Sense OS update (5.2.1)

[FitbitCommunity]

We’re excited to announce that a firmware update for Sense will be available soon!  Some of you may already have this update available - if you installed it, let us know what you think!

If you don’t see the update yet, that’s expected. Check the Fitbit app in a few days, and you’ll see a message when you can install the update. We expect everyone to receive the update in the coming weeks. We appreciate your patience while we get this update to all of our customers. 

Did you know that we gradually release our updates? We do this to make sure everything is working just right for you. Sometimes we find an issue and it might take a little longer than expected for everyone to get the update. While you might see suggestions on how to “force” an update, we ask that you don’t try any of these workarounds. Most of the time the update won’t be available and you can lose data or encounter other difficulties. The best way to get the update is to be patient and wait for the update banner to appear in the Fitbit app. 

WHAT’S NEW AND FIXED

You can find the release notes here.

HOW DO I UPDATE?

You can find step-by-step instructions for updating your Sense here.

If you run into difficulty updating please review these troubleshooting tips. 

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.

[Niteowlcop]

The person that emailed me

[Sharky9000]

I got it from an email I sent to the TGA, they replied with this PDF

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi everyone. Thanks for your participation in this thread.

Just a friendly reminder, in order to keep the Community organized and to avoid misunderstandings, please make sure to reply to this thread if you have questions about the Fitbit OS 5.2.1 Firmware Update (128.5.49). Should you have other inquiries, I'd recommend to open a new thread so you can receive help from the Community.

@carriejean Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is odd and while checking your details I noticed you already have a case created with our Support team. Your case is in good hands, please keep the communication with them so you can receive further assistance from them.

@RonaldM Thanks for the details and the screenshot provided. I'm sorry your Sense is not tracking your sleep details and Health Metrics data correctly. It seem you already contacted our Support team and created a case about this situation. Because the suggested steps didn't work, I'd recommend replying back to their last email so they can investigate your watch's behavior and continue helping you with this matter.

@JT_sense_user Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback and for your efforts while working on this matter. I understand how you're feeling and as suggested before, please get in touch with our Support team so they can evaluate your options and see what can be done to bring you back on track. You can get connected with them via chat or phone by clicking here, and please let them know the steps you've tried.

About your other question, when a post is removed from the forums because it violates our Community Guidelines, a moderator will send you a private message explaining the reason for that action. If you haven't done so, check your inbox to find their message about your post.

@LostScientist42 I'm sorry for the experience that you've had with your Sense and its features, and thanks for the thorough feedback. Some of the issues you mentioned were already reported to our team and they're working to bring a solution as soon as possible. Please check their dedicated threads which will be updated as soon as we have more details from our team.

About the notifications, is the issue with any type of notification (text message, calls, apps, emails, calendar, etc.)? What's the model of your phone? I believe you've already done so, but please confirm if you've exhausted the troubleshooting steps described in this help article.

In regards to your other inquiry, when using the SpO2 app or clock face, you may have to charge your Sense more often since it'll try to track your SpO2 data throughout your sleep period. You can check this help article which describes some tips to maximize the battery life.

@ArtOfCode Thanks for letting me know about your Sense, and for sharing the steps that worked for you. As you may know, there are different factors that impact the accuracy of your heart rate data. If you have already reviewed this help article, please restart your watch to refresh its performance and try wearing it about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone during your exercise to monitor its behavior.

In regards to the other question, this is odd as you should be able to log your details as long as your Sense, the Fitbit app and your phone have the same time zone. Because this isn't the case, may I know if your watch is syncing correctly? Do you see an error message when trying to log your details? Also, have you had this issue since the first day you got your watch? In the meantime, please give a try to the following:

1. Open the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Sense > Apps.
2. Look for Today and make sure all Permissions are enabled. If you see a pending update, please install it.
3. Forget your Sense from the Bluetooth settings.
4. Force quit the Fitbit app and reboot your phone.
5. Open the Fitbit app and pull down on the screen to force a manual sync.
6. Try logging your weight or water intake on your watch one more time.

[ArtOfCode]

Thanks for your reply, I'll try the suggestions, however I think it's worth pointing out that it's only been recently a problem. Is body hair a factor in accuracy? Would it help to move the tracker to the underside of my wrist instead?

[SunsetRunner]

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS UPDATE SO FAR

I have applied this update (firmware 44.128.5.49) just 3 days and 4 nights ago ( I was away and without wifi for about 10 days).

INSTALLATION

It went smoothly. I just followed the instructions and everything went ok, keeping all the customizations and preferences I had.

DATA AND READINGS

Due to current health problems, I could not try yet the Exercises. So, the following refers to normal daily use only.

HEART RATE: looks like it was before, same flaws and all. Don't notice any change. Just good enough for me, but still not as reliable as I would like and expected to be when I bought my Sense.

The same applies to CALORIES and ACTIVE ZONE MINUTES, as they rely on HR. These values just give me a rough idea. Anyway, after using Sense for several months now, I think I've learnt to spot, most of the times, when, during the day, these values are reliable or just unreal artifacts... I hope.

STEPS: Never changed across the updates, good enough for me.

