A Fitbit Charge 5 that will not pair with a phone, will not sync or has disappeared from the Fitbit app has a Bluetooth or an account problem, and the Charge 5's touch-only design means a few steps are different from older trackers. This is Fitbit's advanced fitness band with built-in GPS, ECG and stress sensing, continuous heart rate and a touchscreen with no physical button. It shows phone notifications but has no speaker or microphone. It pairs with a phone through the Fitbit app over Bluetooth and keeps its data synced.
The checks in more detail
Start with the phone. Check that Bluetooth is on, that the Fitbit app is open and up to date, and that the app has permission for Bluetooth, nearby devices and, on Android, location, since Android needs it for scanning. Make sure the phone is running a supported operating system version. Turn Bluetooth off and on and keep the phone close to the tracker. In the Fitbit app, tap Today, your profile picture and choose Set up a device, and follow the steps.
If the Charge 5 is already listed in the app but does not connect, open Bluetooth settings on the phone, find any entry named Charge 5, and forget it, then try again, since a stale entry blocks pairing. Then the tracker. Charge it, since a flat battery will not pair; plug it into its charger for a while. Restart the Charge 5 using the method in Fitbit's guide for this model, which uses the button on the charging cable pressed in a set pattern, not a button on the tracker. A restart does not delete data.
If the tracker is still not found, remove it from your account in the app, then add it again. Make sure that you are signed in to the same Google or Fitbit account. Close other apps that use the tracker's Bluetooth, and avoid pairing it with a second phone. Update the Fitbit app and the phone's software. If pairing fails on every phone, factory reset the tracker, which erases the data on the tracker that has not been synced, and set it up again. Contact Fitbit support with the serial number if the tracker still will not pair.
Differential
Likely causes of “Fitbit Charge 5 will not pair with the phone”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Bluetooth or permissions off on the phone
What separates it The app cannot find the tracker
How to confirm Enable Bluetooth, nearby devices and location
- 2
A stale Bluetooth entry
What separates it The tracker is listed but will not connect
How to confirm Forget it in the phone's Bluetooth settings
- 3
A flat battery
What separates it The tracker does not respond
How to confirm Charge it
- 4
A glitch in the tracker
What separates it The tracker is unresponsive
How to confirm Restart it by the guide's method
- 5
An account mismatch or a corrupt setup
What separates it It still fails
How to confirm Remove and add it again; reset as a last step
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- What the app shows when you try
- Whether Bluetooth permissions are on
- Whether the tracker has charge
- The phone and operating system version
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedCheck Bluetooth and permissions
ReversibleOn the phone.
Forget the old entry
ReversibleIn Bluetooth settings.
Charge the tracker
ReversibleThen restart it.
Set up the device
ReversibleIn the Fitbit app.
Remove and add it
ReversibleSame account.
Contact Fitbit
ReversibleWith the serial number.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Touch-only
- The Charge 5 has no button on the tracker.
- Bluetooth
- The app and phone must share a connection.
- A stale entry
- It blocks a new pairing.
- The charger
- It is part of the restart method.
- The account
- Use the same account.
- Fitbit help
- Quote the serial number.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Charge the tracker with the supplied cable
- !Do not pair with several phones at once
- !Contact Fitbit if the tracker will not charge
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why will my Charge 5 not pair?+
Bluetooth, permissions, a stale entry or a flat battery.
How do I restart it?+
Use the method in Fitbit's guide for the Charge 5.
Does a restart delete data?+
No.
Does Android need location?+
Yes, for scanning.
Will a factory reset help?+
As a last step.