Versa notifications not being consistent

[Littlemis]

Is anyone else having the same issue as me? The notifications for text messages and other notifications were working on my Versa. They now keep stopping. I have to then go into notifications on my app and it keeps saying phone restart. I restart my phone and then it works for a while, then it stops again. I should not have to keep restarting me phone every hour for the notifications to work. It seems Fitbit have quite a few small issues with the Versa.

Moderator edit: subject for clarity

[Wipo]

Thanks a lot for these posts. I was seriously considering to get a Versa, despite many sync issues with an original Flex and a Charge2 with the Moto G5. I just cannot imagine that they cannot get the most annoying issue resolved. I wonder what the considerations are in setting their priorities. Apparently there will be a May update, so I’ll see what comes out of that, but I will look around for other options anyway.

[XenDazzle]

It wont help and only be a waste of your time. I've tried everything. Music controls and notifications are completely unreliable.

[XenDazzle]

Yep I'm charging up my pebble 2 now, versa is a joke. 

[XenDazzle]

Why would they pretend to have a solution and just say it doesn't work.

[r1skbreak3r]

I've managed to get mine mostly stable by turning on all-day sync, plus the keep-alive widget. I've also disabled battery optimisation for the Fitbit and toggled the setting that allows it to run in the background (OnePlus 5 running Oreo 8.1). This configuration seems to work well, with notifications coming in very quickly compared to when my phone beeps.

When notifications stop working, I disable the keep-alive widget and that seems to get it to work again. I then enable the keep-alive widget a short time later.

Within the sync service (keep-alive widget) settings, there's an option to enable notifications even when Do Not Disturb is active. I can't say whether it fixes the issue that some people get, as my phone just goes to silent/vibrate when I want it quiet.

I've added some screenshots of the settings, but this will be slightly different depending on your phone.

[kb1086]

Thanks for the screen shots. I'm not running Oreo yet but I was able to figure out where I needed to go.

I turned battery optimization off as well, so let's see what happens. 

I noticed that I would need to force stop the Fitbit App and re-open it about a dozen times a day, otherwise after a while the notifications would stop coming.

Hopefully removing the battery optimization setting for the app will work. Let's see. 

Fitbit Admin - this is SUPER frustrating, PLEASE fix this. Other smartwatches don't have these issues....

[XenDazzle]

Thanks for info, I really appreciate the details. yeah settings are quite different from mine but I'll give it a try.. question, do you keep getting message in Fitbit app notification settings saying you need a phone restart?

[drsnicol]

Since the app update on the 19th, my notifications have more or less worked ok (when they haven't it's been an issue at the phone end e.g. I'd turned off notifications for that service on the versa, turned off bluetooth etc). I'm on an iPhone SE and looking at those still having issues that have listed their hardware, it seems to be more common on android phones. It would probably help fitbit troubleshooting this if people included that info their posts e.g. phone model and os version.

Notifications are an important function for a smartwatch (#2 on my own list of of features, with #1 being it works as a watch) so I can understand people's frustration that they are still struggling with this. 

[r1skbreak3r]

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@XenDazzle wrote:

Thanks for info, I really appreciate the details. yeah settings are quite different from mine but I'll give it a try.. question, do you keep getting message in Fitbit app notification settings saying you need a phone restart?

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No I don't recall seeing that message. I've had a similar message in the past when the app has just updated, but it does go away once I've rebooted.

[MikeyP181]

I remain optimistic that the May release that adds quick replies to text
messages addresses these issues. One would hope so anyway...

[MikeyP181]

For what it's worth, after reading more posts in different threads and additional Googling, some other options to combat this include enabling the Keep Alive Widget, and toggling notifications off/on on the Versa itself, without having to toggle Bluetooth on the phone. I had some success with the latter.

[LonerMehh]

You all can try to not use the CLEAR ALL MESSAGE on the watch. I realize everytime i clear the message the notification don't work anymore. and if I don't it work like it should be.

[r1skbreak3r]

I use the Clear All button and I still get notifications afterwards.

Another issue I have with the notifications is that I sometimes get 2 for each message, but not all the time. I suppose it's better than none though 🙂

[MomLSJ]

Yes having the same issue daily, only realizing notifications are not working when I get a message on my phone but not on my Versa.  I have a Samsung Galaxy S8. Screenshot attached of the message on the Fitbit App when I go into notifications.

[LonerMehh]

OK just tried today. . I keep my fitbit app open I don't close whole day I get notifications the whole day. . but when I clear all app to clear all the app my notification immediately off. 

[Janinewhite]

Yea I have this problem..

I looked to see that but my notification already on on the app and on the watch itself but settings are set "on".. every hour I have to restart my phone to get it to sync with my Versa to get my steps to my phone or notification to my Versa. 

I have the new limited edition, I love the watch but hate having to keep restarting my phone every hour!

[MikeyP181]

After the altimeter started acting finicky last night and then completely
stopped counting floors this morning, along with the ongoing notification
issues, I decided to factory reset my Versa today. Ever since the factory
reset everything has been working very well.

I completely unpaired from the app and my phone Bluetooth before starting
the reset, and otherwise left all the app settings as they were, so all the
sync settings and keep alive widget are still on (I'm running Android 8.1
so even though I've allowed the app to run in the background I figure it
couldn't hurt to leave the widget on for a while, might try turning it off
soon though). So far so good, notifications work, Bluetooth music controls
work, fitness tracking seems accurate again haven't had to force sync or
pair again at all today.

Can't help but wonder if the issues had anything to do with excess
tinkering. I've only had the Versa for a couple weeks maybe, and of course
I had to try dozens of watch faces and mess around with it constantly while
learning what it can do. Now that my curiosity has settled down maybe it'll
just work. I hope I didn't just jinx it by saying that.

[Janinewhite]

Hi sorry how do I reset my Versa? I only got it yesterday.
Thank you

[MikeyP181]

On the Versa itself go to Settings, then About, then Factory Reset. Then go
into the app and follow the same instructions as when you first set it up.
Make sure you put it on the charger, as it will take a while to reload the
firmware and will drain the battery.

[SunsetRunner]

Since yesterday my device stopped synchronizing with the Fitbit application, and I no longer received the notifications on my fitbit Versa device, the application desists and now it does not connect with the monitor, I am very frustrated with these problems.