• Fitbit Notifications From Phone
• Fitbit Push Notifications
• Fitbit Notifications Iphone
• Fitbit Notifications Android

Shayla Brooks November 19th, 2016

In order to work (see BT notifications on desktop) you need the companion app for desktop (Linux): A BT notifier app. I have a FitBit Ionic and it used to vibrate on my wrist when I got a notification or when a I set a silent alarm. At some point along the line, it just stopped vibrating all together. The alarm doesn't vibrate. When I receive a notification.

Fitbit’s beauty lies in its versatility. It doesn’t matter whether you run marathons or prefer nightly walks around your neighborhood — a Fitbit can play a crucial part in helping you reach your fitness goals.

When you’re striving to reach those goals, it’s easy to get addicted to tracking your progress. The temptation to see how many steps you’ve taken and how many calories you’ve burned is always lurking on your wrist.

Having all of this data available is all the more frustrating when something goes wrong.

But before you throw your device out the window, try these Fitbit troubleshooting tips. Read on to learn how to fix the five most common problems.

5 Fitbit Troubleshooting Solutions

How do I set up my Fitbit?

The very first thing you’ll need to do is set up a Fitbit account. Your account will keep all of your fitness data and personal history in one place, so you’ll never lose it even if you misplace or upgrade your device.

Here’s how to create a profile:

1. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
2. Download “Fitbit” from your app store.
3. Once you’ve opened the app, type “Join Fitbit.”
4. Enter your email address and password.
5. Fill in your personal stats, like your height, weight, gender, and birthday.

Once you’ve created your personal profile, you’ll need to add your device. Here’s how:

1. Ensure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
2. Open your Fitbit app, and tap “Account.”
3. Select “Set Up A Device.”
4. Select your Fitbit. When prompted, place your device next to your phone and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. When your Fitbit shows a four-digit code, enter it into the app.

If you’d prefer to use pair your computer with your Fitbit, here’s our guide on how to set up Fitbit Connect on your Mac or PC.

Why won’t my Fitbit sync?

Now that you’ve set up your personal profile and paired your Fitbit to your phone, the syncing process should be easy. But if you’re having problems with GPS connectivity or data tracking, subpar syncing may be to blame.

There are two options for syncing: automatic and manual. The first sends information from your Fitbit to your phone multiple times throughout the day. In manual mode, your Fitbit will only sync when you tell it to.

Here’s how to set up each of those modes:

Automatic syncing

1. Go into your settings and ensure Bluetooth is enabled.
2. Open the Fitbit app, then tap 'Log In.'
3. Enter your email address and password.
4. Once you’re logged in, your Fitbit will sync whenever you open the Fitbit app.
5. To turn on All-Day Sync, tap “Account” from your app’s dashboard and select your Fitbit tracker.
6. Tap the toggle that says 'All-Day Sync.'

Manual Syncing:

1. Go into your settings and ensure Bluetooth is enabled.
2. Open your Fitbit app and log in.
3. Tap 'Account,' and tap the tracker that's set up on your phone.
4. Slide the toggle next to 'All-Day Sync.' This will turn off automatic syncing.
5. From now on, your Fitbit data will only sync when you open the app. To save any changes you make to your account, tap 'Sync Now.'

While these general instructions should help you troubleshoot why your Fitbit isn’t syncing, the process varies slightly between iPhone, Android, and Windows phones.

Why isn’t my battery charging?

So, you’ve made sure your Fitbit is set up and syncing properly, but now you’ve encountered another headache — your battery won’t charge.

Before you toss your Fitbit into the closest drawer out of frustration, here are some troubleshooting tips from the company:

1. Make sure the contacts on your charging cable and Fitbit are clean.
2. Double-check that your charger is securely connected to your device and USB port.
3. If everything is properly connected and still not working, try plugging it into a different USB port.
4. If all of these steps have failed you, try restarting your Fitbit.

The length of your charge varies depending on your device, but there are ways to extend it. Try these tips to make sure your battery doesn’t die at the worst possible time, like in the middle of a workout:

1. Stop tapping your device: Constantly checking your stats will drain the battery much faster than if you leave the screen alone.
2. Set fewer alarms: It takes battery power for your Fitbit to remember each alarm.
3. Turn off all-day sync: Instead, set your Fitbit to only sync when you tell it to.
4. Turn off notifications and reminders: As with alarms, your Fitbit has to remember to ping you all the time. Make sure you’re only alerted for the most important issues.
5. Don’t charge your battery in extreme temperatures: Heat and cold will zap your battery quickly, so don’t leave your Fitbit in your car to charge.
6. Turn off heart rate trackers (on some devices): You can do this through the app on heart rate devices.

For more tips on how to extend the battery life of your specific device, read our full article on how to extend your Fitbit’s battery life.

Why isn’t my Fitbit tracking properly?

Your Fitbit is set up correctly, syncing perfectly, and charging smoothly. Sounds perfect, right? Sure, until you check your stats and notice your steps seem way off.

One possible explanation is that you’re moving your arm while you’re otherwise sitting still — like when you’re working at a desk. This movement confuses Fitbit’s algorithm, recording these movements as steps.

Here’s how Fitbit recommends you fix this issue:

1. Log into Fitbit.com.
2. At the top of the screen, click on “Log,” then “Activity.”
3. Select the date of the error.
4. In the “Activity” menu, add your activity, like desk work, then enter the start time and duration.
5. Once you click “Log Activity,” your stats should be more accurate.

