Inspire & Inspire HR Battery Issue

[MattFitbit]

Fitbit update: 4/9/19 Our engineers have added the Stats Heavy and Valerie clockfaces back into the gallery. Feel free to re-install them if you had recently removed them due to battery concerns. 

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Our team was recently made aware of an issue which may be affecting some users battery life while using certain clockfaces on Inspire and Inspire HR. We are currently looking into this and hope to have a fix identified soon. 

In the meantime, I recommend switching to one of these three clockfaces: Simple Stats, Shifted, or Analog. After some testing, our team has determined that switching to the above clockfaces should help alleviate potential battery drain. 

If you are experiencing short battery life after switching to one of the clockfaces above, I also recommend performing a quick restart and following the troubleshoots listed in this article.

As always, I will be sure to keep you all in the loop as more information becomes available. Feel free to let me know if you have any additional insights or questions. Thanks again!

[ProfJudi]

Call their Customer Service number. They will ask you what's wrong, perhaps give you some solutions. I did that, the solutions didn't work and I called back a second time and they sent me a new unit. Hope this helps! My second one still has battery issues but since I like the InspireHR - the buttons instead of the tapping on my AltaHR  - I'm keeping it. I have to charge it every 48 hours so it is still very disappointing that a brand new model cannot live up to the reliability and battery usage of previous models. I'm truly hoping FitBit can do something on their end to solve their clearly very widespread and unfortunate problem.

[VikkiW]

I am not interested or inclined to change clockface or restarts or any other technical fix. I bought this for its simplicity- just wanted it to count steps. I am a senior and really would like to return this new Fitbit. My old one was much better( when Fitbit 1st came out). Please let me know how to return for new or refund.

thank you

[DavideFitbit]

Thank you for the update @Doubleck, and for all the details that you've provided so far. I've sent your information to the Customer Support team for further assistance with this, but was informed that you already have a case created with or that you already got in touch with them. If you haven't contacted the retailer (in this case Amazon), I recommend that you respond and continue the assistance process with the Fitbit Customer Support, so they can provide you with the next steps.  

@Hme77, it's good to know that you already got in touch with the Customer Support team regarding the problem with the battery draining too fast; keep us posted on the outcome. Regarding the Fitbit device not being set up when using your phone, please check all the requirements and make sure that you've exhausted all troubleshooting steps listed here. Keep me posted. 

Hello @ProfJudi, please let me know if you do continue to experience battery problems with the replacement unit you received, and after you've tried all these steps. I can certainly send your information tot he Customer Support team once more so they can assist you further with this.  

Thank you for all this information @VikkiW, I'm sorry to see that you've decided to opt for a refund due to the difficulties with the battery draining too fast. I've gone ahead and sent your information to the Customer Support team for further assistance, so you should be getting a reply soon.

I hope this helps, let me know if you have further questions. 

[SunsetRunner]

How do u switch to simple stats?  I thought all day sync would drain my battery more.  I am only getting 2  days out of a charge

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello! @SunsetRunner  I'm here to help too. It's nice to see you again participating.

Seems odd that your device is only lasting 2 days. To switch off the features you don't use too much, please check our help article: Can I improve my Fitbit device's battery life?. This specific article provides battery life estimates and tips for turning off features you don't need when you want to prioritize battery life.

Let me know how it goes, I'll be around if you need anything else. 

[ProfJudi]

I don't feel it's odd that anyone's battery lasts only two days. I'm on my second unit and I still only get two days. I've just gotten used to having to charge it every other night. not a good situation but no way around it, unfortunately.

Moderator edit: Format 

[RicardoFitbit]

Welcome back @ProfJudi thanks for your reply and update.

I'd like to appreciate your comments and the feedback that was submitted regarding the situation you're currently experiencing with your device. Please take in consideration the information and details from our help article: Can I improve my Fitbit device's battery life?. and let me know how it goes.

Looking forward to your reply. 

[AndySki777]

Prior to the latest firmware upgrade I was getting about 5 days of battery life on my Inspire HR with still 20% of the battery level left with the heavy stats face, all day sync, and stay connected on.  I don’t use notifications or timers though.

Now after the upgrade (although I turned off stay connected since it didn’t really seem to help but really drained my cell phone battery), today I’m at 7 full days since the last full charge and I still have 43% of the charge left.

I say this because I want to encourage folks and let them know that there are “good ones” out there...I know because I’ve got one.

[ProfJudi]

You're so fortunate! I'm on my replacement FitBit and still have to charge it every 48 hours. It's a bummer; I'd go back to my AltaHR but I do like some features of the InspireHR better.

   Hoping FitBit does a system-wide fix.

[RicardoFitbit]

Hello @AndySki777 I'm glad to see you again participating in our Community Forums. @ProfJudi Your reply and update are appreciated.

@AndySki777 Thank your for taking the time to share your experience with your Inspire HR device, I'm happy to know that enjoy your Fitbit the same way as we do. Please don't hesitate to contact me back if you have any additional questions that remains unanswered, I'll be here if you need anything else.

