The reason why Fitbit Sense not receiving texts is because of restricted mobile device notifications or issues with the firmware primarily.
Well, there are a lot more factors we will look into throughout the guide so remain invested in learning how to settle this problem efficiently!
“To resolve Fitbit Sense not receiving text notifications, check silent mode and airplane mode on your mobile device, update the watch’s firmware, review notification settings, and perform a reset if necessary.”
Let’s dig deeper!
Why Am I Not Receiving Texts On Fitbit Sense?
To understand the source of the notifications problem on Fitbit Sense, it is mandatory to look through all of the potential causes that could lead to this problem.
There are many factors that must be considered when reviewing the notifications of your Fitbit Sense, so let’s start!
Your Fitbit Sense is not receiving texts due to:
- An activated “Silent” mode on the mobile device.
- An outdated firmware version of the Sense watch.
- Misconfigured notifications on the mobile device.
- Improper/weak Bluetooth connection with the watch.
- Problems with the installed Fitbit mobile application.
- Misconfigured network settings on the source device.
Fitbit Sense Not Receiving Texts – 7 Working Ways to Fix!
Tip: Follow our instructions in a consecutive order to fix the issue faster!
1. Deactivate Sense’s “Silent” Mode!
On many mobile devices, especially iPhones, turning on the silent mode switch may prevent the connected Fitbit Sense from displaying newly received text messages.
This is also not excluded for Android devices so follow the steps below according to your source operating system!
How to Stop “Silent Mode” on Android?
- Open the settings on your Android.
- Scroll down and tap on “Do Not Disturb” or “Silent”.
- Press the activation slider to turn it off.
How to Stop “Silent Mode” on Apple?
- Press the side notifications button towards the right side to deactivate the silent mode on your device. The switch is located on the top-left side of the smartphone.
One More Thing – Airplane Mode!
Airplane mode also mutes notifications and must be deactivated while testing the ability of your Fitbit Sense to receive and display text messages.
Access the settings of your mobile device and type “Airplane” in the search field to access the function controller tab and stop it.
Note: Keep any suppression modes deactivated while troubleshooting the Fitbit Sense!
2. Diagnose the Bluetooth Connection
Your Fitbit Sense will not display any notifications or text messages if the Bluetooth connection is unstable.
When the watch is too far away from your phone or something is interfering with the wireless Bluetooth connection, you must identify the cause as soon as possible…
How to Reconnect Fitbit to Mobile Device?
- Make sure that Fitbit Sense is powered on.
- Open the Settings on your mobile device.
- Navigate to the “Bluetooth” section tile.
- Tap on the “Fitbit Sense” connection once.
- Wait for the connection to be established.
Why Phone Won’t Connect to Fitbit Sense?
Here are a couple of things to attempt when Fitbit Sense won’t pair with your phone:
- Toggle ON and OFF the Bluetooth feature on your mobile device.
- Close the proximity between the watch and your source device.
- Forget the Fitbit Sense’s Bluetooth connection and connect again.
- In case all else fails, test pairing your Fitbit Sense to another device.
Note: If the Bluetooth connection remains unstable, there could be an issue with your phone!
3. Reboot the Fitbit Bluetooth Device
A potential issue with the connecting device could lead to the notification problem you’re having with Fitbit Sense.
The next step you should undertake is a simple reboot on the connecting device to restart all software and HW services, which are directly responsible for all this fuss!
How to Reboot An Android?
- Hold the power button on the Android phone.
- Touch the power slider to turn off the device.
- To turn on the device, hold the power again!
How to Reboot An iOS Device?
- Open the Settings on your iOS device.
- Scroll all the way down into the options.
- Press on the blue “Shut Down” button.
- After 30 seconds, hold the power button.
Tip: If the device is running low on battery, plug it in with a charger before rebooting!
4. Tweak the Notification Settings!
The primary reason why your Fitbit cannot display notifications is that they have been blocked or restricted on your mobile device.
To correct this problem, you must access the notifications center on your Android/iOS device and make sure all messages are allowed.
How to Change Notification Settings On Android?
- Open the Settings app on your Android device.
- Press the search field and type “Notifications”.
- Enter the first tab that shows up after the search.
- Make sure the notifications are set to “Allow”.
- Adjust the notifications option activity to “Always”.
How to Change Notification Settings On iOS?
- Open the Settings on your iOS-operated device.
- Scroll down and enter the “Notifications” tab.
- Press on “Show Previews” and set it to “Always”.
- Go to Notification Center and next go to “Alerts”.
- Make sure the alerts on your iPhone are allowed.
Note: You could deactivate the notification settings for particular apps only!
5. Update the Fitbit Sense’s Firmware
It is possible that Fitbit has trouble displaying the notifications from your mobile device because of an outdated software version.
You can update Fitbit Sense anytime through the Fitbit app available on both Android and iOS.
Follow these instructions to update the firmware version of Fitbit Sense:
- Launch the Fitbit application on your iOS/Android device.
- Press on the “Today” tab and then select your profile image.
- Press the pink “Update” button (if not available, it’s up to date).
- Follow the on-screen instructions given to complete the update.
Tip: Update the Fitbit Application!
The notifications problem could also be caused by an outdated version of the Fitbit application installed on your mobile device.
Here’s how to update the Fitbit app on most devices:
- Access the Google Play/App Store.
- Navigate to the settings of the app.
- Tap on “Manage Installed Applications”.
- Scroll down and locate the Fitbit app.
- Highlight the app and press “Update.
Note: You can enable automatic updates for the Fitbit application on your iOS and Android!
6. Reset the Source’s Network Settings!
It is also possible that this notification problem on Fitbit Sense has occurred as a result of misconfigured network settings.
To resolve the issue, you must reset the network settings of your Android or iOS device to factory defaults.
Alert: Resetting the network settings will erase all Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular configuration!
How to Reset Android Network Settings?
- Open the Settings on your Android device.
- Go to the “System” tab and press “Advanced”.
- Tap “Reset Options” > “Reset network settings”.
- Tap “RESET SETTINGS” to confirm the process.
How to Reset iOS Network Settings?
- Open the Settings on your iOS device.
- Scroll to the bottom of the settings tab.
- Tap on “Reset” > “Network Settings Reset”.
- Follow the reset of the on-screen instructions.
Tip: Use Mobile Data!
If you only tested using the Fitbit Sense watch’s ability to receive notifications on Wi-Fi, activate the mobile data on your device and turn off the Wi-Fi temporarily.
If there’s a fault with the Wi-Fi on your device, using the mobile data is a great way to determine the issue’s origin.
Note: If you’re experiencing Wi-Fi issues on other devices, contact your service provider!
7. Factory Reset Fitbit Sense!
To complete the troubleshooting of your Fitbit Sense, perform a factory reset to erase all data, content, and settings on the device.
This is the most powerful solution and is the very last resort solution to attempt, only if nothing else previously in the guide has helped.
Follow these instructions to conduct a factory reset on the Fitbit Sense:
- Swipe left from the home screen of the watch.
- Tap the Settings icon and scroll vertically.
- Highlight the “About” option and tap to select.
- The next step is to choose the “Factory Reset”.
- Follow the remaining on-screen instructions.
Alert: The factory reset is going to take no more than 60 seconds and then you would have to reconnect the watch to your source device from scratch.
Quick Recap:
To fix when the Fitbit Sense not receiving texts, check the Bluetooth connection between the mobile device and the watch first. After that, check if all notifications are allowed on your mobile device, then update the Sense’s firmware and finally perform a factory reset.
Follow us for more Fitbit Sense troubleshooting guides!
Read Next: How to Charge Fitbit Sense Without Charger?
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.