Battery draining quickly

[ThreePecans]

I just replaced the battery Saturday and it's down to half full 3 days later. I don't have any updates available. How can I get my battery to last?

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[Bub001]

@LucyAP I've been aware of the terminal settings, so I always check it when I replace the battery. I would think that because the Zip is still being sold, and this problem has existed for at least the 4 years indicated in this problem thread, a bit more attention should be paid to this. Getting a bogus notice that your battery is at 20% remaining or tools icon indication that the battery is depleted can be frustrating, especially when there is no indication as it gets nearer to 100% depletion, and the battery goes in the middle of exercise. Of course, once a new battery is installed, any recordings that have not already been synced will be lost.

I submitted a problem on this, but the email response was that indeed my battery had to be replaced, even though I explained otherwise in the problem statement; I suppose a bit more review of the statement was considered a waste of time.

[ewe]

I have to chime in.  After having these issues with my Zip, I finally called the company in a huff.  The first call resulted in no information at all.  The second call got me an admission that IF USING A MAC or any Apple products for syncing, it will drain the battery like crazy.  They don't have a fix for it, so after going through 3 batteries in 2 weeks I sent my Fitbit back for a refund.  To my knowledge they have not fixed this issue at all.

[LucyAP]

Welcome back @ThreePecans and @Bub001! @ThreePecans Great to hear that you are back on track and your battery is lasting as expected. Please keep me posted if you need extra help or if you have further questions. 

@Bub001 Thanks for sharing your experience with your Zip. After checking the inside spring, please make sure that your Zip is up to date. To read more about this, take a look at the help article How do I update my Fitbit device?

Welcome to the Community @ewe! Thanks for sharing your experience with Support and with your Zip.

I wanted to assure you that we take into consideration all the comments provided by our users to continue improving your experience. Please let me know if you need more help or if you have more questions. 

[Bub001]

Thank You, Lucy. I found that the battery measurement provided in the selection band doesn't always work properly, so I just keep an eye on it, watching any downward movement.

[LucyAP]

Thanks for the update  @Bub001! Great to hear that you are back on track. Please let me know if you need further help, I'll be happy to help. 

Also, I'd like to encourage you to join us at the Discussions board, there you can be inspired, find some tips to get moving, eat well, manage weight, sleep better, live mindfully and more!

Give it a look! 😉

[JDHav]

My battery is showing “empty”. I took it out and tested it with a battery tester and it showed 3.01v which is perfect. I put it back in and get the same “empty” notice, but it still seems to be working. By the way, the device is brand new out of the box, so the contacts are fine. I opened this one because my old one was also reading as nearly dead despite putting a fresh battery in it a couple of days ago. This is getting ridiculous!!

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @JDHav, thanks for sharing the information. Sorry to hear about the issues that you've had with your Zip. 

I appreciate all the effort that you put into solving these issues with your Zip. Maybe you've already tried this, but why don't your open the back of your Zip and clean the place where you put the battery using a cotton swab. Make sure that the little metal piece that makes contact with the battery is not bend or rusty too.

 

What model of phone are you using? 

Hope this helps, I'll be waiting for your response. 

[pearl]

Thanks for the tip but I tried that and many other things and finally just gave up on the Zip. The problem was real and was not going to be fixed. 

[ewe]

It IS a real problem and I don't know why they won't admit it here.  If you are using a mac or iphone you are going to lose your battery ASAP.  Even going onto Amazon to buy batteries, they say do not use their batteries with a fitbit because of this issue.  I wish they would fix it so I can get a new Zip.

[JDHav]

Yes, not only have I tried that, but have had the same problem with a brand new Zip. I suppose they don’t want to fix it because they would rather we buy a more expensive device, but I don’t want one; the Zip is perfect for me.

Sent from my iPad

[YojanaFitbit]

Thanks for getting back @pearl, @ewe and @JDHav.

