Versa 2 software feedback

[D0sntwrk]

I am starting a new thread because there are many, many users on this forum and other places on the internet reporting that over time the Versa 2 stops working.  This is my experience too and the Fitbit so-called answer is to try factory resetting when it happens and if that doesn't work call the factory (customer support).  This is an unacceptable solution and I suggest that we, as users, demand that Fitbit actually fix the bugs so the watch just works like any watch is supposed to.  Having a watch that goes blank for hours a day is not acceptable.

Here are the Versa 2 bug symptoms I have experienced several times now:

1 - Immediately after a Versa 2 factory reset (wherein I lose all of my paid watch faces) the watch works the way it's supposed to, but then after a week or two it starts having two fatal bugs.  The length and frequency of the fatal bugs both increase over several weeks until the watch is unusable and needs a new factory reset.

2 - The first bug is when the screen goes blank and will not respond to anything.  None of watch face touch, side button and app synch cause the screen to reactivate.  The frequency of the screen blank bug starts with a couple times a day and only lasts a few minutes, but as time goes on the frequency increases and eventually the duration can be up to an hour or more.  Eventually, after a random period of time where there is no response from the watch, it suddenly starts working again.  By the time a month or two goes by there are so many episodes per day and they are so long that the watch is is completely unusable for a good part of the day.

3 - The second but is where the watch seems to be trying to restart and wake up from the above screen blank bug.  The Fitbit logo comes on for anywhere from a few minutes to 10 minutes and the watch is unusable during these periods too.  At first after a factory reset this happens infrequently but as with the screen blank bug eventually the logo lockup bug happens many times per day for 10 minutes at a time. At the end of the bug growth period where the user is forced to factory reset the watch the logo bug happens multiple times in a row where the logo locks the user out for 5-10 minutes, the watch tries to restart, the logo appears again immediately and locks the user out and this cycle can go on for 30 to 60 minutes.

4 - As the frequency and duration of these two bugs grows over a month or two, the user is forced to do another factory reset.  The watch is so bunged up by that time that not only is a factory reset required, but the user must also forget the watch from the Fitbit app and reinitialize the bluetooth connection.  If the user tries to do the factory reset without forgetting and reinitializing the bluetooth connection they the app won't recognize the watch to set it up again.  After factory reset all watch faces and other purchased apps etc are lost and the user is forced to contact the watch face and app providers to get credit to get them back without paying again, and all settings for the Versa 2, all watch faces and all apps are lost so the user must re-enter all settings.

5 - It is completely unreasonable and unfair to expect users to go through this kind of regular factory reset procedure.  A watch should be a device that needs zero user intervention to work.  I have experience in electronics and software design and these bugs are classified as "severe" or "fatal" in any product.  Whenever a device "bricks" (becomes totally unusable) due to normal use circumstances, this is as bad as a bug can get and must receive the highest priority from engineering to fix it.  Bottom line - the watch should not be sold until these fatal bugs are fixed.  

Fitbit - please fix these fatal Versa 2 bugs.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[D0sntwrk]

This is a quick update.  After doing another Versa 2 factory reset and app re-pairing last night, things worked fine until about an hour ago.  The watch face is again blanked and the watch is bricked - won't respond to screen touch, button or app.  It's been bricked for about 45 minutes and has been unusable during that time.  

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community, @D0sntwrk. I am sorry for the delayed response.  

I appreciate your participation in the Forums and sharing the details of the issues you experienced with Versa 2, the troubleshooting done and your experience. I understand that this can be very frustrating and appreciate your feedback. Our team is always working on improving our devices and user experiences, and your comments are always welcome.

To share additional feedback or if you want to see features to be improved, feel free to visit our Feature suggestion board. Here our product development teams consult regularly to ensure we're delivering on what our customers need and want.

I've sent your information to the Customer Support team so they can get in touch with you and provide further assistance. You should be getting a reply soon. 

I'll be around if you need further assistance. 

[prenaud]

I went through pretty well the same thing with my watch (watches). I got a Versa 2 for Christmas and after a couple months, it was unusable. I contacted customer support and we managed to get it going again using a different phone. Two weeks later, I contacted customer support again and this time there was nothing we could do. They sent me another watch. So, I've had the new watch for a month and a half. Well, this week, I had to do a factory reset again 3 days in a row. It seems to be fine today, but for how long. Like @D0sntwrk said, it is not fair that we have to go through this.

[LiliyaFitbit]

Hi @prenaud, it's nice to see you again in our Community Forums. I am sorry for the delayed response. 

Thank you for joining the thread and sharing your experience. I appreciate your efforts and the additional details. I totally understand how you are feeling and appreciate your feedback since this helps us to keep improving. I am glad to hear your watch is working fine at the moment and hope you continue enjoying the Fitbit experience. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

[prenaud]

Thanks for getting back to me. In fact, the watch has been acting out the passed 2 days. The battery went down 50% overnight. It usually is 10%. The left button doesn't always work. Swiping is hit and miss. This morning, all of a sudden, the Fitbit logo showed up when I came back from my run. I did a factory reset and did not install any new app just in case that was the problem. I use Orb Redux as my clockface. I love the Versa 2. So disappointing...

