All-Day Sync Not Working Charge 3 iPhone/iOS

[jmckay]

The Charge 3 device only syncs when I open the Fitbit app and does not sync "all-day" (automatically).

iPhone 11 Pro (iOS 13.4.1) with Fitbit Charge 3 (Version 28.20001.63.5) and Fitbit app version 3.19 (945).

Update (04MAY2020): Fitbit app version is now 3.20.1 (953), issue persists. After one week of waiting, Fitbit Support contact me and suggested I perform some of the steps that I stated I had already performed (essentially they asked me to re-pair the device). I re-paired/replaced the device.

[LiliyaFitbit]

Hi @jmckay, it's nice to see you again in our Community Forums. 

I appreciate your participation in the Forums and sharing your concern about the all-day sync option not working for your Charge 3. Thank you for providing the additional details, I am glad to assist you with that. Please verify if the all-day sync option is turned on: In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab > your profile picture > your device image > find all-day sync option. 

I also recommend confirming if your phone is near your Fitbit device and Bluetooth is turned on. For more information about how devices sync, see this help article: How do Fitbit devices sync their data?

Let me know how it goes, I'll be around. 

[jmckay]

Hello @LiliyaFitbit, thanks for your assistance. Posting in these forums is the last resort. I have exhausted all troubleshooting methods I can find. 

I have tried everything in https://community.fitbit.com/t5/iOS-App/All-Day-Sync-doesn-t-work-when-Fitbit-App-is-closed/m-p/4082...

In addition, I have tried:

• Restarting both devices.
• Uninstalling/reinstalling the Fitbit app.
• Unpairing/repairing the devices.
• Removing/adding the Charge 3 from within the Fitbit app.
• Checked to ensure the Fitbit app has all available permissions enabled.

Note: I am unable to set location services to 'always on' because Fitbit does not appear in the list of available apps (Settings > Privacy > Location Services). The Fitbit app has not yet requested location services. How do I force the app to request or manually grant the app access to location services?

[Judahmorgan46]

Mine doesn’t work either 

[mdasneves25]

Same here. I can’t even force sync my Fitbit. 

[LiliyaFitbit]

Welcome to the Fitbit Community, @Judahmorgan46 @mdasneves25. Thank you for your reply, @jmckay. 

@jmckay I appreciate your efforts and the additional details. Since the issue persists, I've sent your information to the Customer Support team so they can get in touch with you and provide further assistance. You should be getting a reply soon. Regarding your concern with location, please check this: Open Settings app on phone >- Scroll down, tap Fitbit -> Toggle Location to 'Always'.

@Judahmorgan46 @mdasneves25 thank you for joining the thread and sharing that you're experiencing the same issue. If you're unable to sync your devices, please try our troubleshooting instructions from this help article: Why won't my Fitbit device sync?

If you're on iOS 13 or higher, please do the following:
- Open Settings app on phone
- Scroll down, tap Fitbit -> Toggle Location to 'Always'
- Ensure toggles next to Bluetooth and Background App Refresh are turned "On"

Make sure you have the Fitbit app open, your phone is near your Fitbit device and Bluetooth is turned on. 

Keep me posted on the outcome. 

[Stevehog]

Mines the same 

forced sync is failing all the time and taking ages to catch up especially on exercise 

[Zoomoon]

I have also lost all my data from before Friday the 24th on my iphone app.

My steps are no longer showing - just calories burnt - not interested in that.  i just want to see how may steps I am doing, how far I've been and my exercise days per week updated.

Time for a switch I think

[Judahmorgan46]

when I try to load all day sync it says “all day sync was disabled for charge 3“

[jmckay]

"Open Settings app on phone >- Scroll down, tap Fitbit -> Toggle Location to 'Always'."

- It does not work; the location option is not available by these instructions.

Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Scroll down, tap app > toggle to 'Always'

- This is where you can give an app location permissions in iOS 13+. However, Fitbit does not appear in the app list. Many other apps appear here but not Fitbit.

@LiliyaFitbit Thanks for forwarding the issue to the CS team. I look forward to their communication.

Update (04 MAY 2020): If you start an "exercise" from the Fitbit device while the Fitbit app is open on the iPhone, this prompts the app to request location permissions from the phone. After granting the app permission, you can then navigate to SETTINGS > PRIVACY > LOCATION SERVICES and find Fitbit in the list of available apps.

I still do not have a solution for all-day sync (can only manually sync).

[Judahmorgan46]

My Fitbit app say that the notifications are on and that all day sync works now but no notifications come in on my Fitbit at all!

[jmckay]

All-day sync does not work. This seems to be a major issue.

With Android, a persistent notification was always running which permitted all-day sync.

With iOS, I see no persistent notification.

How does the user get all-day sync to work with an iPhone/iOS?

I am disappointed in the availability and level of support received thus far by Fitbit Support.

Why is it so difficult to get support on an issue that is likely affecting a majority of iOS users?

Why does Fitbit refuse to support their own product?

Why should I continue a Fitbit Premium subscription, if this is the level of support received?

Why should I stay with Fitbit as opposed to switching to Apple Watch after this experience?

Does Fitbit want to keep customers?

In all seriousness, I just want the all-day sync to work. I cannot find anything online that is helpful in resolving the issue, so I turn to the forums. A week after my issue was forwarded to Fitbit Support, they finally contacted me and the support was very basic (asking me to repeat what I had already tried). I repeated, and all-day sync still does not work.

[jmckay · Accepted solution]

OK, so I called Fitbit support. Waited on hold for 30 minutes. What I found was that you cannot "swipe up" on the Fitbit app. In other words, the app must stay open (running) in order for all-day sync to work. Apparently Android does this in the background, while iOS is less 'hidden' with running apps.

So, in summary: In order for all-day sync to work, the app must remain open. Do not swipe up (to make the Fitbit app go away).

I feel kinda stupid now. 😬 🤝

[nanunino]

This trick may work for Charge 3, but not for Inspire HR & Charge 4 (tested in an iPhone XR)

[Res1952]

THREE weeks ago tomorrow I talked with an "advocate" about my Charge 3 not syncing to my iPhone .  She walked me thru all the steps, in the end it still didn't work.  I was given a "case number" and I still have not gotten a reply from Tech Support.  Obviously very frustrating,  here's what I find interesting.  I had a Charge 2 and started experiencing problems with it shortly after the Charge 3 was introduced.  The Charge 4 has recently been introduced and guess what, my Charge 3 is now experiencing problems.  Beginning to think this is the marketing/manufacturing scheme that Fitbit has taken.  I was offered a discount to buy the Charge 3, will I be offered a discount to buy the Charge 4, no thanks, I'll take my business elsewhere.  Sad thing is, when my Fitbit works correctly I love it.

[SunsetRunner]

just got my charge 3 this week and it doesn’t work for all day sync....I need the heart rate to sync all day due to a medical issue!!!! My charge 2 was great for it until it stopped last week and they told me I needed a new Fitbit. But, after spending over $100 on a new one, have the same issue with this one!

[Dbrennecke]

Great to know. I had the same question and will try this. I had been wondering why it seemed all of a sudden that feature was no longer working. It's possible I use to never close the fitbit app, but more likely something changed in one of the iOS updates or FITBIT updates.