Versa buzzes every time entering or leaving the library

[CinderBDT907]

Whenever we enter or leave the library, my husband's Versa buzzes.  The library uses an RFID reader at the checkout counter and a sensor at the door.  Is there an RFID in the Versa that is being energized by the sensor at the door?  Can we turn off this effect?

[Rich_Laue]

That would depend on which version Version you have .

The special edition has NFC for Fitbit Pay. 

[N8teGee]

Also it depends where you live. Outside of the US all models have the NFC chip for Fitbit pay. It definitely sounds like it's possible that the library readers could be interfering with the NFC chip.

I remember reading a fitbit document when the Ionic was released that users in Australia didn't need to press the side button to activate fitbit pay, simply holding the device up to the reader was enough to activate it. I don't know if that's still the case as there's been a good few FW upates since then, and obviously if you live outside of Australia this shouldn't apply to you anyway. 

[SteveH]

That Australian comment is in https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2236/

Can't see in there, or anywhere else, where you can disable the NFC chip.

[N8teGee]

Thanks @SteveH, I knew I had read it somewhere. So in the case of the Australian users, I believe what the OP is describing could be plausible? The way I read it is that the NFC chip is active passively for the Australian users, a bit like how you would hold an iPhone up to a reader and it would wake it and bring up Apple pay.

It will be interesting to learn which country the OP lives in. 

[meresydotes]

All - I would guess the user is in the US, given the use of "energized." I would also like to know what can set the Versa abuzz. Mine tends to vibrate on its own at night, and pretty much only at night. Moderators say it buzzes when it loses connection with the phone, but my phone is within range and I even moved it closer. I also turned off notifications while sleeping and always connected. I live in an area with a lot of military presence and I would not be surprised if they have something going on that causes this. All I want is for it to stop.

[BDT907]

Yes, I live in the United States.

Yes, I have the Versa Special Edition.

I guess I need to get something like a protector sleeve?

https://www.rei.com/product/129769/rei-co-op-rfid-passport-protector

"laminated foil material blocks unauthorized scanning of the RFID (radio frequency identification) chip"

I could try wrapping a few layers of aluminum foil around my wrist, then going to the library.

Maybe it is a different kind of metal foil.

[N8teGee]

That's strange. As far as I know the NFC should only activate after a long press of the left button. It sounds like yours might be sticking on. 

Have you tried the basics like restarting the device? (Press and hold the left button and bottom right button together for 15 secs). Personally I might try a factory reset if I was you. 

[CinderBDT907]

I watched the restart the device after you suggested it.  We were at the library today again, where the same buzzing happened.  Hard restart as N8teGee described did not help. I will suggest the factory reset.  We will report back after we follow the steps from this forum post.

[BDT907]

Performing the factory reset of the Versa Special Edition did not solve the NFC activation by the RFID reader at the local library.  I don't have anything in the Wallet and I have never touched the NFC functionality of this device.  It shouldn't activate. I don't want this feature, I just want a watch/fitness/sleep tracker.

[BDT907]

I found a setting in my online profile that might help.  Even though I had never enabled it, I pushed the button that deactivated Fitbit Pay.

[BDT907]

Well, buzzing still happens whenever I walk through the detector at the library.  This is even having pressed the "Deactivate FitBit Pay" button on the fitbit.com site in my profile. There's nothing in the Wallet.  Today I checked using someone's Android phone that does NFC. There's an app called "NFC Tools" on Google Play. It was able to activate the NFC in the Fitbit Versa, just like what happens in the library (doing nothing to the watch).  And I tried using one of those RFID Credit Card Sleeves wrapped around my wrist to block the reading.  It didn't work.

NFC Tools can see the Fitbit Versa even when I do nothing.

Isn't this supposed to only work when I allow the information to be read? Why can't I disable this feature unless and until I want to use it?

[N8teGee]

I just tried that app on mine, and it vibrates just as you describe. I'm guessing this is just normal behaviour, although somewhat annoying for some. 

[Rich_Laue]

I've notcee that even when I don't activate my credit card I can tap the watch to the reader. The watch Ionic did respond, but I'm not sure if it opened the lock screen or asked to hold in the left button .

Maybe a true Faraday cage would work. 

[meresydotes]

I don't think it's the NFC chip. Mine doesn't have an NFC chip (though maybe it's like they used to make cars - the features are there, you just aren't licensed to use them). I also don't have a clock face that buzzes when it loses contact with my phone. Mine just buzzes at night. All night. Every night. Not at all during the day. It's just a bug and Fitbit has shown no interest in fixing it.

[N8teGee]

---

@Rich_Laue wrote:

I've notcee that even when I don't activate my credit card I can tap the watch to the reader. The watch Ionic did respond, but I'm not sure if it opened the lock screen or asked to hold in the left button .

Maybe a true Faraday cage would work. 

---

@Rich_Laue When I tested it with the NFC app that @BDT907 mentioned. The Ionic vibrated but the screen didn't come on. When I turned the screen on the pin pad was on the screen, so I put my pin in and it went to the wallet screen. So I repeated this now that I'd unlocked it, and again it just went to the wallet screen asking me to press and hold the left button to use Fitbit pay.

Im guessing the NFC chip is always on, regardless of the Fitbit pay state. Though it will only transfer payment details when you physically press and hold the left button. This is good as it prevents people from skimming your watch for payment details. I'm not sure what the NFC tech on the watch is, it may be passive, which would explain why its jumping into life when near a reader. A bit like our bank cards in the UK, the reader creates a magnetic field to power the card when it comes within range.

I could be talking complete nonsense, but that's the only explanation I can think of why the chip is always active. 

[Rich_Laue]

That sounds about right @N8teGee, I haven't tried this with the Versa and the Ionic was not on it's latest update. Things might have changed some. 

Yes the CC needs to be unlocked and the button needs to have been pressee before any CC data can be accessed

[Rich_Laue]

@meresydotes from what we can tell, in the USA, maybe also Canada the standard Versa does not have the NFC hardware .

When it comes to the other countries both versions of the Versa have the NFC hardware, but it is not activated on the standard version. Although the standard version for outside the USA does vibrate wh n coming close to an NFC reader .

[BDT907]

@N8teGee and @Rich_Laue, thanks for the confirmation on this.  I bought the Versa Special Edition in the US because of the fabric band. If I ever use the Wallet, I will be surprised.  It is good to know that the credit card information is properly protected and can't be read even if the NFC can be activated by the reader. It is good to know that the information the watch does provide to the reader in passive mode is suitably meaningless. While I will silently wince every time my wrist buzzes upon visiting the library, I will then use the Relax app and gain perspective: it could be worse.

[Za33]

I work in a library and just got the special edition Charge 3 with Fitbit Pay. I have activated the Pay feature. When I pass through the RFID gates, my watch vibrates and asks me for my Pay ID. I was wondering if this was normal and am reassured to see others have experienced it.