Is the Versa 2 battery replaceable or interchangeable?

[Michelleohio]

I've been told that the battery on Versa and Versa 2 cannot be replaced.  Recently on YouTube.com, there were a series of demonstrations showing how to remove and to replace the battery.  The company that did the demo sells the battery for about $15 and also will install it for a fee.  I was wondering if anyone has replaced their battery and how effective it has been.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Guy_]

Hi @mamakas1966  - it is more likely a firmware or App update issue than a battery problem. Check which features you have enabled  and try removing them all to see if that restores battery life - it should - also do a Shutdown from the watch settings menu which completely turns off the device. Wait 10 seconds for it to complete and then place on the charger to restart ti and charge it.

Also try a different simple, non SpO2, non Weather clock face.

And for a test disable Bluetooth on the phone before restarting the watch and see if that improves the watch battery life.

[St.Cathy]

Me too. Going to buy Apple now

[fromage9747]

Good news everyone!

You can now pick up Versa 2 batteries on Aliexpress!

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003640771293.html

Versa 2 Teardown video if anyone needs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL4JFMm6IQU

I will be performing this myself in time. 

[falpatel702]

Please give update on how it worked out for you! I want to try this route because I don’t want to spend money on another tracker. My Versa Is barely a year old and I really like Fitbit but their customer service blows 

the community has been more helpful

[Guy_]

@falpatel702  - frequently it is not the battery that has a problem but use of all features all the time which may not be necessary.

Although not all issues may apply on your watch still check the main issues How to resolve the Major issues causing short battery life. 

[fromage9747]

I could understand if you started using extra functionality but when your Versa has been set up exactly the same way since the day you took it out of the box and the battery starts lasting less and less each day... Well... Unless FitBit are pulling an Apple, the battery is the issue.

[Njmrn2000]

I deleted some of the apps I don't use and now the battery lasts longer. Hope that's helpful.

Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

[Guy_]

@fromage9747  -  thanks for your interesting post for parts and video.

Re the battery lasting, any li-ion battery should last quite a few years.

What happens is new firmware and new versions of the Fitbit App [or even clock faces] cause things to work differently and add new features.

For example, premium user's Snore detection or anyone's SpO2 measurements can consume as much as 2 days, each, of the battery between charges.

It pays to eliminate all features first before deciding it is a battery problem.

And if one wants to take the risk, doing a factory reset is also an option worth considering if you are ready to ditch the watch because it is outside warranty.

[fromage9747]

I went through all the factory resets and I could never use any of the cool snore detection or sp02 features. I pretty much just used everything standard.

I'm not too fussed. Of course it's inconvenient, but if you have the capability then it's okay. I've gotten used to buying new things and having to repair it myself because customer support is rubbish.

[TorontoP]

Sry I didn’t try battery replacement. I bought a refurbished Apple Watch and I’m loving it. 

[falpatel702]

@TorontoP Yeah I bought a gently used Apple Watch SE for $125 and I’m happy. A friend who is an Apple genius helped verify that it’s authentic and it was still under Apple Warranty. Seller sent me the info and it checked out. 

@Guy_ i already had those settings on my Versa 2 before it started having issues. The warranty expired barely two months ago. I loved the features and interface of Fitbit. But the customer service was poor when clearly MANY users are having this issue. I did several factory reset and battery drained within hours. Watch restarts on its own. 

[Dw1960]

Add another one to the list. My Versa 2 was bought in Dec 2019.

Fully charged it last night before going to bed. This morning it is completely dead. Charged it again to 100%. Have had it off the charger for 45 minutes and already down to 85%.

[Sbethc]

Same issues with my Versa 2. Battery life is now maybe 1 day. Often doesn’t sync or syncs so slowly as to time out. 
this was my 3rd Fitbit product but it’s is my last. 

[jbversa2user]

Call this is the second time I am trying to post a response. The first time I was more or less signed out by the community as it posted an advert which took me away from completing my response before I submitted it. Anyhow I purchased my versa in 2019 and it worked flawlessly up until January 2022. At that point I began needing to charge it every three days every two days and now more or less daily before it completely loses charge. I’ve even  monitored the percentage but when it’s 60% plus, it will die so I can’t determine when it really needs to be charged. 
I won hundred percent agree with Michelleohio. I’ll give you the receipts great product but I’m totally baffled that battery replacement is not possible.  As the inconvenience of battery recharge exacerbates, I’m forced to determine how I want to handle my fitness watch replacement. Right now Fitbit doesn’t seem to be a viable option.

