Fitbit products aren't syncing correctly with Android 9 Pie, but there's a workaround

The stable version of Android 9 Pie launched in early August. But just because the software is stable doesn’t mean that every company was prepared for the update to arrive.

Not long after the release of Pie, people with Samsung wearables (including fitness trackers, smartwatches, and headphones) noticed that they were unable to sync with the Samsung Gear app. Samsung released a fix not long after. Now it seems that Fitbit is facing a similar issue with Fitbit users unable to sync their devices with smartphones running Android 9 Pie.

Users on the official Fitbit forums are coming out in droves to exclaim their frustration with this debilitating flaw. Fitbit support reps have chimed in periodically to say that the company is aware of the issue and working on a fix, but no timeline has been divulged.

In the meantime, some users have had success using a workaround technique that sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The workaround steps are below:

1. Open the Fitbit app and start the sync process. It will say “looking…”
2. While it is looking for your device, quickly go to Android Bluetooth settings, choose Pair New Device, and select the tracker as if to pair it for the first time.
3. Switch back to the app and the sync process should complete.

For what it’s worth, this workaround worked for us on the first try when we synced a Google Pixel 2 XL with a Fitbit Versa. However, according to forum users, this workaround gets a sync only some of the time for many people, so you might have to attempt the three steps several times before seeing a successful sync.

If you are facing this issue, keep an eye on the Fitbit forum post here to see if reps make any announcements about a permanent fix.

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