Charge 3 won't sync and data is not accurate

[Newconvert]

I have constant sync turned on but my watch hasn’t synced since Sunday despite being close to my phone.

also

I spent nearly 5 hrs in the car yesterday but my fit bit still registered 11k steps.  Certainly not right, 5k might have been closer. Every day since arrival has been in excess. I have kept it on my non dominant hand but changed the setting to dominant hand to try to get it to register correctly. Still no luck. My previous tracker ( non Fitbit) was much more accurate. Very disappointed, thinking of reverting to my old one and asking for a refund.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome on board @Newconvert, it's nice to see you here! Thanks for the steps you've taken in order to sort this out, nice way to go! 

Syncing difficulty is usually caused by a missing requirement. Verify each requirement before moving on to the troubleshooting steps.

• The Fitbit app is installed on a supported phone or tablet. 
• The latest version of the Fitbit app is installed on your phone or tablet. Android should be on 2.81 as of today.
• The Fitbit app is allowed to run in the background on your phone. 
• The Bluetooth setting on your phone is on. To check, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
• Your software on your phone is up to date. To check, tap Settings > About Phone or About Device > Android Version.
• You have location services turned on and the Fitbit app has permission to access your location. 
• If you use more than one device to sync, make sure the other device isn't nearby. If the device is nearby, turn off Bluetooth on it. 
• Your phone isn't managing other Bluetooth connections.
• Your phone doesn't have a syncing issue listed in Which Android devices have known issues with the Fitbit app?
• Your Fitbit device's battery isn't critically low.

Depending your phone, these tips might make syncing easier:

• Turn on the Always Connected option in the Fitbit app. This setting improves the Bluetooth connection between your phone and Fitbit device. Note that turning on this feature may cause the battery on your Fitbit device to drain more quickly than normal.
• Turn on All-Day Sync in the Fitbit app. This setting prompts your Fitbit device to periodically sync with the Fitbit app but may shorten battery life on your phone or Fitbit device.

If your Fitbit device still won't sync, try these steps:

1. Force quit and then reopen the Fitbit app.
2. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth off and back on.
3. Open the Fitbit app.
4. If your Fitbit device didn't sync, restart it. 
5. Uninstall and reinstall the Fitbit app.
6. If your Fitbit device won't sync after you reinstall the app, log in to your Fitbit account on a different phone, tablet, or computer and try to sync. 
7. If your Fitbit device still doesn’t sync, remove all other Fitbit devices from your account and from the list of connected Bluetooth devices on your phone and try to sync.

In regards to the accuracy of your Charge 3, please check this post of mine to find more detailed information. 

Give this a go and let me know the outcome! 

[sfh123]

I have same problems. When I drive in Bay Area over mts charge 3 gives me 34 to 95 floors climbed depending on where I’ve gone. It uses gps so registers altitude, probably inaccuratelyat that. I also get double steps on trips. Etc etc. One fit bit post said to correct such errors manually!  So they know there are problems and won’t fix them.  My charge 2 did not have tues problems so I assume they could be fixed. Do not buy this tracker!!!!

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community @sfh123! There are a couple of things that may be causing your tracker to record extra floors. It's inner altimeter will calculate altitude based on atmospheric pressure. Pressure changes due to things like weather or gusts of wind may record floors. Check more information here.

Now, if the tracker continues to do this everyday;  please perform a restart on it. That should certainly help you out with this.

I've seen that you got in touch with our Support Team after posting here. Someone will be reaching out to you within the next 24-72 hours with next steps. 

Point me out if there's anything else I can do for you in the meantime. 

[tlv106]

None of this worked for my Charge 3. I've only had for a couple of weeks so I'm disappointed that I'm having this issue. I had a Charge 2 for a couple of years with no issues that couldn't be fixed easily. I'll have to go back to my Charge 2 until this is fixed.

[MarreFitbit]

Welcome to the Community Forums @tlv106! Thanks for following the tips and recommendations provided here.

While reading your post I was wondering if the mobile device you're syncing with is included in our list of supported devices? You can see the list at: Which phones and tablets can I use with my Fitbit watch or tracker?

Please keep in mind that when a device is not supported we cannot guarantee its functionality with the Fitbit app. It might work at a certain time and then it can stop working out of nowhere after an update. This is because the app is not optimized to that device and any change could impact the performance. If your phone is supported, please follow the troubleshooting steps provided here: Why won't my Fitbit device sync?

On the other hand, if you're having discrepancy with your step count, first make sure the wrist placement settings are correct. Next, double check that you entered your height correctly. Since we use height to estimate your walking and running stride lengths, you may want to measure and manually adjust these values if your legs are longer or shorter than average.

Remember that the wrist trackers count steps depending on the movement of your arms, when you are driving or for example when your tracker is close to a fan. In these scenarios, your tracker counts steps due to the vibrations. 

To get more information about this, check the article: How accurate are Fitbit devices?

Also, please note that there are 2 ways you can prevent this:

1. You can plug your tracker into the charging cable while you are driving -- the Fitbit will not count steps while it is charging.  
2. You can log the driving manually by following the steps in this article

Let me know if you need further assistance, I'll be around.

[tric1974]

I had the same issue.  I uninstalled the app, then reinstalled the app and it synced immediately

[MarreFitbit]

Hello there @tric1974, welcome to the Community Forums. I'm glad to hear that you manage to sync your Charge 3 again. 

Thanks for letting us know what worked for you. In case of future help, I'd recommend taking a look at the help article: Why won't my Fitbit device sync? 

I'll be around if there's anything else I may do to help you. 

[Notahappyuser]

Tried all of that and it still will not sync.

[Newconvert]

I tried 2 exchange units after my original failed, all within the guarantee period. The latest one has lasted a few months but I have not linked all the functions (email notifications etc) on this one, and it seems to be holding up ok. It’s a shame, because that info was useful and partly why I purchased in the first place.
Are you outside your guarantee period?
I’m now outside by a few months so guess that when (not if!) it packs up that will be the end of it. For the cost I am not impressed with the unit, but can’t fault their willingness to help/ replace during the guarantee period.
Not really fit for the purpose of long term use as you might expect from a watch.
My steps seemed high so I changed the setting to dominant arm.
Don’t know if any of this helps....


Sent from my iPad