Your Fitbit device can receive notifications from your nearby phone to keep you informed, including calls, texts, meeting alerts, and app updates.

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• How do I set up notifications?
• Why are notifications delayed or missing?
• Which notifications can I see on my Fitbit device?
• How do I turn my Fitbit device’s notification setting on or off?
• How do notifications work on my Fitbit device?

How do I set up notifications?

• iPhones and iPads

  Step 1. Get up-to-date

  1. Update the Fitbit app. For instructions, see About the Fitbit app.
  2. Make sure your Fitbit device is up-to-date. For instructions, see How do I update my Fitbit device?
  3. Make sure you installed the latest version of iOS. On your phone, tap Settings > General > Software update to see if an update is available.

  Step 2. Verify your phone settings

  Open the Settings app on your phone and confirm or adjust the following settings:

  Bluetooth settings

  Verify that Bluetooth is on and that your phone can share system notifications:

  1. On your phone, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Tap the information icon  next to the name of your Fitbit device.
  3. Turn on Share System Notifications. If you don't see the System Notifications option: 
     1. Restart your Fitbit device. For instructions, see How do I restart my Fitbit device?
     2. Tap Allow when you receive a message on your iPhone or iPad asking if you want your Fitbit device to show notifications.
     3. Tap the information icon  next to the name of your Fitbit device.
     4. Turn on Share System Notifications.

  Notification settings

  To see notifications from your phone on your Fitbit device, your phone must receive phone, text, calendar, and app notifications.

  1. On your phone, tap Settings > Notifications.
  2. Make sure Show Previews is set to Always or When Unlocked.
  3. Verify the settings for each app that sends notifications:

  App	Settings
  Calendar	Allow Notifications—On Tap each notification type and verify the settings: Alerts > Notification Center—On Show Previews—Always or When Unlocked Note: Your Fitbit device shows notifications from all calendars synced to your default Calendar app.
  Messages	Allow Notifications—On Alerts > Notification Center—On Show Previews—Always or When Unlocked
  Phone	Allow Notifications—On Alerts > Notification Center—On Show Previews—Always or When Unlocked
  All other apps	Allow Notifications—On Alerts > Notification Center—On Show Previews—Always or When Unlocked

  Do Not Disturb

  This feature prevents your phone from sending notifications. Verify that Do Not Disturb is off:

  1. On your phone, tap Settings > Do Not Disturb.
  2. Make sure Do Not Disturb is turned off. 

  Step 3. Set up notifications in the Fitbit app

  1. With your Fitbit device nearby, tap the Today tab  > your profile picture. 
  2. Tap your device image > Notifications. Follow the on-screen instructions to pair your Fitbit device to your phone. 
  3. Choose the types of notifications you want to receive. Tap App Notifications and choose the apps you want notifications from. 
  4. Sync your device.
• Android phones

  Note: For more information about encryption, see What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?

  Step 1. Verify your phone settings

  Open the Settings app and confirm or adjust the following settings:

  • Bluetooth—Verify that Bluetooth is on.
  • Do Not Disturb—This feature prevents your phone from sending notifications. Verify that Do Not Disturb is off. Find this setting under Sound and notification.
  • Notifications—To see notifications from your phone on your Fitbit device, your phone must receive phone, text, calendar, and app notifications. Check these settings:
    • Make sure your phone receives notifications while locked. Find this setting under Sound and notification.
    • If your Fitbit device can receive app notifications, make sure you receive app notifications on your phone. For example, to receive Facebook notifications on your Fitbit device you first must receive them on your phone. Find the notifications permissions under Sound and notification.
    • Make sure the Fitbit app can run in the background on your phone. For more information, see Why is the Fitbit app sending a notification to my Android phone?

  Step 2. Set up notifications in the Fitbit app

  Set up the notifications you want to receive on your wrist. Make sure your Fitbit device is nearby.

