Not syncing frequently

[joeybrown105]

Good morning. I'm on the latest version of Android, and my Fitbit is consistently having sync issues. I've tried uninstalling, force stopping the app, removing/adding my charge 2, and hard resetting my tracker, with no improvements.

This is quite frustrating, does anyone have the remedy?

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MarreFitbit]

Hey there @joeybrown105, it's nice to see you around! Thanks for already troubleshooting this syncing issue with your Android phone. Nice way to go! 

I know this can be a little annoyed, but I'd like you to confirm if the following steps below are the ones you've tried with our support team:

• The Bluetooth setting on your phone is on. To check, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
• Your software on your phone is up to date. To check, tap Settings > About Phone or About Device > Android Version.
• You have location services turned on and the Fitbit app has permission to access your location. For more information see, Why is the Fitbit app prompting me to turn on location services?
• If you use more than one device to sync, make sure the other device isn't nearby. 
• Your phone isn't managing other Bluetooth connections. For more information, see Is the Fitbit app for Android interfering with other Bluetooth devices?
• Your Fitbit device's battery isn't critically low.
• The firmware on your Fitbit device is up to date. 

Depending your Android device, these tips might make syncing easier:

• Turn on the Always Connected option in the Fitbit app. This setting improves the Bluetooth connection between your phone and Fitbit device. Note that turning on this feature may cause the battery on your Fitbit device to drain more quickly than normal.
• Turn on All-Day Sync in the Fitbit app. This setting prompts your Fitbit device to periodically sync with the Fitbit app but may shorten battery life on your phone or Fitbit device.

If those steps don't work, try these steps:

1. Force quit and then reopen the Fitbit app.
2. Go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth off and back on.
3. Open the Fitbit app.
4. Restart your Charge 2 by following these steps. 
5. Uninstall and reinstall the Fitbit app.

I'll be around, keep me in the loop! 

[Rich_Laue]

@joeybrown105 not knowing which phone, the Galaxy S8 has this troubled sync issue and is currently being looked into 

[joeybrown105]

Galaxy S7 edge.

I don't love the idea of doing the always on/always connected, as that will drain battery. Are there no other options for basic syncing?

[MarreFitbit]

Thanks for getting back! Well, the "always connected" option improves the syncing process, the Bluetooth connectivity and the notifications, between your tracker and your phone. However, if you don't have it toggled, the connectivity won't be affected. Sometimes, the Fitbit app for Android interferes with other Bluetooth devices, so when this happens, we suggest that you turn off this option. Otherwise, you can leave it on. 

You need to leave "always connected" on if you want notifications. All day sync simply syncs data in the background automatically. You need to leave "always connected" on if you want notifications. All day sync simply syncs data in the background automatically. Frankly, I don't think you are really saving much battery by turning it off.

You run Android, right @Rich_Laue? Do you use both, always connected and all day sync turn on?

Looking forward to hearing from you guys! 

[Rich_Laue]

@MarreFitbit I'm on

Android 7.0 

Galaxy S8

All day sync on

Always onnected

Rarely does the GS8 sync by itself, but has been known to

Occaisuonly opening the app will do a successful sync. 

I've tract this down to ha wing not enough free working memory and found if I clear some of the apps out of memory it does easily sync. 

With the galaxy S5, android 5.0. I was finding the background syncing working fine but a forced sync would ocaisionly have problems, even if a background sync happened a minute ago. 

I also noticed that the background sync does not need location services on, while a forced sync does. 

[joeybrown105]

Trying to bubble this post back to the top. I'm still continuing to have issues with sync, unreliable and inconsistent. Does anyone know what a proper solution is for this?

[Slpipster]

I also constantly have this issue

It is so frustrating 

So when you uninstall reinstall your charge fitbit to the fitbit app so it can resync because for whatever reason it just stops seeing the fitbit.  Then i lose all of the steps.  None of the steps from that week sync only the current day.  So i al always the loser in group challenges.  Not user friendly.  Very frustrating.   Good concept if it worked.  

[Rich_Laue]

Yes, @Slpipster when a tracker is removed from the Fitbit account it will have to be set up as if it was a brand new tracker.

