Fitbit Charge 5 Not Counting Steps? Here’s How to Fix

Wondering why is the Fitbit Charge 5 not counting steps? Well, you’re not alone…

Pedometer issues with Fitbit Charge 5 are a common occurrence, although this is one of the primary functions of the fitness band.

Today, we will look into the most frequent causes for issues with the steps counting on Fitbit Charge 5 and help you solve the issue in no time!

To fix Fitbit Charge 5 step counting issues, try power cycling the device, ensuring it’s fully charged, updating the device’s firmware, and performing a factory reset if the problem persists.

Let’s study the problem in more detail!

Why Is Fitbit Charge 5 Not Tracking Steps?

The reason why the pedometer of your Fitbit Charge 5 is not displaying the steps you made could vary.

Typically, the problem is related to the software settings of the Fitbit band or the customization settings in the Fitbit app.

Here are all reasons why Fitbit Charge 5 is not counting steps:

Important!

It’s necessary to charge your Fitbit 5 to maximum battery capacity before attempting any of the solutions.

Sometimes, battery issues are responsible for the functionality so verify that the Fitbit Charge 5 is not impacted by a low battery throttle.

Fitbit Charge 5 Not Counting Steps – 7 Easy Ways to Fix!

Tip: Follow our steps in a consecutive order to fix the issue faster!

1. Reboot the Fitbit Charge 5

A restart may solve any underlying issues with your Fitbit Charge 5, including the steps tracking problem.

The reboot is going to re-launch all software services on your Fitbit, including the steps counter that seems to be experiencing issues.

Here are the steps to reboot a Fitbit Charge 5:

1. Locate the Action button on your Fitbit Charge 5.
2. Press and hold the button for 10-15 seconds.
3. Stop holding the button once Fitbit turns off.
4. Wait until the Fitbit Charge 5 device reboots.
5. Once the Fitbit is on, check the pedometer.

Note: Connect the Fitbit Charge 5 to power before activating the software reboot.

2. Deactivate Fitbit’s GPS

An active GPS may be preventing Fitbit Charge 5 from tracking your steps accurately.

To resolve the problem, you must deactivate the GPS feature found within the Fitbit mobile application installed on your phone.

Here’s how to turn off the GPS of your Fitbit Charge 5 in easy steps:

1. Open the Fitbit mobile application on your device.
2. Navigate to the Fitbit dashboard and press “Settings”.
3. Scroll to the lower end of the screen and locate “GPS”.
4. Press the activation slider to turn off the GPS of Fitbit.

Note: Do not re-activate the GPS of the Fitbit device until the problem is resolved!

3. Re-Sync the Charge 5 Band

Potential sync issues will prevent the Fitbit device from recording your steps properly.

There’s an option within the Fitbit mobile application that allows the user to re-sync the Charge 5 band with the mobile device.

Hopefully, this will restore the functionality of the device’s pedometer!

Follow these steps to re-sync the Fitbit Charge 5 with your mobile device:

1. Open the Fitbit app on your iOS/Android device.
2. Navigate to the “Devices” page and select “Charge 5”.
3. At the top of the page, press the “Sync Now” button.
4. Wait for the Fitbit Charge 5 device to complete the sync.

Note: Make sure that the custom settings of the Fitbit device are initialized properly!

Tip: Activate the All-Day Sync!

Activating the “All-Day Sync” feature allows the Fitbit device to sync the information with your mobile device automatically on a daily basis.

The feature is available on all versions of the Fitbit mobile application and can be activated as long as the band is synced with your device.

Note: The timer in the tab displays when was the last sync of Fitbit with your mobile device!

4. Re-Add the Fitbit Charge 5 Band

If the in-built Fitbit pedometer still won’t track your steps at all, you should remove the Fitbit band from the app and then re-add it.

This will reset the application settings for your Charge 5 and resolve problems with the band’s ability to track your steps accurately.

Here’s how to re-add the Fitbit Charge 5 from the application in easy steps:

1. Open the Fitbit mobile application on your mobile device.
2. Navigate to the “Devices” section and tap on your Charge 5.
3. Scroll down and press the red “Remove this Device” button.
4. Head back to the homepage of the Fitbit mobile application.
5. Press on the “Add Device” button and select “Charge 5”.
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to re-add the Fitbit band.

Notice:

Removing the Fitbit Charge 5 from the application will erase all personal configurations and settings.

Hence, any customization settings you’ve enabled for the Charge 5 will be erased. 

5. Update the Firmware of Fitbit

Outdated device firmware may potentially cause issues with the band’s ability to track steps correctly.

To ensure that there are no firmware-related problems with your Fitbit, you should update the device manually to the latest available version, through the settings menu.

Follow these instructions to update the firmware of Fitbit:

1. Tap on the Update notification you received from the Fitbit app.
2. Navigate to the Fitbit app and press on the “Start Update” button.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the firmware update.

Will My Steps Count Disappear?

Yes. If you happen to update the Fitbit Charge 5 at midnight, whenever the step count resets automatically, you may notice that the step count will be inaccurate afterward.

The Fitbit device may count your steps incorrectly for up to 24 hours after the midnight firmware update.

Info: It takes 24 hours for the pedometer to reset the counted steps and go back to “0”.

6. Reinstall the Fitbit Mobile App!

A potential problem with the Fitbit mobile application may lead to issues with the pedometer on your Fitbit Charge 5.

In addition, uninstalling the Fitbit app and then downloading it again will surely remove any corruption or faults with the application’s data.

Alert: Your device must be connected to the internet in order to download the Fitbit app!

How to Update Fitbit On Android?

1. Open the Google Play store.
2. Tap on your profile picture.
3. Go to “Manage apps & device”.
4. Scroll down and locate Fitbit.
5. Then, tap the “Update” button.

How to Update Fitbit On iOS?

1. Enter the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Press your profile icon located on the top-right.
3. Scroll to “Pending Updates and Release notes”
4. Locate the Fitbit application from the app list.
5. Tap on the “Cloud + Arrow” to get the Fitbit app!

Note: If the update fails by any means, inspect the internet connection of your device!

7. Factory Reset Fitbit Charge 5 

If all else fails, you should perform a factory reset on your Fitbit Charge 5 band.

This is a very effective method to resolve bugs and pedometer issues on the Fitbit device.

However, the reset will permanently remove any user configuration for the particular Fitbit band permanently!

Follow these instructions to erase all content and settings on your Fitbit Charge 5:

1. Swipe downwards from Fitbit’s home page.
2. Locate and open the Settings on your Fitbit band.
3. Go to “Device Info” and tap on “Clear User Data”.
4. Swipe upwards and press the “Hold” for 3 seconds.
5. Wait for the Fitbit logo and for the band to vibrate.
6. Stop holding the display of the Fitbit Charge and wait.

The initialization of Fitbit’s software may take up to 3 minutes.

However, there is an initial setup and pairing with the mobile process that you need to undertake when the process is completed.

Also, the Fitbit Charge 5 will be removed from the Fitbit application after the reset is complete.

Tip: For more help and assistance, contact Fitbit Customer Support!

Quick Recap:

Whenever the Fitbit Charge 5 is not counting steps accurately or at all, re-sync the Charge 5 band with your mobile device and reinstall the Fitbit application.

If the problem is still there, update the Fitbit Charge 5 firmware and perform a factory reset on the Fitbit band.  

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