Sense 2 Firmware Update 194.86

[LizzyFitbit]

11/29 Update: This update should now be available to all customers! If you have any difficulty updating, make sure you are following the directions in How do I update my Fitbit device? If you choose to post about your issue, provide as many specific details as possible in your post so that we can assist you.

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We’re excited to announce that a firmware update version 194.86 for Sense 2 will be available soon! Some of you might already have this update available. If you installed it, let us know what you think!

We release updates to customers in phases. If you don’t see it, check the Fitbit app in a few days, and you’ll see a message when you can install the update. We appreciate your patience while we get this update to all of our customers.

*Firmware releases are not distributed based on region or location and can reach anyone no matter where you reside. We do not recommend performing a factory reset to force the update to your device as your data will be lost and you may not get the update. Please be patient and wait until you see the update banner inside of the Fitbit app to begin the firmware download.

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

• View menstrual health tracking on your watch. For more information, see How do I use the Fitbit app to track my period?
• Swap between saved clock faces directly on your watch. For more information, see How do I change the clock face on my Fitbit device?
• View your daily readiness score on your watch (Premium feature only). For more information, see What’s my daily readiness score in the Fitbit app?
• Your watch now supports dynamic GPS. For more information, see How do I use GPS on my Fitbit device?
• Support for global characters and right-to-left text notifications:
  Arabic
  Hebrew
  Thai
  Hindi
  Vietnamese
• This release includes bug fixes and improvements.

Full release notes can be found here.

HOW DO I UPDATE?
See How do I update my Fitbit device? for step by step instructions for updating your Sense 2. If you run into difficulty updating, review these Why can't I update my Fitbit device?

We’re interested in hearing your feedback on this update! Let us know what you like! If you encounter unexpected behavior during or after your update, please post the details below.

[Walker1610]

Hi LizzyFitbit,

I have done this too - just find it funny having to do all these abnormal often weird things to rectify problems that never occurred prior to the new app design. I’ve completely given up trying. All my stats are wrong & with the constant missing information it’s actually pointless using the app! It works when it wants with no rhyme or reason. The number of miles will show 8 on the app but my watch shows 5. So I’m done and will be purchasing a new watch from a different provider.

[lovefit71]

Hi @LizzyFitbit , I got the same issue with @SunsetRunner ;

"I still have to cycle my Bluetooth everyday to get my watch to sync in the morning. If I don't it can take halfway through the day before it starts working. I know this is not isolated because I see this in other posts.  Can this possibly be addressed??  It's horrible that this still is like this. Always been this way."

I hope Fitbit can soon address this issue and fix it so I don't have to toggle Bluetooth every few hours to make the data and weather synced with the watch.

[pedrogari]

This update improved battery life (8 days+), fixed answering and I notced that from notifications you can partially control Spotify.

[Mike40]

Hi @LizzyFitbit 

Now that 194.86 is available for all Sense 2 customers, will resetting to factory settings mean reverting to 194.86 or to 184.52 (old version)?

Manual:  https://help.fitbit.com/manuals/manual_sense_2_en_US.pdf    is based on 194.86 so it would make sense (!) that it should reset to 194.86 

Furthermore, resetting would be a sure way  to get the  latest firmware 

[Unerschrocken]

I haven't been able to update the watch, it show downloading and then get stuck on trying to connect. Have tried all troubleshooting steps.

[Goosse1962]

@Mike40 Factory reset copies the burned in copy of the operating system to the updatable memory. It will revert back to the version it had when purchased. This is a common process for hardware to resolve upgrade issues. Since the first step of the reset is to erase the entire memory, it is also a way to erase user data when disposing of a device.

I hope this helps and have a Terrific day!

[Unerschrocken]

Thanks. I reseted the device several times and nothing. It keeps getting stuck in the process of updating.

[Mike40]

Hi @Goosse1962 

Thanks for tip

There is, however, still a fine point here:
Having reset, you would need to setup device again, pair with app., etc.

1.184.52 was not in the device firmware ROM as device, fabricated sometime in early 2022, came new out of the box. 1.184.52 was introduced a year ago in November 2022, and brought Google maps and Google wallet with it.

On setting up, for those that purchased after November 2022, it was the only firmware that appeared on their watch. Apparently, as happens for example with any PC initial setup, app looks at Fitbit servers for the latest stable firmware and updates accordingly, overwriting firmware ROM, transparent from the user.

Question now is, will 194.86 be there at the servers as the latest stable version?

Another interesting thing is that watch remembers, for some reason, when it was first set up (if you check under system info)

@Lizzyfitbit may have some answers here

Of course, you might say: Why don't you try resetting.

