How to change the time on my Fitbit Charge 2

[nananuk]

the time is wrong on my fitbit charger two.  How do I fix it to the right time? 

Edited by moderator: title for clarity 

[CarlosMo · Accepted solution]

Hi @nananuk it is a pleasure to have you in the Fitbit community with us.

I'll be glad to help regarding the issue you are encountering with the Timezone setting of your Charge 2. 

To correct the time on your tracker and Fitbit app, do the following:

• Find an option to modify your time zone.
• Under Settings, tap Advanced Settings.
• From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap the Account tab.
• Sync your tracker:
  1. Go back to the Account tab and tap your tracker name.
  2. Tap Sync Now.

If this doesn't work, try doing these steps:

• Log out of your Fitbit App
• Force quit the App
• Restart your Charge 2
• Turn off the Bluetooth
• Shut off your phone and turn it on after 1-2 minutes
• Turn on the Bluetooth
• Log back into your Fitbit App

Hope you find this information useful.  Let me know how it goes. 

[USAF-Larry]

@nananuk, the time is set to the device time when you sync the tracker.  Verify that the device you are syncing to has the correct time, then sync the tracker. That will set the time on the tracker to that of the syncing device.

[AmuCharge2]

Hi, 

I've tried all suggestions from this message trail but the time on my fitbit remains the same. My time zone is correct. The time on my phone is correct and my fitbit doesn't sync with other devices. I've changed the time zone selection from auto to manual and back. No progress. I did the full reset process as instructed; still the same. Is this a mistake from the software update? Anyway, how can I get back the proper time? My fitbit has been on the wrong time zone for almost a couple couple days now. 

[Faun]

How do I change the time on my Charger 2?

[WavyDavey]

Hi @Faun, there's no direct way to change the time on the tracker. You can alter the time zone in the app settings. How it works is when you sync the fitbit to your phone or computer, it grabs the time from them.

Basically, just doing a sync will get the time updated.

[sirmehness]

It's a bug, there is no workaround yet. It's a simple patch, unfortunately have to wait till next bundled release.

Alternatively, can reside in the timezone that the fitbit is set to until the next release. 

After all, this is a minor issue.

Apparently.

[sirmehness]

So... here is how to fix it, there went 45 minutes out of my day...

This is a legacy software issue. The problem is synchronization with the data stored through the website vs. the mobile application.

I tried every suggestion and then more, but the clue came down to this fact. I have two fitbits sync'd to my account a charge HR AND a charge 2. For both, nothing could be done to change the time. Even after remove cache, data, uninstall, reset fitbits etc., 

Since it affects both fitbits, then this is a "system of record" synchronization issue. Not fitbit, not mobile application.

Meaning, website information stored for the account OVERRIDES any mobile application data in certain scenarios. Synchronization of data is kind of tricky and over time, can have "gaps".

Like this one.

So, please login to your website fitbit account and click on settings. You will notice a timezone setting down the page which will be the timezone that you cannot seem to remove from the fitbit. You will notice there is NO "auto" setting. Must pick a timezone, chose what you want and then "submit".

But, oh wait... you do a refresh on the screen and your change did not work. It is the same time zone as before. Then one notices, that the last name for the account is now a required field. A legacy issue. I did not have a last name entered. So... to pass the validation check for the web form submission to change timezone, I have to enter a lastname.

Enter lastname, choose the correct timezone, and voila. All is good, timezone change accepted.

Chose the appropriate mobile app timezone settings "auto" everything and fitbit now shows the correct time.

As a technical recommendation, never cross separate information model domains with the same validation process. This is why you get into this situation. Timezone validation should never be part of profile name validation. Like never. Separate your REST calls, don't lump the validations together. Haven't wiresharked this, so just guessing.

This also explains why most people do not have this problem, they have entered their last name so do not have this issue with timezones. Earlier days, last name was not required.

So, longwinded explanation, change the timezone under the website and also update your lastname or any other information that would cause the "submit" to fail under settings.

So, can put a stake through the heart on this issue.

QED.

[AmuCharge2]

*Sirmehness*

You.Are.A.Genius. Mad respect for that. Your solution worked and took
45seconds or so. Can't thank you enough.

[lisa.starr]

daylight savings time change recently occurred and the time displayed on my charge 2 is still incorrect. 

I have attempted to change the time zone, and syncing, all to no avail. 

haaalp.

[sirmehness]

Glad to help, good to have independent verification.

Moderator please forward to QA team, thanks.

[chrissysstuff]

sirmehness - Thanks! It worked!!!  I have casually been trying to fix this for 6 days! Today was game time, if I couldn't fix the time I was going to return the charge 2. I typed up all my steps that I had tried and was to 10 different things! My state doesn't do the whole Daylight savings change the time thing, maybe that's what started the whole thing. Meanwhile, I was in the other time zone for a while. Lol... to the person who said just move to another timezone until it got fixed. 

[Rich_Laue]

@lisa.starrhave you tried correcting the timezone through both the app and the web? Now a sync is needed, which may be done through the phone. 

If the time is still wrong then change the timezone to auto or to someplace you are not, sync, then set it correctly and sync again. Alternatively some have found by changing the clock face the time gets corrected. 

[dnalor]

Hi,

The last name idea is good but the profile is not saving it after pressing "Submit". Same appears also to Time Zone. It just not saving it - standing at +2 GMT ROME at that's it. If you have idea how to fix it?

[sirmehness]

There must be another field that needs information, blocking the "submit". Try and update multiple fields to narrow down which one. Alternatively, update them all, even retyping the same values.

Also, delete fitbit cookies, or just delete all cookies. Logout/Login should rebuild cookies. Probably. Just delete to be sure.

[sirmehness]

Also, can have legacy values in fields that no longer pass validation submit checks. Any unusual characters?

[PurpleSky]

@sirmehness, Thank you!

I wasted hours trying to fix my Charge 2 timezone. For over a week, I searched the forums for solutions. I tried multiple potential solutions. Your solution was the only one that worked.

I am a software engineer who normally excels at troubleshooting. Sadly, I failed on my own. I can't believe I would have to resort to using wireshark to troubleshoot a widely used consumer device. I was one day away from ditching this expensive "watch" (charge 2) for my cheap Timex Ironman watch which handles 3 time settings at once.

Thanks again for the solution.

Fitbit should give you a free fitbit for resolving the time issue.

[sirmehness]

@PurpleSky - very welcome. Troubleshooting is like multi-variable calculus and sometimes coming up a "var" short 🙂 I had two fitbits so a bounded problem and solvable.

[FlyFisherMan]

I found the the time zone was wrong in my settings, which I corrected, but the time would not change when syncing from my MacBook Pro.

I then tried syncing my Galaxy S7 Edge (Android) and voila, all is now OK.

Hope this helps.

[wwelsh39]

Thank you, Carlos! After the firmware update in the middle of the night, my fitbit charge 2 was 3 hours late. I tried several other methods to get the time right again and none of them worked till I found your instructions. After following your instructions carefully, my fitbit charge 2 is now once again telling the right time:-)