Charge 3 screen flashing rapidly between screens and vibrating constantly

[DylanP44]

Today my Charge 3 vibrated non stop until the battery died. I charged it up and now its flashing between the clock face, screen wake& notifications, and HR. It will not stop. 

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community, @DylanP44.

I am sorry to hear your Charge 3 is flashing between screens and vibrating. I appreciate the additional details and I am here to help. I recommend doing the following:

1. Restart the device: How do I restart my Fitbit device?
2. Long restart:  

• Connect the device to the charging cable.
• While the device is plugged into the charging cable, press and hold the button down for 15 seconds.
• The device turns on and shows a battery icon. Two vibrations occur: first a short vibration, then a medium vibration
• The device turns off.
• The device turns on and shows a progress bar and short vibrations occur. The progress bar completes. Note: A total of 7 short vibrations occur.
• Remove the device from the charging cable. The device shuts down.
• Important: Plug the device into the charging cable again.

Keep me posted on the outcome. 

[DALLEN5]

 This exact thing happened to me as well. I didn’t know what to do so I tried to shut off my notifications but it didn’t help. Took it off to let it “buzz out” then a happy face drawing came on the screen. I charged it when I got home and now it’s a black screen. 

[JeanBonz]

I had this exact problem.  I have done a soft reset and a hard factory reset and now I get nothing but a smiley face and then it dies.  I have only had this Fitbit3  for 10 months.  Really disappointed.  

[marilyntk]

Tried this and now the screen is blank and it won't turn on.  It's dead and it was fully charged when I plugged it in.  Now what?

[SunsetRunner]

Exact same thing happened to me last week.  I figured they must be pushing a new firmware release and it' just needed a complete reset/reboot. Charged it all weekend to only see a flat white line on the display, smiley face when I removed it from charge.   This morning it showed Jan 1st, wrong time, factory default stuff so I sync'd it with my phone to reset time.  Then reached out to support via chat this morning and they said yes you need the latest SW update so I tried to push that to my Charge 3 but it keeps failing.  My Charge 3 which is only 6 months old, I believe, is now bricked.   I either have white line on charge, smiley face take it off charge and it shows correct time but quickly starts flashing between screens and vibrating constantly if I put it on.

[Jules306]

This is happening to me as well. My Charge 3 will not sync to my phone and will not charge since it started to vibrate constantly and change between the clock and screen wake. when I try to hook it up to my charger it goes to the face and keeps vibrating. I have tried the 7 second and the 15 second restart and nothing has changed...HELP!!

[JeanBonz]

Same thing happened to me- exact same thing.  I give up as I tried everything suggested.  My Fitbit Charge 3 is 10 months old.  

[Bepri]

Same happened to me. Hard reset did not solve the issue. 

[marilyntk]

As someone mentioned, my Fitbit is now dead.  I'm requesting a replacement.  There's obviously something faulty going on with these.  

[Ic3man]

My Fitbit is also doing this. It appears to have gotten water in it, even though you can take it swimming. 

[JeanBonz]

How does one go about getting a replacement?

[SunsetRunner]

It's strange mine has been on charge since last Friday and barely seeming to charge.   Firmware updates would start but then fail.   Had flat white line on charge or smiley face off charge but device not working.   Last couple of days I kept trying to do Firmware update which would fail or error out saying device charge is too low.   Suddenly today the firmware update worked and now my device is back to normal/working.   I really think a firmware release they pushed last week foobar'd the device and it was until enough of us complained they realized a mistake and a new firmware release is what resolved my problem.  IDK this for a fact but it's crazy how many off us reported the same problem after a new firmware release.....

[SunsetRunner]

All right maybe I was overly optimistic but in the last hour my Charge 3 had gone from full battery to 62% and I only know this because it's occasionally vibrating which draws my attention to it.   There is a red line in the battery icon that cycles from bottom to top as if it's trying to tell me something.  Anybody know what the red line means?

[SunsetRunner]

After 2 hours and 15 minutes my device died again.   Support said I needed the latest Firmware update but after 3 days trying to get that installed and doing it today my device is no better off.   I don't understand why these things don't last longer.  Timex, Rolex, other watch makers have making devices that you wear on your wrist for years without incident.  I rarely get much  more than a year out of a Fitbit device from my experiences....

[marilyntk]

Since my Charge 3 was under warranty, I was able to get a replacement thank goodness.

[Jessa108]

This exact problem is happening to me, I've tried the reset you suggested and now my fitbit will not charge/come back on at all. Your device is now completely useless.

[SunsetRunner]

Throw it away unless it's under the 1st year warranty.  My first Charge 3 died at 10 months with similar battery problems.   The replacement died at 7 months and since it was a replacement does not carry a 1 year warranty so all Fitbit would do is offer a discount on purchasing another one.   Why would I purchase another one when neither one lasted 1 year.   From my experience since 2012 with the first Fitbit, Alta, then Alta HR and lastly Charge 3 they don't last!   Everyone was replaced once under warranty and then it's up to you to buy another one that you know is going to die.   I gave up on Fitbit, I'm done and asked they delete my account but for privacy reasons (WTF does that mean) they can't.  VERY disappointed they can't make a quality product that will last an active lifestyle.

[JeanBonz]

how were you able to do that?   I bought mine on Amazon 10 months ago.  Fitbit does not advertise how to get a replacement.  thanks jean