Fitbit Versa, Sense, or other model not syncing? How to fix a Fitbit that won’t sync

Fitbit app can't sync with Fitbit device Versa or Sense

Have trouble syncing your Fitbit Sense series, Versa Series watch, or another model of Fitbit with your mobile phone, tablet, or computer? 

If so, you aren’t alone, as multiple users have reported syncing issues after a recent update.

As Fitbit owners, we share your frustration as it happened to us too! That’s why we wrote this article, to offer help and hopefully get your Fitbit, whatever its model, syncing again!

Quick checklist myhealthyapple quick checklist icon

Follow this quick checklist to help fix syncing issues with your Fitbit

  1. Take a look for any service disruptions at Fitbit. In particular, take a look at Device Sync / Pairing.
  2. If you use a new phone or tablet, first unpair your Fitbit from your previous phone’s Bluetooth and then try pairing and syncing with your new deviceFitbits can only pair directly to 1 device. 
  3. Check that your Fitbit isn’t connected and syncing to another device, like your iPad, tablet, or even one of your family members’ devices.
  4. Try syncing manually by tapping your profile picture or icon > your Fitbit device  > Sync Now.
  5. Turn off all other Bluetooth connections on your phone or tablet, and then try syncing with your Fitbit.
  6. Charge your Fitbit so it’s at least 60% battery availability, then try to sync.
  7. Update your Fitbit’s firmware and update the Fitbit app.
  8. Shut down and restart your Fitbit and then try to sync. Restarting does not delete any activity data.
  9. Force Close the Fitbit App on your phone, tablet, or computer, and then try syncing again.
  10. Forget the Fitbit from your phone’s Bluetooth Settings. Then, open the Fitbit app and wait for a message asking you to allow your Fitbit device to pair with your phone. Tap Pair to approve the request to re-pair it to your phone, tablet, or computer.
  11. For Android, try clearing the Fitbit app’s cache and/or delete use data.

Related reading

Why is my Fitbit time not syncing with the Fitbit app on my iPhone or Android device?

Sadly, it’s not uncommon for your Fitbit to stop syncing with the app, especially if you updated the Fitbit app recently or updated your Fitbit’s firmware.

Fitbit syncing problems

If a recent update impacted your Fitbit and it’s no longer syncing or even connecting as it used to, there are a few different options for you to try before contacting Fitbit.

What data is syncing between my Fitbit and my phone? can't connect to Fitbit Versa

When your Fitbit syncs, it is actually syncing your health and fitness data from the device to your phone.

This information includes your heart rate, sleep metrics, steps made, exercise minutes, etc.

This Fitbit device data syncs with your Fitbit dashboard, so you can review that data on any other device or computer with the Fitbit app or log in to your Fitbit account via the website.

Most Fitbits sync to your phone, tablet, and some computers using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology.

However, the Fitbit Aria and Fitbit Aria 2 use WiFi to connect directly to your router.

Look at Fitbit’s current service status

Sometimes there are problems at Fitbit that span way beyond your individual device. So before you tear your hair out, check the current status and announcements at Fitbit via its server status page.

Look for any announcements at the top regarding outages, particularly under the Device Sync/Pairing and Authentication categories. Fitbit server status with outages

If you see there are reported problems at Fitbit, the only thing you can do is wait! The issues are beyond your control. 

Check how many devices sync with your Fitbit

When I use the Fitbit app on both my iPhone and iPad and sync with my Fitbit Versa 3, I run into syncing problems.

Although Fitbit claims you can sync with multiple devices (like a phone and a tablet), it does not seem to work for my Versa and me. 

Whenever my Fitbit syncs with my iPad, the next time I use the Fitbit app on my iPhone, it can’t find my Fitbit. 

What worked for me was keeping the Fitbit app on my iPhone and deleting it from my iPad. Fitbit app remove and delete from iPhone or iPad Apple devices

That way, my Versa 3 is only communicating with one device (my iPhone.) 

For me, this solved the problem of constantly seeing messages that it could not find my Fitbit, connect to it, and sync.

So, if you have the Fitbit app installed on multiple mobile devices, try deleting it from all devices but one.

See if that solves your syncing issues as it did for me.

Now, if you want to keep the Fitbit app on both devices, either power off one of those devices or turn its Bluetooth off and then see if your Fitbit syncs. 

Also, if you upgraded your phone to a new model and still have that old device, make sure you delete the device from the Fitbit app or remove the Fitbit app from that old device.

