Charge 3 freezing constantly

[MickiM]

I have had a Fitbit Charge, Charge 2 and now a Charge 3 since right after Thanksgiving. It was working fine until the update that recently released. Now, it has started freezing randomly. I tap the face and nothing happens, this can last several seconds or several minutes. When it comes back, I have often lost the 250 steps for that hour on my app (iOS version). When I go back to enter (log) them manually, it messes up my entire count for the day.

Yesterday, the Charge 3 notified me twice that I had hit 10,000 steps about an hour or so apart! I have tried all the recommended fixes I've read here in the forum. Resetting my Fitbit, removing and pairing from my iPhone, etc. I have never had this with any of the other Charge versions and wonder what is happening. Please let me know what the next steps should be, maybe a replacement? I don't know, but please don't offer the standard "canned" reply. Thanks.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[AlejandraFitbit]

It's great to see you around @MickiM.

I appreciate all the efforts in trying to fix this issue. Since the restart process didn't work, I've gone ahead and escalated your case to our support team, for them to take a deeper look at this. Please keep an eye on your inbox for further instructions.

Keep me posted. 

[MickiM]

Thanks, I've heard from Customer Support and they determined it would be best to replace my Charge 3. However, after notification on December 31st that it was being processed, there has been no update regarding shipment. Seems like a long delay just to ship me what they are calling the "pebble" portion of the unit. I can't really call this a solution until I receive the new piece and make sure that it doesn't freeze as well. I know it's the holidays and all but...really, it takes that long?

[AlejandraFitbit]

Thanks for the update @MickiM.

It's great to know that you will be receiving a replacement. If you have inquiries about your shipment, feel free to get in touch directly with our support team, since they have the proper tools to see this information. Once you receive the new unit, you can follow the instructions provide in the help article How do I set up my Fitbit device? to set it up.

See you around. 

[Michellep75]

I have the exact same problem. Constant freezing, lost steps, different data on device and in app. Is there a fix for this or can I get my device replaced this happens almost daily. 

[MickiM]

Good luck with this! I have reported this problem more than once and am now on my THIRD replacement!!! Each one starts out well and I have high hopes, then after a few days, it's the same thing. Screen will not respond and when it does I have lost hourly activity and steps. It isn't me and it isn't a fluke - however, Fitbit will not acknowledge that it is a recurring problem. After I am advised to do a long restart, the "Customer Support" folks offer a replacement - that's it! No explanation, no admission that this is something faulty in the units themselves. My personal opinion (for what it's worth), this is a glitch in the hardware - possibly the screen sensitivity. I'm really not sure, but if you ever get a REAL solution, please let me know. To be fair, I was offered a refund at one point too but I swim and didn't want to give up the ability to track that by going back to my Charge 2. I never had the slightest problem with that one but I think the technology in the Charge 3 is just too much for Fitbit to deal with. Very discouraging....

[Michellep75]

That’s extremely disappointing to hear. It seems to be specific to the Charge 3 as I bought my husband a different model at the same time and he has not had the same issues that I have. At this point, I would happily accept a refund. 

[MickiM]

I would reach out to Customer Service and refer to this post if you like. As I said, I've pretty much decided to live with it. I just don't think it's right of Fitbit not to acknowledge the problem. I mean, come on, four in a row with the same issue? I'll also say that the first one I had worked perfectly until the update they did late last year - it was after that I started having problems. All of the replacements have immediately installed that update once I plugged them in to charge and pair with my phone. I can't believe there aren't more people with the same complaint.

[Briguy99]

Do you use an iphone xs by any chance? I have the exact same problem and am on my 3rd charge 3, and all 3 devices have had the same problem. The first one i had also didn't freeze at all until the late 2018 firmware update. Since then freezing happens at least once a day. So the issues you have on your device seem to be identical to what i'm experiencing with mine. I have the iPhone XS max and am also surprised this posting has so few responses. My only guess is that it only happens to iphone XS users. It can't be random that between the 2 of us we've had 7 Charge 3 devices and all 7 have the same issue but not many others seem to.

[MickiM]

Very interesting - I do have an XS Max. Surprisingly after the recent update, the freezing seemed to abate a bit, but now it's the same ole thing - freezing at least once a day. Not sure how the phone could affect the device though. For instance, I can be at the YMCA swimming and the device freezes while my phone is far away in my vehicle. I've noticed that the tracker will freeze, but have an accurate count of my hourly activity (the 250 steps/hour part, not overall steps I've never had a problem with that). Then, when I have a chance to sync it with the app on my phone, it shows no activity for that hour in the app even though there is activity shown on my tracker. Hope I'm making this clear. Sometimes if I refresh the sync multiple times, it will finally show up in the app but only if I sync it during the hour in which it freezes. If I try to make it sync in the next hour, forget it, the activity is gone. I believe this is a consequence of the device freezing and not my phone, but that is just my belief. I also think that if the fitbit company thought it was the fault of an apple product, they wouldn't keep sending a new one. They would tell you to complain to apple. Anyway, very frustrating

[Michellep75]

Same, same issues and I also have the same phone.

Get Outlook for iOS

[Michellep75]

I have iPhone XS Max also and have the exact same issue. 

[EmmaJBenson]

I’ve been having the same issues too, only had the Charge 3 for 3 months and I’ve just received a replacement but reading this doesn’t fill me with confidence that it will resolve anything! 😩 I’m the same with going back to the Charge 2 as well, I’ve become used to being able to wear this one in the pool, it’s so frustrating! For the record, I also have an iPhone XS 🤷🏼‍:female_sign:

[Briguy99]

Wow, so there you have it. We have isolated the problem!! I will email Fitbit support and direct them to this thread. I’d be surprised if this ever gets fixed... but at least now we know now that we’ve done everything we can. If Fitbit doesn’t fix this then beware of future models as they may share the same iPhone XS specific bug. 

[Jothesearabbit]

Same problem since a few weeks, losing challenges i should win.  It is highly frustrating but no Iphone here.  Just a lame old samsung.  And i don’t see what the phone as to do with the fitbit itself as it is not counting... 

[MickiM]

I totally agree. When the other person on this post decided it was linked to iPhones, I didn't think that was the problem either. The type of phone seems to have nothing to do with the fact that the Charge 3 can't be woken up sometimes and when it does "freeze" like that - the steps during that period are lost. I can say that it is happening less often since the last update, but it still happens. I'm just going along with it at this point because I value the ability to wear it during my water workouts. That doesn't excuse Fitbit from acknowledging and addressing the problem.

[Michellep75]

Whether it’s tied to the phone or not, the Charge 3 is a piece of crap. My screen has finally stopped freezing now - because it is completely dead. Absolute garbage. 

[Michellep75]

Also, the issue we all had was the steps shown on our Fitbit did not match what was shown in the app on our phone. How on earth does that lead you to think it can’t possibly be phone/OS related?

[Chuko210]

Yup! The Fitbit Charge 3 is very crappy! I thought I was the only having problems with it!

[SunsetRunner]

Hello 

I have the same problem as I am writing this my charge 3 screen is black, I have lost count the times this happens and loses data, it is very very frustrating 🤨 

I have tried resetting it as mentioned but that does not work as the screen stays blank and no smiley face, tried a different option for the clock and the screen is still blank.