@ProfJudi To move forward with this situation, can you please let me know which clock face are you currently using on your Inspire HR? Have you tried to change it to "Simple Stats" clock face and check how the battery behaves? Looking forward to your reply.

I'll be here if here if anything else is needed. 

[ProfJudi]

Hi, it's been on Simple Stats since I got the replacement.

[landime9]

We had Fitbit run their diagnostics and they found a battery issue.  We sent hers back and they sent us a new one(this process took three weeks by the way) and are still having the same problem.   We charged it Thursday night all of the way and it is now Saturday morning at it is at 36%!

[ProfJudi]

That mirrors my own situation; even after I got the replacement FitBit HR, the battery is not good - 48 hours is half the time I used to get on my AltaHR. That's very disappointing.

   FitBit would be very wise to try to do something within their system to address this issue; I don't think telling us one by one to put on Simple Stats, to turn off a bunch of features, is ultimately helpful. And, while you're at it, FitBit, it would be a grand idea to hear the complaints about this way too short charger. It's just unpleasant to use and I usually have to connect it three or four times and lay it on the table gently so it won't disconnect.

   The sad part is that I actually do like this FitBit - I like its features better than aspects of the AltaHR. With a good battery and a user-friendly charger, it would be a pretty great item!

[egregori]

I received a new Inspire HR and it has been working perfectly.

Some observations between my original HR and the replacement:

1. The green led on the back:
   1. On the original, the green LED never shut off. It would blink at about 5 to 10hz, but never shut completely off.
   2. With the replacement, the green LED shuts off for while before turning back on.
   3. This is significant because LED's consume a lot of current relative to the other components.
2. The Vibration actuator:
   1. Did not work at all on my original unit.
   2. Works perfectly on my replacement unit.
   3. This is significant because if the actuator on the original unit was mechanically jammed it cause a large current draw.
3. I avoid the exercise menu (on the device) like the plaque:
   1. My original unit seemed to work just fine until I started exploring the exercise menu. Of course, this is conjecture, I have no data to backup up the hypothesis that the exercise menu is at fault,

I am getting between 4 and 5 days with the replacement device under the following configuration:

1) Notifications turned off.

2) Auto wake turned off.

3) All day Sync on.

4) reminders to move off.

5) No alarms.

6) Always connected.

I only use the device for sleep analysis, heart rate, and calories. I wish I could disable all the other menus on the device. I really like the device and I really like the app, and would be very interested in purchasing a ring if Fitbit ever creates one.  

[ProfJudi]

Thanks for this info; I just checked and on the replacement, the green light on the back does go off for a little bit.

What clock face do you use? I had Simple Stats but I liked Valerie so I'm trying it again.

And sorry for not knowing, but I don't...what is the 'vibration actuator?'

  Thanks!

[egregori]

I used the term "vibration actuator" because I am not sure how they vibrate the device. My original unit never vibrated. My new device vibrates whenever I exceed a step count.

I was afraid to change faces; I stuck with the default watch face. Since they have not announced an official cause for the battery issue, I am afraid to make too many changes because I really need the sleep data and I have no other method of collecting it if the Inspire HR stops working again.

[ProfJudi]

Thanks for the explanation; I appreciate it. I'm using Simple Stats.

[Mahea04]

I am on my 3rd inspire HR (original and 2 replacements) charged it full on Thursday and it was died Saturday evening on valerie clock face with always wake off and notification on. I reboot and placed on charger over night. Changed clock face back to simple stats but left notifications on. I don't get a lot of notifications. I did less then 2500 steps yesterday and I'm already at 75% battery life. I'm seriously over this. I'll run it down again, reboot again! I dont think I should have to not use the the features I purchased it for because they can't figure out how to fix it. 

[SunsetRunner]

I’ve had my Inspire 6 weeks, battery wont last a full day, I’ve turned most things off, changed clock to minimal & still it dies! Its a waste of time & money.

Moderator edit: format

[jptbyu]

I originally ordered my fitbit Inspire HR from their website at beginning of April.  I use it with an iphone 7.  The first one I got had a max battery life of just less than 48 hours for the first 2 weeks.  That was out of the box, no special clock face, screen and notifications turned on.  I tried turning off notifications and screen wake, but that didn't seem to change anything.  Of course that type of battery life seemed ridiculous.  So I contacted support and they had me do a battery test and confirmed only a 2 day charge.  So, they sent me a new one.  The second one was exactly like the first, again just a 2 day charge.  Absolutely nothing different!  

Around the end of April the app prompted me for an update to version 20001.60.39 and I did. Immediately, instead of 48 hours (2 days) I was getting 96 hours (4 days).  I also switched back to the first one they sent and updated and it also now gets 4 days.  So if you haven't updated the version on the tracker that should help some!

This is definitely a bug or problem with the software/hardware, not just the battery.  Should have done more testing before releasing this to the masses!  I'm hoping we get another update sometime soon that increases the 4 days, otherwise I'll send it back before the 45 day return policy and get a different kind that actually has the battery life in the specs.