Ideally, all these smartwatches and smartphones should work continuously without any interruptions. They promise to make our lives easier and healthier. But sometimes, they behave abnormally. They don’t respond to your taps and also they don’t track your activity and health data!! This can often stress you out. But don’t you worry, restarting or factory resetting the Fitbit can solve most of your problems. This is a step-by-step guide to reset Fitbit Alta HR, Flex 2, Alta, and Flex.
The Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Flex 2, Fitbit Alta, and the Fitbit Alta HR, all these older versions of the Fitbit do not have the Factory reset settings in the Fitbit itself. Instead, these Fitbits need to be removed from the Fitbit account to erase all its data. For restarting these models, you need to use the original charger of the Fitbits.
Fitbit Alta
Force Rebooting the Fitbit Alta
Force Resetting the Fitbit is a harsh task to do. All your data gets deleted, so make sure you want to do it.
- Plug your Fitbit Alta into the charging cable. Fitbit Tracker is charged when it vibrates and displays a battery icon.
- At the end of the charging cable i.e that is connected to the computer or charger, you will find a button. Press that button 3 times within 8 seconds. Keep a gap of 1 or 2 seconds between the presses.
- After that, the tracker will vibrate and the Fitbit logo will appear.
Thus, your reset was successful. Now you can remove the charger.
Soft Resetting the Fitbit Alta
You can use this method when you do not have the access to the charger. Here are the steps to soft reset the Fitbit Alta:
- Close the Fitbit app on your phone.
- Switch off the Bluetooth on your phone.
- Finally, open the Fitbit app again and also switch on the Bluetooth.
Correspondingly, this will act as a soft restart of your Fitbit Alta.
Factory Resetting the Fitbit Alta.
Few Fitbit models deprive you of the direct feature of Factory Resetting. Unfortunately, Fitbit Alta is one of them. But do not panic, there are other ways that we can erase our data.
These are steps to erase the data of your Fitbit Alta:
- Go to your Fitbit account and remove your Fitbit Alta.
- Connect your Fitbit Alta to another account or any dummy account.
- Once you connect the Fitbit Alta to the new account, you will find the Fitbit Alta as a new one. You won’t find any of the user data there.
Connecting to the new account is for checking only; to see whether you have successfully cleared data or not. Otherwise, you can simply remove the Fitbit Alta from your Fitbit account and directly give it for sale or to your loved ones.
Fitbit Alta HR
| Display | OLED Display |
| Material Used | stainless steel Metal Bracelet, Leather Band |
| Dimensions | Body dimensions: 1.61 x 0.61 x 1.3 inches Body net weight: 0.8 ounces |
| Water resistance | Yes, up to 5ATM |
| Memory | – |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| GPS | No |
| Sleep Tracker | Yes |
| Microphone | No |
| Battery | 7 days of battery life (Lithium Polymer Battery) |
| Connectivity | WiFi: No
BlueTooth 4.0 |
| Supported Systems | Android and iOS |
| In the box | Fitbit Alta HR x 1 Dongle and Charging cable x 1 User manual x 1 |
| Other Features | Activity reminders Tracks steps, distance, calories, etc Swappable bands |
The reset and factory reset process of the Fitbit Alta and Fitbit Alta HR is just the same. The following steps are for troubleshooting various issues:
Restarting Fitbit Alta HR
Take these steps into consideration to restart or soft reset any of the Fitbits: Alta, Alta HR, or Ace.
- Plug the Fitbit Alta HR into the charger. Make sure it is charged. You know it is charged when your tracker vibrates and shows a battery icon.
- There is a button at the end of the charging cable i.e which directly connects to the charger or computer. Press that 3 times in intervals of 1 or 2 seconds each.
- The Fitbit logo will appear after a few seconds, indicating the reboot was successful.
Thus, after this, problems like slow performance or no responsiveness to taps will be solved, and also note that this process will not delete any of your data.
Factory Resetting the Fitbit Alta HR
Disclaimer!! Do Factory reset only when your issues can’t be solved from rebooting or other methods. But before selling or giving it to other people, this step is a must.
Sad to say, there is no direct Factory resetting option in Fitbit Alta HR. Yet, you can erase your data from the Fitbit Account itself.
Note these steps:
- Go to your Fitbit account and remove the Fitbit Alta HR from the list of devices.
- Connect your Fitbit Alta HR to another Fitbit account.
- You will find that all of your previous data are erased. Now, you are good to sell it or give it to anyone else.
Please keep in mind, the second step; connecting the Fitbit Alta HR is just to check whether the data has been deleted or not.
Fitbit Flex
Fitbit Alta HR, Flex 2, Alta, and Flex, all these models of Fitbit were released before 2018. The first wrist wearable of the Fitbit was released in 2013, and it is the Fitbit Flex.
Resetting the Fitbit Flex
Fitbit Flex is the first wrist-wearable activity tracker developed by the Fitbit company. The process for restarting is quite different from the latest Fitbit fitness trackers.
