Required settings changed for notifications on iOS 13

[KateFitbit]

This thread is for iOS customers on OS 13.3 who are unable to receive notifications. 

Before you can receive notifications from your phone on your Fitbit device, it’s important that you carefully review and update your notifications settings on your iPhone. 

The required settings changed with the introduction of iOS 13. Please make sure you follow all the instructions in the quick tip section here.

If you still are having issues, please review: 

• Make sure you've updated to iOS 13.3
• Turn OFF and then back ON Share System Notifications (toggle OFF and ON)
• Set Show Previews to Always or When Unlocked

If you still have issues we recommend reviewing the help article. 

[rabidough]

It's been months since I've been able to receive text notifications on my charge 3. I have gone through the other fitbit forums and tried literally everything from disconnecting from my phone and reconnecting, making sure the notification center is on, making sure the text forwarding option is selected (I have an iPhone) and many other things. For me, all of these things were already on and have been on the whole time, but the text messages suddenly stopped showing up on my fitbit for what seems like no reason.  I didn't change any settings, I didn't change phones, nothing changed. It just happened suddenly. I have given up on trying to fix it but I figured I could give one last shot. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong?

[SunsetRunner]

No, @Tblanch - Fitbit cannot control what shows up on your phone. But, you can change your phone settings so that your messages will not appear on your locked screen. To do this:

• Open Settings on your iPhone
• Tap Notifications then scroll down to Messages
• Tap to de-select Lock screen
• Tap Notifications at the top, left —> Settings. Backing out properly will save the change.

This should do it. You may want to close the Fitbit app completely, then power the phone off ... wait a couple minutes ... then power back on. This will get everything in sync. 

[Andy04231]

Everything works except text messages. They don’t come through. Is there a fix? I have a iPhone XR

[Emilyciravolo]

I complained and they sent me a newer Fitbit (iconic) and it still won’t work! Massive fail by them

[lockz09]

After trying literally everything FitBit recommended this actually worked for me. Changing the Show Previews Setting to either Always or When Unlocked allowed me to get text messages back on my FitBit Versa, but when I switched back to Never my FitBit stopped receiving texts again. 

It is strange because my settings were always set to Never for Show Previews and text messages worked fine until iOS 13. HEY FITBIT FIGURE IT OUT.  

Thank you Tblanch

[jbarnett72]

Every single day I get notifications for awhile, and then it stops for no apparent reason.  I've been down the troubleshooting path 20 times at least.  My notification settings have the 'Show Previews' set to Always.  I had a perfectly good Charge 2 for counting steps, but I thought I'd upgrade to a smart watch that would actually do smart watch things.

@KateFitbit Is there an ETA on an update to the app to fix this?

[KateFitbit]

@jbarnett72 I would verify the settings in my main post on why are notifications delayed or missing. If you still can not receive notifications you may want to try customer support. 

[JackSR]

I have a iPhone Xs Max with the IOS version 13.3.1 (the latest).  When I received my 2nd Ionic in early February, I installed the software, updated to latest version (i.e. firmware updated) and used the watch.

It was only today that I realized that I wasn't getting text or phone notifications.  I reviewed all the instructions provided for this issue. I would love to follow the instructions that you provide to get notifications working but one of your instructions is not possible to follow.  The instructions explain to tap the (i) information icon beside our connected device on the iPhone Bluetooth screen.  The problem is that beside the Ionic name there is no (i) information icon.  See the image below:

Note: I have rebooted my iPhone as well as my watch.  No change. Same issue.

When I attempted to access the Notification option in the FitBit app I got the follow message:

It doesn't make sense because the Ionic is attached by Bluetooth (my syncing works without issue). In any event, I clicked Set Up.  It doesn't do anything.

Any ideas for me on what to do?  Thanks for your help.

[LM10]

This problem has been going on since at least October, I’ve tried everything and texts still do not work. Return the product if you can. WArning signs need to be posted in stores that sell Fitbit to let people know messaging doesn’t work. 

[JackSR]

Thanks for your input. I will talk to FitBit support  to learn if they acknowledge the issue and are putting real resources to resolving this problem and have a expected date for resolution.. If not then I may have to consider your suggestion.

Jack  

[Ribguy7]

I’ve struggled with this problem for quite some time with no resolution. Everything worked perfectly fine with my iPhone XS and Fitbit Versa until iOS 13 update. I needed a way to receive texts, call notifications, etc quietly in my work environment. The only things that work on my Fitbit are steps and weather. Phone call notification works intermittently but won’t vibrate. I only know the call is coming in if I happen to look down at the watch. I’m now in process  of buying an Apple iWatch after using Fitbit since 2012. Bye Bye 

[DPrider]

Hi, I've checked all the settings on my Fitbit and on my iPhone per the instructions you've provided.  I rebooted my phone.  I've even uninstalled and reinstalled the Fitbit app on my phone.  My notifications still don't work.  Are you still working on fixing this issue?
Editing to add that this became a problem with the most recent iOS update to version 13.3.1 on my iPhone 7.  So it's been going on for quite awhile now.  I realize that Apple probably caused the issue, but I'm pretty sure it's Fitbit's responsibility to make your stuff work with the phone.  I'd like to know what progress has been made toward fixing it?

