Fitbit trackers have made a revolutionary change in the world of tracking health and fitness. But when your Fitbit suddenly becomes a non-responsive device, your health tracker routine can become troublesome.
Common reasons why a Fitbit won’t turn on are battery running out completely, issues with charging, or a software error. So, when the device fails to power up, you will usually see a black or blank screen.
If your Fitbit won’t turn on, there is no cause for alarm as there are several troubleshooting steps you can follow to fix the black screen. If you haven’t found answers to your Fitbit black screen problems yet, no worries, we’ve got it all covered for you right here.
1. Check Display Settings
To fix black screen issues, you might first want to check if the screen is too dim before jumping and doing a long restart. If you can still see some parts of the screen, it is likely that you need to adjust the display brightness.
Here are the steps to do it:
Step 1: Navigate to the “Settings” app in your Fitbit tracker
Step 2: Go to “Screen brightness”, and choose Max or Normal, or choose “Off” from the Dim screen option.
The screen should no longer be black.
But if the display is still black, you can try setting “Screen Wake” to automatic.
Step 1: Locate “Quick settings” on your tracker. Here is how:
For the following models, go down to the screen and press the “Quick Settings” icon:
- Ionic
- Luxe
- Versa
- Versa Lite
- Versa 2
For these models, go right from the clock to access the icon:
- Sense
- Versa 3
For these other series, press and hold the button and tap “Screen Wake”:
- Inspire
- Charge
- Ace
Step 2: You will find an icon that looks like a watch. Tap it to enable Screen Wake. When this is set to auto, the screen turns on every time you lift your wrist up to your face.
2. Restart and Charge
If screen brightness is not the issue, you can try a long restart. The methods are slightly different depending on the type of Fitbit device you have.
But one thing to remember is that Fitbit devices work like any other smart device, and restarting the Fitbit forces the whole tracker to reboot and erase all errors.
Here are the suggested fixes, given according to the model of Fitbit.
2.1 Fitbit Ace or Alta
Step 1: Insert the charging cable into your computer’s USB port. You can also use a wall charger that has a USB port, but make sure it is UL-certified.
Step 2: Take the other end of the charging cable and connect it to the USB port located on the backside of the Fitbit. The tracker will start charging once you notice that it vibrates and a battery icon appears on the screen.
Step 3: A few seconds after the tracker starts charging, press the button on the end of the charging cable 3 times. You have to pause for about 1-2 seconds between each time you press that button.
Step 4: Disconnect the Fitbit from the charging cable.
2.2 Fitbit Ace 2, Ace 3, or Inspire
Step 1: Connect the charging cable to a USB port.
Step 2: Connect the Fitbit to the charging cable. To do this, you have to –
- Place the Fitbit’s charging contacts (gold in color) on the back with the charging pins on the cable.
- Press the device gently onto the charger until you hear a click, which means it has been connected in place.
Step 3: Press and hold the button on the device for 5 seconds.
Step 4: Release the button. When a smiley face icon appears on the Fitbit screen and the device vibrates, it means the tracker has restarted.
2.3 Fitbit Charge 2
Step 1: Connect your Fitbit device to the charging cable through a power outlet.
Step 2: You need to make sure that the charger is aligned properly with the slots in the back of the Fitbit.
Step 3: There are two buttons – one on your Fitbit tracker and one on the charging cable. Both the buttons need to be aligned with each other.
The device will vibrate slightly, and a battery icon should appear on the screen.
Step 4: Press and hold the side button on your Fitbit device for about 4 seconds, and then release it.
If the Fitbit logo appears, it means that the tracker restarted.
2.4 Fitbit Charge 3 or Charge 4
Step 1-3: Follow the same steps as above.
Step 4: Press and hold the side button on your Fitbit device for about 8 seconds, and then release it.
If a smiley face icon appears and you feel a vibration, it means the tracker restarted.
2.5 Fitbit Charge 5 or Luxe
Step 1: Plug the device onto the charging cable.
Step 2: Locate the button on the flat side of the charger. Press the button 3 times, pausing for 1 second between each press.
Step 3: Wait for about 10 seconds or until you see the Fitbit logo.
2.6 Fitbit Versa, Sense, or Ionic
Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Versa Lite and the Ionic devices have buttons on the back and at the bottom. So, to restart any of these models, you just have to follow these steps:
Step 1: Connect the device to the charging cable.
Step 2: Press and hold those buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo appears on the screen. Then release the buttons.
3. Change the Clock Face
You may find that the Fitbit app on your phone is connecting fine with your tracker. A possible solution for this is that you have to just update the clock on your device to a standard clock face. Here is what you will need to do:
Step 1: Put your Fitbit next to your mobile device that has the app installed.
Step 2: On the “Today” tab of the Dashboard, tap on your profile picture.
Step 3: Select the tracker.
Step 4: Go to “Gallery”.
Step 5: From the tabs on the top, select “Clocks”.
Step 6: Select one that says “By Fitbit”.
Step 7: Tap “Install”.
Step 8: Select “Sync Now.”
If the clock face was the issue, then this process will turn on your tracker, and the screen will be responsive again. Make sure though that your device can actually sync, if not, we have troubleshooting steps for that as well.
4. Do a Factory Reset
If you have tried all of the abovementioned solutions and your Fitbit is still black and won’t turn on, you might have to do a factory reset on your device.
Do keep in mind that performing this action will erase all stored and unsynced data on your Fitbit tracker.
Here’s what you need to do in the case of Fitbit Versa and Ionic:
4.1 Factory Reset on Fitbit Versa
Step 1: Press and hold on to all of the buttons on the tracker for 10-15 seconds.
Step 2: When you see the Fitbit logo, and then it goes away, release just the bottom right button. Make sure to keep your fingers pressed on the other buttons. Continue holding the other button till you feel the device vibrate.
Step 3: Wait until you see the Fitbit logo again till it shows “Fitbit.com/setup” on the screen.
4.2 Factory Reset on Ionic
Step 1: Go to the Fitbit app on your apple watch and delete Ionic from your Fitbit account.
Step 2: Remove any Bluetooth pairings with your phone and other devices.
Step 3: Press and hold on to all the buttons till you see the Fitbit logo.
Step 4: When the screen turns black again, release your finger from the button on the bottom right.
Step 5: Release the rest of the buttons after a hard vibration occurs.
Step 6: Wait until you see the Fitbit logo again till it shows “Fitbit.com/setup” on the screen.
5. Other Options to Consider
If you have exhausted all resources and your Fitbit is still unresponsive, you can try to contact Fitbit Support for assistance. It is possible that there could be a hardware issue with your tracker, and you can find a resolution if the problem has occurred within the warranty period.
While still under warranty, you might even receive a replacement tracker. But do take note that most of the time, you will not be given a new device but a reconditioned one.
You can also join the Fitbit community for ideas, solutions, tips, techniques, and more. The community is a gathering where Fitbit users exchange ideas, solutions, tips, and other useful information regarding your Fitbit product.
You can join an existing conversation or start a new thread through the Fitbit community. Creating an account is completely free and takes a few steps. The majority of users had proven to have gotten resolutions for their Fitbit problems, especially when it was about black screens or an unresponsive device.
