Charge 3 needs to be paired constantly

[Ewall1976]

Charge 3 sync pairing disconnects and needs to be re-paired

Phone: Moto E5 Plus

Android Version: 8.0.0

Android Security Patch Level: December 1, 2018

Build Number OCPS27.91-150-2

Fitbit Version: 2.87 (20213363)

Charge 3 Firmware: 28.20001.49.45

I am having an issue much like I had with my Charge HR. For no known reason the Charge 3 will disconnect from Bluetooth. So far this week it has happened four times. Twice I was able to reboot my phone and it resolved the issue.

However the last two times I needed to remove the Charge 3 from Bluetooth, unpair it from the Fitbit app, reboot the phone (which seems to be the cleanest way to do this) and then go through the pairing process, entering the number and waiting for it to setup.

At least these last few times I did not have to reset the phone as I originally had the issue a week after I bought the Charge 3 due to my Charge HR not able to hold a charge anymore.

So, here I am this morning pairing the Charge 3 again. I ran into the syncing issue last night (7:30ish~) and I had thought the rebooting of my phone fixed the issue. This is now the fourth sync issue this week with the Charge 3. Twice a reboot fixed the issue and now this morning I have had to unpair and pair the device again.

Fitbit, what can be done to resolve this? I fought with the Charge HR and moved to the Charge 3 only to run into the same issue. An additional bit of information. I had a Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Moto E5 Plus. This issue happened on both phones. In the end, I just want the product to work as advertised. I am getting quite frustrated having to mess with a new product that I have had for less than a month (Received: January, 19th 2019)

[Rich_Laue]

Interesting @Ewall1976 a user can not pair their charge 3 to the phone.

Pairing is done by the Fitbit app after the tracker has been setup. So I'm not sure what is ment by pair with the phone.

To sync the tracker does not even have to be a trusted device, the app takes care of this.

"Unpair from app", actually it is remove from your account, and will not help a sync issue.

Normally the thing to do with a sync problem is to restart the phone, tracker, then maybe remove the tracker from the phones Bluetooth. This is how to un-pair a Fitbit

However this latest version seems to have added problems, and many done they have to clear the Fitbit apps data through the phones settings or remove and install a fresh copy of the Fitbit app.

Here is a list of steps Android users have found to help.

Restarting phone and tracker 
Restarting App 
Turning Bluetooth off/on 
Log out/in on fitbit app
Clearing the Fitbit cache
Clearing all cache on the phone 
Swiping all unneeded apps out of memory

The below are what I find only works with the latest app update.
Clear the Fitbit app data
Uninstalling/installing the Fitbit app

[Ewall1976]

I'm not sure how to clarify any clearer than I have been. My Fitbit will go out of sync with my phone. It seems to be on the Fitbit itself. From there my only option, even after I restarted my phone is to unpair the Fitbit. Then restarting my phone clears all casche. From there I have to go through the initialization process to re-add the Fitbit in the app so I do not lose my data. I'm not sure if you have misinterpreted my original post, or if you are trying to marginalize what I said. The directions are perfectly clear in how I correct this issue. The fact that I have had to do it four times this week does not discount the fact that this product should just work as designed. Please clarify.

I'm not sure how to clarify any clearer than I have been. My Fitbit will go out of sync with my phone. It seems to be on the Fitbit itself. From there my only option, even after I restarted my phone is to unpair the Fitbit. Then restarting my phone clears all cash options. From there I have to go through the initialization process so I do not lose my data. I'm not sure if you have misinterpreted my original post, or if you are trying to marginalize what I said. The directions are perfectly clear in how I correct this issue. The fact that I have had to do it four times this week does not discount the fact that this product should just work. Please clarify.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Rich_Laue]

Unpair the tracker it simply removing the tracker from the phones Bluetooth. It is not removing from the Fitbit app and does not require the tracker to be setup again.

I'm not sure what is ment by the initialization process, if this the setup a new device process?

In 4 years I've never had to remove the tracker from an account to get it to sync. 

Android still has a memory management problem and restarting it the easiest way to release locked but not being used memory. Logging out/in should clear data and cache, but it may not release the menory.

As for as steps begging done, it sounds like you might be doing more than needed and I would like to help pair the steps needed to a minimum 

Trying to ease the process until Fitbit here their so to work properly.

