iPhone's battery draining with new Fitbit app

[honglong1976]

Fix: Disable Motion and Fitness for the Fitbit app (even if you don't use MobileTrack).


Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[JMark235]

I use a Fitbit Versa 2 with an iPhone 13 mini and my phone's Fitbit app battery usage until recently had been consistent and negligible. I installed the Fitbit version 4 app update on Saturday 23,2023 and the Fitbit app background battery usage immediately sky rocketed and over the last 6 days the Fitbit app clocked over 90 hours of background activity. Note that the light blue stack in the battery screen shot below is the background battery usage. I have background processing for the app off and location services limited to when I am using the app. I have done a power cycle on the watch, logged out of and back in to the app and nothing has worked.

[honglong1976]

Anyone else having this issue?

- Location, background off - ok with old app

[MarkStone]

Hi @honglong1976, I see no difference in battery usage (either on the Fitbit or the iPhone) with the new app. 😊

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @honglong1976, @JMark235 and @MarkStone.

Thanks for the details and screenshots provided. I'm sorry you're having this issue and just to confirm, have you tried the tip suggested by @honglong1976? If not, please try disabling Motion & Fitness Tracking for the Fitbit app and monitor your iPhone's behavior in the next few days.

[JMark235]

How do you turn off  "Motion and Fitness" for the Fitbit app?

There is an IOS Setting/Privacy & Security/Motion & Fitness/Fitness Tracking ON or OFF which is a global setting and not a Fitbit specific permission. If I turn this off, what else does it effect?

Even if this does fix the problem, the problem started with the v4 Fitbit app update. It seems to me that the best fix would for Fitbit (Google) to fix the error created in their v4 update.

[tigertimb]

Same for me and maybe worse on my iphone, suddenly noticed my battery needing charging ever half a day instead of getting 4 days and new fitbit app seems to be the cause:

[JMark235]

Did you just install the Fitbit v4 update at the end of your 29SEP and did you upgrade to IOS 17 or 16.7 at the same time?

[tigertimb]

I think the IOS update was a few days sooner, but the jump corresponds to when I update to the new fitboot/google app and you can clearly see at the bottom that fitbit is responsible for 92% of my battery draining (with WhatsApp next at only 4%)

[honglong1976]

Annoyingly, that didn't work. I have been testing.

1. Battery drain - location off, backgroud location off - doesn't help

2. Uninstall/reinstall iOS Fitbit app - Worked initially for 2 days (no battery drain) then the battery drain come back again (this morning fitbit 100% and the phone felt warm).

Why? Bug?

[honglong1976]

Anyone else? Background/location off. Uninstall/reinstall fixed for 2 days then the drain came back.

[honglong1976]

I uninstalled/reinstalled and the battery drain was gone. 2 days later and it's back. iPhone and Fitbit restarted. Both on latest versions. Close the app and the phone runs cool again. Suspect bug.

Anyone else?

[honglong1976]

Hi @LizzyFitbit the issue is still ongoing.

I turned off motion and fitness, background app refresh, uninstalled the app and reinstalled, and everything works ok for a few days, then without doing anything, the app started to drain battery again. I know because Fitbit shows as using the battery via the battery stats and the phone is warm.

Force close the app, phone is cool and the battery isn't drained.

There are some posts on reddit where other users have the same issue (only since the update).

[_patrick]

Yeah same here. App running in the background also kills my Charge 5 battery in about a day and a half. I charged my Fitbit to full in the morning yesterday and 7-8 hours later when I was getting ready for bed it was 76%. Closed the Fitbit app over night and woke up to it at 74%. Something with the new app is definitely causing background battery drain on both the phone and Fitbit.

[Casscat]

I’ve not had this problem until very recently. At first I blamed my iPhone because we know Apple likes to persuade you into a new purchase by limiting battery longevity, but I’ve checked and my battery efficiency is still over 90%. I looked at consumption, and there it is: Fitbit consumes 87% of my battery charge. I have numerous apps running, and continually updating, but none comes close, not even into double figures. I go to bed with 100% charge and wake up to a low battery warning. I emphasise: this has only recently started happening (we are talking last three weeks or thereabouts) so please, what is going on and how can I resolve it without dumping my Fitbit in favour of a different tracker? I have a Luxe.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone!

Thanks for your continued reports, as well as every step that you've tried so far. I also appreciate the screenshots provided. I'm sorry this issue is still happening and so we can further investigate, please provide me with the model and iOS version of your phone.

[JMark235]

The only change that I tested that appeared to get rid of the exorbitant amount of background battery usage was turning off Bluetooth. Deleting and reinstalling the Fitbit app, turning off Fitness Tracking, turning off the Fitbit app permissions for Siri and Background app refresh did little or nothing and rapid battery drain is still a problem.

I just noticed that the Fitbit app v 3.88 had permissions for Location and Media & Apple Music that are no longer used in the v 4 of the app. See the screen prints below both of which are from 2 different iPhone 13 minis both of which are running IOS 16.7. How does the Fitbit app when paired with a Versa 2 that does not have an internal GPS determine location and speed? Does anyone with a Fitbit that has an internal GPS in the watch having background battery drain issues?

Fitbit v 4.00Fitbit v 3.88

[Casscat]

I have an iPhone SE running iOS 16.6.1. I have signed out of my Fitbit account on my phone to try and preserve my battery life, but this is not how an app is supposed to work.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi there, @JMark235 and @Casscat.

Thanks for getting back with the requested information, as well as the additional screenshots. This issue has been escalated and our team is currently working to get it fixed. Once I have more details, be sure that I'll update this thread.

I'm sorry for any inconvenience this has caused, and I truly appreciate your feedback on this matter.

[JMark235]

Fitbit just released a new version for the iPhone, version 4.01.