How to Factory Reset a Fitbit

Preparing Your Tracker for a New Owner

Whether you are upgrading to the latest model, giving your old fitness tracker to a friend, or selling it on eBay, you must perform a complete factory reset before parting ways with your Fitbit. A factory reset wipes all your personal data from the device, including your step history, heart rate logs, sleep tracking data, saved alarms, and any custom watch faces you have downloaded.

More importantly, it disconnects the tracker from your smartphone’s Bluetooth and removes the device lock (if you use Fitbit Pay). If you fail to reset the device, the new owner will be unable to pair it with their own phone, rendering the tracker completely useless to them.

Because Fitbit manufactures several different types of devices—from simple, screenless pedometers to advanced smartwatches—the reset process varies slightly depending on which model you own. This guide covers the most common methods.

How to Reset Fitbit Smartwatches (Versa, Sense, Ionic)

If your Fitbit has a large, full-colour touchscreen (like the Versa 2, Versa 3, Versa 4, Sense, or Sense 2), the reset process is handled entirely through the device’s internal settings menu. You do not need your phone for this process.

1. Wake up your Fitbit by tapping the screen or pressing the side button.
2. From the main clock face, swipe down from the top of the screen (or swipe left, depending on your model) to locate the Settings app. It looks like a small gear icon.
3. Tap the Settings app to open it.
4. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the Settings menu and tap on About (on some newer models, this may be labelled “About Versa” or “About Sense”).
5. Scroll down again and look for an option labelled Factory Reset or Clear User Data.
6. Tap it. The watch will ask you to confirm your decision, warning you that all data will be erased.
7. Tap Yes or press the confirm checkmark.

The Fitbit will restart. The screen will display the Fitbit logo for several minutes while it wipes the internal storage. Once the process is complete, the watch will display the initial setup screen, indicating it is ready for a new owner.

How to Reset Fitbit Trackers (Charge, Inspire, Luxe)

If you own a thinner, band-style fitness tracker with a smaller screen (like the Charge 4, Charge 5, Inspire 2, Inspire 3, or Luxe), the process is similar but requires navigating slightly different menus.

1. Wake up the tracker.
2. Swipe down from the main clock screen to find the Settings app and tap it.
3. Scroll down through the settings menu. You are looking for an option called Device Info. Tap it.
4. Scroll down again and select Clear User Data.
5. The tracker will ask if you are sure. Depending on the model, you may need to tap the screen or press and hold the physical side button for three seconds to confirm the reset.

The tracker will vibrate, display the Fitbit logo, and reboot to its factory state.

Troubleshooting: The Screen is Unresponsive

If your Fitbit is frozen, constantly restarting, or the touchscreen is entirely unresponsive, you cannot access the Settings menu to perform a standard factory reset. In this scenario, you must perform a “hard reset” using the physical charging cable.

Note: This process varies wildly between older models, but the following method works for most modern devices like the Charge 5 and Sense:

1. Plug the Fitbit charging cable into a USB port on your computer or a wall adapter.
2. Connect your Fitbit to the charger. Ensure the metal pins are making solid contact.
3. Look closely at the USB end of the charging cable (the part plugged into the wall). Some Fitbit chargers have a tiny, hidden button on the flat side of this USB connector.
4. Press this button three times quickly (within a few seconds).
5. The Fitbit should vibrate and restart. If this does not trigger a full wipe, leave the device plugged in and hold the physical side button on the watch itself for 15 seconds until the logo appears.

The Final Step: Remove from Your Phone

Once the physical watch is wiped, you should also remove the digital record of it from your smartphone.

1. Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
2. Tap your Profile picture in the top-left corner.
3. Tap on the picture of your tracker.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the device settings page and tap Remove this device.
5. Finally, open your phone’s main Bluetooth settings, find the Fitbit in the list of paired devices, and select Forget This Device.