Fitbit Charge 3 stuck on Screen Wake/Notifications and won't restart

[Mariekach]

Last night I selected the exercise option on my Fitbit 3, now it just goes between the exercise timer, and the Screen Wake/Notifications screens! I can't restart it, I can't go back to any other screens. This is driving me crazy!

[EdsonFitbit · Accepted solution]

@Mariekach Welcome to the Fitbit Community.

I'm sorry to hear that your Fitbit Charge 3 is not working properly. I would recommend setting it up as a replacement device by following these steps:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon 
2. Tap Set Up a Device.
3. Choose your device and follow the on-screen instructions to continue.

If this doesn't help, please try again to restart your Charge 3.

Please let me know if you need further assistance.

[LauraWD]

Im having the same problem. Tried replacing it as suggested but it is still stuck. Any other way to reset it? 

[EdsonFitbit]

@LauraWD Thanks for visiting the Fitbit Community.

I appreciate the time you spent trying to resolve the issue before getting in touch with us. There is actually just one way to restart the Tracker. As a final workaround before getting in touch with Customer Support, please leave charging your Fitbit Charge 3 for about 1 hour and try to perform the restart once again.

I'll be waiting for your response.

[Mariekach]

Hi, what I didn't know is that if you hold the side "button" for two seconds it takes you back to the previous screen. Sometimes I have to do it 4 or 5 times before it actually works.

[EdsonFitbit]

@Mariekach Thanks for your response.

Like you mentioned, pressing and holding the side button will take you to another menu where you can find other useful settings. If you would like to check out the product manual to take advantage of all the features of your Tracker, please visit this link.

Keep on stepping.

[MJB25]

well, I just got a Charge 3. It hung on the "Screen wake/Notifications" screen. I setup the device as a replacement, did a reset as per instructions and it worked: the first time. Next time I went by the Screen wake/Notifications" screen it got stuck and now nothing works to reset the device. I can hold the button and go back one screen, but only one.

Are all the Charge 3's this buggy? Can I exchange this one till I get one that works?

[EdsonFitbit]

@MJB25 It's great to see you in the Fitbit Community.

Thanks for trying our recommendations before contacting us. Recently, our team released a new way to restart the Fitbit Charge 3 which is called long restart. Before getting in touch with Customer Support to further evaluate your case, please be so kind to follow these steps:

1. Plug the device into the charging cable. 
2. While the device is plugged into the charging cable, hold the button down for 15 seconds. 
3. Remove your finger from button. Your Tracker won't have a smiley face icon and should be off with a black screen.
4. Remove the device from the charging cable.
5. Plug the device into the charging cable again. 
6. The smiley face icon appears on the screen. 

Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

[MJB25]

nope - that doesn't work.

*every* time I swipe left to the apps, the Charge 3 hangs. Surely you don't
expect people to carry a power source and restart their device all day
long.

I think we are all hoping that Fitbit will release an update that fixes
this problem.

I don't think my question was answered about whether all Charge 3s do this
or if this one is somehow defective. There are certainly lots of complaints
about this.

Moderator edit: personal info removed

[EdsonFitbit]

@MJB25 Thanks for the update.

I have created a case with Customer Support to further evaluate this situation. Please check out your inbox on the next days they will let you know if your Tracker is defective and how to proceed. There are many users wearing and enjoying the Fitbit Charge 3 without experiencing this type of difficulties.

Please don't hesitate to contact us at any time.

[ScottEco]

I just unboxed mine, set it all up and now its stuck on the model description screen. I would imagine you get a ton of returns. I'm giving this a try for 1 day and it's gone for ever and I will tell everyone I know what a garbage product this is.

[MJB25]

thanks to FITBIT for promptly addressing this!

[EdsonFitbit]

@ScottEco Welcome to the Fitbit Community.

If your Fitbit Charge 3 is showing the Fitbit icon and the address fitbit.com/setup, this is an expected behavior. You will be able to see information about your activities until the set up process is completed. To resolve any difficulty during the set up process, please follow these steps. If you are getting any error, please let me know.

@MJB25 You're welcome. Hope that everything is working fine.

Keep on stepping.

[michsed]

Nice to know I am not alone! I was going to return & exchange mine because of MANY bugs - I actually thought it was possessed! - but then read of SO MANY other complaints that it just doesn't pay!  Getting my $ back.  Made at least a few calls to customer support each of the past 4 days I've tried to use it, & even a couple supervisors acknowledged problems that they've tried to correct FOR MONTHS, still no solution! Besides the problems mentioned about being stuck on various screens & buttons not working as they should, I had many "techy-type" problems regarding erratic syncing in Fitbit challenges, where my step #s were synced properly in some groups but MAJOR errors in others.  For a sport so dependent on correct #s, I find this deplorable (over 53K steps "missing" in a weekend challenge!)... & for a supervisor to tell me they're still trying to fix this MONTHS LATER?! Then another supervisor today told me I have to realize that with such a complicated involved Fitbit as the Charge 3, I need to expect that there will be glitches! Sure, but mine was nothing but problems.  Getting a refund tomorrow.  

[EdsonFitbit]

@michsed Thanks for your comments.

I'm sorry to hear that your Fitbit Charge 3 didn't work for you. Our team is constantly working to improve the Fitbit experience. If you have any question about your refund, let me know to open a case for you with the Fitbit Support.

You are welcome to visit the Community at any time.

[MJB25]

Well, the Fitbit folks sent me (at no charge) two new Charge 3s. All have
the same problem. This device is seriously buggy.

[LauraPF90]

I got my Charge 3 as a gift for Christmas yesterday and i’m absolutely appalled at how quickly it has frozen and seemingly just crashed. It’s a joke!! I’ve tried all of the solutions and NOTHING has worked. I spent pretty much most of the day sitting down with family but it calculated over 3000 steps and 2 flights of stairs as well as 1700 calories burnt?!? This is so inaccurate it’s unbelievable. Resting calories are in such small figures for any average person my age and weight this is laughable. I want an actual way that Fitbit are going to resolve this.

[EdsonFitbit]

@LauraPF90 @MJB25 It's great to see you in the Fitbit Community.

Thanks for your feedback. If you have followed the steps provided above without luck, please change the clock face of your Fitbit Charge 3 by following these steps. It should help to unfreeze your Tracker.

@LauraPF90 I would recommend setting the hand as dominant. This helps to decrease the sensitivity of step counting and should reduce any over counting of steps when your body is not moving. If you continue getting too many steps registered please let me know in order to contact Customer Support.

Keep on stepping.

[jmo25]

First let me say I'm new to FitBit. That being said, I'm also finding the FitBit 3 Charge buggy.

Before reading this "solution" regarding changing the clock face to unfreeze the device, I stumbled upon that option while I was playing around with options. 

It's ridiculous that these screens get frozen so easily. Once I leave the clock face and swipe to the submenus, I cannot get back to the clock face again. This results in having to choose a clock face I'm not crazy about, install it and then install the one I originally had installed. This process does reset the face but it's a waste of time. I would honestly expect better from FitBit - especially given this later iteration of the product. Are your engineers working on a fix.? Clearly a LOT of users are experiencing this problem. 

[EdsonFitbit]

@jmo25 Welcome to the Fitbit Community.

Our engineering team is definitely working on a fix, but at the moment there is no information that I could provide. Hopefully we get great news soon. Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

If you have any question, please don't hesitate to contact us back at any time.