Google's sync article lists what disconnection looks like: the Google Health app shows stale stats, gives an error at sync, you stop receiving phone notifications, the device's time is wrong or a phone-disconnected icon shows. The device must stay near the phone. Steps in order: uninstall the Google Health app on any other nearby phones or tablets signed into the same account and make sure the Fitbit is not paired to them; restart the Fitbit;
sync manually by opening the app, tapping your device and pulling down until the progress bar appears; reset phone Bluetooth by turning it off for at least 3 seconds and on; confirm the phone has cellular data or Wi-Fi because the app needs the internet; restart the phone; and update the phone, app and device. If it still fails, Google's update article walks through a full Bluetooth disconnection and re-setup. Syncing every 24 hours also shortens GPS connection time.
Differential
Likely causes of “Fitbit trackers and smartwatches will not sync activity or data”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Another phone is signed in nearby
What separates it Sync goes to the wrong device because another phone is signed in nearby
How to confirm Uninstall the app on other phones and forget the Fitbit there
- 2
Bluetooth is stuck
What separates it There is no sync progress bar because Bluetooth is stuck
How to confirm Turn Bluetooth off for 3 seconds and on
- 3
The phone has no internet
What separates it The app errors at sync because the phone has no internet
How to confirm Connect to cellular data or Wi-Fi, and sync again
- 4
A frozen device
What separates it The device does not respond because it is frozen
How to confirm Restart it, and wait for the clock face, then sync
- 5
Old software
What separates it Sync fails after an update because of old software
How to confirm Update the phone, the app and the device
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- What the app or device shows: stale stats, an error or a phone-disconnected icon
- The phone model, OS and app version
- Whether another phone or tablet uses the same account nearby
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedClear other phones
ReversibleClear other phones, by uninstalling the app on other nearby phones and forgetting the Fitbit there.
Restart the Fitbit
ReversibleRestart the Fitbit, and wait for the clock face to show before you try again.
Sync manually
ReversibleSync manually, by opening the app, tapping your device and pulling down until the progress bar appears.
Reset Bluetooth
ReversibleReset Bluetooth, by turning Bluetooth off for at least 3 seconds and back on, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check the internet
ReversibleCheck the internet, and make sure that the phone has cellular data or Wi-Fi, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Restart the phone
ReversibleRestart the phone, and try the sync again after it comes back, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Update everything
ReversibleUpdate everything, meaning the phone, the Google Health app and the Fitbit, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Connectivity by model
- Google's articles cover Bluetooth sync for the Charge 5 and 6, Inspire 3, Luxe, Sense 2 and Versa 4; Google's specifications list the Ace LTE with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 and 4G LTE.
- Sync and GPS
- Google says syncing at least once every 24 hours reduces the time built-in GPS takes to connect.
- Repair cost
- Reconnecting costs nothing. A device that never syncs after a full re-setup is a hardware fault; Alibaba's guide puts a mail-in service at $45 to $75 and a Charge 6 replacement at $99 to $129.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models Charge 5, Sense 2, Versa 4, Luxe, Ace LTE.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If sync fails after a full re-setup, contact Fitbit support
- !If only the time is wrong, use the time article
- !If an Ace LTE cannot reach the internet, use the Ace LTE Help
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Symptoms, the six steps and the phone-disconnected icon.
How syncing works.
Reconnecting the host phone and the full re-setup.
Restarting for a device that will not sync.
The Fitbit brand and its devices.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my data not updating?+
Usually the device is disconnected from the phone. Follow Google's six steps.
How often should I sync?+
Sync at least once every 24 hours so GPS connects faster.
Does the Fitbit need the internet?+
The phone does; the Google Health app must be connected to sync.
What is the phone-disconnected icon?+
It shows the device has lost its link to the phone.
Can two phones sync one Fitbit?+
Google says uninstall the app on other phones nearby signed into the same account.
Will syncing use a lot of data?+
Sync is small; the device uses Bluetooth.