SPO2: seems to be working fine, now. Pity it still provides values only during our sleep. I understand there must be technical challenges to do accurate readings while we are awake. But why doesn't Fitbit use for SpO2 an approach similar to ECG, e.g., instead of continuous readings, during the reading we had to sit still wearing the watch slightly tighter and upper on the arm?

SLEEP: Looks the same as before. Accurate? Can't say, really. The same with HRV.

FLOORS: still quite useless. The values are much lower now and not as ridicullous as before this last update, but still... 1 or 2 floors while sleeping? 10 floors at the end of a day I spent always on the same floor? I just ignore these values. But... when I actually go up several floors during the day, the Floors readings go up proportionally. So, not totally useless, but still much worse than before the May/June update.

ECG: seems to be working as always did. The graphs have good quality, but the auto-detection of Afibs still useless to me. Its 120 bpm limit for Afib detection makes this feature useless for me. Have to send the ECG records to my doctor and wait for her reply. This can take several days... useless for emergencies. My phone app Fibricheck (available in other Fitbit devices) makes a much better and helpful job on Afib auto-detection and emergency situations.

That's all, I think. Hope it helps.

------

UPDATE - HEART RATE (copied from my next post):

After analysing more carefully my Sense HR data, I realized that, most of the times I'm moving (not even exercising), the HR values go UP, very far from the real HR. E.g., my actual HR may be around 70 bpm and my Sense shows 115. This happened every day (had not realized before how often this happens), but it seems to depend on other factors, like the kind of movements I'm doing (like random or repetitive, for instance). This seems worse than before the May/June firmware update, but I'm still not sure about that. Anyway, IT IS NOT GOOD. Yes, my Sense is properly snug, or just slightly tight, and on the proper place on my wrist when this happens. In the end, the Sense HR values are reliable (quite good, actually) when I'm sitting down and not moving much.

[RealSting]

UPDATED POST.

Apart from the dreadful GPS accuracy, the other stats such as heart rate, SPO2, Steps etc. appear to be functioning normally, though the SPO2 is not particularly accurate.. but with Fitbit it never was!

GPS Issues: Each time I do a Walk’ exercise the GPS data shows a shorter distance. This is the worst GPS I have ever had the misfortune to own and I’ve owned at least a dozen GARMIN and one or two other premium devices over the years!

SENSE GPS ON A MEASURED 3.98km Walk:

(Doing the exact same walk each time)

Day 1: 3.7km

Day 2: 3.57km

Day 3: 3.37km

I will update this post and continue to add Days ..

If you’re reading this Fitbit (which I very much doubt!) you need to fix this otherwise I may have to return my device. I’ve spent nearly 4 years relying on my ionic data and now that is all out of the window and my exercise goals now mean nothing!

Further, you need to be more specific on what you have updated with your firmware and OS (if there is indeed a difference with your confusing version numbers!)

Can someone please tell me what version 5.2.1 is? As far as I’m aware FitBit Sense doesn’t report such a firmware version .. my watch reports version 128.5.49. See attached image.

Moderator edit: merged reply

[Rich_Laue]

@ArtOfCode without a proper tag, we do not know who you are asking? 

[SunsetRunner]

UPDATE to my previous post - HEART RATE:

After analysing more carefully my Sense HR data, I realized that, most of the times I'm moving (not even exercising), the HR values go UP, very far from the real HR. E.g., my actual HR may be around 70 bpm and my Sense shows 115. This happened every day (had not realized before how often this happens), but it seems to depend on other factors, like the kind of movements I'm doing (like random or repetitive, for instance). This seems worse than before the May/June firmware update, but I'm still not sure about that. Anyway, IT IS NOT GOOD. Yes, my Sense is properly snug, or just slightly tight, and on the proper place on my wrist when this happens. In the end, the Sense HR values are reliable (quite good, actually) when I'm sitting down and not moving much.

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner 

Unfortunate to see your post on HR issues. What device did you compare your resting HR with the Sense? I have a separate pulse oximeter and when I take readings, the difference is +/- 1-2 bpm. The big difference when taking these readings to possibly compare to your readings, is that I don't move during the readings. Hence, possibly almost matching readings between both devices. 

My Sense does at times reads spikes in HR during exercise albeit only a few seconds then settles down. Still less than an ideal scenario though. My armband HR monitor does not exhibit spikes in HR readings during exercise and the Sense is worn two finger widths from wrist bone, as recommended by Fitbit manual. 

Also contemplating options for other wearables besides the Sense, it'll be in November when this device turns one year on my wrist.

The thought that's holding me back in replacing the Sense at this moment...the grass is not always greener on the other side. 

[Guy_]

Noticed today that Android Fitbit App 3.45.1 was available but now the latest version available is 3.44, so it looks like the current version is removed.

It is uncertain if those with automatic updates and a more recent version of the Fitbit App installed will be automatically downgraded.

So if you have a Fitbit app version later than 3.44 installed and have problems which may be coming from the App, some problems might be resolved by uninstalling and reinstalling the older version, but check thoroughly your versions first and if it is the same situation for you, it might not be.