  1. With your Fitbit device nearby, tap the Today tab  > your profile picture > your device image > Notifications. 
  2. Choose the types of notifications you want to receive and the app you use most for each category. For example, if you want to receive text messages from WhatsApp rather than Messages, change the Text messaging (SMS) app setting. You can choose 1 app per category. The most common apps for these features are:

  • Phone app—Dialer
  • Text messaging (SMS) app—Messages
  • Calendar app—Calendar
  • Email—Email

  4. If your Fitbit device can receive notifications from other apps on your phone, tap App Notifications and choose the apps you want notifications from. 
  5. If you want to require that only encrypted notifications can pass from your phone to your Fitbit device:
     1. Go back to the Notifications screen and tap Require encryption.
     2. Close and reopen the Fitbit app to start the bonding process required for sending encrypted data.
     3. If the bonding process fails, tap Re-enable and try again. Most phones bond immediately or after a few tries, but some phones can’t bond to your Fitbit device. See the list of devices with known issues at What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android device?
  6. If you receive messages in a language that doesn't use the Latin alphabet, for example Cyrillic or Arabic languages, your messages may not appear properly on your Fitbit device. To automatically convert unsupported characters into the closest Latin equivalent, tap Enable Transliteration.
  7. Sync your device. 
• Windows 10 phones

  Step 1. Verify your phone settings

  Open the Settings app and confirm or adjust the following settings:

  • Windows version—Verify that the Windows 10 version is 10.0.1607.0 or higher. Find this setting under System > About.
  • Bluetooth—Verify that Bluetooth is on.
  • Quiet hours—This feature prevents your phone from sending notifications. Verify that Quiet hours is off
  • Notifications—To see notifications from your phone on your Fitbit device, your phone must receive phone, text, calendar, and app notifications. Check these settings:
    • Make sure ‘Show notifications on the lock screen and play notification sounds’ and ‘Show and sound reminders when my phone is locked’ are on. Find these settings under System > Notifications & actions.
    • Make sure you allow the Fitbit app to access your notifications. Find this setting under Privacy > Notifications.
    • Make sure you allow apps to read or send messages, and that you specifically allow the Fitbit app to access your text notifications. Find these settings under Privacy > Messaging.
    • Make sure you allow apps to access your calendar, and that you specifically allow the Fitbit app to access your calendar notifications. Find these settings under Privacy > Calendar.
    • If your Fitbit device can receive app notifications, make sure you can receive app notifications on your phone. For example, you can receive Facebook notifications on your Fitbit device, but only if you also receive them on your phone. Find this setting under System > Notifications & actions. Make sure ‘Notifications’ and ‘Show notification banners’ are turned on and ‘Keep notifications private on the lock screen’ is turned off.

  Step 2. Set up notifications in the Fitbit app

  Set up the notifications you want to receive on your wrist. Make sure your Fitbit device is nearby.

  1. From the Fitbit app dashboard, tap the account icon  > your device image.
  2. Tap Notifications. If you're prompted to pair your Fitbit device, follow the on-screen instructions. 
  3. Choose the types of notifications you want to receive. 
  4. If your Fitbit device can receive notifications from other apps on your phone, tap App Notifications and choose the apps you want notifications from. 
  5. Sync your device.

Why are notifications delayed or missing?

• Step 1. Verify your settings

  Notifications may skip or stop occasionally for several reasons. Verify the following:

  Check your phone

  • Your phone must be within 30 feet of your Fitbit device to receive notifications.
  • You won’t see text notifications if you have the conversation open on your phone. Your Fitbit device shows new, unread texts.
  • You won’t see notifications if you turned on settings such as Do Not Disturb, Quiet hours, or Driving mode on your phone.

  Check your Fitbit device

  • You won’t see notifications on Ionic or Versa series devices if you turned on Do Not Disturb  or Sleep Mode  on your device. To change these settings, see How do I navigate my Fitbit device's screen?
  • Device lock is active on your Fitbit device and you haven't recently entered your PIN. Tap your Fitbit device's screen to see if you need to unlock your device.
  • Notifications are turned off on your device. To turn them on, see How do I turn my Fitbit device’s notification setting on or off?

  Check your Bluetooth connection

  • You're using multiple Bluetooth devices. If you have multiple Bluetooth devices paired to your phone, you may have trouble using more than one at the same time. 
  • The connection between your phone and Fitbit device dropped. If you have an Android phone, check the following:
    • Make sure Enable Notification Widget is on. You can find this with the other notification settings in the Fitbit app.
    • Make sure Always Connected is on to improve your device's Bluetooth connection.
  • Make sure the Fitbit app is allowed to run in the background on your phone. For more information about this option on Android phones, see What should I know about using the Fitbit app on my Android phone?