Reason is in setting up Google wallet with my particular bank, I would have to explain to their online support team, once again, what I am trying to do and why, what a smart watch is, what Fitbit is and how is it possible it is not Apple or Android, convince them that it is supported by the bank etc. etc. If lucky by the end of the day - or the following day - I would see my card activated.

Thanks again and have a wonderful day

[Goosse1962]

What you mentioned @Mike40, is the reason I normally do factory resets as a last resort. The last time I did one, it was because I forgot a password when I needed to do some administration work.

Have a Terrific day!

[Trace57]

Update seemed to go fine but I no longer have my sleep or skin temperature being logged.  

any advice welcome 

[Krocket]

I’m not about to link such a buggy device to my credit card or bank accounts.

Sent from my iPhone

[phatbitzr]

I just updated my Sense 2 to 194.86 and it seem to have drained my battery out of the blue on the next day.  Out of the blue I noticed the tracker going in a reboot loop.  Holding the button for 10 sec seem to reset it but it goes back into the loop.  It seemed to stop after 10 or 15min, maybe with a red X displayed.  Recharging it later on showed the battery at >70%, but taking it off the charger and rebooting the tracker results in the reboot loop.  Putting it back on the charger now shows battery in the 20% range.  I don't know if this is issue with the tracker or the firmware, but it happened a day after I updated the firmware.  Now, half a day after a full recharge and just wearing it, battery is down to 73%.

Also, I thought the Sense 2 always had Dynamic GPS, was it just never implemented?  From my experience with Connected GPS on the Blaze, it was always lagging compared to another app on the phone that is also tracking with GPS.

Is there a way for the Sense 2 to only use Connected GPS?  Given that I ride the bike a lot and have it as one of my auto-recognized activity.  The tracker uses the GPS for a few hours every day, greatly draining my battery. Now I don't use GPS at all, as the app doesn't correlate heartrate with speed and elevation (the new app even less so).

One additional thing I noticed that after the firmware upgrade, my 45 min ride got recognized as a 3 minute ride followed by a 2 minute ride.  It never had issues auto-recognizing and tracking the whole ride prior to this firmware.

[Krocket]

I had problems with the battery discharging right after the update, but that seems to have gotten better. Now it sometimes doesn’t charge.

As to tracking, it likes to track my driving as an auto-identified bike ride. I must be quite the athlete.

Fitbit has definitely gone to the dogs.
Sent from my iPhone

[1GinnyME1]

I had to uninstall & reinstall the app to get my sleep to start working again 

But in doing that, you have to go to app notifications & all the rest of the settings too because it doesn't remember your previous information like it did before. 

Just another weird thing to add to the growing list of the Fitbit issues I guess. 

[Trace57]

I contacted support and they had me restart my sense2 and a big red x :cross_mark: came up. This seemed to resolve the problem.

My advice would be to contact support for help.

[phatbitzr]

I went on bike riding again today, letting auto-recognize of activity to take place.  It was a short ride, 20 minutes.  But as I looked at my tracker a few minutes after the ride, I noticed it booting up, this time, it started successfully.  Syncing the tracker shows that it only recorded for 3 minutes (and auto-starting 3 minutes after I started riding).  After that event, I manually started a spinning exercise that went for 2 hours, and again manually started a bicycle exercise that lasted for an hour.  Neither of them stopped early or crashed the tracker.

I figured that auto-recognize of exercise somehow causes the crash, or at least crashing of the auto-recognize app.

Battery drained to 50 something percent after 30 hours, and even if I fully charge it to 100%, it drops down to 90% in a matter of minutes.  Is there some new battery algorithm that defines what is 100% and what is 90%?  Either that or the constant reboot to the battery's exhaustion from the prior day caused premature wear to it.

[Unerschrocken]

They'll probably close this as they have done with other threads related. I'm still waiting for a replacement. But if this is not solved I'll be moving also to another product form another company. And also moving my wife and kid and probably not recommending either to anyone until this issue is addressed. After 8 years, this situation is an embarrassment. 

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I just received a third replacement. Not working. It keeps rebooting continuously. Fitbit should recognize there is a problem with this model, sense 2. It is not coincidence to receive 3 replacement that are supposed to be checked before sending to a customer to be working, and are not really working. who is doing quality there? Someone there should  be laughing at me.

[LeeHuscroft]

Latest firmware update on my Sense 2 has resulted in no sleep scores 3 days in a row. Coincidence

[Guy_]

Hi  @LeeHuscroft - try holding the button for 10 seconds till it vibrates and the logo appears and wait for it to start. It may help.

[Krocket]

Mine just recorded a 1,7 mile walk which took me 49 minutes.  It reported an average pace of over 136 minutes per mile..  I mean, how can anyone screw up a piece of software so badly?  I’m really hoping it will continue not to charge so I can trash it and get a tracker fro a reputable source.