Charge 4 Firmware Update - what does it do?

[keyesh]

My fitbit app says there's a firmware update for my Charge 4.  Where can I find a description of what the update does. Fitbit leaves me in the dark. There should at least be a list of what it fixes, breaks, changes, adds, removes, etc.

[JohnnyRow]

What's changed in the latest Fitbit device update? 

Have you really been using FItbit since 2011? Was your post meant to be ironic?

[keyesh]

I didn't say how long I've been using Fitbit, but the Charge 4 is not my first Fitbit device.  By ironic, do you mean this is typical Fitbit behavior?

If so, I totally agree.

[Podunk]

It appears you have responded to this question without all the facts. A question from a community member should be treated with greater respect. I opened this question because I too was interested in the answer. I hope that in the future community members will be treated with greater respect and less sarcasm.

[JohnnyRow]

From original poster's profile, I could see had been Fitbit user for many years.  I figured in that time would have realized that Fitbit's usual change log consists of "bug fixes and stability improvements" with notable lack of detail, being sarcastic for expecting "list of what it fixes, breaks, changes, adds, removes".

I was intending it to be meant most as a sarcastic "in joke" to such a long-term Fitbit user, not meaning to offend anyone.

But I guess attempts at humor here cannot be subtle.

[Podunk]

We will find ourVoiceover is a screen reader in order to get application from the Fitbit app. I would have liked knowing in advance that the edit button on the application home screen would no longer be available to voiceover users and what a suggested workaround might be. I would have liked to of known when they changed sleep on the home screen to give only time and score and stop giving sleep stages times and percentages. I would have liked to have known when exercise would no longer show information on the home screen about how many minutes calories etc. I would have like to have known that when clicking on steps from the home screen and scrolling down to today with a rolling count of steps would no longer be available. These are just a few changes that I would have liked to have been made aware of. There must be a way of providing this information prior to or when a update is newly available. The information provided at the App Store is standard boiler plate. I believe other community members would like to know when software changes have been made to correct or address the issues they have brought up within the community. Many of us only hope that fixes will appear and that when reviewing the updatedWe will find our concerns have been addressed.

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

Hello @keyesh 

I hope I can point you in the right direction. When new Firmware updates are announced you can use this link here to see what changes were made to your Charge 4: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1372.htm. Unfortunately it only states “This release includes bug fixes, improvements, and a critical security update”. What improvements or bug fixes that were addressed in particular are not listed.

Like you, I’d prefer to know more details then simply “Bus and improvements” but unfortunately that is usually the description that is offered. 

But it does state a critical security update was included in the most recent Firmware update. Fitbit has listed ways to interpret the verbiage. Critical is defined as the following: “The security update patches a vulnerability that, if exploited, could allow attacker-supplied code to gain unrestricted access and potentially go undetected by the customer. More information can be found here: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1871.htm#security

If you ever need to know what changed in a Fitbit App update (both Android and IOS) it can be found here: https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2025.htm. Unfortunately that particular site hasn’t been updated because both Android and iOS has released the 3.66 update to the Fitbit App. Changes made in the 3.66 update include “Bug fixes and performance enhancements. AND Improvements to Estimated Oxygen Variation and weight trends chart layouts. 

😉 I hope this helps answer your question. 

[Podunk]

Thank you megabyte, I did click on the links and reviewed the information as scant as it was.

[Crazygamer53]

@keyesh 

VERSION 1.100.76

This release includes bug fixes, improvements, and a critical security update. For more information about security updates, see How do I update my Fitbit device?

[CoreyMac]

This latest update also is bricking quite a few Charge 4 devices.  Upgrade at your own risk since if it starts draining the battery in 8 hours or has only a black display or crashes completely, there is not a fix.  You just have to replace it.

Search the forums here to see...

[Bcfb]

That's exactly what happened and replaced. Total junk 

[CoreyMac]

Seems like the Charge 5 is having similar issues.

[BillJ99x]

After performing the update 3 improvements were listed - alarm based on your sleep cycle, dynamic GPS and spO2. After reading this thread it sounds like the real reason for the update was a critical security patch.

So far it's working fine for me. Update took about 20 minutes. I'm not experiencing high battery use like others have reported. 

[CoreyMac]

I am glad it isn't bricking them all.  SpO2 and dynamic GPS already worked so I am not sure what they meant.  I don't know about the alarm change...

I agree that it was like the security patch and they were in a hurry for and so didn't test things very well.

[ragtopmom]

Mine worked okay for a few hours and then BOOM! Good luck. My advice to this group is don't update your Charge 4. Mine is bonkers and although FitBit has opened a "ticket" for me (over 24 hours ago), no word from them on a fix or relief from my now useless device.

[BillJ99x]

I didn't understand what improved either since, as you said, the Charge 4 already supported dynamic GPS and tracked SpO2. It wasn't at all clear what improvements were made, if any, to those features. 

[hereiamu1]

I want to unupdate my Charge 4  🙄

[keyesh]

Does anyone else find it interesting that the same thing happened with Charge 3's final update - many of them were bricked?

[Zardoz99]

Yeah, that is why I have a Charge 4. An update bricked my Charge 3. What is that old saying "Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, or maybe nowadays they just think good for business?   

[CoreyMac]

Since they are also bricking their Charge5 and there is not yet a Charge6, I do not get what their plan for success is?