You will need the Fitbit Flex charger and a paperclip for the restarting process.
The steps for resetting or factory resetting the Fitbit Flex is as follows:
- Pull out the band and take the little machine out.
- Put that little machine(the Fitbit Flex) in the charger and give it a power source.
- On the back of the charger, you will see a small hole. Gently, insert the paper clip into the hole for 4 seconds.
- Remove the pin. Also, remove the Fitbit from the charger.
Since this process removes all the user data, we suggest you perform this reset only when the Fitbit Flex is malfunctioning or when you are giving it to somebody.
Factory Resetting The Fitbit Flex
Factory resetting any device is the process of erasing all the data from it. Factory resetting is essential under these conditions:
- When the company suggests you do so.
- If you want to give your used device to others.
- While restarting or rebooting your device is not solving the device malfunctions.
You will need the help of a Fitbit account to factory reset the Fitbit Flex. Take a look at the following steps:
- Go to your Fitbit account and remove the Fitbit Flex from the list of paired devices.
- Connect the Fitbit Flex to other Fitbit account.
Automatically, the data of Fitbit is deleted when you remove the Fitbit Flex from from one Fitbit account.
Fitbit Flex 2
| Display | Discrete multi-color LED light |
| Material Used | Casing material: Surgical grade stainless steel Strap material: Elastomer |
| Dimensions | Body dimensions: 2.37 x 8.75 x 2.37 inches Body net weight: 36.3g |
| Water resistance | Yes,5ATM |
| Memory | – |
| Heart Rate Monitor | No |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| GPS | No |
| Sleep Tracker | Yes |
| Microphone | No |
| Battery | 6 days+ for standby 3 days+ for mixed usage (Lithium Polymer Battery) |
| Connectivity | WiFi: No
BlueTooth 4.0 |
| Supported Systems | Android and iOS |
| In the box | Fitbit Flex 2 x 1 Strap x 1 Charging cable x 1 User manual x 1 |
| Other Features | Shows calorie consumption Distance covered |
Fitbit Flex 2 was released in 2016. It is also called the better version of Fitbit Flex which was released in 2013.
Restarting the Fitbit Flex 2
Rebooting or restarting can solve the maximum minor problems of your Fitbit Flex 2. If you find your Fitbit hasn’t been tracking your steps or sleep, then this can be a perfect action.
These are the simple steps to restart your Fitbit Flex 2:
- Take your Fitbit Flex 2 out from the wristband.
- Plug the tiny device into the charger and connect it to the computer, charger, or any power source.
- At the backside of the charger, on the top, you will see a button, press that button 3 times in 5 seconds. Keep the time gap between the presses.
- After this, your Fitbit Flex 2 will flash all the lights. It is an indicator of a successful restart.
Factory Resetting The Fitbit Flex 2
The Fitbit Flex 2 does not consist of a direct factory resetting option as its counterpart Fitbit Flex. However, if you need to erase the data of Fitbit for troubleshooting or for selling it to others then there is no other way.
You can factory reset the Fitbit Flex from the Fitbit account.
Here is how you can do it:
- Go to your Fitbit account and remove your Fitbit Flex 2.
- Create a dummy account or join a new account to check if the previous data has been erased.
In the older versions of the Fitbits, you automatically erase the data when you switch Fitbit from one account to another. In the newer versions, all the data can be erased from the Fitbit itself.
Conclusion
Resetting the Fitbits can solve a lot of its malfunctioning issues it. The resetting steps for various Fitbit models are different.
When your Fitbit is not responding to your taps and swipes or if it hasn’t been tracking your health data, then restarting is the best solution.
But if restarting hasn’t solved your issues or you are planning to give your Fitbit Fitness tracker to someone, then erasing your data is necessary. Sometimes the company itself may suggest you do so.
I hope you find this guide helpful and you are able to troubleshoot your issues
FAQs
What Do I Do When My Fitbit Is Not Syncing Even After I Reset It?
Firstly, restart your Fitbit 3 times in a row. Then, remove your Fitbit from the list of paired devices in Bluetooth. Then, restart your device and establish your connection again. This works.
What Do I Need To Do When I Want To Gift The Used Fitbit?
There are two important things you need to do when you are gifting your used Fitbit:
1. Wipe All Your Data
If you are gifting your used Fitbit to your kins, well that’s a very appreciable action. But you would never want others to access your health data, do you? So, do not let others access or misuse your data and keep it confidential. Hence, wipe your data from your Fitbit.
Consider the following steps:
- Sync your Fitbit to your device so that you can record your most recent health data.
- Erase all your data using appropriate ways as per the model of your Fitbit.
- Remove your Fitbit from your Fitbit account.
- Finally, go to your Bluetooth settings and remove your Fitbit from the list of paired devices.
2. Clean your Fitbit
Clean your band of the Fitbit and other parts before gifting it. Some Fitbits are waterproof but some are not. So keep that in mind before starting the cleaning process.
And if you need to sell your Fitbit device, compare and price and deal with the best one.
