Keep getting charging warnings on Sense

[Laszlo52]

While my Fitbit Sense watch charges perfectly and quickly, it constantly throws up the wrong messages. It is on the computer's USB2 port, which provides it with normal, standard voltage. This is also evidenced by the fact that it charges from 10% to 100% in about 1 hour. Please eliminate unnecessary warnings!

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Laszlo52]

I also sent the bug to Fitbit Support. Their response was quick: "Attention: Email support not available":( If they don’t deal with it there, I’ll expose it to Twitter as well.

[Laszlo52]

Fitbit answer: We're sorry to see this and we totally understand how you feel about this. We’ve checked this with our team and found out that this is an ongoing issue that the Fitbit team is currently working on a solution. Thanks for your patience while we work to get you back on track the soonest.

[Rich_Laue]

@Laszlo52 if you are using a USB port on the PC then yes, your tracker will be charging slowly and I would expect this message. My phone and portable hotspot will give the same warning. 

A pc port will only offer 5 volts at 0.5 amps. Versa 3 has a quick charger and should be able to charge at up to 500 MAmps. My Sense pulls 1100 MAmps or twice the current your pc can provide. 

Try plugging the Versa 3 into your phones wall brick and see if you still see this message. 

The Versa with its slow charge takes an hour, the Versa 3, with quick charge, should be a lot faster, with 15 -20 minutes of charge bringing you from 10 to about 50%. 

[Laszlo52]

@Rich_Laue  However, fast charging destroys the battery much sooner. That is, even at slow charging, this should not be shown constantly. Of course, it is good for Fitbit if the battery breaks down quickly, because it encourages the user to make another purchase and therefore warns them when charging slowly.

[Laszlo52]

@Rich_Laue

With Samsung's original fast charger, the "slow charge" indicator will still appear. If that’s not enough for him either, then maybe Fitbit should provide him with a separate charger. I'm very tired of Fitbit. Charger supplied with S9 + phone:

[Laszlo52]

Why is there no official answer? Should I put the watch directly on the power outlet? It charges perfectly anyway, even when I see the wrong signal. Probably why people don’t report this mistake. Will there be a repair? I will ask this every day until the bug is fixed.

[Rich_Laue]

I use my Samsung charger and haven't seen this message. 

I did find an old wall wort I had and was able to replicate. 

@Laszlo52 yes fast charging produces heat, and hear is not good. 

Charging the battery over 80% or letting it drop much below 30% may also harm the battery. 

[Garnent]

It does it in wall charger as well sorry to say.

[S1930]

I agree.  I have to put soft material under my Fitbit Sense to keep it from buzzing every minute or so when it tells me it is slow charging.  It will pop up this warning and buzz probably 50 times while it charges.  I don't know why it doesn't like to fast charge (I have tried many chargers), but what I really want to happen is for the popup/buzzing alerts to stoppppppppppp.  I know it is slow charging.  Enough, already!

[Rich_Laue]

My thought is that the contacts may need cleaning. 

If the charging stops, it will buzz if slow charging when reconnected. 

[hen3]

It is not the charging pins, this is an internal error, I find that my Versa (3 month old) charge fine until about 80% then it through these Slow Charging messages one after the other, in about 10sec intervals, extremely annoying. Someone need to name and shame Fitbit for this, because that is the only way they will fix something.

[hen3]

Apologies, I got the Fitbit Sense, not Versa.

[BarbBinOhio]

I try a number of USB ports in 3 locations.   I use USB ports that also charge my cell phones beautifully.  My Sense used to fully charge in the a.m. while I showered and ate breakfast.  I know how to clean my Sense and clean the charger, and SUPPORT replied I am doing it correctly.  But I am on charger #3 now for a Sense I have had a year.   No matter which USB port I try, I get a CHARGING SLOWLY message.  then within a week, stops working at all.

[BarbBinOhio]

I had a VERSA lite, that lasted 3 YEARS, and the charger worked beautifully all that time.  I upgraded to a SENSE, and have had nothing but charger problems since. 

[BarbBinOhio]

forgot to add,  this will be my VERY LAST FITBIT.  I am tired of these charger problems.   As long as Fitbit is going to replace my chargers, I will keep this.  But, no more FITBITS for me

[BarbBinOhio]

I charge my SENSE, when it gets below 50%.  it used to charge up within an hour.  Now, SLOW takes a half day. RIDICULOUS

I wish we had a wall outlet connector that the USB can connect to.

[BarbBinOhio]

I use a little brush with alcohol on it to clean the back of the Sense.  I do this a few times a week, because it sits next to my skin.  I only clean the charger when it wants to charge slow.  I use a qtip and clean gently around the pins.  SUPPORT says I am cleaning correctly.  Does not help

[Clove6060]

I only clean the back of my watch when it gets really dirty from yard work or something to that effect.

A side from that, I clean it and the charging cable pins when I charge it. Every 4-5 days. I too use alcohol and a q-tip. The last few days I have been using the snore report so it has been more frequent, every couple of days. 

[Guy_]

From tests using a meter I can see the current drawn is lower when the slow charge message appears.

It's not a power source problem however as the maximum charge the watch has drawn is 320 ma at 5 V and the power source will still deliver it.

As the watch controls the current allowed it could be a watch problem or a contact problem.

Having removed and reconnected the charge cable a few rimes it was possible to get full current without the message.

Oddly, I changed charge cable when the problem occurred and the problem persisted where previously both cables were fine and no amount of cleaning resolved it. 

The charger pins are fine on both cables.

With a slight repositioning was able to get normal charge.  Perhaps the alignment magnets have moved, or have become weaker and less precise.

However noticed during slow charging the voltage was lower than the normal 5v with higher (normal) current which is odd because if less current is being delivered the voltage shouldn't drop.

This same voltage and current drop  (4.89 V 240 ma) occurs on different power blocks and pc ports.

This may be a power source defence mechanism in the case of overload due to possible shorting of the contacts, possibly due to incorrect positioning.

Still researching the issue.