Fix: Fitbit not Syncing

Your Fitbit device may not sync due to a communication glitch of Bluetooth. It may also due to the non-availability of the required permissions. Outdated Fitbit App or outdated firmware of your Fitbit device can also cause non-syncing of your Fitbit data.

Non-syncing of your Fitbit data usually happens on the mobile versions of the Fitbit app. But rarely it can happen on your Windows PC or Mac.

Pre-requisites

1. Make sure there are no other Bluetooth devices (such as car kits, headsets, stereo audio, Bluetooth speaker, tethering, and file transfers) are nearby that might interfere with the syncing process.
2. Check if the Fitbit device battery is not low.
3. Make sure you are using the Fitbit app on a supported device.
4. Check if you are using the latest version of your phone’s OS.
5. After applying any solution, wait at least 20 minutes to complete the sync process.
6. The location of your phone is turned On.

Solution 1: Force Close the Fitbit App

If the Fitbit app is stuck in operation, it will not sync properly with your watch. To fix this problem, we can force stop the application and launch it again. This will re-initialize all the temporary configurations and solve the problem.

1. Open Settings of your phone.
2. Open Apps or Application Manager.

   

3. Then find and tap on your Fitbit app.
4. Now tap on Force Stop.

   

5. Now launch the Fitbit app and check if the problem is solved.

Solution 2: Restart Your Phone and Fitbit Device

The first step in troubleshooting many smart devices issues is to power cycle the device completely. This fixes all issues with temporary configurations and conflicts in different parts of the watch and the device.

1. Switch off your phone.
2. Switch off your Fitbit device.

   

3. Wait for 30 seconds.
4. Power on your phone and the Fitbit device.
5. Then check if the sync functionality is back to normal.

Solution 3: Turn on Always Connected and All-Day Sync Options

Your Fitbit app syncs with your Fitbit device periodically. If you are not able to sync your Fitbit data, then enabling the “Turn on Always Connected” option and “All-day Sync” option may increase the stability and frequency of the connection and thus solve the sync issue. However, these options will badly impact the battery life of your device and phone.

1. Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
2. Then near the top right corner of the screen, click on Account.
3. Then click on the name of your Fitbit device.
4. Now find and enable “Always Connected” (Depending on your phone, this option may not be available).

   

5. Then find and enable “Sync All Day” (Depending on your phone, this option may not available).

   

6. Now check if the sync function is operating normally.

Solution 4: Restart Bluetooth and Unpair Your Fitbit Device

The sync issue you are facing could be a temporary communication glitch of Bluetooth. In that case, turning off the Bluetooth of your phone and then turning it back may solve the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app.
2. Open Settings of your phone.
3. Then navigate to Bluetooth.
4. Now toggle the switch of “Bluetooth” to Off position.

   

5. Now, wait for 15 seconds.
6. Then turn on Bluetooth.
7. Now launch your Fitbit app.
8. Now connect with your Fitbit device and check if the problem is solved.
9. If not, then force close your Fitbit app.
10. Now again navigate to your Bluetooth settings.
11. Open “Paired Devices” and Remove all Bluetooth devices (forget all the devices).

    

12. Now switch off your Bluetooth and wait for 15 seconds.
13. Then switch on Bluetooth and launch the Fitbit app.
14. Now connect to your Fitbit device and check if sync functionality is operating normally.

Solution 5: Reset the Fitbit Device

There are instances where the device doesn’t sync with Fitbit because of faulty connection/sync configurations. Here in this case, you can reset the Fitbit device and then try to sync it again manually using Bluetooth through the Fitbit application.

1. Unpair your Fitbit device from the Bluetooth settings of your phone.
2. Plug your Fitbit device to the charger.
3. Now hold the lone button of your device for more than 10 seconds.
   

   

4. Then the Fitbit logo will appear, which means that the device has reset.
5. Now turn on the Bluetooth of your phone.
6. Then pair your Fitbit device and check if the problem has solved.

Solution 6: Enable All Permissions for the Fitbit App

The Fitbit app requires certain permissions to complete its operation; especially the location permission. If any of the required permissions are not given/available, then it can cause non-syncing of your Fitbit data. In that case, giving the Fitbit all the permissions may solve the problem.

