Fitbit And Phone Won’t Sync? | Fix It Fast

Why Sync Breaks

Fitbit data moves over Bluetooth Low Energy. The app needs permission to run in the background, Bluetooth must stay on, and the tracker needs enough charge. A dated app or phone OS also trips things up. If a service outage hits, sync stalls for everyone. Before you start deep fixes, check that your phone and Fitbit model are listed as compatible and that no outage is active. The official sync guide from Fitbit is a handy first stop and mirrors many steps in this playbook—see their “won’t sync” help.

Quick Checks And Why They Matter

Run through this fast scan first. It solves a large share of hiccups without extra digging.

Check	Where To Find It	Why It Matters
Battery Level	Tracker screen or charger	Low charge can pause radio activity
Bluetooth On	Phone quick settings	Sync uses BLE, not Wi-Fi
App Version	App Store or Play Store	Old builds fail with new firmware
Phone OS Version	System settings	Older releases can block permissions
Device Listed In App	Fitbit app › Today tab › device tile	Confirms pairing exists

Fitbit And Phone Not Syncing — Step-By-Step Fixes

Work through these in order. Stop once sync returns. Most issues clear by step five or six.

Restart The Tracker

Place the tracker on its charger. Use the model’s restart combo or on-screen menu. A short reboot clears a stuck Bluetooth session and frees memory.

Restart The Phone

A quick reboot resets radio stacks and the app state. It also reopens background services the app needs.

Open The Fitbit App First

Launch the app, then pull down on the Today tab to trigger a manual sync. Keep the app in the foreground for a minute after the spinner stops.

Check Compatibility

Some phones meet OS rules yet still have driver quirks. Confirm your phone and OS meet current requirements on the official Fitbit-compatible devices list, then retry pairing from inside the app. If your device sits on a known-issues list, expect hiccups until a vendor patch lands.

Charge Above 25%

Many wearables pause heavy tasks when charge is low. Top up, wait a minute, and try again.

Refresh Bluetooth

Turn Bluetooth off for ten seconds, then back on. If sync still fails, remove the tracker from the phone’s Bluetooth list, then pair only through the Fitbit app, not the phone menu.

Allow All Needed Permissions

On Android, grant Nearby Devices, Location, and Physical Activity. On iPhone, allow Bluetooth and Motion & Fitness. These enable scanning, pairing, and step counting.

Let The App Run Freely

On Android, set Fitbit’s battery use to Unrestricted and allow background activity. Turn off vendor features that freeze apps while idle. On iPhone, keep Background App Refresh on and avoid Low Power Mode while you sync.

Clear Bluetooth Clutter

Too many wearables and earbuds can crowd the stack. Unpair gear you no longer use. Move away from busy 2.4 GHz spots like routers and microwaves.

Update Everything

Install pending updates for the Fitbit app, your tracker’s firmware, and the phone OS. Updates often include new Bluetooth libraries and bug fixes.

Move The Account If Prompted

New sign-ins use a Google Account. If your app asks to move an older Fitbit login, complete the move so services keep working and pairing stays clean.

Android Settings That Commonly Block Sync

Phone makers label power saving in different ways, yet the aim is the same: slow background work to save charge. That can pause sync. Try this sequence on most modern Android builds:

Give Fitbit Room To Work

Open Settings › Apps › Fitbit › Battery. Pick Unrestricted or No restrictions. Then open Settings › Apps › Fitbit › Mobile data & Wi-Fi and allow data in the background. In Settings › Location, set permission to Allow while in use, then enable Precise location if present. Open Settings › Bluetooth and remove duplicate Fitbit entries, then pair again only through the app. If your phone supports Nearby Devices, make sure it’s set to Allow. Finally, turn off brand features that freeze apps, like MIUI battery guards or One UI sleep lists, for the Fitbit app.

