Sense 2 turns on only when plugged to charger

[Kareem_M]

Hi Fitbit support team,

Need your help here. My Fitbit sense is starting only when i plugged into charged and turn of when i removed the charge cable. I went through few articles and did reset, updated and performed few trouble shooting steps, but still didn't help. It was good before, not sure what is happening all of sudden. 

Google/Fitbit support, Please help here, i have invested 1 months salary to buy this. Kindly please help.

Thank you

Kareem

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Lynnon]

@LizzyFitbit  I have already had a case opened as of 2/1 and have not heard anything back yet. But I’ve filled out the link you had attached anyway. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @Lynnon.

Thanks for sharing those details and filling out the form. I'm going to inform our team about it so they can evaluate your case and provide you with assistance.

Have a great weekend ahead!

[h655t]

Dear Fitbit Support Team,

I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out regarding a significant issue I have been experiencing with my Fitbit device this week, which seems to be a problem many others have reported. Despite showing a full 100% battery charge when placed on the charger, the device displays a red X after only a few hours of use, rendering it essentially nonfunctional.

Could you please provide an update on when a firmware fix will be released to address this issue? Alternatively, is there an option to roll back the recent update, as it appears to be the root cause of the problem? I have been a loyal Fitbit customer since 2013, and I rely on my device daily.

If the intent is to phase out this particular model, I believe it would be reasonable for Google to offer replacements to affected Fitbit owners. The current situation is extremely frustrating and has created a poor customer experience.

If this issue is not addressed in the next few days, I will have no choice but to seek a more reliable alternative, as I need a dependable device.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

[BKneiss]

Same issue for me. Started having to charge my Sense 2 every day and now only turns on when on the charger. Very frustrating to pay for premium and have this happen. Plus before this issue my Sense 2 wouldn’t update. Good luck to all on this thread. I’m done with Fitbit. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Welcome to the community, @h655t and @BKneiss.

Thanks for taking the time to troubleshoot your watches. I understand where you're coming from and I apologize for the experience that you've had. Our team constantly works to improve our devices, and the feedback we receive from our members is a big part of the process.

@h655t I checked with our Support team and it seems you already have a case created. Because they have access to all your details, I'd suggest keeping an open conversation with them.

@BKneiss Just to confirm, may I know if you've exhausted the steps described in this help article? If not, please give them a try and keep a closer eye to your watch's behavior afterward.

[pnyk67]

unfortunately I'm having the same issue with my Sense 2.  It also stopped tracking my sleep. I contacted support and was told it is a known issue and an app update was being developed to fix the issue.  Clearly not a huge priority to them as one hasn't come out yet.  looks like its time to switch to an Apple Watch - I'm sure they have their issues to, but hopefully support is a bit more responsive.  Mine started to act up by only recording part of my sleep time for 2-days, then stopped recording it all together. Now, the only way I can get th display on is when I connect it to the charger, but even that isn't getting the watch to respond consistently.   Very frustrating experience so much for premium

[Mmh1]

I have completed the form. Given so many are having the same issue I am questioning IF a fix will come out. I agree with other posters who have come to rely on the data that our Fitbit provide to us, as well as the ongoing cost of premium after our device has quit working. My Fit quite providing any data and has since made my premium subscription useless as well. Is Fitbit going to look into this as well for those of us who have had issues and attempted to get things fixed. Given this appears to be more of a software issue and not a device issue?  

[pnyk67]

I finally did the on-line chat and had to factory reset my watch.  That lasted all of about 6-hours, as by the end of the work day, the screen was again unresponsive.  plugged it in to the charger when I got home and screen came back to life, but when I took if off the charger to go for a walk, screen was blank again.  put it back on the charger to try and see if it would work to track my sleep, but of course, by morning the screen was blank and nothing synced across to my phone.  Seems like google to a good, value oriented item and made it redundant.  Didn't Apple get in trouble for doing that with some of their mobile phones?  maybe google doesn't want to service a non-google product, well they won't have to worry about mine after today - switching to another brand

[LoriSky]

I've had the same issue.

None of the resolution steps have worked. Maybe if there are enough of us bringing awareness to this issue, they will actually fix it. At this point I've been thinking about throwing it away and getting one of those rings that track your health. 

[Guy_]

Please check which firmware version you have, pull down on the watch face to get to Quick Settings, tap the gear to get to watch Settings and at the bottom, About Sense 2 and System info. The problem may be related to a fault in the latest firmware version 214_24

[LoriSky]

My version is 60.20001.210.26.

I'm at the point where I can no longer use my Fitbit as it immediately goes blank once removed from my original charger. 

[Guy_]

Thanks for the info @LoriSky - it is probable the problem is not directly related to that firmware version.

If the watch reports a good battery level since it was last charged, once it's started, (double tap it to see the actual battery level, or push the button to wake it and pull the watch face down to get to Quick Settings to see the current battery level) a factory reset may help. See Factory reset tips 

If you only get 100% (or 0%) all the time when on charge and holding the button for a full 10 seconds when off charge does nothing there could be a hardware battery connection fault.

[LoriSky]

My battery life varies. Typically somewhere between 70%-100%.

I'll try the factory reset but was concerned I would lose my historical information 

[Guy_]

@LoriSky - as long as you sync first all your data will stored on the Fitbit servers so you won't lose any data.

[LoriSky]

I have done the factory reset. Upgraded to 60.20001.214.24.

I am still experiencing a continuous blank screen after disconnecting from the charger. It is not a battery issue. 

[Guy_]

Thanks @LoriSky - when off charge if you double tap the watch does the display appear and are you able to sync the watch? 

This will determine if the watch is on and the display not working or if it is off.

[SunnyNR]

Hi Kareem

I am also facing the same issue.

And there is no help from the FITBIT team.

We have wasted our time and money on these products

Thanks

[SunnyNR]

Hi Lizzy

I am also facing the same issue as @Kareem_M

My Fitbit sense is starting only when i plugged into charged and turn of when i removed the charge cable. I went through few articles and did reset, updated and performed few trouble shooting steps, but still didn't help. It was good before, not sure what is happening all of sudden. 

Google/Fitbit support, Please help

Fitbit team says me to leave the product.

No response as i am trying to fix it from 6 months.

Atleast give us back our money or replace it .

Atleast find a solution for this problem

Thanks

Thanks

[Kareem_M · Accepted solution]

Hi everyone,

Following my recent interaction with Fitbit Support, I wanted to share my experience regarding their limited one-year warranty and support process.

If your product is still within the one-year warranty period, Fitbit will assist you and may offer a replacement if it's eligible. However, if your device is out of warranty, their support is extremely limited. They simply advise purchasing a new device — no repair options, no discount offers, and no other form of assistance.

Considering the high cost of these smartwatches, it's disappointing to know that once the limited one-year warranty expires, there’s essentially no support available. It feels like the only option left is to discard the device and buy a new one, which isn’t ideal from a customer experience or sustainability perspective.

This has been my personal experience, and I hope Fitbit considers improving their post-warranty support in the future.

[Guy_]

Thanks @Kareem_M - for pointing that out.

It is not sure at this stage what actually is causing this problem or even if your watch actually has a fault.

There seems to be quite a few users experiencing this switching off problem which could also be a firmware issue.

Unfortunately lack of information as to the cause makes it difficult to know what to do.

Hopefully if you keep in contact with support they may be able to find a resolution as you can answer all the questions they have to do that.

If you or others could post what lead up to the problem a pattern might emerge.

It's not impossible that there are multiple causes.

Age and water contact could be an issue. Drying in rice for a few days may be an option.