Restarting a Fitbit device is a troubleshooting technique that helps recover it without losing the activity data. This technique helps solve numerous problems, such as the tracker isn’t synching, the tracker doesn’t turn on even with charge, the tracker isn’t functioning and responding.
However, each of the Fitbit versions has a different restarting technique. Below is our detailed guide on each of the Fitbit devices.
Before we jump in, according to the Fitbit support community, there is no way to restart the Fitbit devices in some devices without charging it.
If the device has a reboot feature, swipe to the right to the settings. On the settings, click on the about, which will display the reboot command. Click on the checkmark to restart the tracker. On the other hand, if the Fitbit doesn’t have the reboot feature connect it to UL-Certified USB cable and the other end to a laptop to restart.
How to Restart Fitbit 2?
Just like the other Fitbit devices, Fitbit 2 doesn’t have a power-off button, and you may have to wait for more than a week for its battery to drain off the charge. The below steps will help you sync it.
- Connect a USB cable to a computer and use it to connect to the Fitbit 2 device.
- The device detects that cable and vibrates to indicate it is connected
- The next step is to hold the side button for at least four seconds
- When the logo pops up on the screen, your device will have been successfully restarted
How do I Start Fitbit 3?
If your device is not entirely dead and can respond to commands, you can use the reboot feature of Fitbit 3 to restart it.
- On the screen, swipe to the right to get to the settings screen
- On the settings screen, scroll down to the about
- Click the about to get to the reboot device command
- On the reboot, screen tap the checkmark
- Wait for approximately 3 seconds for the normal watch face to appear.
However, if you face issues such as the device cannot track your movements or responding to any command, you need to restart using the USB cable.
- Use a UL-certified USB, connect it to a laptop and the other end to the device
- After ensuring that the device ports pins and the cable have locked perfectly, press the side button on the device until it vibrates
- When the Fitbit 3 vibrates, release the button and wait for a smiley icon to appear on the screen, which will confirm that your device is fully restarted. If not, seek support from the company.
How do I Start 4?
Fortunately, the Fitbit 4 also has the reboot feature. Hence you can restart it while on your wrist.
- Swipe to the right
- Get to the settings and scroll down to the about
- Click the about and scroll to the reboot feature
- After getting to the reboot feature, tap on the checkmark and wait for the device to restart.
If that doesn’t help or if Fitbit 4 doesn’t respond to the touch command, you will need a UL-certified USB cable and an extra device such as a laptop.
- Plug the cable to the computer and the other end to the device and ensure that their pins have locked perfectly
- After the device vibrates, press the side button to restart
- Hold the touch button on the side and release it when a smiley face appears on the screen. That confirms that the device has been restarted.
How do I Restart Fitbit Alta?
The Fitbit Alta series does not have a reboot feature. Thus you cannot restart on your wrist, and you will need its recharging cable to restart it.
- Clip the cable to the device and wait for the battery icon to appear
- Press the button three times simultaneous with to second between each of the pressing activities.
- After the vibrations, you will feel a slight vibration which means that the device has been restarted.
How do I Start Fitbit Alta HR?
Similarly, the Alta hr trackers do not have the reboot feature. Thus its charging cable is needed for the restart process.
- Plug in the cable on a computer and clip the other end around the tracker
- The tracker will vibrate, and a battery icon will be displayed. If not, check the clipping and ensure that the pins are securely locked. Otherwise, your battery might have an issue.
- Next, press the buttons on the charging cable three times with a one-second break on every press.
- After the three presses, the Fitbit logo will appear on the screen, which means the tracker has been restarted.
- Now, you can unplug the tracker and wear it.
How do I Restart Fitbit Inspire?
You cannot restart the Fitbit Inspire series without a charger. Thus have it with a computer, and let’s get into the step-by-step guide.
- Plug the cable on the computer
- Hold the other end close to the charging port until they attach magnetically.
- On one of the sides, there is a button. Press it and hold it for approximately 5 seconds
- Release the button
- Wait until you feel a vibration and see a smiley face on the screen, signifying that you have successfully restarted the device. Note, it is okay for the device not to vibrate, but it must display the icon.
How do I Restart Fitbit Inspire HR?
Inspire HR uses magnetism to connect to the charger. To restart it:
- Hold one of the cable ends near the port until they are attached magnetically
- Connect the other end of the cable to a computer
- Look for a button on one of the sides and press it for at least five seconds
- Release the button
- Wait for a smiley icon on the screen, and you will have restarted the device successfully.
When Should You Restart a Fitbit Device?
Even though we are always advised to restart a device any time we encounter a challenge, let’s face the truth, this technique doesn’t solve each and every problem. Specifically, restarting the device cannot resolve the hardware issues such as a depleted battery.
However, it can clear up excess data that is slowing your operations as well as sync the operations. Similarly, restarting the device helps to revive a device that is not responding to commands.
What You Should Avoid When Restarting Fitbit Devices
Fitbit devices have holes that contain the sensors. Some users try restarting the device by inserting devices on these holes, especially if it doesn’t track their steps. If you do that, you have yourself to blame. These holes have fragile sensors such as altimeters and microphones, hence, they are likely to break.
Additionally, you are already aware that some of these trackers have reboot features while others don’t have. In the latter case, you will require a USB cable to restart.
The cable to be used must be UL-certified. Similarly, you must ensure that the cable is compatible with the watch design.
For instance, some of the ports of thse devices use magnetism to connect to the cables, while others are clipped around. Similarly, you should ensure that the pins of the ports and the cable can clock in perfecltly.
What is the Difference Between Restarting and Resetting a Fitbit Device?
Some of the vocabularies you will encounter when learning how to operate these devices are rebooting, resetting, and rebooting. Keeping all of our years of experience in different fields aside, at first, these words might sound cryptic if not, leaving some confused. Let’s clear out all this fuss.
Restarting and rebooting typically have the same functionality. They simply pass a command to the operating system that it should stop all the operations and begin running the applications afresh.
Don’t panic. Restarting does not erase the already saved data. Hence you can access it later after the process
This operation helps to free up the memory, prevent crashes, and can also prolong the battery life.
On the other hand, resetting simply means, erase the data and change all the settings back to the original settings set by the manufacturer. In some other devices, it is referred to as the restore factory settings command.
Besides erasing the data, resetting also uninstalls foreign software, which means the next time you will be using the device, you will have to install the software and configure the settings.
Due to the hidden destructive nature of the reset command, you should perform this operation where necessary.
How Often Should You Restart a Fitbit Device?
Restating your device, in other words, means wishing it a longer lifespan. It helps do away with chunks of meaningless data residing on the memory as well as increase the battery lifespan. However, it doesn’t interfere with the data you have saved in the past.
Restarting your device after every two weeks is highly recommendable. However, you shouldn’t panic if that period passes by without restarting it. Additionally, you should restart the device if you notice its operations are dragging and taking longer than normal.
Final Words
Restarting the Fitbit device helps recover the lost smooth and fast operations of the device. Actually, it is a mechanism incorporated by the manufacturer to give the customers a good user experience.
As discussed above, restarting the tracker simply means stopping all the applications and operations while clearing the memory from senseless chunks of data.
The best part is that this technique saves you from a dragging device, but it doesn’t delete the data stored in the memory. That is unlike resetting, which uninstalls all the programs and deletes the data.
Some of the Fitbit devices have a reboot feature under the settings screen used to restart the device. However, if your tracker doesn’t have it, you will require a USB cable to restart it.
