Charge 3 screen is getting dimmer

[greggsanders1]

My Charge 3 screen is dim. I called customer support, they walked me through checking the screen settings and restarting the device. Then I was told this is a known issue, and it would be fixed in the next software update. When I look at the online postings this has been going on for over 6 months. Some people got new devices, and now all we get is wait for a fix, that nobody can tell you when it is coming. This is my 3rd Fitbit, and probably my final Fitbit.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[Inuapialuk]

Have you tried going into your Settings on your Charge 3? From the clock screen swipe to the left 3 times. Tap Settings. Tap Brightness to scroll through the settings. Select Normal to find out if that makes it more visible.

[greggsanders1]

Yes I have done that over and over again. Only 2 settings available. Normal
and Auto. Neither is visable in daylight, evening the shade and without my
Polarized sunglasses.

[AlejandraFitbit · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Community, @greggsanders1 and @Inuapialuk, thanks for the input.

Thanks for letting us know about the issue you are experiencing with your Charge 3 getting dimmer and for the troubleshoot you tried. 

We are aware of the problem and are working to resolve it as quickly as possible, sorry for any inconvenience it's caused and appreciate your patience and look forward to getting you back on track.

Please let me know if there's anything I may do to assist you in the meantime.

[greggsanders1]

Yes there is something you can do..... send me a new one. This issue has been reported repeatedly for the past 6 months. I am not waiting for a fix that will not happen. It is amazing how many trackers are available, and at a far lower cost.

[Omgjudy]

My fit bit just started doing the same!

[greggsanders1]

I am so disappointed with Fitbit. I have used 3 Fitbits, and I have always
been a big proponent of using their products. But the dim screen problem
has been reported as an issue on their Customer Support website since last
January. They have not adequately delt with this issue. I am sure I am not
the only that is dissatisfied with there response to this issue. I am busy
shopping for my next fitness tracker, and I assure you it will not be a
Fitbit product. Too bad they don't understand this lack of responsiveness
will kill the company. If the product is not going to be fixed then they
should just offer some financial incentive to move up to a better product.

[AlejandraFitbit]

Thanks for your participation in the Community, @Omgjudy and @greggsanders1.

I understand how are you feeling. While we don't have a timeline for resolution, we will continue to investigate these discrepancies. Your patience and understanding will be much appreciated.

Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. 🙂

[greggsanders1]

Yes, send me new Charge 3 or give me a credit of $50 toward the purchase of
a new and improved model.

[tjmgray]

Do you have any idea how long before a fix is made. It is happening to me for the 2nd time the fixes worked the first time and now they aren't working. It is still tracking but I get no notifications and can'r use it as a watch which I need and I don't want to wear a watch and my Fibit.

[chandraireng]

So do I. Until now, my Charge 3 can't work even I change set on normal position

[greggsanders1]

I have given up on Fitbit. The Charge 3 screen is a disaster.

I just ordered a Mi band 4 by Xioami. The global version is $42.99 on
Amazon, and it has a color Amoled screen.

I would have upgraded to a Fitbit Versa 2 if Fitbit would have given me a
$50 credit for the faulty Charge 3. I have been a loyal Fitbit user for
quit a while, and the Charge 3 was my 3rd Fitbit.

But this problem is not going to get fixed, and I was 1 week out of
warrentee when I reported it. Stupid me, I had been putting up with the dim
screen for a month before I reportrd the issue.

So bye bye Fitbit for now. Good luck, the company seems to want us to buy a
new product every year, and that is just wasteful, and their shoddy
business practices will catch up with them.

[Omgjudy]

You're right.

[greggsanders1]

I on my second day of using my new Mi Band 4. It is different. For
under $45 you
get a BRIGHT COLOR SCREEN, that you can read outdoors. After being in the
Fitbit mindset for 4 years and 3 Fitbits this is a lot of change. But it is
probably healthy to look at your activities and health from another point
of view.

Bye for now to Fitbit.

[SNR721]

current status - it’s been getting dimmer and dimmer over the last few months now i have dead spots where it doesn’t even light up anymore. tried to change clock faces, set brightness to “normal” and “auto”, reset. no change. this is ridiculous. i’ve has this a full year now and the screen has been dim for 3 months - 30% of the time. sounds like everyone else is waiting for months and there’s no fix on the horizon. please fix this now!

 

[SunsetRunner]

I got mine last June as a birthday gift and it's now useless as a watch unless I'm in a very dark space at which point the big numbers are visible. I've been through all the troubleshooting and settings multiple times nothing works. This is my 3rd Charge Fitbit (I had the Charge and then the HR version) and 2 out of 3 have had issues rendering them useless. The other made it to just over 1 year. If the quality issues mean they need to be considered 'disposable' devices, they need to be a lot cheaper.

[greggsanders1]

Yup.... $150 is too much spend each year for a replacement device. I am
happy with my new new Mi Band 4, and it cost under $45.

The change has also given me the opportunity to rethink my fitness routine.
I use the Mi Band 4 with the MI Fit app and the Google Fit app. I am more
focused on activity minutes and and heart healthy minutes. This provides
aerobatic and movement tracking that is less stressful on my feet. So I am
still exercising plenty, without as much impact on my 69 year old feet!

[Omgjudy]

Yup fit bit doesn't seam to care that we are repeat customers. So I'm
looking into something other than Fitbit. I'm making sure everyone I know
is aware of the crap they are selling and how they treat long time
customers.

[SunsetRunner]

Although you have marked this thread as answered, the answer is not much help. Sure, you recognise there is a problem but you have given no information on when or if a solution will be provided. It appears to me that the brightness of the display is doing the opposite of what it should do. Instead of making it brighter in strong light it’s making it dim and vice-versa. 

[SNR721]

hi Alejandra - i posted a reply to this thread on 12/07, but looks like I didn't reply to you directly. Any chance there's a fix for this? my screen has been degrading for months and it's now SOOOO dim, it doesn't even light up in complete darkness. i can't read anything on the screen anymore at all (have to look at the details through the app on my phone, which makes this useless to tell time). i bought this on 11/24/18, so we're just past 1 year mark. i started having issues with the dimming before my 1 year mark, but didn't think it would get this bad (should've spoken up sooner, but didn't realize this was a serious issue).  any chance there's a fix?