Charge 5 does not receive notifications

[PdVL]

My brand new Charge 5 does not receive any notifications. All the settings are right so what is causing this issue? With my Charge 2 I had no problems at all. I expected that this new Charge 5 would not have any problems concerning this but new devices are no guarantee that all works as it should be apparently. I also experience issues with the Bluetooth connection now and then. I looked at the settings, they are as they should be, restarted the Charge 5 and also my iPhone but this does not help. Anyone having the same troubles?

Moderator edit: subject updated for clarity

[newsman]

This was exactly my problem. This massive hassle obliterated my excitement for the new device that in every way exceeded my expectations in design and screen display. As a result I’ve returned it for a refund after spending hours trying to troubleshoot an issue Fitbit can’t even resolve yet. If they ever get a fix, I might buy again. But I’ll certainly make sure I don’t subject myself to what I previously went through. 

[PdVL]

Thanks very much for your answer, but I have done all that but still I do not receive notifications from WhatsApp Messages, that is the problem. I restarted my iPhone, restarted my Charge 5, made a new Bluetooth connection, paired my Charge 5 with my iPhone, checked all the settings, but no notifications, unfortunately...

[DavideFitbit]

Hi everyone, thank you for all the information what you've shared so far about the problem to receive notifications and the unstable Bluetooth connection. 

It seems that some of you were able to resolve this problem by restarting the device or the Do Not Disturb Mode. If you haven't done so already, please make sure that you've followed all the basic troubleshooting steps mentioned here previously, as this has been traditionally helpful for the majority of users experiencing something similar, and make sure to check that all permissions are turned on on your phone's settings. 

If you already tried all the recommendations mentioned earlier, I recommend that you get in touch with the Customer Support team for further assistance with this. The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected.

If possible, please let me know if you're experiencing this problem with a specific app like Whatsapp or with text messages, and let me know the following information as well: 

• What's the name of the clock face that you're using 
• Phone model 
• Phone's Operating System (OS)
• Are you using Android or iOS? 

Keep me posted. 

[SunsetRunner]

I've got a similar issue with notifications. Most of the ones that I have setup work but not all of the time (most of the time though). One that is baffling is that when I arm or disarm my Ring alarm, that notification works but when my Ring spotlight camera activates that notification never works. I've checked everything from your suggestions and still nothing. Based on my experience with notifications on cheap fitness bands (that always worked) I would have expected this not to be a problem with Fitbit.

I've used three faces, Continuum, Ripple and Progressive. Have a Samsung Galaxy S9+ with Android 10 and have all software updated.

[DavideFitbit]

Welcome to the Community forums, @SunsetRunner. 

Thank you for confirming that  you already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps mentioned earlier. 

It seems this happens more frequently with this specific notification you mentioned. In this case if you already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps and you continue to experience the same problem, I recommend that you continue the assistance process with the Customer Support team so they can provide you with further instructions. The best way to get help for this problem is to chat with us online or give us a call. Click here to get connected. 

Have a great day. 

[SunsetRunner]

After a couple of long phone calls to support and different trials with them, the notification issue still exists. Fortunately, most notifications make it to my band. The only one that never makes it is from my Ring Spotlight Cameras when they are activated by motion sensors. I get the notification to my phone but not my Fitbit band. And what makes it all very weird is that I have a Ring alarm system that, when armed or disarmed, sends a notification to my phone which actually works on my Fitbit band. These notifications appear to use the same Ring system but Fitbit can't figure out the problem. Maybe it's a problem with Ring but these notifications worked perfectly on my cheap Honor and MiFit bands. I guess I'll have to live with this.

[DavideFitbit]

@SunsetRunner Thank you for your reply and for confirming that you already got in touch with the Customer Support team. 

It's good to know that most of the notifications are working properly. In this case, since you already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps that could be found in the forums, I recommend that you continue the assistance process with the Support team. Make sure to let them know about the troubleshooting steps that you already tried. They will let you know how to proceed or if there are any other options available for you. 

Have a good day. 

[SunsetRunner]

New Fitbit and Charge 5 user. What types of notifications should I be receiving, e.g. phone (emails, texts, etc.) or are these notifications specifically for Fitbit like exercise results?

[DavideFitbit]

Thank you for you your inquiry about the Charge 5 and the notifications, @SunsetRunner. 

So for the Charge 5 you should be able to receive call, text, e-mail, calendar and other third party app notifications. You can find more information about what types of notifications are available with each device here as well, but there are other notifications you may receive that are related to activity level, like the Reminders to move. Let me know if you have further questions. 

I'll be around. 

[JAN776]

Did you ever get this fixed? I had  Charge 3 and I could never get the notifications to work just bought a new Charge 5 thinking the problem would resolve and nothing. Went through all the trouble shooting, restarting phone, watch etc. Even contacted support who said I needed to update my phone, but anything above iOS 13 should work which I have higher than that! SO FRUSTRATING!!!

[SunsetRunner]

Everything works on my Charge 5 with my Samsung except the Ring Camera
notifications. The Ring Alarm, messages, emails and others work about 95%
of the time. I'm surprised they can't fix all of this as cheap fitness
bands that I've had worked without any issues.

Moderator edit: removed personal info

[JAN776]

At least you only have one problem. I can’t get any notifications to work at all & this is my second watch with the same issue 🤬 but yes, this issue has been a problem for YEARS! Why it’s not resolved at all is beyond me! I had a charge 2 with no issues, upgraded to charge 3… notifications worked for a month & since then (4 years ago) no notifications & nothing worked. Finally decided to just get a new one, still nothing! I guess Apple Watch time 🤷🏻‍:female_sign:

Sent from my iPhone

[SunsetRunner]

Yes, you would think by now they would have been able to get this to work. Maybe they need to hire some of the Chinese engineers that seem to know how to make this work, as it did with my cheaper bands.


Moderator edit: removed personal info

[DavideFitbit]

@JAN776 @SunsetRunner Thank you for your replies and for sharing all the details about the problem you've been experiencing with your Charge 5. 

It seems that you already tried all the basic troubleshooting steps that could helpful to resolve problems with notifications. In this case, I recommend that you continue the communication with the Support team so they can let you know how to proceed or what options are available for you. 

Thank you for taking the time to share all your feedback as well. 

Have a good day.