bitTicker Notifications

[AndrewFitbit]

Fitbit Update 3/11/16:

Hey all,

I realize for most of you bitTicker was an important part of your experience with using Fitbit. With each iteration, we definitely aren't looking to limit functionality. Quite the opposite really, we're always looking to improve. Receiving notifications from various apps can be a huge factor when it comes to using activity trackers or smart watches and there's certainly potential for this feature to exist. If this is something you're interested in, I'd suggest voting for this notifications Feature Request. The Feature Request board is a great place to get the attention of our engineers and developers.

I wouldn't recommend reverting the Fitbit app version to 2.19, especially since you don't always know the source of the download.

In the meantime, looks like bitTicker is still working for @homebound:

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homebound wrote:

I have a Blaze and my BitTicker is working fine. I use it as "text" replacement not as "phone" replacement.

FitBit 2.20.1 , Blaze Firmare 17.8.102.7. All notifications are coming trough as they always did.

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Hope this helps. Remember to vote for that idea to bring more attention to it! 🙂 

Fitbit Update 3/10/16:

Hey everyone,

Here’s the situation with bitTicker.

Though we’re not familiar with how bitTicker works, the recent bug fix for outbound call notifications for the Fitbit Android app may have caused bitTicker to stop working.

This was a bug fix, not an intentional block of bitTicker. Since we don’t support bitTicker, there are no plans for reversing the bug fix.

You can reach out to bitTicker directly for further information.

[Squiggle]

To say this is a 'bugfix' is at best disingenuous at worse a flat out lie.

I understand that notifications on the Charge HR was never a supported feature and was something reserved for newer (more expensive) FitBits, but as BitTicker demonstrated, the device is capable of transmitting notifications a feature which you have now intentionally blocked.

This isn't a bugfix, it's a deliberate effort to restrict functionality so you can hock your newer devices.

[DerrickS]

@Squiggle @dannydel @Graxlos @lblankspace @SteveC006 To be clear, bitTicker is not a supported 3rd party app.

bitTicker being blocked was an unintentional side effect to an Android bug fix for Android users who were experiencing outbound call notifications on their trackers.

Also, I would not recommend reverting back to a dated version of the Android App. Downloading a dated APK requires a download from an unauthorized website which could be unsafe, dated versions of the App may not be compatible with future Android OS updates, and dated versions of the App won't have the most current security measures in place.

[Graxlos]

So this means that notifications from Skype calls still work and this is just a bit ticker issue?

I'd love to get the latest fitbit app when you fix it...

[Graxlos]

How about you host the 2.19 version of the app for us android users so we can get a verified working version if you claim the change is unintended.

[pjec]

The apk that I am using is the one issued by Fitbit. I'm not sure what security measures it lacks! Frankly the functionality is more important that spurious warnings about security. Who cares about my fitness data? They won't let me have my own heart rate data!

Does CEO James Park ever read any of this stuff. Surely he doesn't want his company to act with such disdain for his customers. Does anybody know how to contact him?

Peter

[Rich_Laue]

Manny where complaining about their arm buzzing everytime they made a call. Fitbit found what was causing this and put out an update to address this. 

Before this update BitTracker had figured out how to take advantage of this bug in the app. Unfortunately by fixing the bug it also closed tgr door to BitTracker.

No one is disdainning the customer.

It is just the opposite Fitbit was nore concearned with their paying customers,  they were not even aware that this would upset the way a 3rd party app worked.

[pjec]

It's good that they fixed a problem that some people had and I give credit for that. However they could easily fix it with a switch on the same way as bitTicker have. Their app now has a legacy mode. At least they could offer to investigate. Instead all that we get is to be told to make a feature request. Just like the request for heart rate data that's been outstanding for at least 12 months. That's what I mean by disdain.

Peter

[ColinW]

Cross posting from this thread.

I noticed that there is a new version of the android app, published on the 29th March - does anyone know if the issues raised in this post have been considered?

I'm assuming not and plodding along with version 2.19 of the app, but curious as to whether the users affected by this have been listened to.

Cheers, Colin.

[Graxlos]

As far as I can tell BitTicker was never exploiting a bug. It just makes it self a "caller" just like you can choose skype for notifications. 

And it just gives you "call notifications" when you receive messages, which is a functionality that fitbit wants us to buy a new watch to get.