Close the Fitbit App

The first and most obvious answer to getting the Fitbit to sync again is restarting the Fitbit app.

This means you need to force close the app and re-open it.

Force close the Fitbit app on Apple iOS or iPadOS

  • Open the app switcher by swiping up from the bottom to the middle of your screen or double-pressing the home button. Then choose the Fitbit app and swipe it up off the top of your screen.Fitbit app force close on iPhone or iPad

Force close the Fitbit app on Android

  • Go to Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Tap the Fitbit app > Force Stop and confirm with OK.

Once the Fitbit app is opened again, make sure your Fitbit Versa or other model is on and in range.

Fitbit Inspire syncing inside Fitbit appYou should then see a progress bar in the top left-hand corner, showing whether the Fitbit is syncing.

Remove and reinstall the Fitbit app delete the Fitbit app from your iPhone using Quick Actions menu

If closing the app and restarting it did not help, try to delete and reinstall the Fitbit app via the App Store or Google Play Store.

When you delete the app, you lose any data that has not yet synced your Fitbit account. However, all other data since the last sync remains in your account and will not automatically get deleted.

install Fitbit app on Google Play Store

Check for updates for the Fitbit app

One issue I have seen over the years is when folks forget to update their applications properly.

Sometimes, you may install an app and think it will just work forever, but those “bug fix” releases are essential.

Whether you own an iOS or Android device, you can open up the App Store/Play Store.

Then, check to see if an update is available and download the update if applicable.

You also want to make sure that your smartphone itself is properly updated. On iOS, here are the steps:

  1. Open Settings. Select General. 
  2. Scroll down and select Software Updates.

Here are the steps for Android users:

  1. Open Settings. Scroll down to System. You may also need to tap Advanced.
  2. Tap System Update.update android OS to latest available version
  3. Tap Check for Update.

If an update is available for your smartphone, there may be some incompatibility issues. Ensuring that the app and your phone are updated is extremely important.

Reboot the Fitbit device 

Another one of the easiest ways to get everything working again is to “reboot” your Fitbit.

This is done pretty quickly and is similar to the ole’ adage of “unplugging it, then plugging it back in.”

Restarting your Fitbit does not delete any of your data! 

It’s a quick and easy way that will not impact, delete, or change your data in any way.

Here are the steps to correctly restart your Fitbit:

  1. Press and hold the button or hold the side button or the back (left) and bottom buttons for 10 seconds until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen. This should typically take no more than 10 seconds. Do not release these buttons until the logo appears–even if it takes more than 10 seconds.

  2. Let go of the buttons.

From there, your Fitbit restarts and goes through rebooting itself. If you still have issues with your device, turn it off and turn it back on.

Have a different Fitbit model or tracker?

Check out this article to learn your exact model’s steps: Need to restart or reset your Fitbit device? Learn the steps

But you can also restart your Fitbit from the software on the smartwatch.

To restart your Fitbit via the watch’s Settings app, follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to your Fitbit’s clock face.
  2. Open the Settings app, and select About.
  3. Then tap Shutdown or Reboot.Shutdown, turn off, or reboot fitbit
  4. Press to confirm to shut down your device.
  5. Wait 1 minute and turn your Fitbit or another model back on.

This method alone has been one of the biggest bits of help for folks with issues.

Toggle your phone’s Bluetooth off and on

If you continue to experience issues with syncing, you’ll likely want to try to toggle Bluetooth on and off. toggle android bluetooth off and on

This won’t unpair the Fitbit from your smartphone altogether but will help provide a “jolt” to try and get syncing to work again.

Unpair or Forget your Fitbit from Bluetooth, then re-pair it

In some rare cases, Fitbit also suggests removing the Fitbit from your paired Bluetooth devices. Here are the steps to do so on iOS:

  1. Open Settings or  Settings > Connections.
  2. Select Bluetooth.
  3. Tap your Fitbit’s name.
  4. Scroll down and select “Unpair” or “Forget this device.iPhone bluetooth forget this device

Instead of pairing your Fitbit through the Bluetooth settings, open up the Fitbit app.

This guides you through the pairing steps while also ensuring that your Fitbit and smartphone communicate.

For a step-by-step guide see this article: How to pair your Fitbit to your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

Check Always Connected and All-Day Sync (for older app versions)

If you run an older version of the Fitbit app on your Android or Apple device, you might need to turn on a few additional settings, Always Connected and All-Day Sync.

