Fitbit Not Getting Notifications? Try These Fixes

Common causes

• Your phone is more than 30 feet from your Fitbit
• A quiet mode turned on: do not disturb or sleep mode on your Fitbit, or focus, do not disturb, quiet hours or driving mode on your phone
• A text conversation that’s open on your phone
• A dropped connection between your phone and your Fitbit
• Several Bluetooth devices paired to your phone
• Your Fitbit syncing when the notification comes in
• A Google Health app update you just installed

Step-by-Step Solutions

Work through these steps in order, starting with the quick checks on your phone and Fitbit and moving on to restarts and setting up notifications again.

1. 1

   Step 1: Keep your phone nearby with Bluetooth on

   Your phone must be within 30 feet of your Fitbit watch or tracker to receive notifications.

   Keep your phone within 30 feet of your Fitbit.

   Check that Bluetooth is on. On an Android phone, open Settings, tap Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then Bluetooth.

2. 2

   Step 2: Turn off do not disturb and sleep mode on your Fitbit

   You won’t get notifications on your Fitbit while its do not disturb or sleep mode setting is on.

   Open quick settings on your Fitbit and make sure both settings are turned off:

   • Charge 5, Charge 6, Inspire 3 and Luxe: swipe down from the clock face, then check DND mode and Sleep mode.
   • Sense 2 and Versa 4: swipe down from the clock face on your watch, then check do not disturb and sleep mode.
   • Sense and Versa 3: swipe right from the clock face on your watch, then check do not disturb and sleep mode.

   Good to know

   If device lock is active on your Fitbit, tap its screen to unlock it. Also check whether notifications are turned off on your device.

3. 3

   Step 3: Turn off focus and do not disturb on your phone

   Google lists focus, do not disturb, quiet hours and driving mode on your phone as settings to check when notifications are missing.

   Turn off any of these settings that are on: focus, do not disturb, quiet hours or driving mode.

   On an Android phone, open Settings, tap Sound, and make sure Do not disturb is off.

   Good to know

   With an Android phone, you can also set your Fitbit to always send you notifications. In the Google Health app, tap Connections at the top left, then your device, then Notifications. In the Vibration Settings section, turn on Always Vibrate.

4. 4

   Step 4: Make sure your phone shows the notifications

   To get notifications on your Fitbit, your phone itself must receive phone, text, calendar and app notifications.

   On an Android phone, make sure your phone receives notifications while locked: open Settings, tap Apps & notifications, then Notifications, then Notifications on lock screen.

   For app notifications, make sure your phone receives them. In Settings, tap Apps & notifications, then Notifications, and find Recently sent.

   On an iPhone, open Settings, tap Notifications, and make sure Show Previews is set to Always or When Unlocked.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check notifications in the Google Health app

   Notifications for your Fitbit are set up in the Google Health app.

   Open the Google Health app. At the top left, tap Connections, then your device, then Notifications. Follow any on-screen instructions to pair your Fitbit to your phone and allow the Google Health app to access notifications.

   Choose the types of notifications you want and the app you use most for each category. You can choose one app per category. Tap App Notifications to choose other apps you want notifications from.

   If you have an Android phone, make sure Enable Notification Widget is on. You’ll find it with the other notification settings in the Google Health app.

   Good to know

   Google’s setup steps also say to update the Google Health app and your Fitbit, and to install the latest version of the Android OS.

6. 6

   Step 6: Let the Google Health app run in the background

   On Android, if the Google Health app doesn’t run in the background, you may notice delayed or missing notifications from your phone.

   Open Settings and tap Apps, then Health. You might have to tap the option to show all apps to find it.

   Tap Mobile data & Wi-Fi or Mobile data usage, and make sure Background data and Unrestricted mobile data usage are turned on.

   In the same Health app settings, tap App battery usage, and make sure Allow background usage or App battery usage is turned on. Tap Allow background usage and choose Unrestricted.

   Good to know

   Exact steps vary by phone. If you can’t find these settings, check with your phone’s manufacturer.

7. 7

   Step 7: Force quit the app and reset Bluetooth

   Google’s troubleshooting steps include force quitting the Google Health app and turning Bluetooth off and back on.

   Force quit the Google Health app, then reopen it to sync your Fitbit.

   If that doesn’t help, open Settings on your phone and tap Bluetooth. Turn Bluetooth off, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Open the Google Health app to sync your Fitbit.

   Good to know

   If you have multiple Bluetooth devices paired to your phone, you may have trouble using more than one at the same time.

8. 8

   Step 8: On iPhone, turn Share System Notifications off and on

   On an iPhone or iPad, Google’s steps include resetting the Share System Notifications option for your Fitbit.

   Open Settings and tap Bluetooth. Tap the information icon next to the name of your Fitbit, then turn Share System Notifications off and back on.

   If you can’t find Share System Notifications, restart your Fitbit. Tap Allow when your iPhone or iPad asks if you want your Fitbit to show notifications. Then tap the information icon next to your Fitbit and turn on Share System Notifications.

9. 9

   Step 9: Restart your Fitbit

   Google suggests a restart when your Fitbit doesn’t show notifications, and it doesn’t delete your activity data.

   A restart turns your device off and on without the loss of any activity data. When it’s back on, open the Google Health app to sync your Fitbit.

   • Charge 5, Charge 6 and Luxe: swipe down from the clock screen to find the Settings app, then tap the Settings app, Restart Device, then Restart.
   • Inspire 3: swipe down from the clock screen and open the Settings app. Swipe up and tap Restart Device, then swipe up and tap Restart.
   • Sense 2, Versa 4, Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2 and Versa Lite: press and hold the button for 10 seconds until the Fitbit logo appears, then release it.
10. 10

    Step 10: Refresh notifications or set them up again

    Turn notifications off and back on in the Google Health app, or have your phone forget your Fitbit and set up notifications again.

    To refresh notifications, open the Google Health app, tap Connections, then your device, then Notifications, and turn off all notifications. Restart your phone, then open the Google Health app, turn notifications back on and sync your Fitbit.

    To set them up again, open Settings on your phone and tap Bluetooth. Tap the information icon or gear icon next to your Fitbit, and choose the option to forget the device. Then open the Google Health app, set up notifications again and sync your Fitbit.

    Good to know

    If you just updated the Google Health app, Google suggests restarting your phone and setting up notifications again.

Frequently Asked Questions