As it was mentioned in other thread, it has taken the team longer to identify the root cause of why some users are experiencing rapid battery drain with while syncing the Zip to an iOS device (iOS version 2.41.1). We will continue to investigate, but I don't currently have a timeline for fix. Along with turning off all day sync, we do suggest syncing to a computer or Android device if possible.

If you're having same issues with and Android or PC, please check these tips to troubleshoot battery drain issues.

Thanks for your reports and patience. 

[Pam2719]

I’m so disappointed. My husband got me a Zip for Christmas. It’s now 3 days later and the battery is dead and it won’t sync. I’m just now reading all these posts. I don’t do all-day sync. I maybe sync 4 times a day. I’ve already tossed all the packaging so probably won’t be able to return this. So sad that a company would allow this subpar performance in its products. 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Pam2719, nice to see you here! Thanks for trying those different steps already. Did you try the steps suggested here. That's very odd, since this is a brand new Fitbit. If this is not working, let me know so I can request a case for you.

I'll be around. 

[G1nger]

The title of this thread's quite misleading. This issue isn't 'solved' at all - in fact if the dates on the posts are any indication, it dates back to at least 2014. However, I'm just chiming in here to underscore the advice about  turning off 'Auto Sync' on all your devices. It hasn't solved my battery problem, just reduced it  - I still get nothing like 4-6 months battery life - more like 6 weeks - but at least it's better than the 6 days my zip batteries were lasting at one stage. Another post suggests trying a CR2032 battery rather than the CR 2025. I plan to try that as well. I'm on my second fitbit zip - I really like the fact that it's is very compact and doesn't have a wristband. There are loads of different fitbit models, but this is the only one you can just slip into a pocket rather than having to wear it ostentatiously on your wrist 😉 Sadly I lost the first one after about four years - I didn't have any of these issues with it though. . I keep coming back to this forum in the forlorn hope that fitbit will have some useful advice.

[Akshazzam]

I have a new Fitbit zip and have used it about 4 days.  Called company twice already.  Battery drained tonight.  Less than 8000 steps today and battery gone?  Was advised to buy an Inspire from Fitbit.

[JDHav]

Inspire is a different thing. Why can’t they fix the Zip?

Sent from my iPad

[SPEEDOG40]

I have been monitoring this thread for about two years. I have given up my Fitbit usage about 4 months ago. Got tired of changing batteries every week. Yes every week, Have tried all the fixes, none work past two weeks usage. I am on my third Fitbit zip since 2013. The dog chewed one (the first one which worked great. Did not have battery issues. Since then I have used two mine and my wife's. Both have the same battery issues. I was wondering if the new zips still have the battery issues because I was about to purchase a new zip. But according to this forum, it appears the issues still exists on the new ones. So I will have to decide how hard I actually need a Fitbit (probably will not upgrade) at all or use other means of tracking steps.

[Akshazzam]

Am thinking of using some other tracker myself! About died when someone wrote their Zip battery lasted 4-5 months! Don't know anything about other trackers and hate to leave my Fitbit friends.

Sent from my iPad

[AndreaFitbit]

Hello @G1nger, @Akshazzam, @JDHav, and @SPEEDOG40. I apologize for the delayed response and for the troubleshoot steps I previously provided. I will be glad to assist you with your Zip short battery life issue.

You can find the troubleshoot steps that have worked for many users in this post. I shared them since they have worked in the past.

Thank you for your feedback @G1nger and for sharing your preference for the Fitbit Zip. The recommended battery is CR 2025.

Thank you for your responses @Akshazzam and for sharing the steps you have followed. Did our support team suggest the Inspire option? You can check other devices here.

Thank you for your feedback @JDHav our team works to improve the products.

Welcome to the forums @SPEEDOG40. I appreciate that you have shared your experience with Fitbit and Fitbit Zip.

I appreciate your feedback and comments.

[JDHav]

 You say that "our team works to improve the products", yet this has been a major fundamental flaw in this model for years. Why has there been no signs of it being fixed yet? If it cannot be fixed, then perhaps you should produce a new clip-on model that does not share this problem. Not everybody wants something on their wrist.