Charge 3 display is very dim

[LHall66]

My Charge 3 display is so dim that I can’t read anything unless I’m in a dark room. I can’t see anything on the display while outside in the sunlight. I’ve tried the normal setting and the auto setting. And today my display is going completely blank. I reset it and changed the clock face. The display came back temporarily for 10 minutes then went blank again. 

[DeviceGuru]

My wife and I each have Fitbit Charge 3 trackers, and within the past week BOTH suddenly went dim, such that they're nearly useless outdoors.  I seem to have managed to reset mine, by plugging it into the Charge 3 and pressing the control at the side until the smiley face showed up.  But performing the same process on the second Charge 3 did not restore it to proper brightness.  I'm guessing there is either a software bug in the latest firmware update (they both have the same version, 28.20001.8 8.11) that may have resulted in the dim situation, or perhaps there is a latent hardware fault that eventually rears its ugly head. However, both misbehaved suddenly in the past several days, and using the same reset process I was only able to get one of the two back to proper brightness.

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello everyone. @sherryfox227, welcome to the community forums! @DeviceGuru, it's great to see you around!

Thank you for the troubleshooting steps you've tried prior to posting! Since the inconvenience has persisted despite following the tips, the best way to get help is to contact our Support Team. You can reach out to them through chat or over the phone. Click here to get connected. 

Have a great day! 

[Ckilbane]

On the Charge 3, swipe left to go to Settings. There is an option for Brightness. Change it to either Normal or Auto. Mine was set to Dim. Hope this helps. 

[Jak229]

Mine is past warranty so I guess I’m out of luck and need to buy a new one

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @Ckilbane, @Jak229, welcome to the community forums! @Ckilbane, thank you for your input, it is very appreciated! 

@Jak229, thank you for following the suggested troubleshooting steps! I was told by our Support Team that you contacted them. Since you have received assistance from them, I suggest you to update your case if you require further assistance or if you have any additional questions about the outcome of your case.

Have a great day! 

[sherryfox227]

I cannot see anything on the display to make any changes, or to determine
what it is set at

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Moderator edit: personal info removed

[Ckilbane]

Press the side button to see the screen. Then swipe left across the screen and you should scroll through different options. Last screen is “Settings”.

If you don’t see the Brightness option, I’d make sure you have the most up to date software on your Charge. (Something someone more knowledgeable can help out with)

Chris

[WilsonFitbit]

@sherryfox227, thanks for your reply! @Ckilbane, thanks for your great input! 

If the display doesn't work at all, the best way to get help is to contact our Support Team. You can reach out to them through chat or over the phone. Click here to get connected. Make sure to explain the situation and the troubleshooting steps you've followed, this way our team can continue assisting you from there. 

Have a great day! 

[sherryfox227]

Thanks. I have already reached out to support. They were helpful in their
attempts, but concluded that the troubleshooting I learned here was all I
could do. And unfortunately nothing fixed my issue. Since I purchased my
Charge 3 from fitbit.com, they offered to verify the purchase date and
determine if it was still under warranty (why isn't the purchase date on
the dashboard?). Again, unfortunately my Charge 3 was out of warranty. I
did however order a Charge 4 and it will arrive next week. Thanks for your
help, it is greatly appreciated.

Moderator Edit: Personal info removed

[Jak229]

Thanks.  I reached out to Fitbit support and my display is now working fine. I need to plug into the charger and hold the left side button for 8 seconds.

Before I contacted support I tried removing and resetting my watch. Since I couldn't see the display I couldn't read the code that was sent to verify. I tried that without being connected to the charger. Once I contacted support and followed the instructions to reset, my Fitbit came back.

All good now.

[WilsonFitbit]

@sherryfox227, @Jak229, thank you for taking the time to share your experiences! 

I'm very sorry for any difficulty but I'm glad to hear that you will receive a new Fitbit device soon @sherryfox227. In addition, thanks for your feedback, please note that it helps to continue working on improvements to our services. 

