaelFromCali]

Dear friends:

That this identical thing has happened to so many people at once, means that it is not some random circuit problem, and planned obsolescence could not occur so simultaneously.  

So it seems to be some corporate action, maybe a unannounced software update [corporate competence is always to be rated at the same level as quantum 'miracles', so an unannounced event is -- maybe -- possible], but this smells to me like something more deliberate ... Charge 3's, mes amis?

Michael

[va3prs]

I thought of that, but if this is ment to push us to buy the charge 3 - not a chance. I'm not about to buy another product from a company that makes what I have unusable just so I'll spend more money. If they can do this for the charge 3, what do we do when they come out with their charge 4? It's not worth the money.

[kowallekdi]

I think this must be something related to just the Charge 2.  Mine is only three months old and won't work any more.  Yet my brother has a Charge (the original) and his still works just fine.  Too bad no one cares that they don't work.  I am spending my time now making sure to give them a bad review every where that I can.

[kaze23]

Owned the original ChargeHR for a couple of years (loved it) and replaced with Charge 2 after wrist band broke.  I've owned this one for about 18 months and it has never correctly captured indoor steps in my small apt (inflates by thousands).  I gave up trying to remedy and accepted the flaw.

This "no sync" issue (and yesterday's exhaustive attempts to fix it) is unacceptable!  I, too, didn't need another watch and now have no way to track sleep and activity other than to revert to a manual log.  How sad that FitBit has no solutions and no real customer service!  This is my first ever on-line communication so just guess how many others out there are seething in silence.  

[whatever6]

UPDATE on 3/21:

  I spent about 20 minutes with Customer Support last night, and because my Charge 2 is only two months old, it's still under warranty, and they offered to replace it.  While I'm happier, it still disconcerting that this is happening to everyone at the same time, which really makes you think that it's not the device, it's some sort sort malfunction/programming error on the part of Fitbit.  Perhaps they messed something up in the last update that caused all these Charge 2s to malfunction.

 I do not want a newer Fitbit version because I like syncing with my desktop computer.  I do not want an app on my phone, and the Charge 2 is the only device that still allows you to sync with a desktop.  I suspect they are doing away with this function, so I'm concerned to see these malfunctions occur to everyone.  

Edit

they will likely replace it for you if it's that new.  I chatted with Customer Support last night and they did.

[kowallekdi]

There are lots of people complaining on the Fitbit facebook page.  I think that is probably the place we should all be posting to.  The more people complaining on a public forum that the world sees, the better chances of something getting done.  According to the posts, it is not just the Charge 2 that is having problems.  Seems like a lot of the devices started having problems in the last month or so.

[Glistener]

After more than a year of successful "syncs" to my MAC, my Charge 2 stopped syncing on 3/21/19.  Just stopped!  My husband's Charge 2 (newer and paired with another MAC) stopped syncing too.  Before that we had problems.  When the screen showed "sync complete" I clicked on the "go to dashboard" and the dashboard was not shown - just the advertising page with the newer devices.  It seems Fitbit has summarily and abruptly stopped supporting the Charge 2.  Maybe they think we will replace them with another Fitbit product.  That won't happen.  I read here that people have tried all of the company suggestions for fixing the problem to no avail.  Maybe Fitbit should confess they've abandoned the Charge 2.