The latest Fitbit Ionic software update might brick your device
A number users have reported big issues with recent Fitbit Ionic firmware updates. The company has responded by offering a 25% coupon towards the purchase for another Fitbit device for those with expired warranties.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
We wrote recently about Fitbit OS 4.1.3 firmware update for Versa 2, Versa and Versa Lite. This is primarily a refresh that deals with bugs and fixes. And while this latest update has worked just fine for the majority of Versa users, there are reports of issues. The most commonly reported ones are to do with Versa having problems communicating with the mobile app and increased battery drain.
However, Ionic users seem to be experiencing much bigger issues with Fitbit OS 4.1.2 – firmware update 70.7.27. The faulty software has bricked some devices rendering them useless.
Try this fix
If you are one of the unlucky ones, it’s worth trying this solution.
Do a hard reset of Ionic. This is done by pressing and holding the back (left) and bottom (right) buttons until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen. This should take about 10 seconds. Let go of the buttons.
The alternative is to go to the about menu on the device and do it from there. This is assuming, of course, you are not plagued with display issues.
A further step you can take is to delete the Ionic from the app, uninstall the Fitbit app, download and install it again. Now log back in, restart the Ionic and add it to the app as a new device.
Hopefully this will bring your unresponsive device back to life. Fitbit has issued a OS 4.1.3 update (70.80.0), but that’s of no use to unresponsive Ionics as there is no way to install the new software.
If you’re left with a bricked unit and none of the above solutions work, you can do what some other users have done – contact Fitbit support. Hopefully they might be able to help with an alternative solution. A few users with expired warranties have reported that Fitbit has offered them a 25% off coupon towards the purchase of another Fitbit device.
The latest Ionic software refresh is a progressive one so it may not have hit your device yet. When it does you might want to think twice before installing it! This is why it’s good to be proactive and check Fitbit Forums anytime there’s a software refresh. Better safe than sorry!
Fitbit has provided us with the following statement.
“We have not seen any new significant issues with the latest firmware update. We always aim to deliver a positive experience for our customers and our team continually responds to issues, checks device and system analytics, and captures devices for analysis when necessary. We urge any customers experiencing difficulties with their Ionic to contact Customer Support for assistance.”
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