1. Close the Fitbit app and turn off Bluetooth.
2. Open the settings of your phone.
3. Then tap on Apps or Application Manager.
4. Now find and tap on the Fitbit app.
5. Then tap on Permissions.
6. Now enable all the permissions there.

   

7. Then enable Bluetooth of your phone and launch the Fitbit app.
8. Now connect to your Fitbit device and check if it is syncing properly.

Solution 7: Update the Fitbit App

Updates are released to patch bugs and improve performance. If you are using an outdated Fitbit app, then it can be the root cause of the syncing issues. In that case, updating the Fitbit app may solve the problem instantly.

1. On your phone, launch the Google Play Store.
2. Now tap on the hamburger menu and then tap on My apps & games.

   

3. Now find and tap on the Fitbit app.
4. If there is an update available, then tap on Update.
5. After completion of the process, check if the sync functionality is back to normal.

Solution 8: Change Your Network

If the IP given to you by your ISP is blacklisted by Fitbit as being a spammer IP, then you will not be able to sync your Fitbit data. To rule that out, it will be a good idea to change your network. You may use your phone’s hotspot if no other network is available.

1. Switch to another network (or use your mobile phone’s hotspot).

   

2. Now check if Fitbit sync functioning normally.
3. If so, then either switch your network permanently or get your IP changed from your ISPs.

Solution 9: Enable ‘Override Do Not Disturb’ for Your Fitbit App

If you have disabled notifications on your mobile phone or you are using do not disturb, then the sync functionality of Fitbit might fail. In that case, allowing all notifications or allowing Fitbit to override the ‘Do Not Disturb’ may solve the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app.
2. Turn off your Bluetooth.
3. Then open settings of your phone and open Apps.
4. Now find and tap on the Fitbit App.
5. Then tap on Notifications.
6. If Block All is enabled, then disable it.
7. If Show silently is enabled, then disable it.
8. Then enable Override Do Not Disturb.

   

9. Now switch on your Bluetooth.
10. Then launch the Fitbit app and check if the problem is solved.
11. Also, make sure there is no application blocking notifications and all notifications should be allowed.

Solution 10: Turn off Battery Saver and Allow the Fitbit App to Run in the Background

If the Fitbit app is not exempted in Battery optimization or RAM management, then it can cause syncing issues with Fitbit. Also, this issue can be caused by the battery saver mode, which can disable the Bluetooth from the background automatically. In this case, either disabling the Battery saver mode or exemption of the Fitbit app from Battery optimization or RAM management will solve the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app.
2. Swipe down from the top of the screen and then tap on Turn off Battery Saver.

   

3. Now open settings of your phone.
4. Then open the Battery Optimization of your phone (you may have to check in More settings).
5. Now find the Fitbit app and tap on it.
6. Then select “Don’t Optimize”.

   

7. Now tap on the recent apps button.
8. Then Long press the RAM clearing button to Set up apps that could run in the background.

   

9. Now tap on Add to Whitelist.

   

10. Then search for the Fitbit app and tap on Add.

    

11. Now launch the Fitbit and check if the problem is solved

Solution 11: Clear the Fitbit App Cache and Data

Cache is used by apps to speed up things. But if the cache of the Fitbit app is corrupt, then the sync functionality of Fitbit will fail to operate. In that case, clearing the cache and temporary data of the Fitbit app may solve the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app and switch off Bluetooth.
2. Open Settings of your phone.
3. Open Apps or Application Manager.
4. Then find and tap on your Fitbit app.
5. Now tap on clear cache and then confirm to clear the cache.
   

   

6. Now check if the Fitbit sync has started to operate fine.

If not, then most probably user data of the Fitbit app is corrupt. In that case, clearing user data of the Fitbit app may solve the problem. However, you will have to sign-in again and all the data that was not synced will be lost.

1. Follow up to step 4 mentioned above to open the Fitbit app in Apps or Application Manager.
2. Then tap on clear data and confirm to clear the data.

   

3. Now restart your phone and turn on Bluetooth.
4. Then launch and sign-in to the Fitbit app.
5. Connect to your Fitbit device and check if the sync problem has solved.

