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Need to make Fitbit Ionic into a deaf friendly smartwatch!! :'-(

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‎10-04-2017 18:29 - edited ‎10-05-2017 09:29

‎10-04-2017 18:29 - edited ‎10-05-2017 09:29

As of 2017, there are about 50 million Americans with some sort of hearing loss due to noise pollution or genetics. We need a smartwatch that receives ANY third party app notification. I'd love to get notifications of incoming calls from Sprint IP Relay Service, Purple Communications, and Sorenson Video Relay Service. Here's my question, why is that Ditto Wearable Tech, a very simple $40 wearable tech device, is able to notify me of an incoming call from Purple Communications Relay Service when Fitbit smartwatch is not able to? Is there a way for me to contact the company and make these deaf apps compatible with their Fitbit smartwatches??

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15 REPLIES 15

‎10-05-2017 05:01 - edited ‎10-05-2017 05:02

‎10-05-2017 05:01 - edited ‎10-05-2017 05:02

On iOS (can't speak for Android), go into the Fitbit App, select the Ionic to go into settings, select notifications and turn on for any app you choose. Calls / Text / Calendar are on by default.

It *would* make more sense for all apps to be turned on for notifications by default and then disable the ones that you don't want but that's not how Fitbit chose to implement.

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‎10-05-2017 16:02

In response to DeepPurple

‎10-05-2017 16:02

Thank you for replying to my post but it's not the answer I'm looking for. I believe we really need to make these smartwatches useful to the deaf individuals.  I've missed a couple of interview calls, emergency calls and other important calls from a relay service because I didn't feel my phone's vibration. I probably should have gotten myself a new phone with a stronger vibration but that's not the point here. While Fitbits have options to change our smartwatch's clockface, foreign language, etc but nothing on accessibility? I hope Fitbit developers would take this post a turning point further invests the new product, the new technical research and development that can be accessed by all minority groups out there.

 

 

 

tl;dr A deaf gal wants her smartwatch to receive notifications from relay services.

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‎10-05-2017 16:08

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-05-2017 16:08

Phone calls, SMS, Email and 3rd party app notifications can already be received on the device with various vibrations patterns. I was wondering if you had any other specific suggestions for accessibility improvements, or applications which would benefit the community?

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‎10-05-2017 16:53 - edited ‎10-05-2017 16:55

In response to JonFitbit

‎10-05-2017 16:53 - edited ‎10-05-2017 16:55

Receiving an incoming call notification on a smartwatch from any relay service such as (Sprint IP Relay Service and Convo Relay Service) would definitely benefit the deaf community. A relay service is a third party operater that does the translation between a deaf person (by text or sign language) and a hearing person (by voice), Sprint IP Relay is a text-based chat and Convo Relay is a video-based chat. All I need for a smartwatch to tell me that I got an incoming call from any of these services, so that way I can pick up my phone and answer the call. I currently have an android model, LG K 10. I tried a smartwatch model, BLAZE, for a couple of days before returning it for a newer model, IONIC. I was able to receive notifications from some apps with BLAZE but almost nothing from IONIC. I've read some posts regarding notification problems because IONIC is a new thing. Do you think Ionic or even Blaze would ever be able to deliver notifications from Sprint IP Relay Service or Convo at all?

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‎10-05-2017 17:01

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-05-2017 17:01

Provided that the Android app sends these notifications, they can be viewed on the Ionic. By default, the Fitbit mobile app does not send this type of notification, you just need to enable it in the notification settings screen.

 

All the information is here http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1610/?l=en_US&c=Topics%3ATroubleshooting&p=ionic&...

 

I hope that helps!

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0 Votes

‎10-05-2017 20:35

In response to JonFitbit

‎10-05-2017 20:35

Thanks for the link. I did all the tips the website suggested but it's still not working. But thank you for trying to help me out, I appreciate it.

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0 Votes

‎10-05-2017 20:58 - edited ‎10-05-2017 21:35

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-05-2017 20:58 - edited ‎10-05-2017 21:35

I've had my Ionic vibrate when a call came in today, so it's definitely possible. It was actually great, because my phone's usually silent during work hours and I would have missed the call otherwise.

 

Are you using the iPhone or Android app, or some other one?

 

Edit: whoops, misread. I’m also using an Android phone, and I’ve been able to get notifications from Google hangouts, Skype and other messengers. I wouldn’t imagine it to be any different with a relay service.

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‎10-05-2017 21:25

In response to JonFitbit

‎10-05-2017 21:25

I think maybe what OP is requesting is to be notified of a call from one of these relay services in the same way you get notified of a real phone call. i.e. not just a little message pop-up and one-time vibration, but a persistent vibration until the call is answered or rejected.

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‎10-07-2017 11:14

In response to mlindgren

‎10-07-2017 11:14

Yes, this is exactly what I was trying to say here. So far, I haven't received any notification from any app probably because my phone is older. Looks like I'd either contact Fitbit Customer service or return the smartwatch. Still, I hope one day deaf people will be able to receive notifications from any relay service through their smartwatch.

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0 Votes

‎10-07-2017 11:37

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-07-2017 11:37

I tested my fitbit ionic on my mother's new phone, I was able to receive notifications from Facebook and other popular apps but nothing from a relay service... 

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0 Votes

‎10-07-2017 21:32

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-07-2017 21:32

I'm not sure who on the Ionic product team made the decision to disable notifications by default, but notifications on the Ionic should definitely be on/enabled by default.  Users should not have to fiddle around in the Fitbit app to enable the most important feature of a smartwatch - app notifications.  Please forward to the right team member. 

 

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‎10-13-2017 13:44

In response to Anthoang

‎10-13-2017 13:44

@Anthoang wrote:

I'm not sure who on the Ionic product team made the decision to disable notifications by default, but notifications on the Ionic should definitely be on/enabled by default.  Users should not have to fiddle around in the Fitbit app to enable the most important feature of a smartwatch - app notifications.  Please forward to the right team member. 

 

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE, if I had to turn off notifications from the 200 apps I don't want to hear from, I would drop this platform like a hot rock. The pebble was also this way, wasn't  it?

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‎10-13-2017 13:47

In response to lilmorlock

‎10-13-2017 13:47

Did you go into the notifications section, app notifications and check the box on the app, or does your app not appear there?

 

I even have third party side loaded apps there and the messages appearing fine (my blood sugars). That being said, the notifications dependent on your bluetooth connection and that is definitely spotty on old phones. 

 

Did you see you can even adjust the vibration for a stronger one if you need?

 

@lilmorlock wrote:

I tested my fitbit ionic on my mother's new phone, I was able to receive notifications from Facebook and other popular apps but nothing from a relay service... 

 

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0 Votes

‎10-13-2017 15:16

In response to SHGrade

‎10-13-2017 15:16

@SHGrade wrote:
@Anthoang wrote:

I'm not sure who on the Ionic product team made the decision to disable notifications by default, but notifications on the Ionic should definitely be on/enabled by default.  Users should not have to fiddle around in the Fitbit app to enable the most important feature of a smartwatch - app notifications.  Please forward to the right team member. 

 

I COMPLETELY DISAGREE, if I had to turn off notifications from the 200 apps I don't want to hear from, I would drop this platform like a hot rock. The pebble was also this way, wasn't  it?

+1. I get a ton of notifications on my smart phone that I do not want to see on my wrist. I guess a nice compromise would be to allow users to turn all notifications on by default, or all off by default, and then adjust from there.

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‎02-01-2018 11:27

In response to mlindgren

‎02-01-2018 11:27

Moved to the Ionic Product Help forum.

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