Orb Redux

https://gallery.fitbit.com/en-ca/details/d096fc35-9fc2-4137-b968-b5b3b71409dd 

[prenaud]

@LiliyaFitbit , I guess I spoke too soon. My Versa 2 is totally unusable this morning. I've been fussing with it for over an hour trying to do a factory reset. Since swiping doesn't work, I have to use the back button. I use the instructions below, but never get the second vibration. Instead, the logo shows up again. 

1. Hold the back button for about 8 seconds. 
2. When the Fitbit logo disappears:
   1. Release the button briefly (for less than 2 seconds). 
   2. Hold the button again until you feel a second, longer vibration, which indicates they initiated the factory reset. 

[LiliyaFitbit]

Hi @prenaud, thank you for your reply.

I am sorry to hear about the issues you're experiencing with your watch. Thanks for trying to resolve this and I am here to help. I appreciate the additional details, thank you for providing a link of the clock face you're using. Since the steps you tried didn't help, I've sent your information to the Customer Support team so they can get in touch with you and provide further assistance. You should be getting a reply soon. 

Let me know if you have any questions.

[Sherman124]

I have had these same issues for the past month. Black screen, cannot swipe, click face comes on randomly, cannot tap to wake screen. I’ve done the steps to try to alleviate the problems but cannot complete all because of no swipe ability. I have also removed the versa2 from the app and re installed but still not working. It’s time for a call to customer service. I’ve only had this Fitbit since February. 

[prenaud]

Thanks @LiliyaFitbit for your help. I'll leave an update here in case others follow...

I unpaired my recent Versa 2 and left it alone for 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, I managed to connect with my old Versa. No swiping either, but at least it collects data.

My recent Versa came back to life. I was able to do a factory reset and reconnect it with my phone this am. No swiping possible still. I went for a run and tried several times to press the arrow for "Starting exercise app" while I was running. Only at the end of my run was I able to activate the app after pressing maybe 10 times. Then, it took me forever to stop it since I was already done with my run. It's so silly, I'm almost laughing. Now I'm pressing the back button and it's hit and miss again. I'll be waiting for a reply from Customer Support , but I don't have much hope since this is already my 2nd Versa in less than 5 months. 

[jonrey]

Well stated and clear analysis of the issues that many users of the Versa 2 device. I bought mine at the beginning of March. It's frankly never worked well. I bought it as a way to get into more activity, also as a way to keep as healthy as possible with the current pandemic. I have an 11 mo old puppy, and bought the watch to start walking her and myself. That all has worked really well. 

However.....

This thing is almost useless. I can only get to the clock screen. So it does the same thing as the cheap $70 Fitbit - tracks steps, calories, time date... but that's about it. Swiping to another screen freezes. The touch-to-turn-on function works very sporadically. So I can't access any of the other apps. Very user-unfriendly. 

Then for a few days I couldn't get the screen to activate. It might come on, but it might not. I spent a great deal of time reading the forums, tried rebooting, ended up doing a reset, re-paired the device, etc. Nothing. In the midst it also went through the firmware update. Zilch.

So I started a chat today. All I was offered was a replacement after we went through the same "hold the button for 10 seconds" routine. Now it won't even sync. The CSR offered a replacement. I explained several times that I wanted more than a replacement since many users went that route and had the same experience with the replacement. 

This is clearly a significant issue. It's not like the technology in this device is any kind of cutting edge. The watch is connected via normal Bluetooth technology with a smartphone. I told the CSR I wasn't willing to simply follow the same path as many other users, get a replacement, then go through the same failure again. I asked for a supervisor to call me, since I didn't want to continue via chat. No go.

This is unacceptable. This customer service is, frankly, horrible. 

[prenaud]

I'm kind of curious now. I wonder if this happens more to users who are very active. I do about 3 hours of active minutes per day - hiit, running, cycling, longboarding, ... and this is my second Versa 2 in 5 months. I know other users who definitely don't do as much as I do and they don't have any issues.

[prenaud]

And the frustration continues. I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to do. I have to go back and forth between the "old" watch and the new one every other day. To make things worse, the watch got the distance totally wrong with my regular 3 km run. And that was my best time. 😞

EDIT: Not every other day. I reset one this morning and had to switch again this afternoon - no swiping at all after half a day. 

___________________________________________________

[MarreFitbit]

Hello guys @prenaud, @jonrey, and @Sherman124. I'd like to give thanks for the feedback you've provided towards our product. Please know that we provide feedback to our team based on community posts and we are always working on improving our devices and overall environment based on that feedback. 

We acknowledge the limitation we have on our part particularly on what you have experienced. We‘re truly taking into consideration your comments and sentiments with regards to our products and services in general.

I've seen the three of you are getting a replacement. Please don't hesitate to reply back to your support case if you have any further questions about the process of your new Fitbit device. 

We hope you guys get back on track soon. 

[prenaud]

Thanks @MarreFitbit ,

I was very happy to get my replacement in less than 24 hours after I filled out the form. 

I've always said that I liked the Versa 2 very much and I am more than willing to help improve the product in any way I can.

I am also very impressed with the support I get from Fitbit. I read a lot of negative comments and I wonder if I should just stop following the different forums. I don't like to see all that negativity...

Thank you all for your help,

Pierre