Your Digital Scale Won’t Turn On? Here Is 5 Top Solutions

Digital scale is highly convenient for tracking your fitness goals and your health in general. But what to do when your it won’t turn on?

There is likely something wrong with the batteries. The batteries could be low or out of power altogether, or there could be some corrosion on the terminals of the batteries from repeated use. You should change the batteries, and if that doesn’t work, inspect the terminals for corrosion and remove them with sandpaper. 

Keep reading to learn how to properly troubleshoot your digital scale when it doesn’t turn on, how to know if it’s a problem you can fix or if you have a broken scale, and how to reset your scale to factory settings.

Why Isn’t Your Smart Scale Turning On?

Most of the time, the reason your scale isn’t turning on is that the batteries are low or out of power altogether.

If batteries aren’t the problem, then take out the batteries and check for any corrosion on the terminals.

Sometimes after having batteries in the compartment for a long time, some corrosion will occur around the contacts for the batteries, interfering with power flowing through.

What To Do When Your Smart Scale Isn’t Turning On?

Now let us get to the troubleshooting steps and see if you can get your weight scale up and running again.

1. Change the Batteries/Check For Corrosion

If the issue is with low or dead batteries, the solution is to put in new batteries and turn the scale on again.

Ensure that you are putting the batteries in the right way so that the positive and negative charges connect with the proper contacts.

Sometimes it isn’t the batteries but the terminals instead, which you should check for corrosion. Corrosion can build up when batteries are in the same terminal for a long time.

To properly remove any corrosion from the terminals:

1. Remove the batteries from the compartment.
2. Take some sandpaper and lightly sand the contacts for the battery. Be careful not to sand too hard are you don’t want to damage the contacts.
3. Once the corrosion is gone, put the batteries back into the compartment, ensuring they have the positive and negative charges connecting with the correct contacts.
4. Turn the scale on, and everything should work.

You can also use white vinegar to clean the battery compartment. You will need a soft cloth, paper towels, and undiluted white vinegar.

1. Remove the batteries from the compartment.
2. Dip the cloth into the vinegar.
3. Scrub the battery compartment/connectors with the wet cloth.
4. Wipe them with a paper towel.
5. Let the scale dry for 1 day.
6. Put the battery back in.
7. Turn the scale on, and everything should work.

2. Recalibrate your Scale

Calibration is one of the most important elements if you want your scale to be accurate and work properly.

When you buy new scales, your user manual walks you through the whole process.

It is possible that once some time has passed, your scale needs recalibration to turn on as it should.

• Turn on your digital scale.
• Locate and press the calibration button. (Check your user manual for the button location).
• Place an object on your scale and let it record the weight.
• Wait for the final reading to show.
• Turn off your scale.

Tip: Always make sure to pace your scale on an even surface. You can try moving the scale around the house to see if you can get it to turn on under a different angle.

3. Reset your Scale

Resetting things has always worked great when it comes to the world of electronic products.

Our scale is not an exception. There are a lot of different variations of the scales out there, so for the exact directions on how to reset your scale, we suggest you read your user manual.

If you are not sure what to do, you can refer to the previous step, where we discussed how to recalibrate the scale.

You can use the method described in that step to reset almost any scale.

We also mention a general way to reset your scale in the last section of the article.

4. Place your Scale in a Dry Place

If your scale is usually placed in the bathroom, it is possible that it got wet and thus not turning on.

The thing you can do here is to take the batteries out, inspect your scale for the signs of corrosion as previously discussed, and simply let your scale dry for a day or so in another room of the house, your bedroom, for example.

Avoid placing it in direct sunlight as it can damage the display screen.

5. Use the Rice Trick

You can also do the same trick we do when we accidentally drop our smartphones into the water.

1. Take a ziplock bag big enough for your scale.
2. Fill it with rice.
3. Take the batteries out of your scale.
4. Place your scale in the bag.
5. Leave it for a day or 2 to dry.
6. Place the batteries back in and try turning your scale on.

If you find that your scale still isn’t turning on, then, it’s time to think about replacing it.

How To Know If Your Digital Scale Is Broken?

If you replace the batteries and remove any corrosion, but the scale still isn’t turning on then, this is a sign that there is something broken within the scale.

However, there are usually other signs that appear beforehand that should tell you whether there is something damaged or broken with your scale.

Some other signs of a broken scale are:

Inconsistent Readings

Inconsistent readings mean, even when the same object is on the scale, it has a different weight each time.

Your scale needs calibrating or replacing. In the case of calibrating, some scales will do this when you reset them, but others don’t have the option.

Unsteady Readings

Unsteady readings mean the weight changes even while the same object is still on the scale.

This unsteadiness indicates that the digital indicator has an electronic malfunction. Electronic malfunctions can happen because the scale is in a humid location.

Difficulty Reading the Display

Difficulty reading the display means there is an issue with the power source or connecting to the power source.

You should try changing the batteries or checking the cable if the scale has one, but you will need to replace it if that doesn’t improve the display.

Rust or Other Signs of Corrosion

Rust or other signs of corrosion on the scale itself usually mean there is something about the scale’s environment that is putting it in contact with corrosives such as water.

You will need to replace the scale with one more suited to where you use it, such as waterproof if it’s in a moist environment, or find a new place to keep your scale.

If you find yourself with a broken scale, then you might want to think about upgrading to something that better fits your needs.

Beyond waterproofing, you might find that you need something more heavy-duty if you use your scale often or have multiple people using it regularly.

How To Reset Your Digital Weight Machine?

Sometimes you need to reset your digital scale to factory settings to fix an issue. It allows anything in the cache or otherwise getting in the way of the scale working properly to clear out and get the scale working as it should.

To reset your scale:

1. Remove the batteries from the back of the scale.
2. Leave the scale for at least 10 minutes.
3. With some brands, removing the batteries for only a few minutes is enough to reset it, but others take longer, so unless you know what will work for your particular scale, it’s best to wait longer just in case.
4. Put the batteries back into the scale, making sure the compartment is completely clean and that the positive and negative charges connect with the correct contacts.
5. Place your scale on a flat surface. Scales can be very sensitive to standing on an uneven surface, which can result in inaccurate measurements.
6. Place a foot in the center of the scale to wake it up, then wait for it to calibrate. The screen will have a series of dashes when it’s complete.
7. When you see “0.0” appear on the screen, step onto the center of the scale and remain still until your weight appears. A short beep will usually sound.

Once you know that your scale is working as it should after the reset, open the accompanying app and check that your newest measurement is in your account and that your scale is still syncing with the app.

If not, you will need to set it up as a device in the app.

Related Post: Why Is Your Withings Scale Not Connecting/Syncing?(+Fixes)

Final Thoughts

In most cases, your digital scale won’t turn on because there is something wrong with the power source.

The problem can be that the batteries are low or dead, which is a simple fix since you can replace them and the scale should work normally, or there can be corrosion around the contacts.