Charge 3 not working properly

[Stace-case]

So I had a Charge 2 and LOVED it! Then it broke. Fitbit offered a replacement but life got in the way and I never ordered it 🙁 then I got a Flex 2 and hate it. It was less expensive & waterproof and I thought that I would use it the same way. #untrue

it doesn’t have any screen so there is NO feedback unless you open up the app. There are some lights but who knows that they mean and it buzzes sometimes - again, who knows that the buzzes mean. 

All that being said - when I saw the Charge 3 was waterproof I thought I would ask Santa (aka husband) to get this for me... then I started reading the reviews #yikes! 

It looks like they are fixing problems slowly and my question is - is this a product worth getting, they way it isn’t now - not the “potential “ it could have if everything is fixed?

FYI - I have an Apple 6 phone.

 Thanks!  ~ Stacy

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[SarahRhea]

I also have an iphone 6. Ive owned the alta and another brand tracker. I like my c3 the best so far and is much better suited for my needs than the other devices but there is room for improvement. Watch face being one. For the most part it works as it should. Ive dealt with some small bugs but never had syncing or tracking issues. The weather app doesnt work well but its not something i need on my band anyway. I  get the product forums look scary but people seek help when there is an issue while those who have no issues will likely not be on the forums. Product reviews also can be tricky too. Ive had 5 star items suck and 3 start items be great. As far as what to get, thats a very personal decision. Figure out what features are most important and useful to you and if you think the c3 will fit your needs the best and you can be patient while they make improvements then go for it. Remember you can always return it if you think it sucks lol. 

[Catgales]

By the experiences that my mum has had with the charge 3, I would say definitely not. Constant issues and no apparent solution. Fitbit needs to address these asap.

[sheilab3]

After using for a month I am impressed i have been using an Alta for 2.5 years. I loved the Alta especially the thin and changeable band

C3 offers much more

i like I can start and stop activities from tracker and those faces are detailed and easy to read while on the move

i find the regular clock faces fine I don’t want 4 or 5 stats making it too busy,just the time and steps is fine with me. This way it looks like a watch and not mission control 

Should I want other stats I can just scroll down

It would be nice to order the stats in my preference

i find the regular band to wide and thick for a female wrist making it sweaty. The sport band is still too wide but the holes make it breathable. The leather band tapers nicely and is good looking great for office wear

charge lasts a week

[805976]

I've had a few Fitbits. The Charge 2 for me was the best ever. But I just got Charge 3 SE. 

There are some improvements over the Charge 2. You can watch any YouTube review to learn about those.

But I think many users were shocked to learn that basic features like clock faces were worse than Charge 2! We can no longer take the clock face for granted. 

But I knew about the downsides before I bought it, so they don't bother me too much. (Assuming Fitbit will fix them...soon.) 

The bottom line is I got the Charge 3, and it's decent. I hoped it would be an upgrade from the Charge 2 - and technically it is. But it doesn't yet feel that way. It feels like beta software. 

So it's up to you. Buy the Charge 3 and hope for the best. Or buy the Charge 2 - running around $100 on Amazon / Ebay. 

[Harthelthylivin]

Used charge 2 about 2 yrs loved it.no issues, thought I would upgrade to charge 3, I am still dealing with Bluetooth either not syncing or staying sycned.

[waynezwor1d]

It's a downgrade at this point as it's obvious the product is in full beta. HR issue, dead screen, etc, make it not worth it at this time. Fitbit is making their customers beta test it right now

[B3RRRT]

I agree with Sarah with that people won't come on a forum to rave about how good something is. A lot of people don't often leave good reviews and only complain.

But I have the Charge 3 and love it and have no issues. It was an upgrade from the Charge 2 which I used to have a lot of syncing issues with but that turned out to be my phone and not the Fitbit.

So I would check your phone is on the supported list becauae if it isn't then it may be a struggle as any tech issues will always be blamed on that. It does also seem that iPhone users seem to have the most issues, unsure why, but I can't advise on that as I have an android.

The main upgrade from the charge to is how sleek it feels. The actual product and the software. It's all touch screen and it is so easy to swipe through options and you can see all your stats on your wrist, which the charge 2 didn't have. It just generally looks good.

It's easier to be able to select exercises too, and you can time yourself which is good for running. Or you can state that you want to burn X calories and it will end when you get there etc.

I hope that helps.

[memais]

I bought the fitbit Charge 3 in later October 2018 as a birthday gift to myself and at first it was great!
I was walking, I was befriending all my fitbit friends.. etc, but after a week of it working, it suddenly went blank. At first it did this blinking nonsense and then it went black. I thought maybe it was the water when I was washing the dishes--but NO, this thing is supposed to be water proof. I called customer support, she helped me reboot and restart it. It started working again and I thought.. ok, no big deal, it was a one time thing. Customer support was super nice. Another great thing they did was credit me the difference when it went on sale on Black Friday.  I called thinking, nah, they probably won't give me the difference, I'll probably have to return it and then buy it again but sure enough they were pretty fantastic and credited me the difference. 

So I like the customer service/support, they've been great thus far but I can't say that much about the quality of the product.

It's been 3 months in and my fitbit is useless again, I noticed that it was low on battery so I charged it. After charging it, the screen went completely black. I don't know what's wrong because it vibrates, but the screen is completely black.. it won't turn on and I've tried resetting it, no luck. I called customer service, they walked me through the resetting process and after realizing that the screen didn't work they offered to replace it for me, which is good.. but again, how long will it last time around?

I'm a little frustrated with the product. I wouldn't recommend it. I'm stuck with it now and we'll see how long this replacement will last. I was debating between the fitbit or the apple watch and I went with the fitbit because I didn't need all the bells and whistles the apple watch offers but now I'm wishing I would have just put that money towards an apple watch.

