RESOLVED 06/16/2018: "Notification service not running" error

[AlessFitbit]

Fitbit Update 06/16/2018

Thank you for reporting the error is not longer showing in the Fitbit app. This issue has been resolved with the release of the Fitbit app for Android, version 2.73. If you're still experiencing issues receiving notifications. Make sure to confirming that you're updated to the latest app release and following our notifications troubleshooting tips provided in this help article.

I'm moving forward in closing this thread as the issue has been resolved and there is no need to post future updates. If you have questions regarding the Compatibility of your phone, refer to this help article: Which phones and tablets can I use with my Fitbit watch or tracker?

Thank you for your continued patience as we worked to get this resolved.

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Fitbit Update 05/09/2018

Hi, Android users!

Some of you may be seeing the following error message inside of the Fitbit for Android app:"Notification service not running. A phone restart is required to re-enable notifications on your tracker." Even if you perform a restart, the error message persists. 

Thanks for reporting! Our team has been notified and are investigating. We will make sure to update you all if we receive more information. In the meantime, we appreciate your patience. 

[djurkash]

I am not attacking you, but I believe you are not considering all the facts....

Let me share my case...

I own Ionic for 3 and a half months, previously was on Vivoactive 3 , used also Samsung, Polar, Sony and Tom Tom trackers... So totally platform agnostic and have lots of experience with different producers and their products. And I have to say Fitbit is not the only one having these issues, Garmin had it too when launching new products, i.e VA3, but solved it in time. That's why I want to have patience with Fitbit, as overall I liked it more than VA 3 and chosen it as my choice for 2018.

However I am not experiencing notifications missing totally, but more, say, partially...Call notification is delayed like 30-60 second, from the time when my phone starts ringing, other notifications mostly work, even with this stupid message popping up. It's just there's no rule when some notification will be missing, and even this delay in call notifications is changing, and sometimes is fully gone. And, I am very sure this behaviour rules out your theory from post above...I am using Xiaomi Mi Note 3 , unsupported offcourse...

[mrforsythexeter]

PaulHaines

1. Agreed that is what we are all talking about

2. A restart most likely wont fix the problem, once the battery optimiser learns a behaviour (shutting down this service, reduces the load on the battery) it will do it more often

3. If you are running a phone like mine, they don't allow me to control which services are shutdown, only apps. So I have no enough control over what happens. This is why I am talking to my manufacture

4. Going to call rubbish, if you support apple phones alone, you have a good business. Chuck in apple and Samsung, and you have the core of the market sorted. If I could write / make something that works on supported devices, being apple alone would fix me up for life (maybe I should stop replying.. and just work on writing something... hmmm). Fitbit will also, be the brand which last the most amount of time (if you are not using GPS, or exercising all day). I bet you can't guess how they do this...... battery optimisation! They chose to sleep and wake devices / services at the right time. This will cause problems like this, the device doesn't pair fast enough, the service is be blocked from running. If they didn't do this, their tracker / ummmmm "smart" watch would also last a day at most. If this is what you want, then use the other brands, no one is actually stopping you.

djurkash

Ok, facts... lets go.. So you mention other devices, which have at best 2 day battery life. My Blaze lasts 6 days (even when notifications are working). There is no magic in this, its simple battery optimisation. Screen off time, wake times.

I am glad you like the fitbit, if you didn't it would be a little pointless all of us, discussing what the merits of having this resolved would be.

If you are just missing them a bit, then fitbit have given you the choice to try and handle this, they have introduced over the years

* All-Day Sync

* Always Connected

* Keep-Alive Widget

If you have any of these off, I would turn them on, and check how you get on with notification speed. I personally don't like the keep-alive widget, its just more clutter for the notification pull down. But if it means I might get a notification, then all the better.

I have found I get delayed notification, if I would walk away from my phone, further than Bluetooth can handle for long enough. Its like the tracker sleeps trying to find its phone (so only searches every 30 minutes or something)

Clearly everyone just wants to this to work, as do I. But I still maintain, shouting at fitbit is not going to resolve this, or if it does, your fitbit will only run for day, is this the compromise you are looking for?

[mrforsythexeter]

Just as a heads up, I did respond, with detailed information.. but it was flagged as spam.

So now even fitbit don't want me helping you.

[PaulHaines]

Its OK didn't read your response as being an attack.   The issue of delayed notifications is I believe separate.   In your case, the fitbit notification service is still running, but for whatever reason is sending with a significant delay.

The main issue in this thread is that the notfication service dies completely after hours of the Fitbit app being set up.

In my case, it comes back after a full uninstall and re-install and setup again (not something you want to do every 1-2 days). Part of that process is granting permissions to Android that the Fitbit notification service can do its job.  But something crappy in their code is that, it stops doing so between hours or a day or so after installation.  I have removed all battery optimisation on fitbit and notification proesses, so that is not the cause.  

It is related to the stability of their notification process.

This is what we need them to fix.

[mrforsythexeter]

Sorry guys, I am going to unsubscribe from this thread, they don't seem to want to bring my post back, so I don't want to give me time any more..

best of luck.

[Cutie_pie]

Very heated discussions here.... Chill everyone. 

I'm not the developer of the app, but "fitbit notifications" do work for me very well. 

Yes, I know it is a 3rd party app, but I'll use "whatever works" while Fitbit figure things out. 

