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Why can't I set up my Fitbit device?

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Having trouble setting up your Fitbit device?
Fitbit Charge 4—see Troubleshooting steps for Fitbit Charge 4
All other Fitbit devices—Troubleshooting steps for all Fitbit devices

Troubleshooting steps for Fitbit Charge 4

Requirements

Make sure you have the following:
- Charge 4 charging cable that came in the box with your device.
- UL-certified wall charger. Note: Don’t plug the charging cable into a computer or USB hub for these troubleshooting steps.
Before getting started, make sure your device is connected securely to the charging cable:
1. Clip the end of the charging cable to the port on the back of Charge 4.
2. Make sure the pins on the charging clip lock securely with the gold contacts on the back of the tracker.
3. Make sure the device is centered in the charging cable and that the button on the side of Charge 4 is visible through the side of the clip.
4. When the connection is secure, Charge 4 vibrates, and a battery icon appears on the screen. Note: You may have to adjust the tracker into the correct position in the charging cable.

Troubleshooting

I can’t set up Charge 4: the screen is blank and the tracker won’t turn on
1. Connect Charge 4 to the charging cable, making sure the connection is secure, as described above.
2. Plug the charging cable into the USB port on a UL-certified USB wall charger.
3. If you don’t see a smiley face or the Fitbit logo on the screen after 5 seconds:
  1. Remove Charge 4 from the charging cable, then place it in the charging cable again. Make sure the connection is secure, as described above.
  2. Try a different wall charger.
  3. Make sure the device is securely in the charging cable and restart Charge 4:
    Press and hold the button on the side of Charge 4 for at least 10 seconds. When a smiley face appears on the screen, release the button. Note: The device vibrates when you press or release the button.
    If you don’t see a smiley face after 10 seconds, adjust the position of the device in the charging cable, verifying it’s securely in place. Try holding the button again for 10 seconds or until the smiley face appears. Note: If you still don’t see a smiley face, wait 15 minutes before you try again.
    After you see the smiley face, wait for another 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo or clock face appears.
    If a clock face appears—Charge 4 is set up and you can start using it. For more information, see How do I get started with Fitbit Charge 4?
    If the Fitbit logo appears—set up Charge 4. Note the device must be charged to at least 50% to set it up. For more information, see How do I set up my Fitbit device?
4. If you still have trouble, contact Customer Support.
I set up Charge 4 but can’t see the clock face
1. Check the Fitbit app to see if Charge 4 is connected to your Fitbit account:
  1. In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab > your profile picture.
  2. Verify that you see the Charge 4 tile. If you don’t see a Charge 4 tile, follow steps under I can't set up Charge 4: the screen is blank and the tracker won’t turn on above.
2. Remove Charge 4 from your account:
  1. In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab > your profile picture > Charge 4 tile.
  2. Tap Remove This Charge 4 (iPhones) or the trash icon (Android phones).
3. Remove Charge 4 from your phone’s Bluetooth settings:
  1. On your phone, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Find Charge 4 in the list, then find the option to forget the device.
4. Connect Charge 4 to the charging cable, making sure the connection is secure, as described above.
5. Make sure the device is securely in the charging cable and restart Charge 4:
  1. Press and hold the button on the side of Charge 4 for at least 10 seconds. When a smiley face appears on the screen, release the button. Note: The device vibrates when you press or release the button.
  2. If you don’t see a smiley face after 10 seconds, adjust the position of the device in the charging cable, verifying it’s securely in place. Try holding the button again for 10 seconds or until the smiley face appears. Note: If you still don’t see a smiley face, wait 15 minutes before you try again.
  3. After you see the smiley face, wait for another 10 seconds or until the Fitbit logo appears.
6. Set up Charge 4 again. For more information, see How do I set up my Fitbit device?

Troubleshooting steps for all Fitbit devices

Connect your Fitbit device to the charger before you begin the setup process.

Note: For more information about setting up Fitbit Ace or Fitbit Ace 2, see How do I set up Fitbit Ace devices?

Requirements

To set up Fitbit Aria Air, Fitbit Charge 4, or Fitbit Versa 2, you must use a compatible iPhone, iPad, or Android phone. You can’t set up these devices on a Windows 10 device.
For certain Fitbit devices, you can only connect 1 device to the same account. For more information, see Can I use more than one Fitbit device with the same account?

