Persistent notification: "Fitbit lost access"

[AlessFitbit]

Hi everyone - Thanks for your reports on this persistent notification in the Android app "Fitbit lost access to status bar notifications." 

This has been escalated to the Android team. If a fix is included in the next version 2.69, I'll make sure to announce that here.

If you haven't yet, please try a restart on your Android device. This should help and prevent the notification from showing up again. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

[Specky]

The fix works. You give permissions. Then you take them away again. Then
you reboot.

--
Darren 

Moderator edit: personal information

[Mirror27]

I never had text notification enabled and don't want it. Yesterday I started receiving notifications that I don't have the feature turned on. I can't clear the notification unless I turn the feature on. I don't want it because the warning clearly says Fitbit will read all texts, contact names, other notifications, and may even respond on my behalf. No thanks! How do I tell Fitbit for good that I don't want to sync this device and give them access to everything I say and do AND get them to stop asking me for the permission! I'm getting the notification to turn the feature on every few minutes unless I leave it on my notification sceen, which is also annoying. Help me just track my steps without invading my life!

[Mirror27]

I don't want to give permission them take it away. I don't want them to have permission to ever look at my contacts or text messages ever. This is intrusive. The notification states it "lost access." That's crazy because it never had access. I shouldn't have to disable something I've never enabled. I think this is a ploy for Fitbit to spam my friends and I don't let them do that.

[SunsetRunner]

In Android 7.0, I was able to long press this and then turn off all notifications after pressing the gear.

[SunsetRunner]

It started appearing today ( I think ) and stays in my notification bar all time. How do I get ris of that? I post in Ionic board but not sure if it's Ionic related or Android app.

[JaceLightning]

This seems like a bug in version 2.68 of the Fitbit Android app. The notification should only be showing up for people who have enabled notifications on their Fitbit, but stopped receiving them. Instead, it is showing up for anyone, even people who have never turned on notifications (hence this being a bug).

 
If you want notifications....

...and you are seeing this:

You need to enable the notification listener:

1. Open the Fitbit App
2. Click on your tracker
3. Go to "Notifications" under device settings
4. It should prompt you to enable the notification listener service

   

If you want notifications....
...and you are seeing this:

 

Restart your phone to continue getting notifications

If you do NOT want notifications...

Method 1: Clear the app data and log in again

1. Go to Android Settings
2. Search for "Fitbit"
3. Select "Fitbit"
4. Select Storage
5. Clear app data
6. Log into the Fitbit app again

The notification should have disappeared and won't come back.

IMPORTANT: Don't go back into the notifications section of the Fitbit app. This will reenable notifications and cause the sticky notification to reappear.

See video:

Method 2: Disable notifications in the Fitbit app

Unfortunately you can't get to the notification screen in the Fitbit app without enabling notification access. However, you can disable notification access right away after granting the permission. Notification access ONLY allows the Fitbit app to read active notifications in your status bar while the permission is enabled. This means enabling it temporarily won't give the app access to your contacts, text messages, app messages, etc. It can only read new, incoming notifications and while the permission is active.

1. Open the Fitbit App
2. Click on your tracker
3. Go to "Notifications" under device settings
4. It will popup a screen to grant notification permission
5. Enable access
6. Deny the phone and contacts permissions
7. Disable all notifications in the Fitbit app using the hamburger menu and selecting disable notifications
8. Disable notification access in Android settings by going to Special App Access → Notifications → and de-selecting the Fitbit app
9. Restart your device

See video:

 

I filed a bug with Fitbit and hoping that this will be fixed with the next Android release, 2.69. 

[SteveDawg]

That's a different issue entirely. Rebooting has no effect.

[SteveDawg]

Unfortunately, that solution isn't for everyone. The problem with solution of disabling all push notifications is that it disables all notifications to the tracker from the app. The problem in this post is the =new= permission they want, which is to be able to read and manipulate all the notifications in your phone that come from any other app, not just their own push notifications from their own app.

[JaceLightning]

---

@SteveDawgwrote:

Unfortunately, that solution isn't for everyone. The problem with solution of disabling all push notifications is that it disables all notifications to the tracker from the app. The problem in this post is the =new= permission they want, which is to be able to read and manipulate all the notifications in your phone that come from any other app, not just their own push notifications from their own app.

---

There were no new permissions added in 2.68 (you can download a previous version to see for yourself: https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/fitbit-inc/fitbit/). Notification listener access was always required to get notifications (including Fitbit notifications) on your tracker.

[Jayabalard]

Giving the app permissions and then taking them away is not actually a fix.  Ido t want to give fit it that access, period.  Not for an instant.

[JaceLightning]

Did you try method 1? That doesn't require giving the Fitbit app any permissions. Hopefully this issue will be fixed in 2.69.

---

@Jayabalardwrote:

Giving the app permissions and then taking them away is not actually a fix.  Ido t want to give fit it that access, period.  Not for an instant.

---

Enabling the listener only gives the app access to notifications that come in while the listener is enabled. So if you have no notifications in your status bar, the app gets no data. But I totally understand where you're coming from. Looks like the notification is being posted in error...

From the Android docs: 

A service that receives calls from the system when new notifications are posted or removed, or their ranking changed.

[SunsetRunner]

As much as I'd prefer an "official" Fitbit link, I'm still ok with downloading a previous apk from this mirror (https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/fitbit-inc/fitbit/), however, does anyone know which version was pre-SPAM?

Thanks!

[JaceLightning]

The Google play store says the latest is 2.68, so probably 2.67.1?

Can we get confirmation from Fitbit that this is indeed a bug?

[KateFitbit]

Hi Android users- sorry for the notification and thanks for your reports, I've made the team aware of this thread and the issue and will have an update soon. Thanks @noname_007 for your suggested workaround and @sp1041 for your suggestion. If you are still experiencing the issue can you let me know along with the make and model of your mobile of your device? 

@JaceLightning, @USAF-Larry thanks for your insight here!

[Stormclouds]

Wileyfox Swift 2. I had to disable all notifications to make that disruptive message go away. I want step and battery notifications but I don't want Fitbit seeing my contacts or calls or messages especially as, with a Charge HR, it can't do any good with them.

I'd also like to know if/why disabling notifications has stopped my Fitbit from syncing. It did it last night but is refusing to work today. 

Also why has it randomly jumped two hours ahead? British Summer Time is only one hour ahead of GMT. It's as buggy as an anthill. 

[baskoner]

Very much looking forward to the fix thank you

Moderator Edit: Format

[vixx24]

you at need to update your fitbit. I still receive all my notifications and syncing is not a problem. try updating it, I believe you plug in with battery and hit the side button? call fitibit its easy fit

[sserich]

Thanks @KateFitbit. I agree with several other posts... if my FitBit app truly needs to read all notifications (including personal information such as contact names and the text of my received messages) in order to function properly, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to go purchase a different product. This sounds too much like the Facebook fiasco.

[AlessFitbit]

Hi everyone - As @KateFitbit mentioned yesterday. This has been escalated to the Android team. If a fix is included in the next version 2.69, I'll make sure to announce that here.

If you haven't yet, please try a restart on your Android device. This should help and prevent the notification from showing up again. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

[SteveDawg]

---

@AlessFitbitwrote:

Hi everyone - As @KateFitbit mentioned yesterday. This has been escalated to the Android team. If a fix is included in the next version 2.69, I'll make sure to announce that here.

If you haven't yet, please try a restart on your Android device. This should help and prevent the notification from showing up again. Thanks for your help and cooperation!

---

Hi. Sorry, but as many in this thread have said, restarting the device does nothing.