Sense 2 is constantly detecting walks on its own

[AbbieLewis]

I recently purchased the Sense 2 and have to say I am massively disappointed. It is far from an upgrade from my previous Versa 3. Much more of a downgrade in my opinion, with hardly any features in regards to third party apps (clock faces, Spotify, no phone call notifications, etc.) and barely noticeable improvements to some of the ‘health’ features. However, this is not my complaint. I walk regularly to and from places as I do not drive. Well, since I have been wearing the new Sense 2 watch whilst walking (not even necessarily to intentionally exercise - just walking from my home to a shop for 15 minutes let’s say) and every couple of minutes the watch will vibrate and tell me ‘Walk Detected’ and a timer - which on the times I have pressed the button to see my screen - can say anything from 6 minutes to 36 minutes and I’m sure would carry on but I don’t check it every time it goes off. During the time I am walking this is quite irritating as my old Versa 3 didn’t do this and I am unsure why the Sense 2 needs to constantly tell me that it has detected that I am walking every 3 minutes or so when I could well be walking about whilst running errands for a couple of hours at a time! I can’t see how to turn this off if it is a new feature, other than the ‘Do Not Auto-Recognise Workout’ option which I’d rather not for when I am actually intentionally exercising and have forgotten to press ‘Start Exercise’. My main point is that if I’m out and about for 2/3 hours, I do not want my watch vibrating and telling me ‘Walk Detected’ every couple of minutes! I’m already concerned about how quickly the battery is draining and I’m sure these vibration notifications and the almost constant ‘walk detections’ will not help! I’m really considering returning this watch and going back to my trusty Versa 3. Is anybody else having this issue or similar? I am using the Sense 2 and have the Fitbit app on an Apple iPhone 12 for reference.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[Guy_]

Hi @AbbieLewis - did you try in the Fitbit App, Click profile photo, Notifications and under push notifications, Auto Recognized Exercices - if you turn it off does that help?

[AbbieLewis]

Hi Guy,

Yes, I have tried that. I have ‘Auto Recognised Exercises’ toggled off in the notification settings. However this doesn’t make sense to me, it says underneath that setting: 

Your tracker automatically detects a new exercise type for the first time.

I have walked multiple times a day every day whilst I have been wearing the new Sense 2 so it’s not a ‘new exercise’ that it’s detecting? It is just constantly notifying me of an exercise I am doing regularly.

[Guy_]

@AbbieLewis - you shouldn't get any notifications with it toggled off, and odd you get repeat ones which is understandably annoying.

Try restarting the watch. 

It is probably one of the many problems with firmware.

[LZeeW · Accepted solution]

@AbbieLewis   Ever since the original Versa, Fitbit had an Run Detect feature in the Run shortcut that would alert you if it detected a run and ask you if you wanted track your run with the Exercise app.  According to the manual, Fitbit added this feature to the walk and bike shortcuts.  You should be able to turn this off in the settings within the Walk shortcut.  Images of the Sense 2 show the same tiny "^" at the bottom of a shortcut screen that are on the Versa 3.  Swipe up and look for Walk Detect and toggle it off.

This is very different from the Auto-Recognized activities (SmartTrack).

[AbbieLewis]

Hi,

Thank you very much for your answer! This sounds promising! I managed to find the ‘^’ symbol you mentioned by finding the exercise shortcut on my tracker, tapping on ‘walk’, then swiping up when the ‘^’ was at the bottom of my screen, scrolled further down that page, toggled off ‘Walk Detect’ and ‘Auto-Stop’. Fitbit have definitely not made it easy to find! 😅 I am hoping that will now stop the annoying vibrations! I walked for about 50 minutes earlier, just into town to run some errands and pick up some shopping and it did the same thing, very frustrating! But fingers crossed this will work now! I’ll keep this thread posted and thank you again! 

[LZeeW]

@AbbieLewis   The Auto-Stop is new to the Sense 2.  I don't own one, so I don't know how it fits in to the new Exercise app programming.

[AbbieLewis]

Hello again @LZeeW @Guy_ !!!

I am very pleased to report that your tip seems to have worked! I have been on 2 walks (to my parcel shop and separately, to my local supermarket) today and I have not - to my knowledge - noticed my watch vibrating any more! And I think I would have noticed if it had gone off because of how obnoxious the vibrate is. And yes, I have got the vibrate setting on the ‘light’ mode. Maybe I just have really sensitive skin? 😅

Anyway, thank you very much for your help! I think you have solved my problem!

Take care and all the best!
Abbie 😊