Pin on Sense charging cable is pushed in

[sueloe]

Ever since my Sense did the update it no longer will charge.  I have cleaned the sensors, uninstalled and reinstalled my sense and everything else I could.  My Fitbit is only 7 months old and really does not hold a charge for more than 24-36hours.  

It looks like one of my prongs on the charger is pushed in a little bit.  Not sure how that even happened 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Rich_Laue]

Open up Amazon, by a third party cable, I got a pair for under 10USD and the pins easily move in and out. 

I've had 3 fitbit branded ones fail. 

[sutton527]

I have exactly the same problem, it kept saying it was charging slowly or not charging at all and then I noticed the pin. I have emailed them and I'm awaiting a response. This is what mine is like.

 

[Cnim]

You may be able to see my earlier post with a work around solution. Clean (4) sockets on watch gently with toothpick. Unplug cable from charging brick, attach it to watch, then plug it back into brick. Start with a new cable if you can to be certain all of the POGO pins are good. You may still get a slow charging message at times but the watch will charge fully without damaging the cable pins.
IMHO this is a severe design flaw with the Fitbit Sense and unless Fitbit comes out with a better design, it is what it is.

Sent from my Cell Phone

[jontym]

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@Cnim wrote:
You may be able to see my earlier post with a work around solution. Clean (4) sockets on watch gently with toothpick. Unplug cable from charging brick, attach it to watch, then plug it back into brick. Start with a new cable if you can to be certain all of the POGO pins are good. You may still get a slow charging message at times but the watch will charge fully without damaging the cable pins.
IMHO this is a severe design flaw with the Fitbit Sense and unless Fitbit comes out with a better design, it is what it is.

Sent from my Cell Phone

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I tried this with my new charger which I received on 14 December. The pin has been impacted and the charger stopped working in less than a month. I was extra careful attaching the Fitbit to the charger but the magnet is so strong it's impossible to stop it snapping on. Contacted Fitbit (again) and now they are sending replacement charger number six in 10 months! Are they just going to keep sending me replacement cables until the warranty runs out?

[Guy_]

Hi @jontym - did you try using rubbing alcohol and cotton swab? This probably removes the oily deposits so that a good connection is made.

It works for me, still on my original charge cable after 28 months, occasionally get slow charging when pins are misaligned.

[Rich_Laue]

It is obvious that something is wrong with this hole or pin, my guess is that the hole is to small.

See my solution above, which seems to be a permanent fix. 

Open Amazon, search for a sense or versa charging cable. Purchase a third party (one not made by fitbit) cable. 

I found a pack of two, with shipping, about $10. Isn't $10 worth not having to go through the agrevation. 

With a touch of my finger, all 4 of the pins freely move in and out. 

[LauraLC]

That happened to my charger too. I just bought a new one on amazon and it works fine now. 

[Fit1966]

Hey, I have had this problem 3 times now, really bad design of fitbit charger 😡 however I bought a compatable charger, this had same issue after time, but we cleaned the prongs with WD40 and tapped the charger on the table edge with the prongs facing the floor and this dropped the faulty prong back out... May not last forever (very doubtful🤭) but still charging my tracker so far... 🙏 

[Rolls7royce]

I have found a crude workaround. Get a small piece of foil. Small enough to go into the recessed part of the watch and can make contact with the recessed prong. It makes a connection so you can charge the watch. It charges slowly, but it's something. 

[jillybeans92]

I go through so many charging cables for this fitbit because it happens all of the time. It's so frustrating. If you find a fix, please let me know. 

[jillybeans92]

It is all of their charging cables. I buy a new one every three months it seems. Crappy products. 

[Guy_]

If there is the slightest bit of dirt/grime lodged in the watch contacts it won't charge well - it is important to make sure to clean the watch before each charge. How do I clean my Fitbit device?  Therefore don't charge too often.

Also check these tips Tips when using the Sense or Versa 3 charging cable 

These tips may prolong the life of the charge cable.

[Kyla1]

I had an ongoing problem similar. Then some others on this support group said attach watch to charge first then plug it into the USB charger electric block. Once the pin no longer pops up, charger pretty much a goner.

It appears if you plug the charger in and then put the watch on it you end up frying some spring inside. 

I've had a long run of success since plugging into electrical socket last.

[Guy_]

Hi @Kyla1  - thanks for confirming the tips mentioned in Tips using the Sense or Versa 3 charging cable worked for you, it should help others.

[Goresh]

Connect it to the back of the watch BEFORE plugging in the USB end and
remove the USB end BEFORE disconnecting from the watch.

The connector pins short out on the metal back of the watch and act like a
fuse.



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[Cnim]

I’ve previously suggested the same procedure. We charge two different Fitbit Sense watches on alternate days using the same cable (purchased from Amazon) for over two months now, plugging in the watch first then plugging the cable into the charging brick. So far, no more” frozen pin syndrome”.

Sent from Mail<> for Windows

[jillybeans92]

No, it's the pin being lodged into the charging device itself. I've gone
through a new charger about every three months.

[bigguyfh1]

It is a very bad design. I used to specialize in fixing these types of design issues.

Sent from my iPhone

[Cnim]

Yes, This is the common problem. The charger/cable has the magnetic end with (4) POGO pins on one end and on the other end is a USB-3 plug that goes into the charging “brick” which plugs into the wall outlet. The fix is to unplug the brick from the wall outlet or the USB-3 plug from the brick. Then put the magnetic charger on the back of the watch (the charger cable should be new with all four pins fully extended) THEN plug the other end into the brick or the brick into the wall. To be doubly safe you can unplug the brick end first before removing the charger from the back of the watch.

You should also regularly clean the pin sockets on the back of the watch using a Q-tip with some alcohol. These tend to get clogged with oils and dust/lint that prevent a good contact for the charger.
 

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YES, exactly.

[Delaney49]

I am having the same issue, they replace the Fitbit but it won’t charge or connect to internet.   I had been getting the slow charging message.