How do I force my Fitbit to restart?

Perform a reboot without losing your activity data

Updated on December 16, 2020

Table of Contents Show

Perform a reboot without losing your activity data
Restarting a Fitbit Charge 3 From Your Wrist
Restarting a Fitbit Charge 3 By Using the Charging Cable
Why Restart Your Fitbit Charge 3?
What's the Difference Between a Soft Reset vs. a Factory Reset?
How to Do a Factory Reset on a Fitbit Charge 3
How to factory reset your Fitbit
Original Fitbit Sense and most Versa models
Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4
Fitbit Charge 5, Inspire 3, and Luxe
Fitbit Charge 4
Fitbit Inspire 2
Fitbit Ace 3 and Ace 2
Other Fitbits
What about my older Fitbit?
How do I force restart my Fitbit charge 5?
How do I restart my Fitbit without the button?

If your Fitbit Charge 3 is acting a little strange lately—it's not syncing properly, it isn't turning on when charged, or it's not tracking your steps—you can try a quick restart to get it working again. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to restart your Fitbit Charge 3 activity tracker, as well as how to do a full factory reset, if needed.

Restarting your Fitbit and resetting your Fitbit are not the same. A restart clears temporary files, while a reset removes all your data so you can start fresh.

You have two options when it comes to restarting your Charge 3: Restart the device from your wrist or use a charging cable.

Restarting a Fitbit Charge 3 From Your Wrist

If you're wearing your watch and you're not near your charging cable, you can try restarting your Fitbit Charge 3 directly from your wrist. Here's how:

From the clock face, swipe right to get to the Settings screen.
Scroll down and tap About > Reboot Device.
Tap the checkmark.
Wait for the the normal watch face to appear. This confirms your Charge 3 has restarted.

Restarting a Fitbit Charge 3 By Using the Charging Cable

If restarting your device while wearing it didn't work, or if the battery on your device needs to be charged, you can also use the charging cable to restart the device. Here's how:

Plug the charging cable into a USB port on your laptop or any UL-certified USB wall charger.
Next, place your Charge 3 into the charging cradle. Make sure the charging cable is plugged in and the pins lock securely with the port on the back of the device. This is required to do the reset.
Once your Charge 3 is in the cradle, press the touch sensitive button on the side. The watch face should light up and the device should vibrate when you press it.
Now, press the touch sensitive button for a full eight seconds.
After eight seconds, release the button.Wait for the smile icon to appear and the tracker to vibrate. This confirms your Charge 3 has restarted properly. After the restart, the normal watch face should appear.
Your Fitbit should now be working normally. If you're having issues restarting your Charge 3 or you're still having problems, contact Fitbit Customer Support.

Why Restart Your Fitbit Charge 3?

Your Charge 3 usually works without a hitch. Most of the time. But, there are times you may need to restart it, including when:

It's not syncing with the app properly.
It's not tracking steps or the GPS isn't working.
It's not responding to your button presses, taps, or swipes.
It's charged up but refuses to turn on.

Just like rebooting your computer when it's acting up, a restart (sometimes referred to as a soft reset) won't hurt your Fitbit, won't erase your data, and can help get your activity tracker working again in just a few moments.

What's the Difference Between a Soft Reset vs. a Factory Reset?

Restarting a Fitbit Charge 3 is not the same as doing a factory reset. A restart doesn't erase your data. On the other hand, doing a full factory reset removes all apps, stored data, personal information, and credit/debit cards (for Fitbit Pay-enabled devices).

Factory resetting is only available on the following Fitbit models: Charge 3, Aria 2, Inspire Series, Ionic Series, Versa Series, Flyer, and Ace 2.

Factory resetting comes in handy when you're preparing to sell your Fitbit and want to revert it to a somewhat new, data-free state.

How to Do a Factory Reset on a Fitbit Charge 3

To perform a factory reset, swipe right from the clock face to get to the Settings screen. Then select About > Clear User Data. This resets your Fitbit data to the brand new state with no synced data remaining.

Doing a factory reset erases all of your tracking data. Perform a data export to preserve this information before starting the reset. You can find the data export option in the Dashboard menu. Fitbit sends you an email with instructions on how to complete it.

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If your Fitbit has issues, a restart can usually solve most of your problems. However, it might be time for a factory reset if the problem persists. This will wipe all your stored data and return your Fitbit to its factory settings.

How to factory reset your Fitbit

Original Fitbit Sense and most Versa models

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

The Fitbit Sense shares its factory reset procedure with the original Versa, the Versa Lite, Versa 2, and Versa 3. The process is pretty simple, too. Here’s how to do it.

Swipe left on your Sense’s home screen until you find the Settings icon. It will be a little gear. Tap it to open it.
Scroll vertically until you come to the About option. Tap it.
Select the Factory Reset option.

If your watch is not responding, you should perform a hard reset.

