Show notification right after buzz on Sense 2/Versa4

[gmphap1]

Fix the notification user experience back to what was available prior to the Sense 2. Currently when you receive a notification, you get the icon for the notification first, then, while holding your hand up and waiting, 10 to 15 seconds, you final get the text of the notification.

Moderator edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[Guy_]

Hi @gmphap1 - yes, it's not a good experience, and it can mask other activities and notification alerts if left on the screen.

The screen doesn't wake either when a notification is received - notification presentation is thoroughly crippled on this watch.

[gmphap1]

Yes, @Guy_ I'm to the point I'm going to switch to another manufacturer or go back to my Sense 1. I've been a Fitbit customer from the beginning.  I'm so used to running, walking, having conversations and driving, to just to take a quick look. I found myself today realizing I had to stop looking at my watch while driving because it took so long to see the notification. My mind thinks, if this is Google UX design, it's not for me. 

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @gmphap1, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about showing notifications after the buzz on Sense 2. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[Katesar]

100% agree. I used to be able to look quickly and see what someone said or the email was about and now I wait and most of the time it doesn't even show up! 

[Xonkkram]

Definitely a big annoyance. Also make the notification show up automatically when "always on display" is activated like it used to. I don't know why so many things were changed from the sense 1 to the sense 2 that people liked. Did nobody test this device before it was released?  

[gmphap1]

I sent my Sense 2 back and have switched to Garmin! I've been a Fitbit
customer for since 2008 and the fact that nobody seemed to test this big
changes from Sense 1 to Sense 2 was a big enough deal for me to look
elsewhere. This should be a learning lesson for the UX team at Google!
Would be glad to talk more and consider a Sense 3.

[HealthyGeek42]

This is a big gripe with me.  it's a notification.  It should be quick, a simple glance and done.

For a simple notification, I end up staring at my watch for like, 7seconds to view my notification. There's no reason for that. The previous Fitbit Sense didn't have these issues, so it's purely with the sense 2

[johnmudd]

Currently, the Sense 2 needs to wake it's screen when a notification arrives. I get vibration and black screen.

[Maggit13]

100% agree. I got very used to this on my original Versa and now i just upgraded to the Versa 4 and it needs this feature.

[gianiaz]

Bye bye fitbit. Refund obtained. You have lost a long time customer.

The ironic thing is that just when I had decided to upgrade from a tracker to your top of the line (without even looking to other brands) you did this stupid choice.

And now I'm gone. 

You have 45 days from the purchase, use your time wisely.

[Xonkkram]

I did the same. Fitbit customer for almost 10 years just switched to Garmin.

[robo_atl]

New Fitbit user, I purchased a Sense 2 and my husband got the Charge 5. We're on the road running and he gets notifications that shows up on his Charge 5 that he can instantly view with a turn of the wrist, whereas on my Sense 2 I am awkwardly trying to keep up my running pace while attempting to hold my wrist steady in front of my face while also pressing and holding  the button for 5+ seconds waiting for the notification to show up. I thought I had set up my Sense 2 wrong, only to discover on this forum that this is a new "feature" of the Sense 2 that was not on previous fitbit models. As a new user, I'm seriously having to consider having to return it, unless this is updated to allow users to choose between the old notification method and the new feature. It's hard to believe the Fitbit development team would make such a substantial change without testing with users first or allowing a choice. Please review this feature as it is not safe to try to use while running (or other in-motion exercises). Thank you!  

[gmphap1]

I hate to say this on this Forum, but I think Fitbit and Google need to
understand this. This one "small" change lead us to look elsewhere. Both my
wife and I are VERY happy Garmin owners now. The difference is night and
day! I sure hope Fitbit and Google do better UX testing when they roll out
new features like this, it would be great.

I did learn one thing moving to Garmin though. Garmin, on some watches,
does a very similar thing by showing the icon of the app. However, it's
about the timing. By the time you feel the vibration on your wrist and lift
up your watch, the text from the app is already showing. Google felt it was
important to not show anything until you lift up your watch. I'm glad
Google was trying to copy Garmin, but they need to do a better job.

Sadly, a long time relationship with Fitbit, complete.