@Jak229, I am also happy to know that your Fitbit is now working! Please continue tracking towards your fitness goals! 

Have a great day! 

[S1mone]

My Fitbit has gone dark. Why does this keep happening with Fitbit screens? 

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @S1mone, welcome to the community forums! 

For screen inconveniences, I recommend visiting this thread for tips and suggestions. Regarding your question, please note that our team ensures that our Fitbit devices go through rigorous testing to ensure that they meet the high-quality standards expected. However, due to some factors that are beyond human control, materials that these devices are made of also reaches its limitation. Same with other devices, it may encounter a manufacturing issue that we can only determine once the user has experienced it. 

Please note that your feedback is very appreciated and it helps to continue working on improvements to our services. 

See you around. 

[ToddBitFit]

Hi Wilson, I have seen a lot of similar threads for the Fitbit Charge 3 going dim on users. I had a similar issue with a couple of my Charge 3 units. I tried all the trouble-shooting issues including resetting the device and changing the brightness to Normal. Ultimately, I upgraded to the Versa 2 last year and gave my dim Fitbit to my 9 year old. He realized it would go into sleep mode sometimes and get stuck. So I long pressed the side button to get to the Quick Menu options and tapped on 'Sleep' (located at the bottom of the screen if the screen is too dim to see) a few times to toggle it off manually. It took a couple tries because I couldn't really read the text. This significantly improved the brightness of my device. While it isn't as bright as it was when I first purchased it, I can actually read the time and menus now. Hopefully this can help others that have encountered similar issues and provides you with another trouble-shooting solution to try.

[Cjwow]

I'm so disappointed in my charge 3 as mine is doing the same,  can't use it to see the time when I'm outside at all or my steps which is the whole point of having it! The screen has lines all across it too. I've restarted it several times and no improvement.  Just wouldnt expect such a short life for a product that cost over £100! Any other fixes??

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @ToddBitFit, @Cjwow. Welcome to the community forums. 

@ToddBitFit Thank you for the information and for your great input. @Cjwow I'm sorry for the experience and thank you for the details and for the troubleshooting steps you've followed. I was able to see that you have reached out to our Support Team and they have provided information and assistance. If you still have additional questions or inquiries, I recommend replying back to your case and they will be glad to continue assisting you. 

See you around. 

[ToddBitFit]

I am very sorry to hear that @Cjwow. I have been a Fitbit user for over 7 years (Charge HR, Charge 2 HR, Charge 3, Versa 2), and the Charge 3 was the only device I have experienced multiple problems with. Fortunately for me, the manual change to exit out of sleep mode was enough for me to see the screen indoors (it is still just a black screen outdoors). My wife had her Charge 3 die in the pool one day after going dim. My initial Charge 3 would only hold a charge for 1-2 days, it was promptly replaced with the 1 year warranty. Eventually, that replacement went dim too, but still works. I just charged up the old faulty one and the brightness is fine. I believe the Charge 3 was the first Charge version advertised as Swim proof and water resistant, I'm curious if extended exposure in pools contributes to this issue. This isn't based on any hard facts, just limited observations on my part. 

While it is frustrating, I chose to upgrade to the Charge 4 thanks to the Father's Day discount off US$99.00. I loved the big bright screen of the Versa 2, but found it got in the way during my workouts and while working on DIY projects. Hopefully the support team was able to help you resolve the issue or locate a solid replacement. I love the Fitbit app and community which is why I choose to stick with the brand. 

[WilsonFitbit]

@ToddBitFit Thank you very much for your reply. 

I'm sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Please note that any feedback posted in the forums is always welcome as it helps to improve our products, services and overall environment.

On a side note, I'd like to let you know that if you still experience any inconvenience or if you have any questions about your Versa 2, I recommend reaching out to our Support Team for further assistance. Note that you can contact them through chat or over the phone, but Phone wait times are longer than normal, so I recommend initiating a chat. Click here to get connected. 

Lastly, please note that this thread is now closed and if you have any other inquiries or questions, you can post them in a new thread. 

See you around.