• Removing a tracker from the account is telling fibit that the user does not want to use the tracker anymore and will not fix a sync issue. 
• Doing this step will always add problems because the sync issue still needs to be fixed.
• If the tracker and the phone are not talking together, they are not talking and it will be impossible to set the tracker up again. That is why you also state, "Nice idea, if it worked", your correct in that this step never does work.

This step can also be done through a web browser at https://www.fitbit.com/settings/device

I'm sorry to start of so negatively but I do want to stress why a non syncing tracker tracker should never be removed from the Fitbit account.

If not removed, then the app will also know which tracker to sync.

Now if a user wants to setup the Fitbit, they should do an

• Add device with the replace option,
• Choose the tracker in their account to replace.
• If this setup as a replacement device fails the current tracker will not be removed from the the account.

So what should a user do? That would depend on what phone operating system that they have since it is usually the phone that is having problems.

The main steps that help in all phones would be:

• Check for phone OS updates
• Check for Fitbit app updates
• Remove the Fitbit tracker from the phones Bluetooth menu, optional to try a sync.
• Restart the Fitbit tracker, optional to try a sync.
• Restart the hone., optional to try a sync.

I say optional to try a sync, since next time the user might want to start with the step that worked next time.

The above steps should be tried with any phone, for more details on a specific phone OS let's go to the Fitbit help docs.

Why won't my Fitbit device sync?

On Android, steps also known, but not mentioned in the helph doc, to work include

• Killing the Fitbit App through the phones App management under the phones settings, swiping out of memory will not kill the app
• Clearing the Fitbit cache, do this when the Fitbit app is killed since these two steps are done from the same page.
• Swipe unneeded apps out of memory.
• Log out of the Fitbit app, this step should clear the Fitbit data. Then log in to Fitbit.

For additional help @Slpipster please help us by letting us know what phone you have.

Thank you

 Rich

[Neversyncs]

Android Razer Phone 2

My fitbits have the same problem. I have tried with multiple Fitbit charge hr's and recently bought a Fitbit versa lite. Same problem. 

Sometimes the troubleshooting works without having to reset the Fitbit and thus losing all of your unsynced data. Other times nothing works. Always the auto-sync seems to stop working after about 24-48 hours. 

Extremely frustrating.

[LeafO]

My fitbit device syncs sometimes and sometimes it does not sync.

[LeafO]

My Fitbit device often does not sync to my iPhone.

[MichaelQu]

I’m lucky if my fit bit syncs successfully 1 out of 10 try’s. Been this way for as long as I can remember with multiple Fitbit devices. Sad.

[SkullBlaze]

This is gonna sound stupid but switch to mobile data if you're on wifi, or vice versa......i know how dumb it sounds but it worked for me, i tried to get my fitbit to sync the entire day, i followed all the troubleshooting steps, uninstall the app, reboot (phone and fitbit), unpair, remove device and literally everything else. and then finally i switched it to data and just like that, first try, it synced.

[Rich_Laue]

Hi @SkullBlaze many have reported that trying wifi and cell service that sometimes one works while the other doesnt. Sometimes a fire wall or a VPN will also cause problems. 

Also a complete phone or tracker shutdown may be needed, but lately for my family simply clearing the Fitbit apps cache has been the trick. 

You never want to remove the tracker from the fitbit app/account but removing it as a trusted device in the BT menu will often work. 

I start with the clear cache. 

[RPDefi]

I have had my Sense for about 4 months.  Not a week goes by without my having to do all of the above steps multiple times.  I have often spent 30+ minutes repeatedly doing those steps, as eventually they tend to work.  Having to force stop, restart, delete device, delete app repeatedly means there is a problem.  This needs to be fixed by fitbit.  I have had multiple fitbit devices through the years.  I would prefer to not switch ecosystems, but if this is not fixed this will be my last fitbit.

[TBone6016]

I've tried all the steps mentioned in this forum (reinstalling etc) and in my case I've always had issues on my old phone and now that I have a new phone that I can't get it to sync with Fitbit 'at all' - - no matter the steps taken suggested in this forum. I have basically given up and will likely look for some alternative device. Really frustrating. 

[welshman]

I bough an Apple Watch. You can get refurbished and also discounts from Costco with a great warranty.