The most recent Fitbit app versions no longer include these options but check out these settings if you can’t update the app or don’t want to.

all day sync option on fitbit

Fitbit has integrated a few new features within its app that help keep your devices connected. These come in “Always Connected” and “All-day Sync.”

always connected on Fitbit Versa with Android

By default, these are turned on but will make sure that your Fitbit data is synced with your smartphone.

This is even true if you don’t regularly check the Fitbit application but still want your Versa or other Fitbit model data to sync.

Tap the Fitbit icon in the app’s top right-hand corner to check whether this is enabled. This shows you the settings for your specific smartwatch/tracker.

You can scroll down and see the toggles for both Always Connected and All-day Sync. If these are not turned on, try turning them on and close the Fitbit app.

This could help solve your syncing issues and get your Fitbit back into working order.

Clear the Fitbit app’s cache (Android only)

Android phone users have a few more options for the Fitbit app versus iPhone and Apple users, including clearing the cache.

  1. On your Android device, open the Settings app.
  2. Choose Apps > Fitbit
  3. Select Storage & cache
  4. Tap Clear cache. Fitbit app Android clear cache or clear storage
  5. When it successfully clears, the option to clear the cache grays out, and the cache zeros out.
  6. Restart your phone and try synching again.

If problems persist, there’s another option to Clear storage that removes all your user data from the Fitbit app, including settings and files.

Since Fitbit stores your data on its servers, you are only clearing data from your phone, not your account. So you don’t risk losing your Fitbit history.

Notice that your Fitbit’s battery is draining fast? Fitbit battery drain

Fitbit designed your device to always connect to your phone/tablet via Bluetooth. That’s why you don’t miss any notifications.

So if your Fitbit’s battery drains faster than expected, try keeping it closer to your paired phone or tablet.

Your Fitbit uses more battery when it’s farther away from the device it syncs with!

Final thoughts

These are some of the most popular methods to get syncing back to working on your Fitbit Sense, Versa Series, or any other Fitbit wearable. If you run into more issues, feel free to reach out in the comments below.

We love our Versa 3 and think that Versa is one of the best smartwatches on the market and is a great device to own. Hopefully, we see future iterations of the Versa Series released with new features and better specs.

In the meantime, sound off and let us know what you think about how Fitbit is doing in its fight in the fitness space.

Do you think the company is doing well in keeping up with Apple? Or would you like to see something even more innovative in its next smartwatch?

31 COMMENTS

  1. How come no one answers the Fitbit support line it just plays music forever.

    My Versa is not staying online it is now 5 minutes late and no where do you tell anyone how to reset the clock to the right time.

    • Hi Robert,

      I’m sorry to hear that you are not getting someone on the line from Fitbit. Since you mention your Versa’s clock is not on the correct time, here are the steps to update it using the Fitbit app. You can also review additional tips in our article Fitbit didn’t update the time or it’s wrong? How to set the time on your Fitbit

        Open the Fitbit app
        Tap the Today and then select your profile picture or icon at the top
        Scroll down and choose App Settings
        Select Time Zone.
        Turn off Set Automatically.
        Tap Time Zone and choose your correct time zone.
        Sync your Fitbit

      Hope that helps.

  2. Like others here I have tried to connect my Versa Lite to no avail.

    I was also offered the 35 % off as I had my fitbit just over a year. I couldn’t justify buying another one when my charge 2 (although cracked and unattractive looking) still gets the job done.

    I decided to give it another try, since my battery must’ve died when I turned it on again I saw my bitmoji and got super excited. I then restarted the fitbit.

    I’ve also unpaired my charge 2, uninstalled the app a handful of times, and tried these directions over and over. I just don’t understand the disconnect? It seems like my fitbit should work just fine, I can’t figure out why it just won’t pair???

  3. My Versa 3 loses its connection with my phone almost every night.
    In the morning, I often see the last sync sometime between 1 AM and 5 AM, while I was asleep.

    However, I can’t sync and if I press the manual sync I get a red exclamation mark.

    My fix for making it work is by uninstalling the Fitbit app and reinstalling it.

    Nothing more is required. However, it is a bit tedious to have to this every second morning on average.

    So I suspect that there are settings on the Phone that are not compatible with the app.

    I haven’t yet found out which settings – I have tried to disable battery optimization for the app, give access to all services it asks for.

    Now I am running out of ideas. Any input and suggestions would be appreciated.

    • Hi Peter,

      Sorry to hear about all these sync troubles with your Versa 3.

