There are several factors that can cause your Fitbit Sense battery to not charge. It could be due to the battery life being depleted in which case it will take a long time to charge, it could be due to a software issue, defective charger, or even the battery draining faster than it can be charged.
The Fitbit Sense is a premium smartwatch that has several outstanding features. It’s the company’s first model to offer electrocardiogram (ECG) heart rate monitoring. Aside from this it can keep track of your workouts, stress levels, sleep, menstrual cycles, and so much more.
Why is my Fitbit Sense not charging?
One of the issues that you might encounter with your Fitbit device is when it does not charge. This can be an annoying issue especially if it’s almost out of power and you want to use it.
Here are the troubleshooting steps you need to do to fix this problem.
Solution 1: Clean the charging pins of your Fitbit
Sometimes dirt stuck on the charging pins of the Sense will prevent it from being charged. Also, dirt found on the charging contacts of the charging pad will affect the way you charge the smartwatch.
You should clean the charging contacts on the back of your device as well as on the charging pad to ensure they stay bronze or gold in color. You can use a toothbrush with rubbing alcohol. Make sure that it is dry before charging.
Don’t use any metal material when cleaning the contacts as this will cause damage.
To properly maintain the Fitbit you should regularly keep it clean and dry.
Do not use hand soap, body soap, dish soap, hand sanitizers, cleaning wipes, household cleaners or other similar cleaning products to clean the band or device instead only use fresh water and a soap-free cleanser.
Once the charging contacts are clean try to check if the smartwatch is now able to charge.
Solution 2: The Fitbit charger is defective
There’s a possibility that the wall charger you are using is defective or is unable to charge this smartwatch.
Try using a UL certified wall charger to charge the Fitbit. You can check if the charger is indeed working by using it to charge another device.
You should also consider the possibility that the charging pad is defective. Try to inspect if its charging cord is damaged. If it is then you will have to get a new charging pad.
Solution 3: Charging contacts are not connected securely or are not aligned properly
Make sure that the charging cable of the charging pad is connected securely to the USB port of your UL certified wall charger.
You also need to make sure to charge the Sense in the proper pin orientation.
Plug the charging cable into the USB port on your computer, a UL-certified USB wall charger, or another low-energy charging device such as a power bank.
Hold the other end of the charging cable near the port on the back of the watch until it attaches magnetically. Make sure the pins on the charging cable align with the port on the back of your watch.
Charging the Sense will take around 1 to 2 hours.
Solution 4: Restart the Fitbit
If the battery of the watch is draining faster then it is being charged then this problem will usually occur. One of the main causes of the battery draining quickly is an app running in the background. In order to fix this you should restart the Fitbit device.
Press and hold the button solid state button for 10 seconds until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen, and then release the button.
Once the device has restarted try checking if you can charge it.
Solution 5: Dry the Fitbit if it is wet
If your Fitbit smartwatch is wet then you won’t be able to charge it. Make sure that it is dry before charging it.
Solution 6: Remove the plastic protective cover
If this is a new device then it will still have its plastic protective cover at the back covering the charging pins. Remove this cover so that you will be able to charge the device.
Solution 7: Perform a factory reset
There’s a possibility that this problem is caused by a software glitch. To eliminate this possibility you should consider doing a factory reset.
On your Fitbit device, open the Settings app then About then Factory Reset.
Try to check if you are now able to charge the device.
Solution 8: Contact Fitbit support
In case all of the troubleshooting steps listed above fails to fix the problem then you will need to contact Fitbit support for further assistance.
Bonus Solution 9: Tip from a TDG Reader
I am going to tell you of a specific problem so you are aware of it. It has happened to me twice with different chargers. I know this is the problem in some cases and I think this may help your readers. As you know there are 4 pins on the charging pad that fit on to the back to the Fitbit Sense to charge it when aligned properly. The magnet will pull the charge pad into place if aligned properly. However, one think not mentioned in detail in the article is pin problems. It has now happened to me twice that a pin can get pushed in a bit to the point that it no longer makes contact with the watch, thus the watch does not charge. It was not possible for me to pull the pin out. Each time the solution was to buy a new charger. I am about to buy my third charger, or maybe a different smart watch. I thought this pin problem might be useful information for your readers. It is not an isolated incident so I strongly suspect it has happened to other people.