Clear Stale Bluetooth Data

If pairing loops, forget the tracker in Bluetooth settings, reboot the phone, reboot the tracker, then start pairing from the Fitbit app. Keep the phone and tracker close, with no other wearables actively connected.

iPhone Tips When Sync Stalls

Open Settings › Bluetooth and flip the switch off for ten seconds, then on. Tap the info (ⓘ) next to your Fitbit entry and pick Forget This Device, then repair inside the Fitbit app. Keep Background App Refresh on, plus allow Bluetooth and Motion & Fitness. Low Power Mode can pause background tasks; turn it off while you sync. If Bluetooth still misbehaves with many accessories, Apple’s guide has steps that match current iOS builds—see this Bluetooth help page.

When Setup Needs A Clean Start

If nothing works, remove the device from the app, then set it up again. This clears mismatched keys and stale permissions created during a failed pairing.

Clean Setup Steps

1. Open the app › Today tab › your device tile › Remove This Device.
2. Close the app. Restart phone and tracker.
3. Reopen the app and follow Set Up a Device.
4. During pairing, keep devices within arm’s reach, leave Bluetooth on, and accept all prompts.
5. Skip your phone’s Bluetooth menu—pair only through the Fitbit app so keys and permissions line up.

What Sync Uses Behind The Scenes

Bluetooth Low Energy

Your tracker talks to the app using BLE GATT. Range is short—usually a few meters. Walls, bodies, and metal cut range quickly. Keep the phone nearby during sync.

Accounts And Services

Your data lives in your Fitbit account. The app bundles steps, sleep, and heart rate into packets, then sends them to Fitbit’s servers when the phone has data. If the service is down or your login changed, sync pauses even if Bluetooth works.

Permissions

Location access aids Bluetooth scanning on Android and enables A-GPS for watches that use connected GPS. Motion permission lets the app merge phone steps with tracker data when needed.

Firmware And App Builds

New trackers ship with early firmware that expects the current app. If your app is old, pairing can fail partway through. Updating the app first saves time.

Noise And Interference

Chargers, USB hubs, and crowded 2.4 GHz air can make BLE flaky. Move a few steps away from other gear and try again.

Model-Specific Restarts

Each model has its own restart gesture or menu. If you forget the steps, Fitbit’s restart guide lists tap counts and button holds by model. Do a normal restart first; save a full reset for pairing loops that refuse to clear.

Common Errors And Quick Fixes

Message Or Symptom	What It Means	Fast Fix
“Couldn’t find your Fitbit”	Phone can’t see the tracker over BLE	Restart tracker and phone; repair inside the app
“Sync failed”	App saw the tracker but the session died	Toggle Bluetooth; keep the app open while syncing
Spinner never stops	Background limits cut the session	Set battery use to Unrestricted; reopen the app

Prevention: Keep Sync Stable

• Keep Bluetooth on: Turning it off to save power breaks sync and notifications. Leave it on and let radios sleep on their own.
• Charge on a routine: Short daily top-ups keep the radio lively and reduce surprise flat batteries.
• Open the app daily: A quick pull-to-sync keeps firmware checks and account tokens fresh.
• Avoid pairing to many phones: Pick one primary phone. Extra pairings confuse the link and split notifications.
• Trim old Bluetooth entries: Clear stale devices in your phone’s list every month or two, then reboot.
• Don’t reinstall the app unless needed: A reinstall wipes cached keys. Use it only after other steps fail.
• Watch for outages: If your feed stays empty across many tries and your internet works, check Fitbit’s sync help page above. Service-wide issues do happen, and fixes roll out once identified.

Troubleshooting Checklist

Before you close this tab, run this light checklist:

• Phone rebooted in the last day
• Tracker restarted on the charger
• Fitbit app updated and opened first
• Battery use set to Unrestricted on Android, or Background App Refresh on iPhone
• Low Power Mode off during sync
• Only one phone paired with the Fitbit
• Bluetooth toggled off and on
• Old Bluetooth entries cleared
• Manual pull-to-sync tried for a full minute

If all boxes are ticked and the link still fails, follow the clean setup steps above. For iPhone-specific Bluetooth issues across accessories, Apple’s guide linked earlier is worth a look.