Hold all three buttons down on the original Fitbit Versa for around 10 seconds until you see the Fitbit logo. Let go of the bottom right button but keep pressing the other two when that happens. A strong vibration should follow. This means a factory reset has been performed, and all of your data has been wiped.
The process is slightly different on the Versa 2, Versa 3, and Versa Lite since these smartwatches only have one button. Hold it down until the device reboots. When you see the Fitbit logo, release the button for a second or two and then hold it down again until you feel a long vibration indicating a factory reset.

Fitbit Sense 2 and Versa 4

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority

Fitbit tweaked the UI on the Sense 2 and the Versa 4, so a few menu items and visual cues are slightly different compared to the older Sense and Versa line. However, the core procedure remains similar.

Press the side button to open up the apps list, and scroll down to the Settings section. Tap it.
- You can also scroll down from the top of the screen to access the Settings cog on the quick settings shade.
Scroll down to find About [Sense 2 or Versa 4].
Tap it and select Factory Reset.

Fitbit Charge 5, Inspire 3, and Luxe

Kris Carlon / Android Authority

Fitbit’s premier trackers might not be from the same family but share the same factory reset method. Despite the different specs lists and screen sizes, the process is the same on the Charge 5, Inspire 3, and the Luxe. Here’s how to factory reset the devices.

Swipe down from the home screen/clock display until you find the Settings app. Tap on the icon to open it.
Swipe up until you reach the Device Info menu. Tap to open it.
Once again, swipe up until you reach the Clear User Data option. Tap on it.
Finally, tap and hold the Hold 3 sec button to initiate the process.

Fitbit Charge 4

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority

The Charge 4 may not be the spring chicken it once was, but it remains a stellar and affordable fitness tracker from Fitbit. Thankfully, resetting it is a breeze.

Open the Settings app.
Tap About.
Select Factory Reset or Clear User Data.

Fitbit Inspire 2

Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority

The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a pretty small screen, but you can still perform a factory reset directly through your device. Here is how to do that:

Open the Settings app.
Find and select Clear User Data.
When prompted, hold the screen for three seconds, then release it.
A vibration will indicate that the factory reset has been performed.

Fitbit Ace 3 and Ace 2

The Fitbit Ace series are great kids’ fitness trackers. You can clear the two newer models in the lineup to factory settings. Here’s how to do it.

Connect the Fitbit Ace 2 to its charging cable and ensure it’s plugged in.
Open the Settings app and scroll until you find the Clear User Data option. It will not appear unless your Fitbit Ace 2 or Ace 3 is plugged in.
Tap it and press the screen for three seconds when prompted. The tracker will vibrate, indicating your child’s data has been wiped.

Other Fitbits

Fitbit Charge 3

Do you own an older Fitbit smartwatch or tracker but are not ready to part with it? Here’s how to reset the more senior devices from the company’s stable.

Ace: The original Ace does not feature a factory reset method. Disconnect it from Fitbit to erase your user data.
Alta and Alta HR: You can’t factory reset these devices. However, you can erase user data by disconnecting them from your Fitbit account.
Charge 3: Go to Settings > About > Factory Reset or Clear User Data.
Charge 2: This tracker cannot be factory reset.
Charge and Charge HR: Resetting these two devices involves a lengthy process.
- Plug the charging cable into your device and then into a USB port then press and hold your Charge’s button without letting go for two seconds.
- Disconnect the charging cable from your tracker and wait around ten seconds then release the button and then press and hold it again.
- Watch your screen — an ALT text followed by a white screen should flash. Let go of the button shortly and hold it down once again when they do.
- Wait for a vibration. When you feel it, remove your finger from the button for a second, then press and hold it again. You will see ERROR on your screen.
- Repeat the “let go and hold the button” step. Your Charge tracker should turn off.
- Turn it back on and plug in the charging cable.
- If the timer reads 0:00, your factory reset has been successful.
Ionic: Open the Settings app > About > Factory Reset or Clear User Data.
Inspire and Inspire HR: Factory reset both devices by opening the Settings app > Clear User Data > hold screen for three seconds, then release it. A vibration will indicate the reset was successful.

What about my older Fitbit?

You cannot factory reset most Fitbit fitness trackers and watches launched before 2016. This includes the Fitbit Flex, Surge, and Blaze. Your best troubleshooting option will often be a restart. You can achieve this on most older Fitbit wearables by following these steps.

Connect your Fitbit to its charging cable and make sure it’s plugged in and placed correctly.
Hold down the button for five to ten seconds. You will usually see the Fitbit logo appear, or the screen will flash. Release the button or buttons when it happens.
Disconnect the tracker from its charger and turn it back on if necessary.

On some trackers like the Fitbit Flex 2, you will need to locate and press the button on the charging cable itself once the tracker is connected. Press it a couple of times in quick succession until all of the lights on the tracker light up to restart it.

What about wiping your data? You can often reset older Fitbit trackers and watches by disconnecting them from your Fitbit account. You can follow the same steps we provided for the Alta and Alta HR trackers. None of your data will be transferred after the device is connected to a new account.

How to: Fix some of Fitbit’s most common issues and problems