How to perform a factory reset on Charge 3?

[DDNGA]

I've tried following these steps for a factory reset but I do not know how you're supposed to continually hold down the side button (in the cradle with the cut out hole for pressing the button) AND be able to continue to hold it down when you remove the watch from the cable. You must let go of the button to get it out of the cradle.  Can someone clarify Step 2, transition to Step 3?

To factory reset your tracker:

1. Attach the charging cable to your tracker and plug the other end into a USB port.
2. Press and hold the button for approximately two seconds and without letting go of the button:
   1. Remove the charging cable from your tracker.
   2. Wait about seven to nine more seconds after removing the charging cable.
3. Let go of the button and hold it down again.
4. After "ALT" and a white screen flash, let go of the button and hold it down again.
5. After you feel a vibration, let go of the button and hold it down again.
6. After you see "ERROR," let go of the button and hold it down again.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity & format

[moooove]

Sounds like your unit is defective, as was mine. I returned it to the retailer and purchased a Fitbit Charge 2 online.

[moonboots]

well tried your solution doesnt work for me

Moderator edit: format. 

[Sjtop]

I tried to do the factory reset. My Fitbit displays a line when I hold the side button.  I held the button down longer then the 8 seconds. After I release then button, the screen stay blank and I don’t get the smiley face.  I have tried this a couple of times. I did it when it was on a charger plugged  into a wall and I did it when it was plugged into my computer.

[JanaK]

Hey there, 

So I have tried your tip but it seems my Fitbit Charge 3 won't even sync. When I hooked it up to the charger and opened up the app, the app says it's has 90% battery but there is an exclamation mark by the sync section and when I tried to change the clock face it said that it cannot connect. Any idea what the actual heck is going on with my beloved Charge3?

[ravensview]

Same confusion for me. I have a new Charge 3 that is not showing SP02 data since I got it last week, the chart is empty. Fitbit support confirmed they are not seeing data either, so sent me to the same Factory Reset link, that is physically impossible. I did the Remove User Data option, and advised Fitbit. Might have arrived new and defective. 

[Shortnsassy]

So if you are trying to wipe off users data then you can do it this way --> 

On the Charge 3 itself go the the Swipe over until you see Settings > Go to About >  then scroll down and you will see Clear Users Data.  It basically wipes the device.  Hope this helps

[cla1994]

These steps are not working for me

[Patcraven]

We’ve tried multiple times to reset charge 3 but nothing but black screen.  Very frustrating

[Portuguesegemin]

My Fitbit is doing the same after I've attempted restarting several times. Please help...

[cla1994]

I contacted customer service and they assisted them.  Reach out to them. 

[kcouch]

My Fitbit Charge 3 stopped responding while attached for charging today.  I have tried the reset instructions here and that isn't working.  I can get a haptic response, and my phone still attaches to the tracker, but I cant get the display on the tracker to show anything.  Any advice?  Thank you.

[kathy20901]

this is a restart not a factory reset

[Sco3]

Hi, my charge 3 screen is still black. I’ve tried factory reset and the other plug into charger and hold button down but I get no smiley face, no errors, no white flashes as others have described. I have selected a new clock face as also suggested and it buzzed so probably changed in the background, but screen is still black. 
Mir still records my steps etc and syncs with my phone...

Help!

[CarleThysse]

I tried this and the “long restart” saw the smiley face for a few seconds then it goes away but still my screen stays black! What should I do? 

I tried this but after the smiley face the screens still remains black! What should I do?

Moderator Edit: Merged posts

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @CarleThysse, welcome to the community forums! Thank you for the troubleshooting steps you've followed prior to posting! 

To find tips for screen issues, I recommend visiting the following thread. If troubleshooting steps haven't worked, please contact our Support Team. You can click on the link "customer support" on the thread above to get connected. 

Have a great day! 

[Frankoid]

Perhaps someone can explain how you remove the charger cable while still holding the button pressed? I've tried disconnecting the the USB end, but the reset process does not do as is described - and as my problem is that I have such a dim screen that I can't read it, I've no idea whether it's doing anything at all. For the same reason I cant use the erase data function on the fitbit as I can't scroll if I cant see the menu options. Why is there no brightness control option on the phone App? 

[WilsonFitbit]

Hello @Frankoid, welcome to the community forums! Thank you for the troubleshooting steps you've tried prior to posting! 

If you're trying to restart your Charge 3, please note that while it is plugged into the charging cable, you only need to press and hold the button on your tracker for about 8 seconds, then release the button. When you see a smiley face and the tracker vibrates, that means the tracker has been restarted. After this, you can remove the charger cable. 

Regarding your question, currently the Fitbit App doesn't have that option to control brightness but thank you very much for your feedback and suggestion. You can give us your idea and suggestion through our Ideas board. If you find that a similar suggestion has already been made by another member of the community, you can vote for their idea and add your comments.

Hope this helps! 

[Silverbow25]

I wanted to post my solution for people coming here with a situation similar to mine. 

My Situation:

The screen worked, but the tracker had stopped syncing to my phone. When I removed it from my phone and re-paired it, it would hang right after putting in the 4 digit code. It had stopped syncing for a very long time so I knew there was probably a LOT of data to sync. I figured this was the issue as I had this problem before with past trackers. I reset it using the advice here, even though I couldn't understand some advice. I really don't think there is any way to reset it other than plugging it in and holding the button, so I was confused about anything that added more steps, but either way, it was clear the the reset was not a factory reset, but just a soft reset because my alarms were still on the tracker.

My Solution:

Navigate on the tracker's own UI to Settings > About > Clear User Data (This likely will be of no use to anyone with an un-functioning screen, though I kind of doubt this would help with that anyway). After executing this, the tracker rebooted and had cleared all data. I then was able to pair it normally with my phone again with no issues.