Factory reset Charge/Charge HR

[JosephT]

Factory resetting Charge/Charge HR

You can factory reset your Charge/Charge HR. It's ill-advised IMHO, but... Since there is no way to determine all of the user requirements for this procedure, somebody probably has a valid need to turn it off (e.g. Android 4.3 & lower). So, if you ain't sure, just leave it on. If you think you have a need for this, consider the consequences. After you do all of that, if you still have questions, contact Customer Support

This procedure is likely more of a pain than most of the inquiring people want.
That's because it's "destructive", it is my opinion that you leave it on. Here's why:

This procedure deletes any stored data, such as:

• Data that is not synced
• Alarms
• Goals
• Call Notification Settings

So, factory resetting your Charge/Charge HR is easy but turning it back on the way you want requires work. Given the number of questions regarding turning it off, and more importantly, the apparent lack of solutions posted, here is a subset of instructions gleaned from the page about how to perform a Factory Reset on your tracker.

Please read all the instructions before starting this procedure (I am not an employee of nor in anyway involved in fitbit. Be prudent!)

To factory reset your tracker:

1. Take stock. Write down anything you want to keep so that you remember to reconfigure after this procedure.
2. Please sync your Charge/Charge HR - otherwise you will lose the data you have collected.
3. Plug your Charge/Charge HR into the charger, and make sure the other end of the charger is plugged into a working USB port.
4. Press and hold the button for approximately two seconds.
5. While continuing to hold the button, remove the charging cable from the back of your Charge/Charge HR
6. Continue to hold the button for an additional seven to nine seconds, then release the button and immediately press & release it again.
7. Your Charge/Charge HR will advance to a screen that says ALT immediately followed by a white screen. These screens may come up quickly and you might miss seeing one of the screens.
8. Press & release the button after you see the white screen to advance to a screen that says VIBE (I was slow in doing this and my Charge HR automatically went to the VIBE screen - YMMV). Your Charge/Charge HR will begin to vibrate.
9. Press & release the button again to advance to the "ERROR" screen.
   
   

1. Press and HOLD the button until you see the “ERASE” screen, then release the button.
   
   

Done correctly, your Charge/Charge HR is now dead.

To start your Charge/Charge HR again, follow the directions in setup. You'll have to redo any settings you had.

Your most humble slave & available for service, joseph t

Moderator edit: edited title for clarity

[ErickFitbit]

@JosephT I went ahead and edited the title of your post as I don't want it to be misleading for others finding it. To clarify, performing a factory reset of the Charge/Charge HR results in more than turning the tracker off, as you've clearly stated in your post. 

As can be seen in this help article: "When should I factory reset my Charge or Charge HR?", a factory reset is a last resort troubleshoot that users should only resort to when they've done all troubleshooting, reached out to our Support Team and have been asked to perform the reset. 

Why you ask? Factory resetting your Charge/Charge HR, as you've said, will wipe out all stored data from the tracker. If you can't sync, you will lose that data forever. Also, it removes the bond from your mobile device, which in turn can cause issues with repairing again.

We definitely don't recommend this procedure to simply turn the tracker on and off, but it is available if you're experiencing the specific scenarios listed in the help article.

[JenEquestrian]

My device is stuck at the screen showing the update only 1/2 loaded.  I just got it today and it started off working fine and going through the set up process then froze.  I've tried many suggestions I have found in this forum but my tracker won't reset.  Even a soft reset....it flashes the green lights and then a second later comes back on to the same screen...stuck loading.  Some advice was to remove it from the application, which I did and now I can't add it because I can't get the 4 digit code. It should not be this much of a PITA when purchasing an expensive device.  I haven't even gotten to use it and I can't even tell if it is charging or not.  Very dissapointed!

[bittim]

Moving from Sony to Lumia 950XL (Windows Mobile 10) it just wouldn't pair.

Logging out/in the app didn't help...

Reinstalling the app didn't help (still stuck at the pairing step)...

Restart didn't help (still stuck at the pairing step)...

Finally, the factory reset did the trick (paired successfully)...

[Persuador]

Thanks to JosephT (and the moderator) for his thorough and helpful post concerning 'factory settings'.

I have had one or two problems with my 3 month old FITBIT Charge HR - battery running out within 24 hours, and it behaving erraticly and my wife suggested that I just do a factory reset and see how that worked.

I can see that this is a reasonable approach for a number of electronic products or devices where a paper clip pushed into a reset hole can be used to restart, or for batteries to be taken out, as a quick fix - BUT - as is made very clear, as far as the FITBIT is concerned it is a last resort, only on the advice of the support team.

[rd123]

ditto ... Today I had exactly the same experience except that my Charge HR is not brand new.

Great phone support tho' !  Hence frustrated but will stick with fitbit inc.

[RC88]

I’ve tried everything y’all recommended, nothing worked, still can’t get rid of the update bar stuck in the middle of the screen.  My Fitbit has been stuck on updating for over a year now!! 😳😳😳

[Persuador]

To finish my experience above - after only a couple of calls to FitBit support - they just sent me a new one - which arrived the next day.  

I have never experienced support like that with anything.  Also, I had purchased it at Manchester Airport which I could not easily return it to - but - they did not want it back to check out my 'claim'.   Just sent me a new one and told me to 'have a nice day'.

Amazing service.

[Jojoke]

Thank you...it was a great help👍

[BazMC123]

Did you find a solution to this. Happened mine a couple days ago and I'm at a loss. 😞 

[Derek198]

My Charge 2 stopped syncing suddenly today and the app does not find it at all. Have tried tuning bluetooth on/off as well as notifications. Nothing I have found in the blogs seems to work and I am very reluctant to try factory reset. Are there any other methods out there that have worked??

[lynnrob415]

For crazy sakes, please tell me how in the world you can continue to hold down the button and remove the charger at the same time?????  My charger fits over and into the silver button.  There is no way to do this.  I am at my wits end with this thing.  I have had a Fitbit for 5 years now, a Charge HR and it has never worked correctly, Fitbit even sent me a new Charge HR 2 and it still does not work right.  Every now and then I get determined to make it work and am enthralled all over again and get to the point where I want to have a meltdown and wind up giving up AGAIN.  So this time I wanted to delete my account and factory reset my Fitbit and completely start over.  Now I cannot even seem to factory reset!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Like I said, I am at my wits end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[VJKramer]

Wow! That's an incredibly complicated process. Try this instead if you're having any difficulty following the steps above: 

https://youtu.be/8ODCsp2EAeA

Super easy and seems to do the trick.