The difficult thing to know is if the problem is with the app or the firmware. It is possible the excessive battery drain issue is due to the App, but that's a guess.

If you have an old phone, pre Android 8, don't ever uninstall because you won't be able to reinstall.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @SunsetRunner  

Thanks for your helpful info and hints. I assume the last firmware update worked fine for you. That's great news.

Concerning my resting HR, that's when my Sense works best. My Sense values, like yours, also match the values I get with a finger oximeter, 2 phone apps that give me quite accurate HR and just by taking my pulse with the other hand's fingers and counting for 15 or 30 or 60 seconds. They all match by +/- 1 or 2, just like you. Just after sitting down, the Sense usually takes from a few seconds to a minute to stabilize its HR readings, unlike the other methods, but after that, they are ok. Sense usually has some time lag reacting to changes in HR, mainly when they are sharp. So, no problems with resting HR.

The big HR inaccuracies appear when I move, like walking and/or moving my arms while doing some light physical work. Not always, though. In some situations, I get very wrong HR values most of the times. In others, it works fine. I'm still trying to figure out why, what I make different in ones and the others and how can I manage to minimize the errors. But, in the end, it is not much different from what I got before the May/June update.

I agree with you that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. And considering trying an arm band, that's a good idea.

@Guy_ , I also saw the new update of the Fitbit app. Installed it today and haven't noticed any significant diference on this issues so far. But it is still too soon to tell.

[Sharky9000]

I'm not sure I'm understanding what you are trying to convey.

Your heart rate will vary all the time, what it may be when sitting down & relaxing will be different from when you get up to have a drink of water & will be different again if you go for a leisurely walk around the block.

It's not a fixed number, I suggest you should talk to a health professional to understand it better.

You state you are moving (not even exercising) & the HR goes up, that is normal. A moving HR will always be higher than a stationery HR. 

[SunsetRunner]

@Sharky9000 , I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. It would help if you tag your reply with a @ followed by the user's name you are replying to.

Sorry if I am not making myself clear, but English is not my mother language. Just trying my best.

Thanks.

[Sharky9000]

Hi @SunsetRunner , your English is fine, all I was trying to say is;

Your heart rate will vary all the time, what it may be when sitting down & relaxing will be different from when you get up to have a drink of water & will be different again if you go for a leisurely walk around the block.

It's not a fixed number, I suggest you should talk to a health professional to understand it better. 

You state you are moving (not even exercising) & the HR goes up, that is normal.

All of the medical functions are just there for your information, you should always consult with your doctor if you have any concerns

A moving HR will always be higher than a stationery HR. 

Remember your FitBit Sense is NOT a replacement for your doctor, if you have any concerns about your health visit your doctor

Have a great day & stay safe

[SunsetRunner]

Thanks, @Sharky9000.

I agree with all you say. Either I did not explain well enough my point on my first post today, about 12 hours ago, or you missed my point. I try again: sometimes, when I move, like walking, for instance, my real heart rate (HR) is around 70-80, for instance, but my Sense shows a much higher HR (it can be 100 or 120 or 145 or some unreal number). This does not happen always. But in some physical activities, like moving around at home, it can happen quite often.

My point was about the HR shown by Sense (totally wrong sometimes), not my real Heart Rate.

Thanks for your help, anyway.

[Guy_]

Thanks @SunsetRunner  For the useful heart rate observations with the current firmware.

It more or less confirms no change, and that the heart rate measurements are only accurate when not moving for a minute or so.

This is how my Sense behaves also. My old Versa does it a lot better, so calories and active minutes are more meaningful with that watch.

[Laszlo52]

5.2.1 version number and the like (5.2) do NOT exist. Please print the version numbers that are listed in the applications and on the device. Nobody cares what version number you call your system among yourselves. Whether you like it or not. There are so many infuriating bugs in the device that there is a limit to what good manners will tolerate.

[Laszlo52]

Spending notes are NOT included this (https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/2302.htm) is "This release includes bug fixes and improvements." is not a release note, it's a hoax. Anyone can write this at any time. Only a detailed description is acceptable.

[nazdark]

This ^^^

I called support earlier today about the floor counting issue which started for me on August 13th and by the time I noticed the problematic pattern over the next 2-3 days, I had just missed the 45 day return window for this piece of crap that they market as the Fitbit Sense.

Support experience was absolutely horrendous. When I pointed out that telling me to wait for an indeterminate amount of time before the issue is fixed is not really an acceptable solution to a situation where a feature I paid for is not working, she said "OK then the ETA is 1 year. Call us back then."

All in all, I think I've learnt an expensive $300+ lesson about how bad Fitbit is as a company. I'm now stuck with a dud device (SPO2 and step measurement is also crap). If this doesn't get resolved soon I'm probably chucking the Sense in the trash and moving on to a more trustworthy company like Garmin or even Apple (even though I'm not into Apple products generally, I have to admit that my spouse's Apple Watch 6 works perfectly and offers so much more value).

[Elwil1]

I am now getting credit for riding a bike.. .i am not riding a bike.. But per sense i ride daily

Gary