[SRN3]

I got the battery from Aliexpress and just trying it out. I’ll post how it went… so far, the repair kit didn’t had the right screwdriver… the suction cup worked well to remove the screen… i’ll put it on hold until I buy the right screwdriver

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Battery replaced successfully! I got this precision screwdriver:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08G13KB1L?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I also used a couple of clamps to hold it while removing pieces… the biggest challenge I’m facing is to decide how to glue and seal the screen again to ensure stays waterproof.

I’ll post again after a week or so to share if the battery replacement actually solved the issue. 

For those who want to try it here are some tips & tricks:

1.- detaching the screen: I used the clamps and a hair dryer for about 50 seconds and then pulled using a suction cup provided in the battery replacement kit. No need for razor blades or scratching the side of the screen.

2.- use clamps to avoid aiming for a moving target when unscrewing, detaching, re-attaching, etc…

3.- Use vinyl gloves to reduce the likelihood of electrostatic damage to the electronics.

4.- I noticed a miss match in the specs of the original battery and the replacement sold by Aliexpress… the original one is 165 mAh and 3.85v while the replacement is 300mAh and 3.7v… 

5.- re-attaching the screen is still pending… no tricks about it yet…

6.- I live in Toronto and bought 2 Aliexpress battery replacements in case someone here lives nearby and wants one

[fromage9747]

Excellent work!

The glue you are after is this:

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005004236515704.html

https://aliexpress.com/item/1005004110976339.html 

Same glue I used when sealing up my phone after changing the battery. 

Just remember to clean off any excess glue or "sticker" glue that is remaining so that it's a nice thin/tight seal. 

You should try and see if you can create an Instructables or a video on your repair.  I am sure the community would gladly appreciate it.

Anything is possible! 

[SRN3]

Thanks again @fromage9747 !

I’ll buy that one. In the meantime I tried to re-attach with the same glue it originally had… when using the hair drier and suction cup… the thin layer of glue didn’t suffer any damage or wear…

for now, I re-heated it, place a clamp during the night and this morning the screen is holding itself… I tested it with the auction cup to try to detach it and I couldn’t detach it… I’ll use it this way while I receive the T-7000

[Sonyacapate]

Mine too! I thought it had something to do with the new update. Mine was perfectly fine before the update. 

---------

I thought it was the last update because mine was perfectly fine until I updated it.

[Roxbello]

“we Fitbit do not recommend changing the battery” ok, can you please tell me what you recommend if the battery only lasts 12hr? At this point the device isn’t working anymore anyways. Is there a company recommended way to replace? If not, please advise your superiors there should be. 

is the recommendation to purchase another? 
I bought one for my dad, it’s lasted him years so that’s good. Maybe 3… he had been dealing with more frequent charging for some time now. Finally it’s at a point where it just doesn’t make sense. Is it more advisable to but another one? If that’s the case, are there discounts for people buying due to the life of the Fitbit dying? 

[JRWelton]

@Guy_ You may be correct about all the features - but the fact remains that, just after two years of use, I've gone from charging once a week to charging every two days - and my usage habits haven't changed. Nothing's been added or removed, I've used the same watch face since shortly after the SpO2 face was released, the battery life is just going down fast - like from charging once every 4-5 days to once every day or two over the past two months. At almost 300.00 CDN for the watch, I'd expect to get more than 2 years out of it - the 150.00 Surge that it was replaced was 4 yrs old and still getting 5-7 days from a charge. As with others, I'll be trying the replacement battery - and if that doesn't work, I'll be leaving Fitbit. I almost walked away from the Surge when the band broke and Fitbit's answer was "buy a new watch"... then I found an aftermarket replacement online for under 10 bucks. If I can find an aftermarket battery, fine - but do you see the trend here? Support's answer to everything is "turn all the things off" and if that doesn't work, "buy a new device". It's amazing they're still in business. Fool me once...

@SRN3 just checking in, as it's been a month and a half or so - is the Aliexpress battery still holding up for you? I'm about to order one myself, but figured if it was crapping out already, I'll just cut my losses and by another watch - from a different company.