      I too, own the Versa 3 and had a lot of connection problems–what worked for me was to only have the Fitbit app on one device. Originally, I had the Fitbit app on both my iPhone and iPad. Once I removed it from the iPad entirely, the connection problems solved!

      Another thing to check is that you set up WiFi for the Versa 3 inside the Fitbit app. Open your Versa 3 settings in the Fitbit app (tap account picture or icon and then choose the Versa 3 from the list.) Once inside the Versa’s settings, scroll all the way down and tap Wi-Fi Settings and then follow the steps on-screen to add a network. Make sure you add the same network your iPhone uses.

      If the same network is already listed, tap it and forget it. Then add it back.

      Hopefully, one of these things works for you.

      If not, contact Fitbit Support. Since your device is less than one year old, it’s still in the warranty period. So best to get the problem solved now, before that warranty expires.

      Keep us posted and if you do discover something that works, please let us know so we can add it in to the article for other readers.

  4. I have done every single thing listed multiple times, got the watch to connect to my phone but it will not read my steps, heart rate or show the time.

  5. I love my Versa, after I updated it last week it will not connect to my phone.

    I’ve tried everything on the list, chatted online with customer support, and on the phone with customer support yesterday only to be told there is nothing more that can be done and since my versa is out of warranty they can offer me a 35% discount on a new Fitbit.

    Really nice offer however my Versa was a gift and a luxury I can not afford even with the discount.

    I will truly miss the community and connecting with friends and family.

    • Hi Jennifer,

      So sorry to hear this.

      One final option if you didn’t try it, is to (follow all steps in order)

      1) Forget your Fitbit in your phone’s Bluetooth Settings

      2) Delete the Fitbit app from your phone

      3) Remove all data from your Versa by going to Settings app > About > Factory Reset–this removes all its data

      4) Charge your Versa to 100% connecting it to a power outlet (via USB adapter) and not a computer–allow 2-3 hours for this full charge, uninterrupted

      5) After your Versa is fully charged, restart it: press and hold the back and bottom buttons (for original Versa) or the side button (for Versa 2/3/Lite) until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen, then release the button(s)

      6) On your mobile phone, open the App Store or Google Play and reinstall the Fitbit app

      7) Open the Fitbit app and try to set up your Versa as a new device

      Keep us posted, we hope it works for you!

    • Hi Karen,

      Sorry to hear that your Fitbit isn’t syncing despite troubleshooting.

      What model of Fitbit do you use, i.e. Fitbit Versa 3/2/Lite/original, Fitbit Sense, Ionic, Charge 4/3/2/original, Inspire 2/HR/original?

      One suggestion is to let your Fitbit’s battery completely drain to where it turns itself off, then place it on the charger for 12+ hours so it is completely charged, and then try to sync it.

  6. Lots of sync issues with my Versa 3 only in the last month. iPhone 11 keeps losing the Bluetooth.

    Is this an apple or Fitbit issue?

    Very annoying. Up until recently, I’ve been loving my watch.

    I think there’s a bug in the latest update.

    Fitbit or Apple needs to FIX this quickly, please

  7. With the Android 11.0 update, Fitbit has left all Google Pixel 3a users in the dust.

    Support says they have no plans to support this device. I have been a Fitbit user for about 10 years but it is time to move on to a device that works. Fitbit continues with terrible customer support and does not stand by their trackers.

  8. I continue to have trouble syncing my Fitbit Versa 2 with my phone. It is very frustrating. It doesn’t make sense. They are right next to each other and blue tooth is on. I don’t think I will ever purchase another fitbit product because of this.

  9. Hi De’Borah here: I’m having the same problems everyone in this feed is having, tried everything that was suggested. I’ve only had this Versa lite 3 month and it STOPPED working 1 month after purchase this is a lot of money to pay for a device that does not work and wait for Fitbit to fix, which I’m still waiting:

  10. I have tried what you have suggest, still does not sync and unable to connect to Bluetooth. Somemore the time was not accurate at all. Still same. Using huawei p30 pro and even trued to huawei nova 3i still same. Don’t have this issue prev and was just recently only. Please help

    • Hi Joselyn,

      Make sure that you allow the Fitbit app to run in the background on your phone and that there isn’t a battery limitation.

      Turn off background blocking

        Go to Apps & Notifications > Fitbit app
        Turn off Background restrictions or Background limits

      Turn off battery blocking

        Go to Apps > Fitbit app > Advanced > Battery > Battery optimization
        Change the view to All apps
        Search for the Fitbit app and select not optimized

      Once you reset these settings, restart your phone. Then check if the Fitbit syncs. If not, try turning off WiFi and leave Bluetooth on–see if that makes a difference.

