Fitbit Sense won't charge

[Razorgirl88]

So I see some other people have posted on this problem.  I ordered my Fitbit Sense on January 7, 2021, directly from Fitbit.  There were some shipping issues and I finally got it at the end of January.  Since receiving it, I have had intermittent charging issues.  Sometimes this is resolved by cleaning the connections, other times I've had to resolve it by resetting the Sense by holding down the button for 10 seconds until the Fitbit symbol shows on the face of the watch.  On a few occasions I just had to keep trying plugging it in to different sockets on my computer.  However, this time it flashed "0%" the first time I plugged it in but then never charged.  It won't reset using the button, nor will it work after cleaning the contacts or plugging it into different sockets.  I haven't even owned this 4 months yet and I'm really frustrated with this problem. I keep my software up to date and don't know what else to do.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[Hellcatpekes]

On top of the crap and unreliable charging the syncing with a iPhone is spotty at best. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. No apparent reason why it doesn’t. I still can’t get weather to work at all. I give that all permission and it works for 5 min, then after it says it needs permission again. 
If I were to go back I would have gotten the iPhone watch….

[APNarine]

I've had mine for two days and initiated the process of returning it for a full refund. 

[Hellcatpekes]

Good choice. I’m going to sell mine sometime soon and get a iPhone watch instead. Health wise does almost everything Fitbit does and much much less buggy and sync between them are seamless and not a pain in the butt!

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @APNarine and @Hellcatpekes.

I'm sorry for the difficulties that you've experienced with your Sense. Every feedback shared in the forums is provided to our team so they can evaluate our products, work and improve their functionality. Your comments are truly appreciated and they won't be taken for granted. If your watch meets our policy conditions, you can always get in touch with our Support team via chat or phone to receive help with the return process.

Thanks again for your efforts while troubleshooting your watch, you're always welcome back to the Fitbit family.

See you around.

[CrlTomkinson]

I'm having the same issue with my Sense not charging or charging slowly. It also won't hold a charge for 24 hours. I got mine in mid-July. I did contact support via chat, and they told me to monitor my Sense and let them know if it keeps doing the same thing. It's been doing it since I got it, so I'm not sure that watching it continue to do the same thing is going to make a difference.... They did say they would check my warranty options. I don't know. For the price, I would think that the watch would charge and then hold its charge for at least 24 hours. Cleaning the back of the watch and also cleaning the prongs and making sure none of them are stuck doesn't make any difference that I've been able to see. It seems like there's an issue with this type of charger from the sounds of things.

[primortal]

@CrlTomkinson, being it's not holding a charge, have you tried a factory reset on the Sense?

[CrlTomkinson]

Yes, I've reset the Sense too. So far nothing I've tried has fixed the problem. I'm not sure why anyone should have to go through this many steps to charge a watch that's only a few months old, but I've been trying my best to be patient. 

[Dcobls]

I had the same issue. I simply ordered new charging cables from Amazon. Was 2 cables for $10.99.  Problem solved. 

[APNarine]

I tried all those options as well, to no avail. I’ve also seen persons recommending new cables via Amazon; however I refuse to spend additional money on a device which never met even initial expectations. 

[Bubbabighatt]

Not sure if you got this fixed yet, but in my case one of the 4 tiny pins in the back of the charging cord (that make contact with the watch back when it's charging) has failed.  I mean, its still there but it is no longer spring loaded.  It just flops in and out when you turn the plug.  So I called in, and after multiple delays where the rep would put me on hold for 5-10 minutes (probably getting his Christmas online shopping done), and 25 minutes later - he finally agreed to send me a new one.  So that was on Nov 16, and I'm still waiting.  So I paid $300 for a poorly designed product with a crappy support system, and $10 a month...

I'm done... Thank god I bought it at Costco.  ?

[CrlTomkinson]

I have to agree. I bought this four months ago, and it's been a problem since day one. No one should have to buy another charging cable after spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of equipment that doesn't work correctly from the start. If there is a known issue, it should be addressed by the company. Obviously this is an issue affecting more than just one or two people.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone, and welcome to our new members.

@CrlTomkinson Thanks for letting me know about your Sense and the steps tried on your own. I totally understand your point of view and I'm sorry that you've gone through this experience. Because the battery is still not working correctly after monitoring it, I'd recommend contacting our Support team again and let them know the results. That way, they can evaluate your options and bring you back on track. Please click here to get connected with them via chat or phone.

@APNarine Thanks for trying the suggestions shared in this thread. I went ahead to review your details and it seems you already created a case with our Support team. Please keep an open communication with them, I'm sure they'll help you with this matter.

@Bubbabighatt I apologize for the experience that you've had when contacting our Support team. Every feedback shared in the forums helps us to improve our services, and yours will definitely passed along to prevent this from happening again. While I don't have access to your case , I'd suggest contacting our Support team one more time via chat or phone so they can provide you with more details.

@primortal and @Dcobls Thanks for sharing those great suggestions.

See you around.

[Tootsie98]

Me too I hate it(did you go buy u a anthor one)I’m think about getting my self a different watch…I have the same problem you have I have it too

did you ever get it fixed 

[Vince81]

Do not use your computer USB port to charge a Fitbit as it doesn’t give the same output as one plugged right into a wall outlet not sure if this will help but worth a shot

[APNarine]

I returned it for a full refund and bought another device.

[CrlTomkinson]

I only use a standard charger with the included cord. Thank you though!

[CrlTomkinson]

No, the support team was supposed to contact me and never did. That's as disappointing as buying a new Fitbit and having it not work! I'm looking at other watches to replace my Fitbit. I don't like spending this amount of money on something that doesn't work. And to top it off, support just never contacted me after I initially contacted them to report my issues. I was told they were looking at my warranty to determine what the next steps should be, but never heard anything more. Pretty sad!

[CraigHansen]

I've done that, too, twice, along with two purchases of the Fitbit supplied version. One advantage of the third-party version is that Fitbit isn't further remunerated for such a rotten design. The other problem is the lack of any direct feedback of when the pin is making contact. There's a buzz/vibration when it first connects, and a popup for "slow charging," but if the contact is lost, often, there's no feedback at all - the screen goes blank while charging.

[Gr4ndp4]

Hi, @CraigHansen, welcome, when charging your "Sense" you can monitor the charge status by -

1. Tap the "Sense" screen and you will get the green state of charge data.
2. Sync your "Sense" with your phone app and the state of charge will be updated in the top right corner of the "Today" screen.

If you are experiencing continuing issues with charging you might find guidance in this article Why isn't my Fitbit device's battery charging?  . Do check the little spring-loaded prongs on the charging cable, gently wiggle them to verify they are moving freely. Slow charging can also be caused by the build-up of debris in the contact pits on the back of your "Sense", I use warm soapy water and cotton buds to make sure they are clean, do not forget to dry your device before charging.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

[APNarine]

I had to proactively follow the CSR team via Chat function over two weeks. Although there were no further responses by Fitbit  in between, there was good communication at the end with the refund and settlement of the costs of international shipping.