How Charge 3 Auto Setting Determines Brightness & Auto Reversed

[Randquest]

For the Charge 3, does anyone know how the ‘Auto’ setting determines brightness?   Is it using one of the sensors/lights on the back?  I have found if I put my finger on and off back upper sensor/light away from charge connector, it can trigger to go brighter.  The weird thing is it can’t triggered same way by pulling band away from arm and back, which I would have thought would be similar.

[Randquest]

Beyond the dim challenge, has anyone else found it is compounded by that the Charge 3 ‘Auto’ brightness setting is reversed where it goes brighter in the dark and lighter when in a bright environment?  Since it holds level a second or two, I am able to go from very dark to well-lit room and then watch it transition in each. I also can produce making the display brighter by just making back of watch darker and/or placing finger on upper back sensors.

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Randquest  page 19 of the user manual. 

[Randquest]

That page shows where the setting can be found.  I am asking about how when in ‘Auto’ it is determining the light of the environment it is in and what brightness is then best for the watch display.

[Odyssey13]

You already got with support, according to your posts. We're the community forums and just people who use the Fitbit devices ourselves.

[Randquest]

It is the community of users that I am hoping has thoughts.  As far as I can see, there will not be a fix for the dim issue coming from Fitbit.  I was not able to get information from support on how Auto determines the amount of light and I am wondering if other users would know or are having the same challenge with Auto being reversed.  Unfortunately only advice I got from support on the Auto being reversed was to post bug to Feature Suggestion. 

My hope is possibly learning how to maybe fool Auto into staying as bright as possible may at least get so I can see this watch in darker places.

[Odyssey13]

@Randquest  the only thing some people have done is to change the watch face, so you could try that.

[Randquest]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I have previously tried them all.  I was able to find one that helps a little with time, but everything else is too dim to see unless you can trigger auto to go to full brightness hence the reason for this thread and hope that someone has figured how to trigger to stay that way. Unfortunately setting brightness to normal is too dim.

[Randquest]

Finally got  a very helpful support person who indicated... "The watch incorporates an ambient light sensor that detects the surrounding lighting conditions and adjusts the screen brightness accordingly without any intervention from the user."   The thought was that detects light via the display, possibly upper right corner.  Support was thinking none of the diodes/sensors in the back should come into play.  

I did further testing... I was not able to get the display to change by covering the display.  I was able to get the display to go brighter once again by touching upper diode/sensor opposite of charge plates. I am starting to wonder if light from that side coming in play with sensor.  Support is elevating the question and will email additional information.

My hope is this information will enable me to be able to fool the display into going brighter.  Unfortunately I have not found a way to get the watch to do the same thing while wearing it that I can do when off.