How do I fix Versa 2 heart rate tracking not working

[Radinaat]

Hi all, I just encountered this problem and I thought I’d share what worked for me in 2025. My HR monitor stopped working mid-workout. The sensor wouldn’t start blinking green and the HR wouldn’t measure- it just stayed at ——. I tried resetting my watch, but this didn’t work. I tried turning on and off the HR tracking in the settings of the app, but this feature doesn’t seem to be available in 2025. So my only option was a factory reset. When I did this- it turned out that I need to update my tracker. It’s unfortunate that there is no option to update it without factory resetting the watch(if someone know of such a way- please let me know). When doing the update you will need WiFi, 50+% battery on the watch itself and the charging cable. So if you’re planning on continuing your workout- wait until you finish and get home before you do the factory reset. Otherwise you will miss the steps taken during your workout like I did, as the watch will stop counting your steps on the app once you reset it. Once you have all the prerequisites for the update, make sure your phone doesn’t turn off while updating. And don’t go into other apps. Otherwise you might lose your update progress and have to start again. I had to re-update 3 times until it finally managed to reach a full cycle. Good news is that after this is done, your HR tracking should be working again. I hope my experience with this problem in 2025 helps you figure out what is happening with your watch. And I hope my advice to not reset until you are done working out will save your workout progress, unlike what happened to me. 

Moderator edit: clarified subject.

[Guy_]

Hi @Radinaat - thanks for posting your useful information. It could help others. Here are some additional tips.

At least try a watch restart (sometimes erroneously referred to as a reset) by holding the watch button for 10 seconds till the display blanks or it vibrates and release and wait for the watch to restart.

A factory reset is a last resort operation and is only advised if absolutely necessary. And has to be done carefully for the following reasons. It may take an hour or two depending on what is currently installed, or in case of complications.

1. If you don't sync first you will lose all activity recorded on the watch and not uploaded yet.

2. A factory reset is risky as it  can fail and the watch become unusable. Which means buying a new watch if no longer under warranty.

3. If you live in the EEA you will only be able to load Fitbit stuff from the Gallery so can permanently lose your favourite apps and clocks for good.

4. A factory reset puts your watch back to its initial configuration and old firmware.

5. As part of setting it up again the latest firmware will be installed (which may have already been done previously) to get you back up a running.

Note: the first time setup for a new watch doesn't seem to install the latest firmware for some reason. Which means some things won't be available until the latest firmware is sent as an update. As it is new a factory reset will get it working immediately as opposed to waiting for the update.

6. It is a good idea to make a note of the names of any clocks or apps and any special watch or app settings you use before the factory reset or in case a replacement is necessary. 

This simplifies getting back the things you chose before, if still available.

7. The watch should be fully charged and near the WiFi source and phone too, and enough time set aside to achieve before starting a factory reset.

8. Once a factory reset is started the watch should be left to complete the operation (allow 5 minutes) or it will fail. Wait for the initial setup screen to appear.

9. It may not be possible to setup a watch which already has some faults.

10. To facilitate the set up of the watch it can be a good idea to remove/forget/unpair any Bluetooth entries for it from the phone before starting the factory reset.

A factory reset can be done from the watch Settings menu option - or a button sequence with assistance from support

Hope this additional information is also helpful to others too.

[Pollly]

Hi I just tried the hold button for 10 sec and looks like the heart rate tracker and sleep tracking is back working again    Thanks 

[ManuFitbit]

Hi @Radinaat @Pollly, a warm welcome to the community forums.

Thank you for taking the time to share all this information regarding how to fix this difficulty with Versa 2. 

As our friend @Guy_ mentioned, this information will help other users facing the same issue.

Please keep us updated, and feel free to share more experiences and questions regarding the device's various features.

 I'd like to invite you to visit our Health & Wellness board where you can share your experiences, meet people and create new topics.