Phone or tablet
If you're using the Fitbit app for iPhones and iPads, Android phones, or Windows 10 devices:
- You followed the instructions for your device in How do I set up my Fitbit device? Note that you can't set up your Fitbit device from your phone or tablet's Bluetooth screen; you must open the Fitbit app and follow the on-screen instructions.
- The software on your phone or tablet is up to date. To see if an update is waiting to be installed:
  - iPhones & iPads—Tap Settings > General > Software Update.
  - Android phones—Tap Settings > About Phone or About Device > Android Version.
  - Windows 10 devices—Tap or click Start > Settings > Update & security.
- The Bluetooth setting on your phone or tablet is on. To find it:
  - Phones & iPads—Tap Settings > Bluetooth.
  - Android phones—Tap Settings > Connections > Bluetooth.
  - Windows 10 devices—Click or tap Settings > Devices > Bluetooth.
- (Android phones only) Double-check the following information about your phone or tablet:
  - Your device is supported by the Fitbit app. For the latest list, go to http://www.fitbit.com/devices.
  - Your device doesn't have a set up or sync issue listed on What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android device?
  - Power Saving Mode is turned off on your device. This mode frequently causes the device to disable Bluetooth.
  - You have location services turned on and the Fitbit app has permission to access your location. For more information, see Why is the Fitbit app prompting me to turn on location services?
Windows 10 Computers
- You installed the Fitbit app for Windows as described in How do I set up my Fitbit device?
- The operating system on your computer is up to date. To see if an update is waiting to be installed, go to Start > Settings > Update & security.
- The Bluetooth setting at Start > Settings > Bluetooth is on. If you can't find the setting and you're not sure whether your computer supports Bluetooth, follow the steps in this blog post to verify Bluetooth capability.
Macs or Windows 8.1 Computers
- You followed the Mac or Windows 8.1 instructions in How do I set up my Fitbit device?
- You see an icon with the Fitbit logo located near the date and time on your computer. This means the software required for setup is installed.
- Your device is charged as described in How do I charge my Fitbit device?
- (Mac only) If your computer has Bluetooth, go to your System Preferences and verify that it is turned on. Note that even when Bluetooth is on, the signal can occasionally be weak or problematic. When this happens, plug the wireless sync dongle into a USB port on your computer as shown. If your Mac doesn't have Bluetooth the dongle is required.
- (Windows only) The wireless sync dongle is plugged into a USB port on the computer. If your device didn't come with a dongle and you can't use a phone or tablet instead, contact Customer Support.
- If the dongle is plugged in, your computer is able to recognize it. To check, on your computer find and click the icon with a Fitbit logo. It is located near the date and time. If you see "USB Dongle Disconnected," try a different USB port.

Troubleshooting

Phone or tablet
1. Turn off Bluetooth on your phone; wait 10 seconds, and then turn it back on.
2. Try setting up your device again.
3. Turn your Fitbit device off and back on using the instructions in How do I restart my Fitbit device?
4. Try setting up your device again. If you have trouble connecting your watch to Wi-Fi, see Why won't my Fitbit watch connect to Wi-Fi?
5. If you can't set up after a restart, reboot your phone or tablet (turn it off and then back on).
6. Try setting up your device again.
7. If you can't set up after the reboot, remove all other Fitbit devices from your account and from the list of connected Bluetooth devices on your phone or tablet.
8. Try setting up your device again.
9. If you can't set up after removing all other Fitbit devices, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Fitbit app.
10. If you still can't set up, please contact Customer Support so we can investigate.
Windows 10 Computers
1. Turn your Fitbit device off and back on using the instructions in How do I restart my Fitbit device?
2. Try setting up your device again.
3. If you can't set up after the reboot, remove all other Fitbit devices from your account and from the list of connected Bluetooth devices on your computer.
4. If you still can't set up and a compatible phone or tablet isn't available, please contact Customer Support so we can investigate.
Macs or Windows 8.1 Computers
1. Turn your Fitbit device off and back on using the instructions in How do I restart my Fitbit device?
2. Try the setup process again:
  1. Click the icon with the Fitbit logo (located near the date and time on your computer).
  2. Click Open Main Menu.
  3. Click Set Up a New Fitbit Device.
  4. If the setup process failed last time after you created a Fitbit account, click Existing User. Otherwise click New Fitbit User.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions.
3. If you can't set up after the reboot, remove all other Fitbit devices from your account.
4. Try setting up your device again.
5. If you still can't set up and a compatible phone or tablet isn't available, please contact Customer Support so we can investigate.