Learning how to turn off a Fitbit may not be as necessary as it once was, thanks to improvements in battery life, but it's still an important trick to have up your sleeve.
However, before we go any further, it's imperative to understand that Fitbit doesn't actually let you shut down many of its trackers, such as the Charge and Inspire.
In this guide, we'll let you know which do and don't – and teach you the best available method for rebooting each.
Make sure to jump over to our how to reset your Fitbit guide, if your tracker can't be turned off or you want to delve further than the simple off/on trick.
How to turn off Fitbit Charge (2/3/4)
You can't turn off the Charge, but Fitbit will let you reboot the tracker.
This means the only way your Charge tracker will turn off and stay off is if it runs out of battery. However, the method below will temporarily shut it down and then restart it.
1. If you have a Fitbit Charge, swipe to the 'Settings' and hit the 'Reboot Device' tab.
2. If the tracker is unresponsive, hold the button for eight seconds and release.
3. When you see a smile icon and the tracker vibrates, the tracker has turned off and will then come immediately back on.
How to turn off Fitbit Versa (Lite/Versa 2/3)
You can turn off the Fitbit Versa smartwatch series. Whether you have the new Fitbit Versa 3, Versa 2 or Versa Lite, turning off is performed in the same way.
1. On the watch, open the 'Settings' app.
2. From there, tap About > Shutdown > Confirm Shutdown.
3. To turn it back on, hold the left button until the Fitbit logo appears.
How to turn off Fitbit Inspire/HR/2
Just like the Charge series, you can't turn off your Fitbit Inspire or Inspire HR. You can only turn it off temporarily by rebooting the device or by running down the battery.
1. Connect your Inspire HR or Inspire to its power cable.
2. Press and hold the button for five seconds.
3. Keep holding until you see a smiley face and the tracker vibrates.
How to turn off Fitbit Ionic
Like the Versa series, the Fitbit Ionic can be turned off until you decide to turn it back on – not just for a quick reboot. To do so, follow the below steps.
1. On the watch, open the 'Settings' app.
2. From there, tap About > Shutdown > Confirm Shutdown.
3. To turn it back on, hold one of the buttons until the Fitbit logo appears.
Turning off the Fitbit Alta HR
Like Fitbit's other fitness trackers, you can't turn off the Fitbit Alta or Alta HR, and will instead have to put up with just rebooting the device.
1. Put your Alta device on charge.
2. Press the button on the charging cable three times, pausing between each press.
3. Once the Fitbit logo appears and the tracker restarts, the tracker will have rebooted.
Turning off the Fitbit Ace 2
As with the Inspire, Alta and Charge series, the Ace and Ace 2 can't be switched off.
Instead, you'll have to reboot the Ace to temporarily shut it down. Of course, you can also run down the battery to get it to turn off for good.
1. Connect your Ace or Ace 2 to its charger.
2. Press the button on the charging cable three times, pausing briefly in between each press. For the Ace 2, hold the button on your tracker for five seconds and then release to give it a reset.
3. Once the Fitbit logo appears, it has rebooted. Unplug the charger.
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.