  Check for syncing and updates

  • Your device was syncing. Syncing can sometimes prevent or delay a notification. 
  • You just updated the Fitbit app. Restart your phone and try setting up notifications again.
• Step 2. Complete the troubleshooting steps

  If you reviewed the list above and can't get notifications to work, try the following:

  1. Make sure notifications are set up

  Make sure your phone is set to receive notifications from your Fitbit device. For more information, see How do I set up notifications?

  2. Force quit the Fitbit app

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

  3. Reset Bluetooth

  1. On your phone, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Turn off Bluetooth on your phone.
  3. Wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on.
  4. Open the Fitbit app to sync your Fitbit device.

  4. Reset system notifications (iPhones and iPads)

  1. On your phone, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Tap the information icon  next to the name of your Fitbit device.
  3. Turn Share System Notifications off and then back on. If you don't see the Share System Notifications option:
     1. Restart your Fitbit device. For more information, see How do I restart my Fitbit device?
     2. Tap Allow when you receive a message on your iPhone or iPad asking if you want your Fitbit device to show notifications.
     3. Tap the information icon  next to the name of your Fitbit device
     4. Turn on Share System Notifications.

  5. Restart your Fitbit device

  1. Restart your device. For instructions, see How do I restart my Fitbit device?
  2. Open the Fitbit app to sync your Fitbit device.

  6. Refresh notifications

  1. In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab  > your profile picture > Notifications.
  2. Turn off all notifications.
  3. Restart your phone.
  4. Open the Fitbit app and turn notifications back on, then sync your Fitbit device.

  7. Set up notifications again

  1. Tell your phone to "forget" the bluetooth connection to your Fitbit device:
     1. On your phone, tap Settings > Bluetooth.
     2. Tap the information icon  or gear icon next to the name of your Fitbit device.
     3. Find the option to forget the device.
  2. Open the Fitbit app and set up notifications again, then sync your Fitbit device.

Which notifications can I see on my Fitbit device?

Note that your phone must be within 30 feet of your Fitbit device to receive notifications.

* Use quick replies (Android only) to send customized responses to text messages and messages from certain apps with Fitbit Charge 3, Fitbit Ionic, and Fitbit Versa series. For more information, see How do I respond to messages with my Fitbit device?

How do I turn my Fitbit device's notification setting on or off?

• Ace 2, Charge 2, and Inspire series

  On the clock screen, press and hold the button.

• Blaze

  Hold the top right button for 3 seconds.

• Charge 3

  On the clock screen, press and hold the button. For Fitbit Pay-enabled trackers, swipe left to access the quick settings screen.

• Ionic and Versa series

  Swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap the quick settings icon . Make sure Do Not Disturb  and Sleep Mode  are turned off.

Note that turning off notifications also turns off hourly reminders to move. For more information, see What's my hourly activity goal on my Fitbit device?

How do notifications work on my Fitbit device?

• Ace & Alta series

  Ace, Alta, and Alta HR vibrate when you receive a notification. Turn your wrist towards you or double-tap to see the notification. Text and calendar notifications scroll once, and caller names or numbers scroll 3 times. Notifications aren't stored on the device.
  
  Note that Ace only receives call notifications.

  Notification tips

  • To dismiss a notification, tap once.
  • Your device shows the first 40 characters of the notification. Check your phone for the full message. 
  • A plus sign (+) means you have more than 1 notification to read. If you have 3 or more notifications, you'll see a screen with the number of notifications and the corresponding symbols. 
• Ace 2 & Inspire series

  Ace 2, Inspire, and Inspire HR vibrate when you receive a notification. Turn your wrist toward you or press the button to see the notification. Notifications aren't stored on the device.
  
  Note that Ace 2 only receives call notifications.

  See incoming notifications

  Phone calls	Name or number of the caller scrolls once. To dismiss the notification, press the button.
  Text messages	Name of the sender scrolls once above the message. Swipe up to read the full message.
  Calendar alerts	Name of the event scrolls once below the time and location.
  App notifications	Name of the app or sender scrolls once above the message. Swipe up to read the full message.

  
  Notification tips

  • To dismiss a notification, press the button.
  • Your device shows the first 250 characters of the notification. Check your phone for the full message. 
• Blaze

  Blaze vibrates when a notification is available and the information appears briefly.

