Blaze Alerts- Android

[EmersonFitbit]

Hey everyone! Cross-posting this from the Blaze forum. It may be useful to use eachother and this post as resources for setting up and using notifications on Android phones.

Blaze will provide Call, Text, and Calendar notifications- this way you can stay connected! 

This post will provide instructions on how to setup your alerts so that you can see who's texting you, the content of the messages, who's calling, and what your calendar has on deck for you. For a detailed overview of alerts for Blaze, please see this help page. 

Setup Steps: 

1. Make sure that your mobile device is compatible with our notifications feature by visiting http://www.fitbit.com/devices. 
2. On your mobile device, make sure Bluetooth is enabled, and make sure your device is nearby! Note that you'll only receive notifications on your tracker when your mobile device is within this radius. 
3. Open the Fitbit app on your mobile device and tap your tracker tile at the top of your mobile dashboard.
4. Tap your tracker tile a second time, tap Notifications, and then turn on call notifications.
5. To verify that set up was successful, look at the list of Bluetooth-connected devices on your mobile device. Your tracker name should appear.

Using Alerts:

You can easily see all of your alerts by swiping up from the home screen. Here, you'll see previous incoming calls, text messages for the day, and calendar alerts as well. You may delete these alerts either individually or all at once.

Notes: 

• For Android users, please ensure that you've turned notification access on in your settings and enabled each notification in the Fitbit App. Please also ensure that message preview is toggled on in your phone's settings, as this should help populate the message content.
• Calendar notifications use the native calendar app in iOS, and the native or select 3^rd party apps on Android.
• Fitbit trackers currently don't support emojis. Notifications containing emojis will show a blank square, instead of the emoji that was sent.
• Text messages won't show up if the message app is open on your phone.
• When using Message+, your Fitbit tracker will show a notification that looks something like this: (Contact Name – 1 New Message). This is because when messages are received in Message+, they're stored that way in the notifications center on Android.
• If you receive more than one text message in succession from the same person, your tracker may group the messages together as "2 New Messages" or "3 New Messages" instead of showing a preview of the message text.

Switching to a Different App:

In order to switch to receiving text notifications from a different app, the app must be selected as the default messaging app on your mobile device.

After selecting a default message app, do the following:

1. Open the Fitbit App
2. Select your device from the Dashboard
3. Tap the device again from the device menu
4. Select “Call and Text Notifications”
5. Select “Text Notifications”
6. Select your preferred app

[Mkayser]

I have the Samsung S6 Edge Plus and I used the Messenger+ app but I'm not able to see what the text message says on my blaze. I have tried switching to the default texting app on my phone and stopped getting notifications all together. Everything seems to be set up like it should but I can't seem to get it to work! Any suggestions?

[DaphN]

I am having the same issue.  I also have the Galaxy S6 Edge.  Cannot see the actual text message and am getting double notifications. Help!!  Using Messenger+

[Swampster]

My first day with the Blaze, and I'm sorry to say I'm a little underwhelmed with the notifications. It seems way too limited. I mean why just limited to one messaging app at a time? Why no email notifications? Limited calendar apps.. (no Outlook?). 

We should simply be able to set the Blaze to replicate whatever notifications we get on our mobiles.. from whatever apps? Or choose within the Fitbit app, whichever 'on phone' apps we'd want to receive notifications from.

Now I'm not an Android developer, so this may be over simplistic.. but I would imagine the Android notifications system has some common "pipeline" on the phone.. why not just replicate that?

[ErickFitbit]

@bjanow To clarify, it is expected behavior that call notifications will not be stored on the Blaze.

You shouldn't be experiencing outbound call notifications if you're on the latest version of the Fitbit App for Android as that was resolved in version 2.20.1.

@SunsetRunner Thanks for the update and letting me know that your notifications are working now. 

@bjanow Are you still getting double notifications from WhatsApp?

@jespley That's a good suggestion. Confirm that your texting app of choice is both selected as your default in the Android app and also in the Android device settings.

@LauraJohnson Check out my response to that same question here.

@TomChan As @bjanow mentioned above, you can only currently select one app to receive text notifications from.

@TomChan @Swampster I recommend voting for this idea from our Feature Request board to add more options for notifications.

@abarke03@bjanow@CZavada I recommend clearing the cache from the text messaging app, restarting your phone and then trying to send yourself a text from a friends phone to see if you're still getting duplicates. Let me know if that works.

@MJack76 To clarify, you should only see Bluetooth Classic like you're seeing. Bluetooth Classic is only used to connect your Blaze and mobile device for music control.

I recommend toggling the Fitbit Notification Service OFF and then ON with the instructions here. That should help.

@Mkayser@DaphN This should help you receive the content of your notifications.

[Walelia222]

I only receive my notifications when I'm on Wifi???

Otherwise, the devices seem to stop pairing.

[pumpkin71]

If we use Message+ we will only see there is a message but not read the message?

[KLeBlazeS5]

@ErickFitbit

I have a Blaze and Samsung S5 (Android 5.0) running Fitbit app V2.24

Text messages were only showing up as "New Message" and no actual message text.

The Blaze was paired only as Blaze.

After enabling Bluetooth Classic on the Blaze and pairing that with the S5 I now get actual message text showing. So Bluetooth Classic seems to be for more than just music control as you mention.

Still no message text or notifications from the standard Samsung eMail app though unfortunately.

[ErickFitbit]

@Walelia222 That's not normal...have you tried restarting the Blaze and then giving it another try? When you're not on WiFi, do you have a healthy internet connection on your mobile device?

@pumpkin71 Yes, that's what I've heard happens to users using Message+. If you'd like to see the full content of your messages, make the stock "Messages" app the default and make sure that "Preview Message" is toggled ON.

@KLeBlazeS5 Which application are you using for text messages on your S5? Can you share a screenshot of your Fitbit app's notifications settings page? That will be super useful.

[lovemjcx23]

I have attempted everything you have suggested and nothing is working.  I have a samsung galaxy s5 and I don't use any messaging system except what is on my android phone.  Has this issue been fixed?  I called customer service and the only answer I was given was "we will look into the issue"  I am serious disappointed with this device.

[KLeBlazeS5]

@lovemjcx23

Have you synced the Blaze as Blaze or Blaze Classic ?

I had to enable the bluetooth classic on the Blaze for messages to come through properly.

Calls can be seen but not cancelled or accepted and no emails at all with the standard app.

But if you get the BitTicker app then emails and SMS messages show on the Blaze as well as call notifications.

[AustinCookin]

Re: "If you receive more than one text message in succession from the same person, your tracker may group the messages together as "2 New Messages" or "3 New Messages" instead of showing a preview of the message text."

Is there a way to turn this off so it shows each individual message?

[ErickFitbit]

@AustinCookin This is something that is done by the app that you're using as your default text notifications app. I use Google Hangouts as my default texting app and it displays each individual message instead of the "2 messages" that you're seeing when there is more than 1 unread message in your inbox. I recommend giving that a try.

[DanM2589]

Is there any way to increase the strength of the vibration so you can actually feel it "alerting" you to alerts?

[SunsetRunner]

Hi Andrew, hope you see this. Will my Blaze connect to my LG G5 for music? Everything else seems to work fine, but I can't get the music to play.