Charge 5 - Notifications with WhatsApp

[ffleseru]

Hi all. I was reading all the topics related to this issue and I did all the possible solving problems, except deleting and reinstalling the FitBit App as I didn't want to lose all the data from the last 3 years. Must be another way. I like a lot FitBit and I had ALWAYS full support for your company!
I want to report a bug I guess that I've seen in Charge 5 since I'm using it with Iphone 12 Pro Max. I was using Charge 4 more than 2 years and one of the important features to me was getting the vibrations on my hand if I got an WhatsApp message, email, call, SMS, etc. It was perfect till this year since I was observing that sometime I'm not getting the messages. After resetting the Fitbit device looks to be ok for a while. I thought that maybe is a problem with my old Fitbit and I bought a new Charge 5. Working fine at the beginning. Now symptoms are back and I need to reset the Iphone and Charge 5 to make them working. And they work for a while ... and suddenly Charge 5 not sending Whatsapp messages ...or my Iphone didn't get them. Something is wrong and I don't know what. I'm running last version on my IOS on Iphone 12 Pro MAx which is 16.6.1 and my FitBit Charge 5 has a ver. 188.58 . I guess there is a bug ... but I couldn't find any clue and the workaround by booting both devices is annoying. Something must be done.

[DramaQueenDiva]

This is not a Fitbit issue.  Your issue is with Meta, since it's their app.  You need to get in touch with them, since they're the only ones who can help. 

Surely you have checked to see that notifications are enabled on the Charge 5?

[ffleseru]

The problem is not only for WhatsApp but for the other applications as well. For Signal, emails, SMS, or other messages as well. It looks like something blocks the communication between FitBit and iPhone... that is either on the FitBit or iPhone itself. The reason I wrote this topic is to find together a solution as I'm sure that I'm not the only one that has this issue. If we communicate will get to the bottom of this problem. 

[BezierNougat]

You can delete and reinstall the fitbit app on your phone, without losing all your data; you can also remove the Charge 5 from the app, and then add it again, also without losing your data. I've done this multiple times when trying to get sleep data (completely different issue and thread on this...).

Not sure it will work, but perhaps worth a try. Just make sure you sync before either of these actions.

[ffleseru]

Hi there. Thank you for your reply. I did all the possible things except the deletion of the Fitbit app because I had the feeling that I would lose all the data stored in my iPhone upon the new installation. I need confirmation that if I will delete and reinstall the FitBit app, I will not lose the data stored in the last 3 years. Also if somebody else had the same issue .... what was the solution for this problem? Thank you all for support. 

[BezierNougat]

Personally, I cannot completely confirm that you will not lose the data, since I am not privvy to the code that drives the device. Three things:

1. As I noted above, I have deleted and reinstalled the app multiple times - syncing before hand - and all the data is there.

2. Fitbit states that it stores minute-by-minute data ON THE DEVICE for up to 7 days before converting that to daily data, which it stores for another 23 days, a total of 30 days before uploading the data to its servers - see this post: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Fitbit-com-Dashboard/How-long-are-activities-stored-on-the-Dashboard.... Which makes sense - the device itself doesn't have a lot memory.

3. One of the standard responses to problems is, after trying all the things you have done, to delete and reinstall the device in your app, as well as to delete the app and reinstall that. Again, after syncing, the data is stored on the fitbit servers, which is also sync'ed to the app on your computer, if you use that in addition to the phone app. Note: if you are still concerned, download the app to your computer and log in, your current data will show up there.

As for whether this will work or not, again, who knows? This is one of the standard 'solutions' to pretty much any problem you encounter with your fitbit. The fitbit team really doesn't know (I think they're all working for Pixel now), so they tell you to do various things in the hopes that something will work...if your issue is like my sleep tracking issue, sometimes one thing will work, sometimes another, sometimes nothing - it all seems pretty random.

[RiekoC]

Hello @ffleseru 

You shouldn't lose your Fitbit data by deleting and re-installing the Fitbit app. As @BezierNougat noted, this is one of the recommended troubleshooting steps for various issues. It is recommended that you sync your device with the app prior to deleting & re-installing just to make sure your data is saved to your account. 

[ffleseru]

Ok. I will give it a shot and let everyone know what was the result. The problem appears to be Fitbit Charge 5 related ... or the communication between iPhone ( Fitbit App ) and Charge 5 ... because now I've seen if I reset Charge 5 will work ok for a while... Keep you posted