Charge 4 only syncs when not worn

[Vilandra2]

Hi there, I've bought a fitbit charge 4 from ebay and was initially very happy with it, then the band gaps appeared which I though ok I might be able to do something with that. After 3 weeks the device stopped syncing completely, I've gone through all of the troubleshooting steps and none of it helped, please do not post any of that, I've read multiple threads on here with possible solutions and done it multiple times. The phone is on the list of compatible devices, all software is up to date, the device is only connected to one phone via bluetooth. It still tracks everything but of course it can't tell the correct time anymore, it makes the alarms useless and of course I don't receive any notifications. What I did notice though is that if I take it off my wrist and put it aside after 3 minutes it syncs fine and keeps syncing until I put it back on, this works like a charm every single time. I can only guess that when I wear it something is somehow blocking the signal so it's more of a hardware issue, I'm assuming with Bluetooth. I've removed it yet again from everything, cleared data, unpaired it and I'm letting the battery drain which is another suggestion that I found although if it's a hardware issue of course it won't work but at least I tried everything before taking it apart. Has anyone had same issue where the device syncs only off wrist and managed to fix it? 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @Vilandra2, welcome to the community, I would normally suggest you "reboot" your charge 4 as demonstrated in this video but you assure us you have tried everything. It may be you have a hardware issue that I've not seen mentioned before so I suggest you contact "Customer Support" here, just click the button at the bottom of the page. I will flag this for a moderator.

Cheers 

[Vilandra2]

Thanks Gr4ndp4, I don't have a proof of purchase from an authorised seller so sending it for investigation/repairs is sadly out of the question. I'm hoping that someone had a similar experience and managed to fix it or that Fitbit Team came across this issue and there is something else that I can try. I bought Fitbit Charge 2 from ebay few years ago and had no issues with that one, it's still going strong, I just really wanted to treat myself to an updated device. In the meantime I've bought another device, this time from Argos (so that I can return it if things go wrong), so far it's syncing fine, sending notifications etc but the band gaps have already appeared and are widening so it will definitely be going back once the stores reopen in UK. 

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @Vilandra2 , I do not think you need "proof of purchase" just to talk to "Customer Support", returning a faulty charge 4 is, of course, a different issue, talk is cheap. I note your new device is interacting well with your phone so it would not seem to be a phone or phone setting issue. As I say I'm not aware of a similar issue appearing here but I may have missed it.

Good luck with it.

Cheers

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Vilandra2, welcome to the Community Forums. @Gr4ndp4, it's good to see here and thanks for the heads up.

@Vilandra2, thanks for taking the time to troubleshoot your Charge 4, as well for checking the suggestions posted in the forums. While it's odd that your Charge 4 isn't able to sync correctly unless it's off your wrist, may I know if you've made sure to not have other Bluetooth connections nearby? Even though your tracker has only been connected to your phone's Bluetooth, if there are multiple Bluetooth connections around, your tracker might get confused and not able to sync just with your phone. If this doesn't apply to you, please provide me with the model and OS/software version of your phone to look into this.

I look forward to your response.

[Vilandra2]

Hi @LizzyFitbit, I tried removing all other devices but it did not make a difference and the new device from Argos syncs no problem with Fitbit Charge 2 and wireless headphones active on my phone. I have also now noticed that the device doesn't sync whilst connected to the charger either. Whilst testing this everything else stays the same, I literally take it off my wrist put it down for 2-3 minutes and it syncs, practically the same location just not on my wrist. I am testing both devices on two phones at the moment, I've now moved them around 4 times, each time by clearing all user data, removing the device from the app and forgetting the device from bluetooth. Each time the result is the same the new device communicates perfectly on either phone whilst the old one does not. The phones are Iphone XR with iOS 14.2, fitbit app 3.34 (1004), Samsung S10e Android 10 with One UI 2.5, security patch 1/11/2020 fitbit app 3.34.1 (20243542). Both fitbit devices have the latest firmware version 48.20001.96.29. I'm assuming the Bluetooth LE version is 4.0? Normally a wrist or a charger should not be an obstacle enough to stop the signal but I can't think of any other explanation. My guess is bluetooth is a part of motherboard but would you be able to tell me where within the device it is located exactly, like bottom left corner for example? Many thanks

[Baltoscott]

Hi @Vilandra2 — This is puzzling.  I’ve been on these forums many years and not seen another post where the user reported a device syncing off wrist but not on wrist.  I admire your dedication to trying to figure this out.  I’ve done the same myself in the past trying to solve syncing issues with different Fitbits and I know from experience that it takes a lot of time and can be frustrating.  Fortunately I don’t have any syncing issues now!

One possible confounding variable is that you report using different devices, (an iPhone and a Samsung phone) to sync as you troubleshoot.  A known issue with syncing problems is that a Fitbit actively linked to one phone (or computer, or tablet) cannot simultaneously link to a different device. As you continue to test, focus on one phone and turn Bluetooth off on the other phone.

I hope you get it figured out.  

[SueScowen]

Was this issue ever solved? I'm having the same problem now, my charge 3 will only sync when I'm not wearing it.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @SueScowen welcome, you may have noticed this is an old thread, the last post was almost two years ago. This is not an issue that has reappeared as far as I can see and @Baltoscott 's advice is very much to the point. May I suggest you review these articles How do Fitbit devices sync their data? and Why won't my Fitbit device sync? In addition, make sure any other phone/tablet that has recently been paired to your Charge 4 has its Bluetooth turned off before you attempt to pair it with your phone.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[SueScowen]

I've been trying everything that's been suggested for over a week now with no success. I've just got to the point where it's been put away in a cupboard before I throw it up the wall!

[Vilandra2]

Hi @SueScowen , I believe the issue appeared after an update. I tried everything for weeks, restarted, reinstalled everything, removed all possible interferences and no luck, in the end I put it away as it was useless. After maybe 4 months I took it out, charged it, there happen to be another update so I've done that and it started syncing again and has been working perfectly ever since. Except now the crappy plastic connector broke... I have no doubt it was an update that messed it up. It was really bizarre that it worked perfectly when not worn, it's almost like the signal got so weak that my hand created a barrier. Has there been any update lately? Maybe put it away for a bit before you throw it against the wall 🙂

[SueScowen]

Thanks for your reply, not sure if there's been an update but I'll leave it for a while and try again in a few weeks. Like you say, it's odd that it syncs fine when it's not being worn.