I saw that Fitbit Charge 5 users had complained about various “Fitbit charge 5 screen not working” issues. They had requested me to find a proper fix, and I thought to launch a thorough investigation.
I could find the causes, solutions, and preventive measures through my investigation.
Why Is Not My Fitbit Charge 5 Screen Not Working?
I found these reasons could cause the Screen Not Working Issue.
The Device Is Not Charging Due To Blocked Charging Pins
The charging is interrupted when there is dirt, water, muddy patches, and other similar causes on the charger’s pins and the device’s pins. The display won’t turn on as a result of this.
Resetting
Few users had not been able to turn on their screens after pressing their devices. I found out that they had reset their devices due to the lagging and being slow.
Water Lock Mode
One of the strategies used by Fitbit Charge 5 to avoid unnecessary screen turning on is the water lock mode. I saw few users had not been aware of this mode and caused themselves to have Charge 5 screen not working.
Software Issues
Fitbit charge 5 doesn’t come with the best operating system of the Fitbit devices. That is why they are sending frequent updates to fix the issue. However, I felt the Fitbit Charge 5 OS had more issues than Versa and similar devices.
Note: Battery darning and Bluetooth connection dropping are the most common software issue of the Fitbit Charge 5 device. The same issues could lead to the “Fitbit Screen not turning on” as well.
Firmware Update
I observed that some Fitbit Charge 5 users had gotten the “screen not turning on the back issue” after a firmware update.
Note: I contacted them and discovered that the Firmware Update version 1.149.11 was causing this trouble for most users. But the previous updates had the issue as well.
Hardware Issues
The hardware issues such as faulty displays, circuits, and sensors could also cause the “Fitbit Charge 5 not working issue”.
Also, I observed that some users had got the same issue due to water damage. Although water resistance under 50m is guaranteed, there was some issue. Water could create some faults with the start-up as well.
Fixes for a Fitbit Charge 5 Screen Not Working
I found the following fixes for a Fitbit charge 5 screen not working.
Note: Please follow these steps one by one as I have explained them from the lowest point so any person with any issue may find a solution in the end.
Charge Your Device
You must use a UL-certified USB wall charger to connect the USB cable. After 2-3 minutes, connect the USB cable to the Fitbit Charge 5 device. You must double-tap on your Fitbit device to see the charging percentage.
Note: It will take 1-2 hours to fully charge your device, and you must spend that time.
Turn Off The Warlock Mode
I found a few Fitbit charge 5 users who had accidentally turned on Waterlock mode, which enables a “Fitbit charge 5 screen irresponsive”.
You can easily disable the water lock mode on the Fitbit charge 5 by aping hard on your Fitbit charge 5 twice. You must tap harder until you see the “Unlocked” on the Fitbit screen.
Note: The Water lock feature involves an accelerometer sensor requiring you to tap harder than usual.
Clean The Charging Pins
You must clean the charging contacts of the Fitbit device using a toothbrush. It will be enough to use fresh water. You must clean them until you see a golden color. After the cleaning, use a dry cloth or tissue paper to dry the surface.
You must use a cotton swab to clean the charging pins on the charger. I found out people had used alcohol for the cleaning and got effective results.
Note: You must do this carefully as charging pins may easily get damaged. The use of metallic equipment and inserting paper clips into the sensor holes are discouraged.
Force Restarting Both The App And The Fitbit Charge 5 Device
I had the same issue once and could fix the “Fitbit charge 5 screen not working issue” by following these steps.
Note: This process will cause you to lose your data related to activities on your Fitbit device.
Forget the Fitbit Charge 5 device from Bluetooth settings on the Smartphone
- Open the Fitbit app on eth smartphone
- Tap on Today
- Tap On the Avatar or the profile picture of you (You may find it in the top left corner)
- Tap on the Fitbit Charge 5 device which is under devices
- Tap on the trash can icon on the top of the screen
- You will be asked to force “unpair.” Give okay.
Force Stop / Quit the Fitbit app
Android
- Open the Settings app on one Smartphone
- Go to “Apps” and see all apps
- Tap on the Fitbit app
- Tap Force Stop and then okay
iOS
- Open App switcher
- Swipe right and find Fitbit App
- Swipe up the Fitbit app
Force Restart The Fitbit Device
- Connect your Fitbit charge 5 device to the charging cable
- Press the button on the charging cable three times (You must conduct the pressing with three regular intervals in 08 seconds. Also, you must wait up to 01 seconds minimum when pressing again)
- You must wait up to 10 seconds until seeing the Fitbit logo.
Note: If the Charge 05 screen is not showing any update, you must wait 15 seconds to try that again.
- Open the Fitbit app on your charge 5 device
- Tap on the Profile picture or the avatar icon.’
- Tap on Set Up Device
- Choose Fitbit charge 5 and continue the wizard
Updating Fitbit Charge 5 Device
You must update your Fitbit 5 charge to the latest firmware.
Note: You must keep your Fitbit charge 5 nearby when updating. It will take about an hour the completion and you must not close your Fitbit app during that time.
- Open the Fitbit app on your Smartphone.
- Tap on the Today tab and then on the profile picture
- Tap on the Update button, which will appear in pink (This will only be available if there are new updates)
- Complete the updating wizard
- A progress bar will appear after that and completed within an hour
This article explains “Why I can’t update my Fitbit device.” I hope it will help you to go through issues.
Fitbit Charge 5 Display Repair
Hardware issues are another reason to have the particular Screen Not Working issue. If your Fitbit charge 5 connects with the Fitbit device and stays on a black screen after trying the above fixes, that is surely due to faulty hardware content.
You will have to contact customer care assistance for that if it is within the warranty period.
Note: You have a 1-year warranty for your Fitbit charge 5 and it applies to the display as well. Also, you have a 45-day money-back guarantee for website purchases.
I went through the following video on Youtube and found out it explains the best way to replace a Fitbit charge 5 display. If you are in a hurry to fix the issue, you may follow these steps.
Warning: I highly recommend going to official customer care assistance for the instructions and waiting until they respond.
Conclusion
I hope you must have been able to sort out your Fitbit screen not working issue by now. If you still have it, please contact Fitbit assistance.