How to Reset Fitbit Charge (All Versions) » (Step-By-Step)

Is your Fitbit device experiencing some glitches?
Maybe it has stopped syncing and tracking your data like it usually does. If that is the case, then you might want to reset it.
Here’s how to reset your Fitbit Charge device:
- Connect your Fitbit Charge device with a USB port.
- Press and Hold the tracker button for two seconds.
- Remove the tracker while holding the button.
- Keep pressing the button for eight to nine seconds.
- Let go of the button.
- Press the button again until you see ‘ALT’ on the screen.
- Press and hold the button until the device vibrates.
- Press and hold the button until you see ‘ERROR’ on the screen.
- Press and hold the button until you see ‘ERASE’ on the screen.
- Turn the tracker on.
If the Fitbit Charge shows “0:00”, your device has been reset.
However, the method for resetting Fitbit Charge devices is a bit different for every model.
In this article, I will explain how you can reset Fitbit Charge HR, Charge 2, Charge 3, Charge 4, and Charge 5. I’ll also talk about the reasons why resetting your Fitbit Charge device is worth it.
Stay tuned!
Every Fitbit device owner must know there is a way to perform a soft factory reset on their device, which harmlessly gives the Fitbit tracker a quick restart.
Nonetheless, if this does not work, you need more than just a restart and may have to erase all your data.
5 Reasons for Resetting Your Fitbit Charge Device
It’s best to restart your Fitbit device if you experience any of the following issues:
- It won’t sync to your other devices.
- It won’t respond to your taps, swipes, or button press.
- Its screen freezes.
- It won’t track your steps properly.
- It won’t show notifications or reminders.
However, if restarting the device doesn’t fix any issues, you might have to consider factory resetting your Fitbit device.
In this guide, I have discussed how to reset any Fitbit Charge device that you own.
How to Reset a Fitbit Charge HR?
The Fitbit Charge HR is a fitness tracker device that offers detailed activity tracking, heart rate monitoring, and sleep monitoring. In short, it is considered to be an all-in-one wearable for an athlete or a fitness instructor.
If you are facing issues in your Fitbit Charge HR and you want to fix the issues by resetting the device. This guide will help you. To avoid erasing all your data, you can perform a soft reset on your Fitbit Charge HR device.
The following instructions show how you can reset your Fitbit Charge HR device.
Step 1: Firstly, you will have to connect your Fitbit Charge HR to a charger cord and plug the USB cable into a power source.
Step 2: After that, you have to gently press and hold down the single button on the side of the Fitbit Charge HR for about 10 to 12 seconds. Keep holding the button down until you see a Fitbit icon popping up on the screen.
Step 3: Release the button once the icon goes away, this indicates that your device has rebooted.
Step 4: You can now unplug the USB cable from the port.
In any case, if this soft reboot does not solve the errors in your Fitbit device then Id’ say it is time for you to perform a factory reset.
- Track workouts, heart RATE, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes and steps
- Monitor your sleep automatically and wake with a silent alarm
- See call notifications, daily stats and time of Day on the OLED display
- Sync stats wirelessly and automatically to your computer and over 150 leading Smartphones
Last update on 2023-12-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How to Factory Reset Fitbit Charge HR?
Before you factory reset your Fitbit device, I will recommend that you be mindful that it will erase all your user data. The following steps show the method to reset your Fitbit Charge HR device. As a result, I’m pretty confident you will find your Fitbit device a completely new device.
Step 1: In the beginning, you need to turn on your Fitbit tracker, either by pressing the power button or by connecting it to a charging source.
Step 2: After that, you need to press and hold down the power button.
Step 3: Once you see a battery icon pop up on the screen, release for 2 seconds and press the button again immediately.
Step 4: Unplug the USB cable from the port while still holding down the power button.
Step 5: After about 8 seconds, release the button for one second then immediately press it again.
Step 6: By now your Fitbit Charge HR device will vibrate. Release the button and press it down again.
Step 7: Finally the screen will say ‘Erase’. You have to release the button entirely. Congratulations, you have now successfully reset your Fitbit Charge HR device.
How To Reset The Fitbit Charge 3 And 4?
Fitbit Charge 3 and 4 are similar in many ways but Fitbit 4 is edgier. The Fitbit Charge 3 launched in 2019 with a variety of exercise tracking modes along with sleep tracking and heart rate monitoring features.
Similarly, the Fitbit Charge 4 has GPS, which can help you track outdoor activities like walks, runs, and bike rides without the need to carry around a cell phone with you.