Can anyone confirm if skype integration works in the new version of the app if it does then I guess fitbit should still be able to inject somehow.

[Zigzampow]

Ya they were not exploiting a bug. I've stopped using my HR and went to a Pebble, specifically because of the notifications. 

[Rich_Laue]

As a developer of the Fitbit app, I guess you are in the know for this, but why did Bitticker stop working when Fitbit fixed the tracker buzzing with out going calls?

[Graxlos]

I'm still using the old app and it never buzzes on outgoing calls. It must be a specific bug on other phones. It has nothing to do with outgoing calls. As I see it they fixed the bug and created an "unintended" bug that blocks external notifications

[Marrrmaduke]

I wish Fitbit listened to their customers instead of deleting the posts. Let's see how long this one will last. I have Charge HR and till recently I've been enjoying txt notifications thanks to Bitticker. That is till Fitbit disabled it. At the same time, Fitbit does not care for their customers, ignoring their requests to add this functionality for over a year (and 1000 votes). My spouse is getting Garmin tomorrow as I cannot recommend Fitbit anymore. I'll be getting Garmin as well when the time comes to upgrade. Many more features for similar price. Fitbit, I hope you're aware that no-one here will buy your newest tracker just because they want txt notifications that you purposely blocked on your other models. Also, dear moderators, don't ask us to post more requests and vote on ideas as this obviously leads nowhere.

[Graxlos]

Remember that you can just install the old version of the app as mentioned above. It works fine. I just hope they don't block the old app version soon.

[Marrrmaduke]

@Graxlos I am aware of that, yet I'd like to be able to enjoy some bug fixes and improvements available in the latest version. I really like the hourly activity feature with the all day breakdown. Also, adding water has become more intuitive, and finally (!) the dashboard battery indicator bug seems to have been fixed. My problem lies with Fitbit's lack of respect for the customers who have been told repeatedly to request a feature, are practically begging for it (1000 votes), just to be completely ignored. Bottom line is: txt notifications are possible on Charge HR, but Fitbit has new products, which they want us to buy. Hence, we can say sayonara to this feature on older models. The funniest thing is that their new "smartwatch" tracker is not so smart. Blaze is not supported on many Android phones, or should I say, notifications are either not working properly or their functionality is pretty limited. Folks on the Blaze Android forum are mighty pissed, but guess what, Fitbit did not block Bitticker for Blaze... The truth is that without this 3rd party app, for many Android users Blaze would turn into an overpriced Charge HR. Just my 2 cents.

[Rich_Laue]

Many you his where not getting the annoying vibration on the arm during out going calls but there where many that did.When Fitbit fixed this out had the unfortunate result of causing problems with bitticker. It looks a of when bitticker sends the messages to Fitbit, they are not formatted properly to be seen as a phone call.

As for messages on the Charge, odd the display really big enough?

[Marrrmaduke]

@Rich_Laue Actually, Blaze had exactly the same buzzing issue (you can check the forum). Yet Bitticker works fine with Blaze. It doesn't matter if we believe it was a bug fix or not. What matters is the fact that Fitbit is ignoring the requests. It's been going on for over a year. They could at least tell us they won't ever implement this feature. But again, that wouldn't look so great either.

[Rich_Laue]

Yes in aware of that, the so update fixed this with the Blaze also.

Yes Bittracker works with the Blaze and Surge because bittracker gets set up as a message app with these devices, not as a phone app.

With the Charge and HR, the only option is to setup bitytacker as a phone app. The messages from bracket are not being formatted properly for Fitbit to see then as a phone call.

Basically Bracket is spoofing the OS to think that it is a phone app, but isn't able to comply with what a phone app should be sending.

[Graxlos]

So why doesn't the Skype caller work either anymore?

It isn't just bit ticker that is broken. If you choose Skype as "caller" you don't get any notifications either.

As far as I can see they just broke the external caller feature.

[Marrrmaduke]

@Graxlos is right. If I choose Ooma as the caller, it doesn't work either. Folks at Bitticker stated pretty clearly that Fitbit had "removed most of their Android call notification feature". But @Rich_Laue, this is neither here nor there. I think everyone here would like to know if txt notifications will be implemented or not. And if not, whether the 3rd party notifications can be brought back.