Also, my phone is not on the supported list. 

[PaulHaines]

That sounds like a good suggestion as a workaround whilst fitbit figure it out. I do believe it is important for the owner community to keep voicing any frustration (but politely and factually) otherwise they may not prioritize the fix and continue to claim it was fixed in v2. 69 which it wasn't

[Cutie_pie]

Agree. I'm also very disappointed with the Versa. 

Cant get notifications to work, no calendar view, cant dismiss notifications, cant quick set quiet time.... the list goes on. 

Hope the "option to reply" works well when it's launched in May

Thought it would be a good Pebble replacement.

Am really hoping there's still some Pebble developers in Fitbit working hard on this. 

Pebble just works. 

[djurkash]

Could you leave a link for the app, as I can not see it on play store... I can only see ""fix notifications for Fitbit" but not the "Fitbit notifications"... Thanks

[YY2]

This app relies on fitbit notification service. So it probably won't help you of you already have problem with the notification service....

[Cutie_pie]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.abhijitvalluri.android.fitnotifications&hl=en_SG

Fit Notifications (for Fitbit)

Smart Dinosaurs Entertainment

Doesn't work 100% of the time, but at least better than default Fitbit app. 

[PaulHaines]

I'm afraid the Fit Notifications (for Fitbit) app doesn't help at all.  It relies on the Fitbit Notification Service itself, which, when it has stopped working means this 3rd party app doesn't help.

So we are kinda stuck and it needs Fitbit to sort out their unstable code

[PaulHaines]

I have another thread on this, which is on page 6 by now.  There are lots of owners all suffering the same issue.

Reboot phone does not help

3rd party app 'Fit Notifications' does not help

The only way I have been able to get notifications back working again is a total uninstall, re-install and reconfiguration again.  But then, notifications only work for maybe 1 day.

It is incredibly frustrating.  I have tried so many things.  Force Stop of app.  Clear Cache of App.  Disable notifications and re-enable notifications... many other things.   

None of them help.   It is unstable code from Fitbit.  (and I have the latest 2.69)

[cec0406]

Same thing is happening to me. SO FRUSTRATING!

[Keanen]

I had it happen again this morning and I was able to fix it by putting in the PIN on my watch and then opening the software on my phone again. Does that help anybody else?

[litetaker]

Ahem. That is my app! And yes, I seem to have major issues with notifications while running the latest version of the Fitbit app. Completely broken. I have a small statement on my website explaining the current state of affairs: Fitbit update (April 19, 2018) totally breaks their own Notifications functionality.

Yes, you are right to say that I rely on the Fitbit Notification Service to make my app work. There is really no other way around this, unless I do some massive reverse engineering and hack it up to make it such that I can make the Fitbit tracker think my app is the Fitbit app and sending it a notification.

Having said that I do not understand why Fitbit is struggling so massively to get notification listener service to work on Android. I use the same exact service and my app can deal with it no sweat. Clearly someone goofed up.

[PaulHaines]

Hi litetaker

Actually I like your app! But I hoped it would help when the fitbit notifications service was failing. Sadly, in both v2. 69 and new 2.70 the service fails and your app whilst cool, can't send notifications in that state. I just posted this to your site

__

Actually I can confirm this problem in the Fitbit app has existed in v2.68, 2.69 and the latest 2.70
I get notifications for maybe one day, then the error occurs. There is one and only one way to get things working again. An uninstall of the fitbit app, reinstall, re-enable and set up notifications again. But doing that nearly every day...?

[litetaker]

Yup, I understand that you were just explaining how things work and that as a consequence my app cannot fix the problem. I was just surprised my app got a mention here, that's all! 😄

Also, frustrating how rudimentary notification support is on the Fitbits... alas, that is the pain you experience when your platform is not baked into iOS or Android. Whilst, iOS and Android can do very seamless notifications on their respective smart watches, Fitbit is like an unwanted step child. No love and all hate. And frustration, lol!

[Cutie_pie]

Thanks litetaker ! I love your app. 

[RobertoME]

Hello everyone! My apologies for the late response and I appreciate all the details shared here regarding this issue. I've been compiling all the information to pass on to the team and special shout out to @PaulHaines for sharing the screenshot and for confirming the issue continues with the new version 2.70.

I've seen some new users have joined the discussion and I would like to confirm which mobile phones are you using and if all of you have the new version of the app? For more details refer to this post: Android app version 2.70 is now available - 4/18.

There has been a few errors in the notifications on Android and we are investigating the root of this issue. If the issue is different and not limited to this error, feel free to try the steps of our help article: My Fitbit device isn't receiving notifications from my phone

After installing the new version of the Fitbit app, let me know if the issue continues. For those who have tried this already, let me know the following:

- Mobile device model

- Android Version

-Type of error in the notifications

(Let me know if is the same error, or if it is a different one)

- Type of Tracker paired in the account

- Is affecting all notifications in general or only partially?

Just a heads up, lets try to maintain a friendly environment and the focus of the main Issue. All opinion are valid and I really want to keep this discussion open so that we can have a constructive dialogue. I can understand this issue is frustrating and even a nuisance. 

@mrforsythexeter you are welcome to participate anytime you want and if some of your posts were removed, you can send me a private message to look further.

I'll be looking forward for your responses and thank you for all your patience.