Regarding all the posts about lack of sufficient notifications

[Uber]

Has there been a *official* statement regarding:

-Why* email, weather or major notifications(amber alert etc) were not included at the launch of the blaze?

Why the blaze cannot read the emails if it can read sms? It doesn't need to load pictures, but being able to quickly glance and get the main focus is extremely useful.

-A response as to why email support is still not a thing 6ish months later?

-Is this a hardware or software issue? Or is this just something not as high on the priority list, as I know they have many other devices and problems to work on too.

Most every post I have read seems to imply it is not difficult between iOS and Android to send notifications like this, but I have yet to see a official statement from Fitbit as to why only sms, phone and calendar notifications.

I mean weather (tornado etc) and email (emergency presentations) notifications could save lives.

I have searched all over the forum, but I could not find any official statements as to why, only speculation and that they will look into it, but not currently supported.

Has anyone else seen a post on this, or could a mod comment or PM me please?

Thanks for reading and have a pleasant day.

[bbarrera]

No official statements.

Its a mystery why Fitbit chose to implement such old school notifications, and why texts on Blaze do not support for emoji. Most of the day I'm getting notifications from Skype (IM my boss at work) and Snapchat (my kids) and Strava (cycling buddies), Meetup (bike rides, and for the Arduino classes I teach), and of course a lot of family group texts. With Apple Watch I can easily control what gets pushed to my wrist, and even 3rd party apps like Skype allow me to reply from my watch. Heck I even got a Google Drive notice yesterday morning while in the kitchen, letting me know a customer was sharing files with me.

All the other wearables I've looked at support notifications so why not the Blaze? 

I'm not a professional programmer, but I play around with iOS and Android app development and even have an Arduino board that receives more iOS notifications than the Blaze. Both Apple and Google made it easy for wearables and other devices to receive notifications, however Fitbit decided to only support 3 - calendar, calls, and texts. So arbitrary, like its 2005 and someone at Fitbit won't give up their Palm Treo cellphone.

[Uber]

Thanks for the reply. It is a real shame. This is a very major issue that really deserves some clarity. Any review I have read of the blaze has pointed out this is something holding the blaze back. I'm hoping this isn't something we just have to what for in the Blaze 2.

[jmattwood]

<tongue in cheek>

Get a proper phone and use this: Fit Notifications

</tongue in cheek>

Works very well and allows any application to be configured to provide notifications to the Blaze.

[bbarrera]

With all due respect, Fit Notifications or BitTracker or whatever are ugly hacks. Google and Apple have made notifications "just work" for all device vendors - you shouldn't have to install an app to defeat Fitbit's attempts to dumb down notifications.

<tongue in cheek>

Apple Watch notifications and ability to reply are better than anything you can cobble together with Blaze and Android

</tongue in cheek>

Bonus - my iPhone 5s is a better step tracker than Blaze. And I've used my "phone tracker" to GPS record open water swims by putting phone into $5 KingCool dry bag pouch case like this one in North Kaanapali :

I guess you could put phone and Blaze in dry pouch and do the same, but not with HR. Want heart rate while swimming? Thats why I have a Wahoo TickrX Bluetooth chest strap (it has memory, because bluetooth only works an inch or two underwater).

For over a year I've been getting Fitbit app notifications on my wrist (challenge invites, challenge updates, taunts, cheers, etc), and all other notifications I care about, long before Blaze was announced.

Please Fitbit, change your decision to dumb down Blaze notifications and let everyone decide for themselves (via phone's Notification Center) what gets pushed to the Blaze.

[Rich_Laue]

All of you know what the official response is, add your comment and vote to the request. 

You all also know that fitbit does not prematurely announce future inhancements. 

I would think that fitbit has become aware of the desire for more notifications, but normally fitbit will onlyvannounce on the day of release, not before. 

[AlejandraFitbit]

Great to see you around @Uber and @jmattwood. @bbarrera and @Rich_Laue thanks for stopping by!  We don't have a specific date or information about what will include a new update. I recommend checking this request, vote for it and leave your comment. I hope this can be implemented soon.

Catch you later.