[HeatherCenname]

I too was someone that experienced everything working fine (receiving all my texts and other notifications) from my charge 3 to my iPhone until I did the iOS 13 update. After the iOS 13 update my texts would not come through no matter what I did-Facebook, Instagram, those still worked-it was only my text messages that were not getting sent to my Charge 3. I tried all the recommended steps above and still no luck. 

Tonight I FINALLY got my texts to work again; though I'm not entirely sure what I did to make it work, here are the things I did to that resulted in receiving text notifications again to my Charge 3 from my iPhone 8:

• I followed the above post's instructions on ensuring everything was up-to-date (Fitbit app, charge 3 device, and iPhone 😎
• I went through and re-checked all my settings in my notifications on my iPhone (Settings>Notifications>Fitbit app)
• The new thing I did this time was to also go to my messages app (I had only been checking my Fitbit app notification settings prior to this) and saw that at the bottom under "Options" it said "Show Previews" and this is where I had selected "never". I changed this to "when unlocked" (settings>notifications>messages app)
• At this point I still was not receiving texts
• I then rebooted my watch, by selecting on the touch screen, settings (below weather), then scrolling all the way down to "about", then scrolling all the way down to "reboot device". (on charge 3 watch>settings>about>reboot device)
• At this point still nothing
• So I hard reset my iPhone, which is when I received new Instagram and calendar notifications (these too had recently stopped coming through) but still no text
• Lastly, I restarted my charge 3 by plugging it into the charger, holding the button for 8 seconds, which resulted in the smily face symbol and....a text message!

I hope this helps!

[HeatherCenname]

Did you check this setting in your messages app vs the Fitbit app?(Settings>Notifications>Messages>Show Previews) Before when I was given this same advice I was only looking in my Fitbit app notification settings, not my messenger app settings. I've always had my text previews off on my iPhone (I didn't like people reading my texts when they popped up on the screen), and I even had this setting this way when my texts were successfully sending to my charge 3 before I updated to iOS13, but I assume that has changed. As recommended above, in the messages app where it says, Options>Show Previews, I had selected "never" and changed it to "when unlocked" in (my Messages app). Even after doing this however, it did not work until I rebooted and restarted my charge 3. I also hard reset my iPhone. Hope this helps!

If you select "when unlocked" it will show that you have a new text message on your iPhone and who it is from, but will not have the content of that text on your screen. It will also allow the texts to come through to your FB. Hope this helps!

[SunsetRunner]

Hi guys I still can’t get message notifications on my Fitbit charge 2 since the update with iOS last year.  None of the updates with Fitbit have worked and I have tried everything and I mean everything that’s been suggested to me.  Please someone help before I throw my Fitbit away as I’ve had enough now c 

[JackSR]

Thanks. In the end I had to call support. Their solution available linked to off the Comunity support can work but sometimes (as in my case) one has to uninstall and reinstall the FitBit app. 

It took a call to support to resolve my issues. I have an iPhone 10XS Max with the latest IOS 13.3.1 and a FitBit Ionic. It was necessary for me to delete and reinstall the FitBit app. Every case may be different but notification does work. Just had the support call about 1 hour ago so before I forget here is essentially what I did and my issues are resolved and the Ionic is working perfectly. 

So it was necessary for me to uninstall the Fitbit app. And then I need to reinstall. I needed to shut off Bluetooth for 10 seconds. Then put it back on. Then I needed to go to Settings/Notifications/Messages (and later Phone and optionally Email and some other apps but I don’t want notifications on my phone for everything). And confirm that lock screen, Notification Center and Banners all had checkmarks and allow notification was on).

Inhad to turn off Blue Tooth and Turn it back on after being off for 10 seconds. 

I opened the FitBit app and clicked near the top left on my face and then on Ionic and then on Notification (Around that time I got a prompt for pairing the Ionic d’or Bluetooth so l clicked on Pair) and ensured all the notification settings for calls, text and calendar were set plus when down one level to App Notifications and chose what I wanted notified there.

Sometimes Community help only goes so far. Without uninstalling and reinstalling I didn’t have the conditions for success. So in my case a support call was needed.

I, like many others, was frustrated with not being able to get notifications to work. But with this approach it worked for me. If you can’t follow the description here I suggest a call to support. They really helped me. 

[Swimmom43]

I have finally started to receive text messages on my Fitbit charge 3 , I’m not sure if it was me turning on the Facebook message notification or if it was me resetting everything, but today it finally worked. Hopefully it will continue that way so I don’t have to go buy the Apple Watch 

[bailee123]

my watch isn’t getting notifications for texts etc. anyone know why?

[Swimmom43]

I ended up turning on notifications for Facebook messenger and then redid all the steps they said to do , then rebooted everything and now I’m getting them 

[Loulog]

I am in the same boat and have been emailing them but they telling me the same steps (listed above) and they still aren’t working. So frustrating!