While I got the process soon for me to usually1 step, it is still aggravating and I side loaded version 2.82, syncing is now back to flawless

[Ewall1976]

Fitbit won't sync, so what I have found to work each time is removing it from bluetBlue, and then again from the app. 

Other combinations trying to resolve this have been:

-Restart Bluetooth - if this fails

-Reboot the phone - if this fails

-Log out of app and restart Bluetooth - if this fails

-Remove from Bluetooth and remove from app. Reboot phone and start the whole process from scratch.

If there is some step I am missing please let me know. What do you mean you "side loaded 2.82"?

Either way, falling out of sync is a real pain and seems to be across the product lines.

-

[Rich_Laue]

Yes I understand, but next time do not remove it from the app, all this does is tell Fitbit that you do not want to use the tracker by removing it from your Fitbit account.

It is one or more of the other steps that is fixing the problem.

The app needs to know what tracker is connected to your account to sync.

The app will need to speak to the tracker to set it up, if the tracker can not sync through the app it is because it is not speaking and you will not be able to set the tracker up.

Removing the tracker from your Fitbit account is an unnecessary step and only adds complications. Please do a search of the boards, almost every day I read, "I removed my tracker because it wasn't sending and now I can't set it up"

It is one of the other steps.

Most likely it is the removing of the tracker from the Bluetooth, maybe the restart of the phone and tracker is not needed.

[Hitman_Botelle]

I cannot seem to get my Charge 3 to Sync at all.

Phone: Moto E5 Play
Android Version: 8.1.0
Android Security Patch Level: 1st January 2019
Build Number OCPS28 54-53-2

Fitbit Version: 2.87 (20213363)
Charge 3 Firmware: 28.20001.60.39

I have removed the Device and uninstalled the app, then re-installed the App and tried to add the Charge 3. However when in the App and try to set it up it says:-

however before it completes it then says:-

At the moment I have to sync through my NVIDIA Shield K1.

If I set it up through the NVIDIA, then I just get the Bluetooth issue message each time it tries to sync.

[Rich_Laue]

You say that the tracker has been set up and connected to your NVIDEA shield.

Once the tracker has been setup it does not need to be setup again to sync through the phone. 

On the phone's Fitbit app simply log onto your Fitbit account and you should see that the app tries to sync your tracker. 

If you don't see your tracker then the phone AMD the NVIDIA aye logged onto different Fitbit accounts. 

We should be at a non sync issue,  not a setup issue. 

[Hitman_Botelle]

hi @Rich_Laue 

I think you miss understood my comments.

First off I received my new Fitbit Charge 3 (Previously I had a Charge HR)

I deleted the Charge HR from My account using my phone.

I then tried to add the Charge 3 using my phone to my account. (At this point there where no devices on my account)

This produced the errors described above i.e. "We found your Tracker" then "Bluetooth Issue"

At which point no device was on my account.

I tried to restart the Bluetooth and I tried restarting my whole phone, but nothing would let me add the device using my phone.

I then used my tablet (Nvidia Shield) to add the new Charge 3 to my account. This went through without any issues at all.

At this point the Charge 3 was on my account and would sync via my tablet.

I then turned off the Bluetooth on by tablet and tried to use my Phone.

In Bluetooth it sees the Charge 3.

When I start the FitBit App (Charge 3 on my account, but not yet used on my phone) it display a message "Tracker not found"

Then on my phone if I go to Account - Charge 3 - 

The Sync Now has an "!" mark in red.

If I try to manually sync on my phone I get the "Bluetooth Issue" screen.

If I turn off Bluetooth on my Phone and switch Bluetooth on on my tablet, I am able to sync my Charge 3 on my tablet.

I then turn off Bluetooth on my Table and turn back on Bluetooth on my phone, I then get the "Bluetooth Issue" in the Fitbit App on my Phone.

Therefore the Charge 3 does not sync with my Phone!

Hope this make sense

Thanks Alan

[Ewall1976]

I followed all of your steps the one thing you did not mention was actually removing it from your device is Bluetooth. That's tough used to trip me up. It has to be removed from there, then remove the device from the Fitbit app and then restart your phone. From there it should be able to start from scratch.