If you are facing trouble tracking, connecting, or syncing your device to your Fitbit Charge 3 and 4, you will have to restart your device. To do that, go to Settings on your Fitbit device. Tap ‘About’, then you will see multiple options from which you have to select the option saying ‘Reboot Device’.
However, if your device is unresponsive, then you will have to reboot the device manually. To do so, follow these instructions:
Step 1: Plug your charging cable into a USB port and then connect the other end of the port to the back of your Fitbit device.
Step 2: Make sure that the button on your Fitbit device is properly aligned with the button opening on the charging cable. Once your Fitbit device vibrates and shows a battery icon on its screen, you’ll know the connection is secure.
Step 3: Now press and hold the button on your device gently for up to 8 seconds to restart your Fitbit Charge 3 or 4. When a smile icon pops up on the screen and the device vibrates, it indicates that your Fitbit has restarted.
Following the above steps will perform a soft reset on your Fitbit Device, if in any case your device still shows an error, you will have to factory reset your device.
- Better measure calorie burn, understand resting heart rate and more with 24/7 heart rate tracking and a battery life of up to 7 days (varies with use and other factors).
- Choose from 15 plus exercise modes like run, bike, swim, yoga, circuit training and more, set a goal, and get real time stats during your workouts to see how you can keep getting better
- Automatically record time spent in light, deep and REM sleep stages and see Activity trends, health insights and personalized guidance in one place with Fitbit today
- Swim proof and water resistant to 50 meters, so you can track swims and wear in the shower; also connect to Smartphone GPS for real time pace and distance during outdoor runs and rides
Last update on 2023-12-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How To Factory Reset Your Fitbit Charge 3 And 4?
Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker
Step 1: First you have to turn on your Fitbit device by pressing and holding the power button gently or you can do so by connecting your Fitbit device to a charging source.
Step 2: Open the ‘Settings’ app on your Fitbit Device and search for the ‘About’ tab.
Step 3: When you select ‘About’ you will instantly see an option labeled as ‘Clear User Data’.
Step 4: Once you select ‘clear user data’ a pop-up window menu would appear asking to confirm the factory reset.
Step5: Once you click confirm, your Fitbit device will Factory reset, erasing all your user data.
- Use built-in GPS to see your pace and distance on screen during outdoor runs, rides, hikes and more and see a workout intensity map in the app that shows your heart rate changes along your route
- With Active Zone Minutes, feel a buzz when you reach your target heart rate zones during exercise, and celebrate when you earn extra minutes outside of exercise
- Get a 90-day free trial of the Fitbit Premium to help you stay active, sleep well and manage stress. Unlock it all in the Fitbit app. (Valid payment method required. Cancel before free trial ends to avoid subscription fees. Offer valid for new Premium users only).Operating temperature: -20° to 60° C
- Use 24/7 heart rate to track resting heart rate & better measure calorie burn. Syncing to mobile devices requires Bluetooth LE and internet connection. Syncs with Mac OS X 12.2 and up, iPhone 5S and later, iPad 5 gen. and later, Android 7.0 and later
Last update on 2023-12-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How to Reset a Fitbit Charge 2?
If your Fitbit Charge 2 is facing issues with syncing or tracking your steps or freezing, I’d recommend you perform a reset. By following the steps below, you can reset your Fitbit Charge 2.
Step 1: First, you have to plug your Fitbit Charge 2 into its respective charger, and connect the USB cable to a power source.
Step 2: After you successfully plug your Fitbit into a charger, hold down the single button on the side of your Fitbit Charge 2 device for about 10 to 12 seconds, or up until a small Fitbit icon appears on the screen.
Step 3: Wait till the Fitbit icon goes away, then release the button and unplug the USB from its port.
You have now successfully rebooted your Fitbit Charge 2 device. However, if you are still facing any issues, you have to consider performing a factory reset on your Fitbit device.
- Pure Pulse continuous, automatic wrist-based heart rate tracking to better measure calorie burn all day
- Maximize your workouts using simplified heart rate zones (Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak)
- See call, text & calendar notifications on the OLED display; Automatically track how long and how well you sleep and wake with a silent vibrating alarm
- Get a better understanding of your fitness level and see how you can improve over time with a personalized Cardio Fitness Score; Use Connected GPS during run mode to see real-time stats like pace and distance on your wrist
Last update on 2023-12-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How to Factory Reset Fitbit Charge 2?
Unlike any other Fitbit charge models, such as the Charge 3, 4, or Charge HR, the Fitbit Charge 2 has no hardware button which you can press to reset your Fitbit device. However, there is still a way to factory reset your Fitbit Charge 2 device.