I wouldn't recommend this product. Again, just my experience. Hopefully that helps.

[Harthelthylivin]

I have had similar problems as well. Syncing issues with mine. For now I
went back to my old charge 2.

[Kay001]

13/02/2019 

Even today it is still horrible. It keeps on unpairing from my phone. I've used the charge 2 for years and that never happened once. The charge 3 I've owned for two weeks and there hasn't been a single day where it stayed connected. Every time it disconnects I go through tons of possible solutions I find in the many many posts of people with similar problems until eventually, often only after an hour of messing around, it reconnects. But that gets boring real quick, I don't even bother anymore. I just wear the piece of trash as a toy watch until I've decided what sports watch I'll buy next. One thing is for sure: it won't be a Fitbit. Ever again. Fitbit does NOT WORK!

[amieboyle]

I am now on my second Charge 3...

I like them until I try to wear them in water at all.... twice now the screen has gotten wet from a few minutes in a shower and both times the screen has completely stopped working. At this rate I wouldn’t recommend at all. I’ve had other ones which sai they were water resistant and that was true for them. It’s definitely not true for the Charge 3!

[NewbisFB]

I'm doing exactly the same as you  There's lots of really good alternative brands out there now  There's lots of choice! 

[bsprtd]

Fit Bit 3 is very time consuming

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@Stace-case wrote:

So I had a Charge 2 and LOVED it! Then it broke. Fitbit offered a replacement but life got in the way and I never ordered it 🙁 then I got a Flex 2 and hate it. It was less expensive & waterproof and I thought that I would use it the same way. #untrue

it doesn’t have any screen so there is NO feedback unless you open up the app. There are some lights but who knows that they mean and it buzzes sometimes - again, who knows that the buzzes mean. 

All that being said - when I saw the Charge 3 was waterproof I thought I would ask Santa (aka husband) to get this for me... then I started reading the reviews #yikes! 

It looks like they are fixing problems slowly and my question is - is this a product worth getting, they way it isn’t now - not the “potential “ it could have if everything is fixed?

FYI - I have an Apple 6 phone.

 Thanks!  ~ Stacy

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[MarreFitbit]

Hi there @Kay001! Sorry to hear about the syncing difficulties you've been having with your Charge 3. Thanks for already troubleshooting the issue, nice way to go! Please make sure you've followed the tips and recommendations at: Why won't my Fitbit device sync? 

Hello @amieboyle  and @NewbisFB! I really appreciate your feedback guys. Please know that we provide feedback to our team based on community posts and we are always working on improving our devices and overall environment based on that feedback. I've seen that you both have been in touch with Customer Support. If the issue is still happening, don't hesitate to reply back back to your case.

Hi @bsprtd! I'll be more than glad to assist. Can you please give me more details of what you're experiencing with your Charge 3?

Looking forward to your reply! 

[Lis49dec]

I, too, have had issues. I love this Charge 3, but...I bought first one at the end of December. In less than 1 month, screen went black. Returned and got another one...same thing happened.. screen completely black.  Gonna give it 1 more shot, then I’m switching to something else.

anyone else out there having this problem?? It charges, but screen is completely black...so frustrating!!!!

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@Catgales wrote:

By the experiences that my mum has had with the charge 3, I would say definitely not. Constant issues and no apparent solution. Fitbit needs to address these asap.

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[jayhalsey]

I've had a Charge 3 since Christmas and have loved it until the past week.  Prior to this week, I had showered with it on multiple times, and had even gone swimming with it several times, all with no issues.  This week, I showered with it on and it started not working properly immediately afterwards.  The battery life went in the toilet.  A full charge now will not last a full 24 hours.  As well, the screen constantly wants to snap to the notifications toggle, so I cant even see my stats or the time on the face.  I hit the button and I get split second of clock face, and then it immediately snaps back to the notifications toggle screen.  Contacted support, and they are sending a replacement under warranty.  I have no issues with the support, but the device is obviously not was "waterproof" as they claim.  Unfortunately one of the reasons I got a Charge 3 was for logging my swims.  There goes that idea.  I'll have to manually input them in the app, I guess.  Also the continuous sync doesn't seem to work consistently, so I have gotten in the habit of syncing in the morning when I wake up, and in the evening.  I have not had the black screen issue.

[Martsmc]

I’m on my second Charge3 after the first one died and I’m having the exact same problems as with the first one. The screen goes to sleep and no amount of tapping the screen or flicking the wrist wakes it up. Notifications not being received, even when my phone is literally right next to me. I also don’t understand why when you’re doing exercise you have to tap ‘Start’ and then ‘Let’s Go’. Why 2 steps? I keep forgetting the second step, only realising AFTER I’ve completed my exercise and everything I’ve done hasn’t been counted. It’s beyond frustrating and I’m regretting ever wasting my money. I’m considering going back to my Charge 2. I feel FitBit need to acknowledge there is a problem, rather than just routine responses like ‘reboot’ and ‘resync’ as these solutions don’t help at all. 

[zorahope]

I hate my Charger 3, but I’m stuck with it. The battery only lasts two days tops, and every day it won’t sync to my 6s so I have to shut down my phone to get it to work. Definitely NOT worth the price tag.

[Kay001]

Hi all. I fixed this problem:

My Galaxy Watch is working perfectly 👌 

Fitbit knowingly released an unfinished product because they are greedy. Don't reward them with your money! I left Fitbit and am never coming back. I advise any and all to do the same. Don't support these types of shady practices, I beg you as a consumer in the same marketplace as you all.