[Ewall1976]

I had a charge HR and then went to the charge 3 just like you. I had to start everything from scratch and it worked fine for about a week. Now about every two weeks it will disconnect itself. I put it on the charger and let it charge. From there I go into my phone's Bluetooth and forget it from the device settings. From there I go into the Fitbit app itself and remove the device there as well. Then reboot your phone and start the whole process through the Fitbit app from scratch. That is the only way I've been able to get this to work.

[Hitman_Botelle]

Hi @Ewall1976 

You are a genius.

Deleting the Bluetooth device, deleting the device in App and re-adding, like you said, worked a treat.

Lets hope FitBit can work on a permanent solution. I'll wait and see if it un-pairs after a charge!

Alan

[Rich_Laue]

@Ewall1976 deleting the device from the bluetooth is a good step and usually allows the app to then see the tracker. 

Removing the device from the app simply removes the device from the user's Fitbit account telling Fitbit that the user does not want to use this tracker.  It also usually adds more issues since it changes nothing on the phone.

@Hitman_Botelle the reason you where able to stop rude tracker is because removing the tracker from the bluetooth fixed the non- sync issue. 

[Rich_Laue]

---

@Hitman_Botelle wrote:

hi @Rich_Laue 

I think you miss understood my comments. Alan

---

Sorry I did not miss the point,  I did not understand the point. 

Most people look at the phones bluetooth list of trusted devices and say the phone sees the device.  This is not so,  fot the phone to see the device the user needs to press search for bluetooth devices, however this can not be done until the user removes the device as a trusted device.

The message above does confirm that all you need to do was remove the tracker from the list of trusted devices. 

Fitbit can not search for a new device if the device is already trusted. 

[Ewall1976]

Rich, I'm sure there is a pretty good solution other than mine but mine has worked time and time again. It's just an extra step and it causes more problems but it works for me.

[Hitman_Botelle]

Hi

Now I have my Charge 3 on my phone it is no longer showing the "FitBit Notification Service" running on my phone. When I go into Device/Notifications it  says "Enable Notification Service" but when I click on it it comes back with:-

The MOTO E is a supported device!

Has anyone manage to get Notification working? It doesn't even work for a Phone call, when my Charge HR did?

Thanks Alan

[Ewall1976]

So I have had the very same thing. Text messages work for a while, notifications work for a while and then they stopped. One time I uninstalled the app following all the steps I told you before removing everything so it was a clean start. I think it is a little bit Fitbit and a little bit Moto. Realistically starting from scratch seems to fix a lot. Meaning uninstalling the app and everything from Bluetooth and then restarting the phone. But, if you want to try steps prior to that one, of the things you can do is remove everything like I had said before. Then while your phone is on the charger push and hold the touch button on the side of the charge 3 and wait for it to do its 7 pulses and then a :-), maybe it's a pulse is I'm not sure. Try this before uninstalling everything. that has cleared it up for me before but in the end it's just a gamble on which one works. I hate to say that all of these steps that rich tries to tell us about might work with other devices but I have never had any luck. Which is why I have followed what has worked for me. It is an annoyance and hopefully will be fixed.

[Ewall1976]

Sorry if my post come out a little janky. it seems trying to go back in and edit this page through my phone through Gmail edits does not seem to work well. Hopefully you get the point where doing the soft reset on your charge 3 and doing the other steps and starting from scratch may also help with the notifications. It starts to get pretty upsetting when the seems to be a common trend and there are a lot of people on this forum with the same issue. I know the mods try and help, but when it comes down to it Using basic software and hardware knowledge of starting over from scratch tends to be what works the best. At least you can predict your time around it.

[Hitman_Botelle]

Hi @Ewall1976 

I have tried this and it seems very temperamental.

When I first did it, it would show the service running and would receive calls. However when I went into the Charge 3 device in the app and sync for the first time it would first ask "Link FitBit with Charge 3"

When I clicked on OK the service would disappear and I would no longer receive notifications.

However saying all this, after playing and trying different approaches, I have it working for Phone calls, so I will leave the settings as they are for now. It does not appear to work for SMS or Calendar!

[SunsetRunner]

It pairs ok, but Ihave to forget the device in Bluetooth and reinstall several times a day or it does not sync. This is my 4 th charge 3 and with all the trouble, it will be my last.   This latest charge 3 is a total pain in the **ahem** and not worth the aggravation