Here’s a step-by-step instruction on how you can reset your Fitbit Charge 2.
Step 1: First you have to go to Fitbit’s website, ‘fitbit.com’, and log in to your Fitbit account.
Step 2: Once you are successfully logged into your Fitbit account, you will see a gear-shaped icon on the top right corner of your laptop’s screen. Select that icon to navigate to the settings menu.
Step 3: After that, you have to select Charge 2 in the drop-down menu to go into the settings for your Fitbit device.
Step 4: Once you are in the settings of your Fitbit Charge 2 device. Scroll to the bottom of the screen where you will find an option labeled ‘Remove Charge 2 from your account.’ Select that option and your Fitbit device will be removed.
After your device has been removed, it’s no longer synced or connected to your Fitbit smartphone app. Hence, this also resets Fitbit Charge 2 and brings it back to its default settings.
How to Reset the Fitbit Charge 5?
The Fitbit Charge 5 is a super affordable fitness tracking device with several features that allow you to track your heart rate and count your daily steps.
It has a GPS for tracking your runs, an EDA (Electrodermal Activity) sensor that measures stress response, contactless payments, sleep tracking as well as sleep monitoring.
If your Fitbit Charge 5 device isn’t syncing or tracking your data, it is best to perform a soft reset. This allows you to keep your data intact.
To reset your Fitbit Charge 5, follow these simple steps.
Step 1: Turn off your Fitbit Charge 5 and swipe down from the lock screen towards the settings app.
Step 2: Once you have navigated to the settings app, open it and select the option labeled ‘Restart Device’. This will reboot your Fitbit device.
However, If the screen is frozen or unresponsive, you will have to reboot your device manually. Here’s how you can reboot your Fitbit Charge 5 manually.
Step 1: Connect your Fitbit Charge 5 to the charging cable and plug the USB into a power source.
Step 2: Once your device is connected to a charging source, press the button located on the flat end of the charger 3 times while pausing for 1 second between each press.
Step 3: After that, wait for about 10 seconds or up until the Fitbit logo appears on the screen. The logo indicates that your device has been rebooted.
- Optimize your workout routine with a Daily Readiness Score that reveals if you’re ready to exercise or should focus on recovery (Requires Fitbit Premium membership). Compatibility-Apple iOS 15 or higher, Android OS 9 or higher .Operating Temperature : -10°C to + 45°C.Radio transceiver : Bluetooth.
- Get a daily Stress Management Score showing your body’s response to stress and take steps to improve your levels with an on-wrist EDA sensor mindfulness session. Band Size:Sm: Fits wrist 5.1"- 6.7" . Lrg: Fits wrist 6.7" - 8.3" in circumference
- Track your heart health with high & low heart rate notifications and a compatible ECG app (The Fitbit ECG app is available in select countries. Not intended for use by people under 22 years old.)
- With the Health Metrics dashboard, track SpO2, heart rate variability, skin temperature variation and more (Not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and should not be relied on for any medical purposes.)
Last update on 2023-12-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
How To Factory Reset Fitbit Charge 5?
In order to wipe all data, you have to factory reset your device. This will bring it back to its default settings. Follow these simple steps to factory reset your Fitbit Charge 5.
Step 1: First, turn on your Fitbit device by pressing the power button, then swipe down from the lock screen to find the settings app.
Step 2: Now open the ‘Settings’ app and select the option labeled ‘Device Info’.
Step 3: After selecting device info, you will be able to see an option labeled ‘Clear User Data’. Select that option.
Step 4: Once you do that, immediately swipe up and press ‘hold 3 seconds’ for 3 seconds and then release.
Step 5: When the Fitbit logo appears on the screen and the device vibrates, your Fitbit Charge 5 device has successfully been factory reset.
After Following these step-by-step instructions, your Fitbit devices will look brand new and work as they did before. However, if your Fitbit device still faces issues, you should contact the Fitbit customer service center for help.
Conclusion
I hope this detailed guide will help you reset your Fitbit Charge devices. Not only will this guide help you in fixing those minor errors in your Fitbit Charge devices but will also come in handy when you think about giving them away.
Maybe you want to gift it to someone else or maybe it won’t work like it normally does. In this case, you need to know how to reset or unpair your Fitbit Charge device.
For instance, if you decide on giving it away like I once did, I erased all the data and ran a factory reset on my device so that the recipient does not get to see my data. Resetting is a surefire way of safely giving away devices without worrying about your data getting stolen or anything.