Getting "com.Fitbit.HTTP error 403" when trying to sync through WiFi.

[Shield]

All IOS devices give me this error when connected to wifi to setup my Fitbit.

Router:  Asus RT-AC88U (reset router to default and disabled firewall).

Watch:  Fitbit Ionic, latest firmware and software 2.3.6.  Issue began yesterday Tues 01/22).

403 is a "forbidden" error, so something isn't right on the Fitbit app side.

Have tried all of the usual:

Reset the watch, uninstalled the app, reinstalled, tried on multiple IOS devices (2018 model iPad and iphone 8 plus).  Bluetooth works fine with all my other devices.  All other websites work perfectly.

What is strange is the sync works if I use cellular data (Verizon).

Don't know - but the watch will update the IOS app with steps; just not sync to the Dashboard / weekly challenges.  Tried everything, but once I noticed the app was just updated I'm thinking there's something amiss on the Fitbit side.

Moderator Edit: Clarified Subject.

[EleanorBolt]

I haven’t been able to log in all day, and using cellular data just worked for me, too. Thanks.

i have tried everything and now need to set up my device again. I hope I can do that.

UPDATE:

I was successful in setting up the device on cellular. I hope Fitbit addresses this issue soon.

[Shield · Accepted solution]

After spending hours on this, I completely reset the Ionic back to the factory settings.  It then forced a software update back to the version I was running.  That seemed to have fixed this issue, or it was simultaneously corrected by Fitbit themselves at the same time.

Anyway, all is well now.

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @Shield and @EleanorBolt, I hope you're doing well, it's nice to see you around the Fitbit Community. 

I appreciate your participation in the Forums and for letting us know the troubleshooting steps you've tried to resolve this issue. @Shield, thanks for coming back and let us know your issue has been resolved, I'm very glad. 

@EleanorBolt, thanks for letting us know your device was able to set up using cellular data. Now, if you try to sync and you're getting the same error, please let us know so we can check this further. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding, have a great day. 

[SueBlythe]

I have same problem with a new Alta HR  - just can’t get past entering the passcode. My husbands fitbit has also stopped syncing for 5 days.  I have tried alll of the above with no joy - any other suggestions?

[JBritto]

I am having the same issue on the Charge 2 the past 3 days - have tried resetting, reinstalling etc everything, and can’t get past the passcode entry to set up the app. My husband’s Charge 2 has also stopped syncing. Fitbit please advise - perhaps something in the latest update which we both recently installed?

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @JBritto and @SueBlythe, have a warm welcome to the Fitbit Community, it's great to have you on board. 

I appreciate your participation in the Forums, for reporting this situation to us and for letting us know the troubleshooting steps you've tried so far. At this moment, I would like to ask you for a screenshot of the error you're getting so we can check this further. Additionally, please try to turn off WiFi and set up your device with cellular data. If you're able to, make sure you don't have enabled a child-block or a VPN on your WiFi network, as this might cause interference when setting up or syncing a device. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding, we'll be waiting to hear from you. 

[JBritto]

Hi Marco G,

Thanks for your reply.

As mentioned in the subject line of this thread, this is the error that pops up.

After deleting and reinstalling the app again, and resetting the tracker, I was able to get the device to sync using 4G instead of WiFi. Now it will sync but only if not connected to WiFi. 

This is inconvenient as I travel a lot, and so rely on WiFi in many cases. Up until a few days ago, the tracker would happily sync over WiFi. I didn’t change any settings, it just stopped syncing! Could there be something in the recent update that interferes with WiFi syncing? It was after that app update that both mine and my husband’s trackers stopped syncing over a WiFi connection.

[SueBlythe]

Yes our problem is exactly the same as this… what has happened??

Sue Blythe

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @SueBlythe and @JBritto, I hope you're doing well, thanks for taking the time to reply. 

I appreciate you have let me know the troubleshooting steps you've tried so far and for attaching a screenshot to your reply. I would also like to thank you for trying the troubleshootings steps I've provided earlier. At this moment, I would like to suggest you to uninstall the Fitbit app, restart your phone and install the app back. Then log in and try to sync or set up your Fitbit device. 

I hope this helps, give it a try and if you're still getting the same error, please let us know. 

[JBritto]

Hi @MarcoGFitbit

Thanks for your reply.

As mentioned before, I have already done the steps you’ve suggested - uninstalled the app, reinstalled it, and signed in over cellular data. The issue that needs fixing is that it won’t sync over WiFi anymore, only cellular data. And I need it to do so as I travel a lot and do not always have cellular data if I’m overseas for a short time, I’ll just use WiFi at times. I didn’t change any settings, a few days ago it was  working fine and then all these problems started. I note that Fitbit has a note on the community page about the Ionic not syncing over WiFi and your engineers are looking into it, I hope they have noted the Charge 2 has the same issue?

[MarcoGFitbit]

Hello @JBritto, I appreciate you have come back and provided more information about this situation. 

Indeed, our team is currently investigating an issue affecting syncing over WiFi on Ionic. At this moment, I'll forward the information you have provided to our team to check if this issue is also affecting other devices, once we have more to share with you, we'll make sure to post it here in the official Forums. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding, if anything changes, please let us know. Have a great day. 

[VictoriaJax]

My Alta HR just started doing exactly the same thing. It was fine and now it don’t sync unless it’s on cellular data and won’t do anything through Wifi. I followed all the steps of updating, switching on and off, reinstalling etc. etc. 

Please advise?! Why has it suddenly stopped syncing over WiFi - like some others, I travel which means my Fitbit will be useless on any trips! 

[Billd13]

Getting error message 403 after having problems all day synching.

[Billd13]

Mine is a Charge 3 that it suddenly started happening on.

[Foxworthy]

Was having trouble syncing my watch to iPhone for several days.  Then I got error 403 message.  I’ve deleted app and reinstalled, shut the phone off, turned the watch off and back on, put watch back to factory settings, everything that I’ve seen suggested.   Now it keeps telling me to download Fitbit app, when I try to set up it gives me error 403message.  Getting pretty frustrated.  Now I don’t even have a working watch because I can’t set up the watch.  What is the problem???   I have the Versa 2.  

[SunsetRunner]

Thank you so much.  It worked!  

[Foxworthy]

Thanks for the information. I tried that several times, what did work was
unplugging my wifi router for 30 seconds and plugged in again.

[iosUser1125]

I get the same Onboarding Error 403 issue on my iphone but NOT on my ipad. I CAN sync on my ipad. 

I've uninstalled the app on my iphone 3 times.  Shut down my phone, reinstalled. 

Done all the things that the NOT helpful desk has suggested. 

Not crazy about the idea of setting back to factory settings since the problem appears to be with the iphone and not my watch.

Any suggestions?  I've tried to remove any mention of Fitbit on my phone before reinstalling the app.  Nothing has helped.

[iosUser1125]

Found out the problem. VPN.  Fitbit didn't like my connection because it was in Canada (the VPN) and it refused to sync.  I'm a US resident.  Is this some sort of bias?