Solution 12: Uninstall and Reinstall the Fitbit App

If nothing has helped you, then we can try reinstalling the Fitbit application completely. This will completely reset all the installation files and if there is a problem with them, it will be fixed when the files refresh.

1. Sign out of your Fitbit app and Force close it.
2. Remove the Fitbit device from your paired devices in the Bluetooth settings.
3. On your phone, open Google Play Store.
4. Now tap on the hamburger menu and then tap on My apps & games.
5. Then find and tap on your Fitbit app.
6. Now tap on uninstall and then confirm to uninstall the app.

   

7. After completion of the uninstallation process, restart your phone.
8. Then download and install the Fitbit app.
9. Now launch the Fitbit app and sign in.
10. Now pair to your Fitbit device and check if the sync issue is solved.

Solution 13: Sync through Another Device

Maybe the new update of your phone’s OS is not compatible with Fitbit. In that case, use another phone or your Windows PC or Mac till an update is rolled out by Fitbit to cater to the new developments. For illustration, we will discuss the process for Windows PC, you may follow the instructions specific to your OS. You will need Fitbit sync dongle or if your system supports Bluetooth LE 4.0, then you can use your system’s Bluetooth to complete the sync process.

1. Download the Fitbit Connect installer from the official site as per your OS.
2. Launch the downloaded file and follow the setup instructions to complete the installation process.

   

3. Now insert the Fitbit sync dongle into the USB port (not a USB accessory or a USB hub) of your system.

   

4. Once the dongle is detected by Fitbit Connect, click on Setup New Device.

   

5. Accept the Terms of Service and log in using your Fitbit account.
6. Now select your Fitbit device (The Fitbit device should be within 20 feet range of your system).
7. Now follow the instructions on the screen to complete the Bluetooth connection process between your system and the Fitbit device.

   

8. A sync of your Fitbit data will start immediately. If not, then to manually sync your Fitbit device, click on three dots (ellipsis icon) and then click on Sync Now. It may take a while to sync.

   

Solution 14: Update the Firmware of Your Fitbit Device

The firmware of Fitbit devices is updated to patch known bugs and improve performance. If you are using a Fitbit device with outdated firmware, then it can be the root cause of the syncing issue with your Fitbit. In that case, updating the firmware of your Fitbit device may solve the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app on your phone.
2. Switch off Bluetooth of your phone.
3. Connect your Fitbit device through Fitbit sync dongle or Bluetooth to your system (as discussed in the above-mentioned solution).
4. In the Main Menu of Fitbit Connect, click on Troubleshooting.
5. Then click on Check for Updates (below the Fitbit connect number)
6. Again, in the Main Menu of Fitbit Connect, click on Check for Device Update.

   

7. If an update is available, the Fitbit Connect will show a progress bar until the completion of the update process. If your Fitbit device has a screen, then the progress bar will also be shown on it.

   

8. After completion of the update process, disconnect your Fitbit sync dongle from PC.
9. Then connect your phone to your Fitbit app and check if the problem is solved.

Solution 15: Remove Your Fitbit Device from Your Fitbit Account

Your Fitbit device is syncing data with your Fitbit account. If your device was not set up properly, then it will not show in your Fitbit account. We can try removing the Fitbit device from your account and see if this solves the problem.

1. Force close the Fitbit app.
2. Unpair the Fitbit device from the paired devices in Bluetooth settings and turn off Bluetooth.
3. Then on your PC or Mac, launch your browser and navigate to your Fitbit account.
4. Enter your Fitbit credentials to log in to your Fitbit account.
5. Now open the drop-down menu and check if your Fitbit device is shown there.
6. If not, then your Fitbit device was not set up properly and you will have to set it up again.
7. Now click on the Fitbit Connect icon and then open Main Menu.
8. Then click on Set up a New Device.

   

9. Now follow the instructions to complete the setup process.
10. Then turn on Bluetooth on your phone.
11. Now launch the Fitbit app and check if the sync problem is solved.
12. If you are still not able to sync your Fitbit data, then remove all the Fitbit devices (Information stored in your account will be safe) from your account and repeat the above-mentioned devices.

If nothing has worked for you so far, then you will have to factory reset your Fitbit device.