Fitbit Alta Won’t Sync: 8 Quick Solutions

The Fitbit Alta uses Bluetooth connectivity to sync with phones. While reliable, many people have issues with Bluetooth for one reason or another, which results in syncing problems.

For most sync issues, you either have to restart the Fitbit Alta or pair the smartwatch with the device again.

We have the complete rundown on issues linked with syncing the smartwatch to your phone and how you can resolve them.

Why Won’t My Fitbit Alta Sync?

There are many reasons why your Fitbit Alta might not properly sync with your smartphone.

The most common of which are:

  • Bluetooth is turned off.
  • The smartwatch is not within the range of the device it is synced with.
  • The Fitbit app crashes and needs to be rebooted.
  • The smartwatch needs to unpair and sync with the device again.

The list of sync issues goes on. It may be difficult for some to diagnose the exact problem.

This is why we have listed a solution for all. This way, you can try them out until you find the right solution.

Most people will be pairing their Fitbit Alta with either an iPhone or an Android device.

We highlight the process of how to do that the first time and also troubleshoot when the smartwatch has issues pairing anytime after that.

Fitbit Alta Won’t Sync, What To Do?

iPhone and Android users sometimes have trouble connecting their phones.

But the Fitbit Alta is compatible with iPhone and Android and after manually pairing it once, it stays paired.

1. Syncing Fitbit Alta For the First Time

Let’s start from the top and make sure you are connecting your device properly.

iPhone: You will need to manually connect the smartwatch to your iPhone.

To do this, you need to:

  1. Open the phone’s setting app. 
  2. Tap “Bluetooth.”
  3. If turned off, turn it on. 
  4. A list of available Bluetooth devices will appear. Look for the Fitbit Alta and click on it. 

Android: The process of fixing Fitbit Alta syncing problems with an Android is the same as an iPhone.

However, the steps slightly differ.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Click on “Connections” and then “Bluetooth.”
  3. Find the Fitbit Alta in the list of devices and click on it. 

The smartwatch should pair with the phone.

If it doesn’t for one reason or another, you can restart the Fitbit App or unpair and pair the two devices again.

2. Update your Phone

Before we begin figuring out what’s wrong with the Fitbit and the app, it won’t hurt to check whether your phone has any pending updates available.

That might as well be the cause of the issue.

Simply go to your phone settings and search for any available updates.

3. Reboot your Phone

This is another very effective and easy thing to test out. You can perform a so-called “soft reset” by pressing the volume up key and the power button simultaneously for about 15 seconds.

This is a great way to reboot your device without losing any data.

After the reboot is complete, try syncing your Fitbit Alta one more time.

4. Unpair/Pair the Device 

Let’s first try to remove your Fitbit device from your app. F

ollow the steps below:

Remove your Fitbit on iPhone/Android:

  1. Launch Fitbit on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your profile picture.
  3. You will see the list of your profiles
  4. Tap on the device you want to delete.
  5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
  6. Tap on the Remove This Fitbit Alta button.
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the device from your account.

Now that we have removed your Fitbit Alta from the list of connected devices, we can go ahead and reconnect it with the app.

You can restart your phone before performing this step.

Pair your Fitbit to iPhone:

  1. Tap the account button in the upper-right corner of the Fitbit app.
  2. Tap Set Up a Device.
  3. Select the Fitbit you want to pair from the list.
  4. Plug your Fitbit into its charger.
  5. Tap Next.
  6. Follow the on-screen instructions to pair the device to your account.

Pair your Fitbit to Android:

  1. Download and open the Fitbit app from Google Play.
  2. Tap Join Fitbit.
  3. Choose your Fitbit device.
  4. Select Set Up.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to pair the device to your account.

Hopefully, now that we have reconnected your device, it should have no problem syncing.

5. Restart The Fitbit App

iPhone: Fitbit Alta connects to your iPhone through Bluetooth. Therefore, make sure it is on.

  1. Start by completely closing out of the app. 
  2. For iPhone models X and above, you need to swipe up from the bottom of the phone screen. 
  3. All the open apps will be displayed, go to the running Fitbit app and swipe up again to close it. 
  4. Restart the app and check to see if the smartwatch syncs. 

Android: To restart your Fitbit on an Android device, follow the steps below.

  1. To close the running app, click on the three vertical lines at the bottom right of your screen. 
  2. You will now have access to the app switcher. Find the Fitbit app and swipe it up, closing it. 
  3. Restart the app on the phone. 

6. Uninstall/Reinstall the Fitbit App

If nothing so far is working, let’s try to uninstall the Fitbit app altogether, and then reinstall it.

It might help to get rid of any software glitches that might have been preventing the syncing process.

7. Bluetooth Is Off Or Has Trouble Syncing

iPhone: Fitbit Alta connects to your iPhone through Bluetooth.

Therefore, make sure it is on. 

  1. Turning Bluetooth on is simple. Pull down the Control Center and click on the Bluetooth icon to turn it on. 
  2. You can also go to the phone’s Settings app, click on “Bluetooth”, and turn it on from there. 
  3. Once turned on, look at the list of devices and see if it syncs with the Fitbit Alta automatically. If it doesn’t, click on the “i” icon and “Forget the Device.” 
  4. Sync the smartwatch to the iPhone as you did the first time, and it should work.

Android: To turn Bluetooth on, swipe down from the top of the screen for quick settings icons. 

  1. Tap the Bluetooth icon, to turn Bluetooth on. If it still doesn’t sync, then you will need to unpair the device. 
  2. Go to the Settings app, click through to “Connections” and “Bluetooth.”
  3. Find the Fitbit Alta in the list of devices and click “Unpair.” 
  4. Reconnect to the smartwatch as you did the first time. 

Tip: You can also try turning your Bluetooth off, waiting for a few minutes, then turning it back on.

Remove all other unused Bluetooth devices connected to your phone.

8. Reset The Fitbit Alta

If your Fitbit Alta still has trouble syncing after you’ve tried all the methods mentioned above, you may need to reset the watch. 

  1. Plug the USB charging cable into the smartwatch and connect it either to a PC or a wall charger. 
  2. Make sure that it is plugged in properly. You will know once the watch’s battery icon is displayed, and it starts charging. 
  3. Press the small, circular button on the USB three consecutive times, pausing briefly in between. 
  4. The watch should now display the Fitbit logo, and it will restart. 
  5. Unplug the watch, and you can now sync it to your smartphone. 

Resetting the watch will not result in the loss of data.

The process can resolve issues such as:

  • Trouble syncing the watch to a device.
  • The watch becomes unresponsive to taps and swipes.
  • The watch is charged, but won’t turn on. 
  • The watch has trouble tracking steps and other data. 

The reset option is basically your go-to process whenever the watch starts to act up. It is simple and usually takes care of basic issues that occur. 

Final Thoughts

As popular and advanced as the Fitbit Alta may be, it isn’t “sync-problem” proof.

So, what should you do when your Fitbit Alta won’t sync? Reboot and update your phone. Try force-closing and reinstalling the app.

Restart your Fitbit, unpair it from the app, and pair it again. Disconnect your device from Bluetooth and reconnect it.

You can quickly resolve this issue with one of the methods we have covered in this article.

If you’ve tried them all and the problem persists, we recommend you contact Fitbit support.

They can guide you on the best way forward without you fiddling too much with the watch.

I’ve been working with technology in one way or the other all my life. After graduating from university, I worked as a sales consultant for Verizon for a few years. Now I am a technical support engineer by day and write articles on my own blog here in my spare time to help others if they have any issues with their devices.