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!

[MarandoPSU]

Since the latest update on March 20th I have this persistent notification (attached). It cannot be cleared. It goes away if I open the Fitbit app, but it comes back again after.. even if I toggle the notification setting on/off.

I do not and have never had notifications enabled. I do not want notifications enabled now.

I rolled back to the previous version of the app and it does not have this problem, so it is not an issue with my device (Pixel XL on Android 8.1). Please fix in next update.

[USAF-Larry]

@MarandoPSU, check to see if you have Account->Advance Settings->Push Notifications enabled. If it is, try disabling it to see if that eliminates the message.

[MarandoPSU]

I was in the "Notification" section after clicking on my tracker and was unaware that setting existed in advanced. It is currently off but I will have to redownload the update to see if that was it.

It's not currently being offered in the play store cos I rolled back so I'll have to get it from a mirror later. Will update if I still have the issue but you're probably right. Cheers~

[noname_007]

Solved:

Had the same problem here, solved it just now by mistake, the thing is that from whatever stupid reason you have to disable push notifications in several places within the app (wonderful programming btw). So disable:

Account - Notifications (under settings heading, scroll way down)

Account - Advanced settings - Push notifications (both hidden way down, so scroll a lot)

and disable push notifications withing application setting in the phone itself for the fitbit app

voila, the stupid undeletable bar disappeared...

[the55fossil]

Disabled everything that you indicated, but it still came back.

I then logged out of the app, restarted phone, then logged back on.

No annoying message yet.

[LeahRob]

I turned everything off. Restarted my phone. It was still there. I give up. I just blocked notifications from that app. I didn't know what else to do.

[SunsetRunner]

so disappointed in Fitbit, about to just uninstall the app until i can rollback to a non-spam version.

Tried followingfollo, but no luck, notification spam keeps coming back. Besides, i cannot believe this guy is recommending users disable ALL notifications to fix their new "feature" bug, as this would basically end any engagement i have with the app, since i mainly use UA's MFP to pull my step data anyway.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Android-App/Turn-off-Call-Text-notifications-in-Android-2-11/m-p/953...

such a fail by fitbit devs

[lintilla]

I'm getting this even though I want to receive notifications on my tracker - help?

(My notifications have been a bit buggy for the last couple of weeks too - not sure if that's related. Phone is Sony Xperia Z5 Compact running Android 7.1.1)

[sp1041]

So I fixed it. I also have Pixel 2. When you drag down status bar and see it in there, swipe the notification bar to the right like you're clearing it and a little setting gear will appear. Click that and deactivate the status bar notification for Fitbit. It was killing me, too.

[sp1041]

Like this

[littlepie31]

I am also experiencing this issue since the latest update. Notifications are enabled. Turning off notifications to remove the error is not an option for those who do want them active.

[chillntrain]

Same here. Fitbit has the slogan "every release a new bug", so I'm not very surprised.

[USAF-Larry]

This is not a bug, but a new Permissions requirement of the Fitbit Android App v2.68.  You will need to open the phone's Settings->Apps->Fitbit->Permission and grant permission for Fitbit notifications to access the contacts, SMS, etc.  Or, you can open the notification access you get at the top of the phone and grant the access there.

[sp1041]

I think issue (at least for me) was that we DON'T want it to have status bar notification, and there was a persistent notification that it didn't have status bar access and we wanted it to go away. 

[Stormclouds]

I have a Charge HR and a phone that isn't used for calls or texts. Why does the Fitbit app need these extra permissions which will undoubtedly drain the battery quicker. My Fitbit app doesn't have any call/text options so why do I have to give it permission to access something it can't use! It seems ridiculous to me.

I also don't want the persistent notification as due to mental disabilities it makes it more difficult for me to see at a glance what's new in notifications. That my antivirus has to sit in there is disruptive enough. Please don't add to this. 

It's looking increasing unlikely that I'll replace my Fitbit when it bites the dust. I've seen so many complaints about this new "feature" but no one official seems to be taking the disruptive nature of the persistent notification seriously and as a disabled person that worries me. I should be used to being ignored because my disabilities make me very different but somehow that just doesn't happen. It just gets worse. 

Please fix this. Please?

[Stormclouds]

I blocked all Fitbit notifications in the app which did nothing as that message returned. Now I've blocked all Fitbit notifications completely which I don't actually want to do. I would love to get steps and low battery ones without giving it access to my contacts. I'm also rather creeped out by this loss of control of information.

[USAF-Larry]

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@Stormcloudswrote:

I have a Charge HR and a phone that isn't used for calls or texts. Why does the Fitbit app need these extra permissions which will undoubtedly drain the battery quicker. My Fitbit app doesn't have any call/text options so why do I have to give it permission to access something it can't use! It seems ridiculous to me.

It will have no effect on the battery at all - if you were sending notifications, it would have a small effect on the battery, but if you aren't using notifications, it won't have any effect at all.

"why do I have to give it permission to access something it can't use" - This is apparently part of the heavily requested future implementation of the ability to respond to calls/notifications Android, so it probably won't go away.

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I also don't want the persistent notification as due to mental disabilities it makes it more difficult for me to see at a glance what's new in notifications.

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Turn on the permissions, and you won't see the notifications. It won't change anything else.

[LeahRob]

I do not want to give the app these permissions. My phone is not compatible, so I don't use those features. 

Theyneed to make all phones compatible, or give us the option to NOT give those permissions and not have to completely blocked notifications from the app.

[USAF-Larry]

Sorry, but as users request more and more new features, there will be new requirements added.