Zip rapid battery drain on iOS version 2.41.1

[KateFitbit]

Update 3/21/2018: 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. 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. Thanks for your reports and patience. 

Update 11/25/2017: We are still aware that some users on iOS are reporting rapid battery drain and are working on the issue. Once I hear further, I will update this thread. Thanks for all your reports. 

I've been notified that there are reports of Zip battery draining quickly on iOS version 2.41.1 and our team is currently investigating. If you are experiencing this, we recommend disabling all-day-sync for now. I'll update this post once I hear more. Thanks as always for your patience and understanding. 

Turn off All-Day Sync:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon in the top right-hand corner. 
2. Tap on your device 
3. Find the option to turn off All-Day Sync.

[DMISDN]

I have not had the Zip replaced. I just “soldier” on and keep replacing batteries with batteries I left on the shelf after supposedly being “drained”! But I am fast losing patience with their “support”. They barely seem to listen and seldom respond to our discussions of problems.

Sent from my iPad

[gerrykel]

They replaced it about 6 months ago, that was when I was putting a penny behind the battery for contact.

Since then I have gone through many batteries.  Previous posts stated the Garmin was a decent tracker, so i'm looking into it. 

[NannyChris]

Mine was a birthday gift bought from Argos so I returned it to them for a refund. I then bought a new one from Argos but on EBay.
Had I know then there was a common fault I would never have bothered.

[randers51]

I have turned off the all day sync and haven't replaced a battery in over a month. I also have found out that if you just ignore the low battery indication both on the zip and on the Fitbit App I find that after a few hours or a day or so, it will show a full battery again. So, It's my opinion the problem is with the software that indicates battery level and not the battery actually being drained rapidly.

[JaneAZ]

Bought my Zip not quite a month ago directly from Fitbit. When I started seeing the battery drain within first few days of installing the battery, I linked into this community (talking to Fit Bit support was not worth my time, they told me to take the same battery out and put it in again!) . Per what I read in this community email thread, I turned off all day sync on my iphone 6. Periodically my Zip will show medium battery after I manually sync via Fitbit app on my iPhone and then a few hours later Zip battery shows full! So I agree this seems a software issue not a battery issue. However if 6 months is the average battery life with Zip, when I get the email message the battery is low, it probably is. Certainly not the way technology should work in this day and age!

[SunsetRunner]

New batteries only last two weeks in my Zip and I have it on manual sync so it can’t be using a ton of power! Please notify me when you find a fix. Thank you. 

[Glenny1963]

Any updates on the iOS issue. I’ve just been provided with a new zip after spending a fortune on batteries. Exactly the same hasn’t happened on the first day! Battery is already showing as 50%. I Won’t purchase Fitbit items again 

There is no solution. I was told by Fitbit that it’s their problem with owners with iOS devices.

@Kruck wrote:

Same problem here.  Got this Zip in July and this is the 5th battery I've put in and now showing low battery.  Would also love to know what the solution is for this. 

.perhaps we should all be compensated for battery costs?

Moderator edit: merged reply

[NannyChris]

I think the money we and others have spent on batteries amounts to a fortune - they are not cheap. It has got to be wrong to knowingly sell a product that does not work. I would like to know the numbers involved. I have been quite surprised by the number of people complaining over quite a long period.

[Glenny1963]

There is no solution. I was told by Fitbit that it’s their problem with owners with iOS devices.

---

@Kruck wrote:

Same problem here.  Got this Zip in July and this is the 5th battery I've put in and now showing low battery.  Would also love to know what the solution is for this. 

---

I’m going to try reusing the same batteries as it may be that batteries are fine and if it’s just the software maybe they can be reused. 
.perhaps we should all be compensated for battery costs? 

[NannyChris]

I have tried reusing the last 4 batteries to no avail. I would like to know the ratio of those that work and those that don’t. I think they should be taken off the market and people’s money refunded.

[Glenny1963]

I have 2 friends with exactly the same Fitbit and they have the same iOS devices and upgrades as me and they’re fine. Fitbit replaced mine this week and the new one is no better than the previous one. It’s very odd and annoying.

Get Outlook for iOS

[KateFitbit]

Hi Everyone - Our team is still aware and working on this issue. I'm sorry I don't have better news and will continue to update this thread as I hear more. As a reminder, to help preserve battery life, we recommend turning off All Day Sync. 

To Turn off All-Day Sync:

1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap or click the Account icon in the top right-hand corner. 
2. Tap on your device 
3. Find the option to turn off All-Day Sync.

[SunsetRunner]

Thank you for following up with us, Fitbit. Looking forward to a solution!

[DMISDN]

Kate,
We are finding that the battery only APPEARS to be draining its energy. In the course of an hour, after replacing a battery, the app tells me that the battery is EMPTY , MEDIUM, LOW, AND THEN FULL and starts the foolery over and so on!!!!! I put the “dead” batteries on the shelf and the next time I get battery empty message, replace the “so called dead battery” with a formerly drained battery sitting on my shelf. AND THAT BATTERY REGISTERS as full not dead!!! I’ve saved significant battery expenditures doing it this way. Clearly, it’s not the battery or the ZIP, it’s something in the software of the app. And yes, I’m keeping all Day sync turned off. Please we are beginning to feel that FitBit does not care about the ZIP users who also happen to use IOS. Given the popularity of iPhones, and iPads, I would assume we are a fairly large contingent of FitBit users.

Thank you for your attention to our problems.

Sent from my iPad

[collidea]

This is not just an Apple problem. I sync mine to my Windows computer and I am having the same issues.

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

[RES13]

I only sync with my computer, I have all day sync, distance all turned off.  I am running the clock the smile and the steps is all and still getting the battery crap.  Synced the other day battery was full, synced next day battery was half fully, synced the next day battery was full, synced the next day battery was half full, came home the next day and zip was blinking and before I could sync it went blank had to change the battery and lost the 4000 + steps that I had from that day.  This is totally ridiculous.

We did not have this problem until they did this last update on the zips, I have had my zip for at least 2 years and never had a problem until this update came up.

I have all day sync turned off, I have distance turned off, The only thing I have running is the clock, the smile and the steps. It still has a battery usage problem find a way to remove the last update because I never had a problem until that was installed.

Moderator edit: merged replies

[trisport]

Ok, I have installed my final battery in this thing. It is using up the batteries too fast, even with turning off the all day sync. It has now gotten too expensive to use this thing. When this battery is finished (probably within a week or two) I am throwing this thing in the garbage). I am going to start looking at other options and NOT another Fitbit. This has turned me against this company. This issue has gone on too long with no fix and no support here. Anybody else use anything that may work? Maybe a Garmin? I have a Garmin 920 XT that am happy with, but I just don't want to wear it for normal everyday life activities. My search begins...

[soteach]

Please keep me posted on what you find that works!

Sent from my iPad

[gerrykel]

Is the garmin you mentioned a clip on.? Just went on consumer reports, all wristbands.

I'll continue the search.

[Karenwalks]

I set up my new zip on 12/1, and by 12/6 it was showing low battery. I have not yet installed a new battery, but have seen the battery indicator go UP to medium (yellow) level and down a couple times since it first went down to low. I see that someone a couple pages back on this thread is ignoring the low battery warning, so I'm going to try that out and see how long my zip will stay alive on this one. They seem to think that the problem is with the software detecting the battery level, rather than the actual battery level.