Fitbit Sense Not Getting Notifications? (Instant Fix!)

Fitbit Sense not getting notifications and you’re wondering why? Well, continue reading!

The Fitbit Sense is a feature-rich smartwatch that syncs with your phone to track your activities and displays your mobile notifications.

However, if your Sense is not receiving notifications, do not worry, this guide will show you exactly what you need to do to permanently solve the issue!

To fix Fitbit Sense watch notification issues check for software bugs, network failures, configuration problems and address them in chronological order.

So, without any further ado, let’s first learn the most important factors!

First Remember This!

• Your (Fitbit app) phone must be within 30 feet of your Fitbit Sense.
• No notifications when texts or phone calls are open on your phone.
• No alerts when the phone is set to DND, Sleeping, or Driving Mode.
• Notification bugs when you have multiple Bluetooth devices paired.
• No notifications when you sync multiple mobile devices to Fitbit Sense.

With all of this in mind, if the notifications are still not working, then it’s time for troubleshooting!

How to Fix When a Fitbit Sense Not Getting Notifications?

Note: Make sure your Fitbit Sense is already set up to receive mobile notifications!

1. Power Cycle Both Devices!

Most of the time, temporary bugs and glitches can cause issues with Fitbit Sense and prevent it from connecting to the corresponding device.

In this case, the only effective ninja fix is to restart each device to clear and refresh their operating systems for a fresh start…

Follow the steps below to restart your Fitbit Sense and app device:

How to Restart the Fitbit Sense Watch?

1. First Access your Fitbit Sense watch.
2. Long press and hold the side button!
3. Keep holding it for about 15 seconds.
4. Release when you see the Fitbit logo.

How to Restart the Fitbit App Device?

Restart Android Device:

1. Press and hold the Power button on the device.
2. Keep holding the button until a menu will appear.
3. Choose the “Restart” or “Shutdown” power option.
4. Your device will automatically restart or shut down.

Restarting an iPhone:

1. Push and release the Volume UP button.
2. Push and release the Volume Down button.
3. Next, press and hold the Power Button.
4. Wait until the iPhone logo appears on display.

These steps will force your device to restart, after that, you can turn on your Fitbit Sense and mobile device to see if you are receiving notifications.

In case not, continue reading further!  

2. Check Fitbit Notification Settings!

If Fitbit Sense not getting text notifications on Android, there is a good chance that there is a problem with your device’s notification settings.

Let’s quickly take a look and verify the settings of the notifications, considering that they might be disabled, suspended, or partially limited.

Here is how to check for the Fitbit Sense notification settings:

How to Check Mobile Notifications Settings?

1. On the Fitbit mobile, navigate to “Settings“.
2. Locate and tap on the “Notification Center”.
3. Scroll down to find the “Fitbit” application.
4. Ensure that the toggle switch is enabled.
5. Repeat for Phone, Messages, and Calendars.

How to Check Fitbit App Notification Settings?

1. Open the Fitbit app on your mobile.
2. Next, tap on the Today icon tab.
3. Tap on your app profile picture.
4. Go to “Sense” > “Notifications”.
5. Tap on the toggle to turn them on.

When you are sure that there is nothing suspicious about your notifications settings, restart your phone and Fitbit Sense to resync the device.

When you’re ready check for the notification alerts.

Reminder: Enable the Alerts, show previews, and notification permissions for each app!

3. Force Close the Fitbit App

Sometimes the Fitbit app becomes unresponsive, or the Sense watch has trouble syncing with the Fitbit app.

This ultimately leads to the failure to establish a Bluetooth connection, which can easily be resolved by force-closing the Fitbit app and reopening it freshly.

• Swipe up on the app switcher screen to force close the Fitbit app!

This will clear out the Fitbit app’s background running process and active state, then relaunch the Fitbit app.

In case the notifications are still not showing up, continue reading the next step.

4. Update the Fitbit Mobile App!

The next step is updating the software version of your Fitbit since an outdated firmware on the app frequently causes compatibility issues.

So, it’s important to manually update the Fitbit app!

1. Go to Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS).
2. Tap on the search bar and search for “Fitbit”.
3. Check for the Update button under the app name.
4. If the Update is available, tap on the Update button.
5. Wait for a few minutes until the app updates completely.
6. If the update button is not there, the app is up to date!

Workaround: You can also try uninstalling and reinstalling the Fitbit app, which is guaranteed to apply the most recent firmware version.

5. Reset the Bluetooth Connection

If the Bluetooth connection on your phone or Fitbit Sense is unstable, it will definitely affect the connection and cause a delay in receiving notifications.

Additionally, the Bluetooth connection can accumulate cache storage over time, which can frequently cause connection drops… 

Tip: We recommend attempting both methods to reset the Bluetooth connection!

Method #1 Quick Bluetooth Refresh:

1. Go to your mobile device’s Settings.
2. Locate and click on the Bluetooth tab.
3. Tap on the toggle to set it to “OFF”.
4. Wait for 15 seconds, and set it to “ON”.
5. Launch the Fitbit app and sync to the Fitbit.

Method #2 Reset Bluetooth Connection:

1. Open Mobile Settings and then Bluetooth.
2. Locate and tap on your Fitbit Sense device.
3. Tap on “Forget” or “Unpair” to remove the device.
4. Click on the toggle button to turn off the Bluetooth.
5. Restart your mobile phone and then turn it back on.
6. Open the Bluetooth settings and set the toggle on.
7. In the Fitbit app and try pairing your Fitbit Sense. 

Important:

• Your Fitbit Sense will get notifications within 30 feet of your mobile phone. 
• Make sure that the Fitbit Sense is only paired with one mobile device.

Tip: The fastest way to check whether the watch will show notifications is to call someone to text you or call you in order to bring up a notification.

6. Check for DND or Sleep mode

If you have enabled the Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode on your Fitbit Sense or mobile device, then that’s why Fitbit Sense not getting text notifications iPhone.

Especially, the iOS devices, have a Mute (physical button) that ultimately suppresses all notifications so check this!

How to Check Fitbit Sense DND Mode?

1. Double-tap on the screen to activate the watch.
2. Swipe Right or Up on the Fitbit Sense screen.
3. Locate the Do Not Disturb icon and turn it off. 
4. Next, locate the Sleep Mode and turn it off as well.

Test: Send a text from another phone to your Fitbit app device and see if your Sense gets a notification or not.

7. Factory Reset the Fitbit Sense

If you have tried everything and still are not receiving notifications on your Fitbit Sense, don’t worry, proceed with the factory reset on your Sense watch.

This action will delete all of the app’s details and configuration but don’t panic because you can easily reconfigure them later.

Here is how to factory reset the Fitbit Sense:

1. Hold your Fitbit Sense watch.
2. Access the Settings menu.
3. Scroll down and click on About.
4. Choose the Factory reset option.
5. Wait for the watch to fully reset.

Info: The next step is to pair and sync your Sense with your device, and if the problem persists, delete the Sense from the old device and pair it with a new one to test.

Need More Help?

If you’ve attempted everything included in the guide but nothing fixes the issue, the next step is to note the model of your watch and contact Fitbit Support.

They will provide you with the best possible guidance, especially when the notification issue won’t go away.

Best of luck!

Quick Recap:

Hence, when the Fitbit Sense not getting notifications, all you have to do is to restart the app device and your watch.

The next step is to verify the notification settings in the Fitbit app, reset the app device Bluetooth connections, and factory reset the Fitbit watch.

For more Fitbit troubleshooting guides, check out our blog!

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