Half of touchscreen not working

[JVW-SA]

I have a Versa lite which I have since 2019.

The problem:

This week - the battery wouldn’t last, previously it would last 4-5 days. It was constantly syncing, the time was off between my IOS device and the watch. I charged it up 3 times yesterday.

I changed the screen wake to manual only, but it would go on with motion regardless, so it was constantly on. I assumed this together with the syncing problem was draining the battery.

What I’ve tried so far:

I restarted it, but that did not solve the problem. Then I reset the factory settings, unpaired the Bluetooth, deleted the app and restarted everything.

Current problem:

It’s on the setup screen, but now the bottom half of the touchscreen does not work. I’m unable to tap on ‘save’ and ‘next’. I’m even unable to put it off, because a long touch on the side button takes it to the setup of that button.

What’s happening here? There seems to be multiple problems besides just the battery draining.  Please advise.

Thank you

[Guy_]

Hi @JVW-SA - there may be internal damage, especially if the battery is draining rapidly, possibly from water getting in.

The setup is probably complete so a restart again may help How do I restart my Fitbit device? 

The only other option is to let it run down completely and then recharge it. Be careful that it doesn't get hot when charging and if so stop immediately.

You can always chat via the Fitbit App, click profile photo, Help & Support, Contact Customer Support.

[JVW-SA]

So, I washed it just in case it was something other than water that got into it (I read that in a previous post). I left it in a sunny area for an hour. I can literally see the water droplets in the sensor area. I’ve allowed the battery to drain and have put it in a bowel of rice. I’ll leave it there for a few days to dry completely before charging it and switching it on again.

hopefully once it’s dry, it will work again.

[Guy_]

@JVW-SA - it may recover and even work but it could be quite unreliable, may need charging once or twice a day and as the screen is not working properly that might not recover but always worth trying.

If you do need to replace the Versa 2 is a good choice as it is the cheapest and has the least issues and best compatibility with your watch.

And before replacing, note the names of any clocks or apps you are using, you may need them later.