      Keep us posted,

  11. I have a versa lite. It stopped syncing with my phone. I did all of the above steps. I even download the fitbit connect on my mac; however, when I try to set up a new device, it doesn’t have versa lite as an option. How to do I update it if you don’t have it as an option?

  12. Fitbit is such a disappointment!!

    Won’t sync for months…worked for months, and now I can’t use it.

    And ever since Google purchased Fitbit, they keep trying to charge me $9.99 per month for Fitbit coach that I canceled over a year ago.

    When I called support, they said to dispute with my credit card. What a terrible company. DO NOT BUY!!!

  13. Just got mine 2 days ago (Versa 2) for my birthday and syncing is very unreliable. And it REFUSES to sync to my 5th generation iPad. Not only that, the accuracy is HORRIBLE. Went on a walk, GPS on phone correctly tracked it as 3.5 miles, versa 2 said 2.9. I’ve tried everything including custom stride enter. It just sucks. It also tracks hundreds of steps as I drive a few miles done the road LOL. Also, you can’t even see you heart rate during sleep. Seriously FitBit? You want us to pay $10 a month to see a heart rate???

    Anyhoo, it’s going back to Kohl’s this week and I’m just spending the extra for an Apple Watch. At least it will work!! My friends who own Apple love them. Bye Fitbit. It hasn’t been pleasant.

  14. The whole sync issue is messed up. We pay so much money for these just to be told ,” hold on longer, hopefully they will get it fixed.” This has been happening for a long time. I’m afraid to charge it because I know it will get messed up. Not happy

  15. I’ve had issues with my Versa not syncing for months. Have been in constant contact with Fitbit themselves and tried everything they suggested.

    Latest email from Fitbit tells me it’s a bug and their engineers are working on it “there’s no deadline at the moment for the fix.”

    At the moment the Versa is therefore good for nothing as it’s running a day and a bit behind time-wise.

    It appears Fitbit are happy for their customers to wait an indefinite amount of time while they attempt to fix it.

    Okay, I could wait a week or two but this has been going on for months!

    • Hi Karen,

      Thank you for letting us and all our readers know what Fitbit is doing about this issue. Hopefully, those engineers get that fix out soon.

  16. I updated my Versa a couple of weeks ago and since then I have had nothing but trouble with it.

    The battery is draining daily, shuts off completely within 10 hours. The time has been completely off anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

    It is not tracking my heart rate, hasn’t been for a few days.

    I have tried all of the troubleshooting advice listed and I still am unable to get it to sync. This is the 3rd Versa I have had in the last year and a half! They have all had a defect and Fitbit had to replace it.

    I am disgusted that there have been so many issues with the Versa. When the watch works I absolutely LOVE it, but after this last mishap, I am seriously contemplating switching to an Apple Watch instead.

    I truly expected to get a lot more life out of a $200 tracker. Any help or advice would be great!

    • HI Genessa,

      We are so sorry you’re having syncing and other problems with your Versa! If you have multiple devices, try installing the Fitbit app (or for Macs, use Fitbit Connect) and see if you can sync your Versa using a different device.

      If that’s not possible or doesn’t help, please let us know what device you sync to (i.e. if you use Android, iOS, or your computer Windows/Mac)

  17. My iPhone 6S is not syncing with my fit bit, Versa Lite.

    I don’t have anything on my fit bit screen, so I cant go into the fit bit to click into settings.

    It keeps telling me that it is syncing and refreshing but it never does.

    Then I get a message that it can’t find a device.

    I just got this fit bit March 8th. It worked for a few days and now it stopped working.

    I have tried to shut down and start back up and still doesn’t work.

    What would happen if I clicked on “Remove This Versa Lite” and just started from the beginning? I am totally frustrated.

  18. My phone (app) is not seeing my Versa. I’ve had the Versa for 9 months and worked fine. It logged my run fine yesterday but the first thing I noticed that make me think something was wrong is that the time was off … about 20 min behind actual time. Doing everything above didn’t help. I even deleted the app and reloaded it. Help!

    • I have tried all of the suggestions to try and resync and nothing works. Uninstalled and reinstalled app. Unpaired blue tooth & re-paired. My husband purchased this as a birthday present. Waste of money. Totally disappointed.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.