Charge 3 stuck in firmware update

[thinman21]

Hello, I've tried to update my Charge 3 with todays prompt for an update in my phone app.

The Screen is stuck on 1/3 progress bar, and the charge wont communicate to either Android, iPhone or PC to continue.

Can this be reset, or has it been broken by the update?

[SteveH]

Fitbit offer this advice for those of us having trouble updating out Charge 3:

"TROUBLE UPDATING?

If you run into any trouble updating your Charge 3, we recommend the following:

1. Restart the watch. 
2. "Remove" the watch from your account inside of the Fitbit app.  
3. "Forget" the watch from your phone's Bluetooth settings (along with any other Fitbit devices paired to your phone)
4. Try the update again.

Still having trouble? You can reach our Customer Support team for additional help. "

taken from: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-3/Charge-3-Firmware-Release-1-44-33/td-p/3042257

[thinman21]

As an update to this....

If I wait 45 minutes - the Charge 3 resets and goes back to how it was (now at least working)

If I try and re-update (from the PC) it doesn't connect to the Charge.

I think I'll wait a few days before trying again in the hope the process improves.....

[wen7213]

Sounds familiar.. mine is stuck since 4 hrs..... wifi , Bluetooth  are on, Charge en Android phone fully charged.... 

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Community Forums @wen7213 and @thinman21! Thanks for sharing those details in regards to what you both are experiencing when trying to complete the firmware update on your Charge 3.

Can you please try every single step that @SteveH shared in this post? If while doing any of those steps you face with any trouble or error message either on the app or tracker, let us know what it says.

We'll be around waiting for your reply.

[wen7213]

Hello,

After restarting my device and the fitbit it took another hour but it's updated !!!!

[OtherNeeds]

I reset the watch twice, the phone once. Charging watch and the phone. Forgot the Charge 3 on Fitbit and Bluetooth. Now when I try to add back the Charge 3 device to Fitbit app, it just blinks back to the Account page. Now what?

[amorreale1]

I have done the steps from above and it still won't work. I have been trying for about 2 hours.

[OtherNeeds]

Six hours later and my Charge 3 still won't add back to my account.

[epmeehan]

Returning mine today - wasted hours trying all the fixes - seems the firmware update is messing things up.

[OtherNeeds]

After charging both fully, I deleted everything related to Fitbit off my phone. I deleted everything off the Charge 3. Rebooted my phone, rebooted the Charge 3. Added app back like I was a new user, added the Charge 3 to my account, installed update (with both on chargers even though full, and touching each other), and over an hour later it was fixed. I lost a whole day/night's data in the process, but my account retrieved the rest.

[thinman21 · Accepted solution]

After various attempts on different platforms (iOS, Android, Windows) I gave up and waited.

Waited 3 days and re-attempted on Sunday and it went through without issue.

I'd guess that the update was modified at the Fitbit end to fix the issues.

[saramarsh73]

I don't know if you had any luck, but I'm on try #7, charger attached to the macbook, app open on phone and it gets 1/3 of the way and resets after 30 minutes of "updating". Did you ever figure out how to get your update to complete?

[epmeehan]

returned it never worked after the firmware update

--

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[thinman21]

Hi -

Yes, In the end I waited for 3 or 4 days and re-tried.

I've no proof but I'd suspect there was a fix applied to the update process by Fitbit as there were quite a lot of people having the same issues.

The latest update I applied about 4 days ago without issue (did take about 30 mins or so though).

If all else fails, give it a week and try again.

Cheers,

Rob.

[Charge3Sux]

This is not a solution.

[Charge3Sux]

How can your company get away with shipping a product that requires a firmware update immediately upon delivery, while not having a solid method of pushing that firmware to the device. How is this still a thing?

[uttsjs]

I performed an update last night (Apr 29 2019).  The message indicated up to 30 mins., so  I watched some TV for an hr.  Checked and it was at 30% and was concerned it had frozen so started to look for help.  In the end,  I decided to leave it overnight and it had completed by the time I checked this morning.  That was an 8 hr gap so I assume it probably took at maybe 3 hrs. to complete? 30% = 1hr, 100% =3.33 hrs.?

In summary ... easier to try and leave it overnight (phone and fitbit plugged in and  charging)  rather than do the reset, forget bluetooth etc.  I find that a bit of a pain. 

[Steef9876]

So just wait? mine is stuck for 5 hours now, I can't reset it with the button.

How can I reset?

[Nancy1002]

Same problem for me.  Can't reset fitbit.  Nothing responds.  Can't remove the fitbit....says it is updating.  Very frustrating.