[Phade]

Currently on the Sense 2, new notifications will show up, disappear after 1 second, then display a second time, thus requiring 3 seconds of wait time to view the notification. Suggestion: Have the whole notification show up instantly once.
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Sense-2/Notifications-show-up-twice/m-p/5301222#M5031

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Phade, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about making notifications show up instantly once instead of twice on Sense 2. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[MarcVdm]

I’m also a previous Sense 1 user. I changed to Sense 2 because my screen was broken and expected at least the same experience and quality. I still hope a firmware upgrade would solve the issues I’m facing including this messaging issue.

[johnmudd]

I've modified my view. Initially I was outraged that functionality that I
was used to is missing. But now I get at least part of it. I realize that a
lot of users might be very privacy sensitive. Their concern is when a
notification comes in someone may be able to read it on their wrists say if
they're seated at a big conference table with people nearby. It might be
embarrassing information so I understand they want that to be hidden and
only viewed when they're ready. So I've accepted that much.

One thing that still bothers me is that it's hardly intelligent. For
example, when it sends me an alert and my Sense 2 vibrates and then I lift
my arm and twist my wrist so I can read and nothing appears, then I'm
angry. If it knows that it has a notification and it does know because it
just vibrated the watch, then it should be extra sensitive to me lifting my
arm and twisting my wrist. This shouldn't be a struggle to get the
notification displayed. So much for Google mastery of AI.

The second problem that remains is, for whatever reason, Google insists on
first displaying a preview screen and then the notification appears two to
three seconds later. That's infuriating having to wait, especially
considering that the name of the app is included in the notification. Hey
Google, you don't need to give me a preview if that information is going to
appear in the notification itself.

[tery.kadlcik]

Exactly, the Sense 2 needs to wake it's screen when a notification arrives. I get vibration and black screen. As a previous Sense 1 user I am highly disappointed. If there is no update really soon I will return the Sense 2 and buy something else.

[Fillup17]

I just switched from a Versa 1 to a Sense 2 and I'm extremely annoyed by the 2-3 seconds splash that shows before every notification to show me what app the notification is from. The whole point of a smart watch is to have a very quick and subtle way to check the notification, but holding my hand up for 2-3s before the notification shows is dumb.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @Fillup17, thanks for sharing this suggestion about showing the notification on your Sense 2 after the vibration with us. Because this idea was already requested in the Feature Suggestions board, I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to make sure the suggestions don't get confused, or split a popular vote. Please click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

[johnmudd]

I've modified my view. Initially I was outraged that functionality that I
was used to is missing. But now I get at least part of it. I realize that a
lot of users might be very privacy sensitive. Their concern is when a
notification comes in someone may be able to read it on their wrists say if
they're seated at a big conference table with people nearby. It might be
embarrassing information so I understand they want that to be hidden and
only viewed when they're ready. So I've accepted that much.

One thing that still bothers me is that it's hardly intelligent. For
example, when it sends me an alert and my Sense 2 vibrates and then I lift
my arm and twist my wrist so I can read and nothing appears, then I'm
angry. If it knows that it has a notification and it does know because it
just vibrated the watch, then it should be extra sensitive to me lifting my
arm and twisting my wrist. This shouldn't be a struggle to get the
notification displayed. So much for Google mastery of AI.

The second problem that remains is, for whatever reason, Google insists on
first displaying a preview screen and then the notification appears two to
three seconds later. That's infuriating having to wait, especially
considering that the name of the app is included in the notification. Hey
Google, you don't need to give me a preview if that information is going to
appear in the notification itself.

[jramsey487]

lol how in the world did they manage to drop this very basic feature? clownshow stuff

[GrumpyITGuy]

I just upgraded from Versa 2 to 4 - On the 2, if I got a text or a FB Message, I would look at the watch, and it would show me the message. Now, on the 4, I look at the watch, and it shows me the app that the message is coming from for a few seconds before it shows me the message.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @GrumpyITGuy, and thanks for taking the time to share this suggestion about removing app splash-screen on notifications  for Versa 4. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this suggestion receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides which suggestions get developed, visit  our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[mikeyg91]

It's insane that they made the UX worse on the newer/higher-end models. This needs to be fixed