  Viewing notifications

  Swipe up on the clock screen to see your notifications and tap one to expand for more detail. Blaze stores your 30 most recent notifications and automatically deletes them after 24 hours. The information that appears depends on the notification:

  • Phone call—The caller's name or number. If you have an iPhone, you can also accept or reject calls on your Blaze.
  • Text message—The sender's name or number and the message, unless you chose to see only the sender in your app settings.
  • Calendar event—The name, location, and time of the event. You'll only receive notifications for events that start within an hour. 
  • Email—The sender’s name, subject, and contents of the message.
  • App notification—The app name and contents of the message. App-specific icons may also appear.

  Notification Tips

  • To delete 1 notification, open it and swipe right.
  • To delete all notifications at once, swipe up to find the Clear All option.
  • If a text notification is long, swipe up to see the rest. The screen can show up to 160 characters.
  • To exit the notifications screen, press the Back (left) button.

  Accepting or rejecting phone calls

  If you're using the Fitbit app for iOS, you can trigger your nearby phone to answer a call (accept a call) or trigger the phone to decline the call and send it to voicemail (reject the call). Blaze doesn't have a microphone or speaker so it's not a substitute for speaking into the phone. 
  
  When you get a call notification, tap the green phone to accept or tap the red phone to reject.
• Charge 2

  Charge 2 vibrates when you receive a notification. Turn your wrist toward you or press the button to see the notification. You have 1 minute to read it. Notifications aren't stored on the device.  

  Notification tips

  • A plus sign (+) means you have more than 1 notification to read.
  • To dismiss a notification, press the button.
  • Your device shows the first 40 characters of the notification. Check your phone for the full message. 
• Charge 3, Ionic & Versa series

  Charge 3, Ionic, and Versa series vibrate when you receive a notification. Turn your wrist toward you or press the button to see the notification. Notifications are stored on the device.

  

  See incoming notifications

  From the clock face, swipe down from the top of the screen to see your notifications. Tap a notification to expand for more detail. 

  Phone calls	Name or number of the caller appears. If you have an iPhone or Android (8.0+) phone, you can also accept or reject calls on your Fitbit device.
  Text messages	Name or number of the sender and the message appear.
  Calendar alerts	Name, location, and time of the event appear.
  Email notifications	Name of the sender, subject, and message appear.
  App notifications	App name and message appear. App-specific icons may also appear.

  Notification Tips

  • To delete 1 notification, tap the notification > Clear.
  • To delete all notifications at once, swipe to the top of your notifications and tap Clear All.
  • For longer notifications, tap the notification to see the full message. 
  • To exit the notifications screen, press the back button or swipe up.
  • If you clear a notification from your device, the notification is removed from your phone's notification center. If you clear a notification from your phone, the notification is removed from your device.

  Temporarily turn off notifications

  When you turn on the Do Not Disturb, Quiet hours, or Driving mode setting on your phone, Fitbit Charge 3, Fitbit Ionic, and Fitbit Versa series receive notifications, but your device won’t alert you. Swipe down from the top of the screen to see your notifications.

  • Charge 3—To turn off notifications so that you don't receive them while you sleep, open the Settings app on your device and find the option to turn off Notifications During Sleep.
  • Ionic and Versa series—Swipe down from the top of your watch screen, and tap the quick settings icon . On the quick settings screen, turn on Do Not Disturb  or Sleep Mode . For more information, see How do I navigate my Fitbit device?

  Note: If you have an Android phone, you can set your Fitbit device to always send you notifications: 

  1. Tap the Today tab  > your profile picture > Notifications. 
  2. In the Vibration Settings section, turn on the Always Vibrate option.

  Accepting or rejecting phone calls

  Accept or reject phone calls on your Phone or Android (8.0+) phone. If your phone is running an older version of Android OS, you can reject, but not accept, calls on your device.
  
  Note that you can’t speak into the device — accepting a phone call answers the call on your nearby phone. 
  
  To accept or reject a phone call:

  • Charge 3
    • To accept a call: tap the check mark.
    • To reject a call: tap the X icon to send the caller to voicemail.

  

  • Ionic and Versa series
    • To accept a call: tap the green phone icon.
    • To reject a call: tap the red phone icon to send the caller to voicemail.

  
• Flex 2

  When your phone receives a call or text message, Flex 2 vibrates and shows a light pattern to remind you to check your phone.

  See incoming notifications

  Phone calls	Your tracker vibrates twice and shows 1 blue light and 4 white lights, repeated up to 4 times.
  Text messages	Your tracker vibrates once and shows 1 blue light and 1 white light.