Whether you wear your device on your dominant or nondominant wrist can also have an effect on your stats. When your tracker is on your non-dominant wrist, Fitbit increases the step-counting sensitivity. This helps to reduce undercounting your steps, and it is also the default setting.

When you wear your tracker on your dominant wrist, Fitbit decreases the step-counting sensitivity. This helps to reduce overcounting your steps.

You can specify which wrist you wear your Fitbit on by updating your personal preferences.

How do I reset my Fitbit?

If you’ve tried all of these steps and your Fitbit is still not working properly, try restarting your Fitbit. This will turn your device on and off without deleting any data.

Like with other Fitbit troubleshooting tips, exact tips can vary depending on the steps you use.
Here are the basic steps.

1. Begin charging your device.
2. If you have a Fitbit Blaze, Fitbit Charge or Charge HR, Fitbit Charge 2, Fitbit One, or Fitbit Surge: Hold down the buttons on your device until the lights on your tracker flash or you see a Fitbit logo.
3. If you have a Fitbit Alta or Fitbit Flex 2: Press the button three times within eight seconds (Alta), or three times within five seconds (Flex 2).
4. Unplug your tracker from the charger, and turn it back on if it hasn’t automatically restarted.

If you’ve tried restarting your device and it still isn’t working, you may want to consider a factory reset. Before you do this, know it will remove all the data stored on your device and wipe it completely clean.

Here’s how to do a factory reset on the Charge HR:

1. Plug your device into the charger
2. Press the side button for two seconds. While you’re holding down the button, remove the charging cable.
3. Continue pressing the button for seven to nine seconds. Release it, and then press it again.
4. When a series of screens come up, press the side button when you see one that says VIBE.
5. Press the button again to see the Error screen.
6. Next, press and hold the button until you see the Erase screen.
7. Once you release the button, the tracker will turn off. You’ll know it has successfully reset if your time says 0:00.

If you’ve tried all of these tips, and your problem still hasn’t been solved, contact Fitbit support.

What other problems have you experienced with your Fitbit? Share your Fitbit troubleshooting issues in the comments.

Maybe you're curious about how the tech you wear every day works. Maybe you suspect your friend is cutting corners in your step competition and want to know how they're doing it. Or maybe you're the dang cheater yourself.

However you arrived on this page, I'm not here to judge. Or at least, I'm not here to judge you. I'm here for one thing only: to determine how to cheat on FitBit as effectively as possible, for the purpose of increasing the pool of human knowledge (AKA for science).

To do so, I used a FitBit Flex 2 to test four possible FitBit hacks, then rated two things: how useful they were for adding steps to my daily score and how believable the results were. (If you want to recreate my experiments, you can shop for your own FitBit and accessories here.)

Fitbit Notifications From Phone

Disclaimer: in no way am I endorsing employing these methods in your day-to-day life. The point of tracking your fitness is to improve your health, not to hit an arbitrary goal or win a competition by cheating.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get started.

Swing Your Arm

If you own a FitBit, you've probably tried this method before. In fact, there's a good chance the first thing you did when you initially slipped on your wristband was to test how different motions affected your step count. In other words, you probably already know this works. But is it a viable way to significantly boost your daily total?

Results: I found I was able to add about 100 steps per minute by swinging my arm at a comfortable pace while seated. However, I also couldn't keep it up forever. It got old after about five minutes, at which time I switched the wristband to my other arm and continued at the same pace. I'd say the max I'd want to keep up the whole thing would be 15 minutes or so, maybe a little longer if I were particularly motivated and/or distracted.

Effectiveness: 7/10. This method loses points for being difficult to sustain for long periods, but the beauty of it is you don't need to. In fact you're probably better off sneaking in a couple hundred steps here and there throughout your day.

Plausibility: 8/10. Your friends might question why you add so many steps during prime TV-watching hours, but the rate of increase is almost perfectly in line with someone walking at a normal pace. (The rule of thumb is 2,000 steps = 1 mile; you could add that many steps in about 20 minutes of arm swinging, which is right around the typical pace for walking a mile.)

Verdict: This is a reliable technique to keep in your repertoire. However, in terms of hassle it's only slightly better than just going for a walk. It feels like the 'before' part of an infomercial: there's got to be a better way!

Tape It to a Ceiling or Box Fan

An ideal cheating method would operate entirely independently, with no oversight or effort required from you. That's why this technique sounded so promising. If it worked, you could flip a switch and start racking up steps without a second thought on your part.

To test it out, I taped the little tracker piece (without the wristband) onto the blades of both a ceiling fan and a box fan. (The box fan was more work since I had to remove the front screen part with a screwdriver.)

Results: Disappointing. In both instances, when I first started the fan, I watched as the steps quickly began to mount, and for a few glorious moments I thought I'd outsmarted my FitBit for good. But I had underestimated my opponent. After about 30 seconds, the step counter froze, as if the tracker had adapted to its steady motion and was now failing to register it. Maybe it was my guilty conscience, but it felt as if my FitBit had gotten wise to what I was trying to pull. In both the ceiling- and box-fan tests, I added only about 40 steps before the effect wore off.

Effectiveness: 1/10. I put more effort into executing this than I saved.

Plausibility: A burst of a few dozen steps and then a long stretch of nothing? That's all too plausible. 10/10.

Verdict: Skip it. It's possible that the right setup could make this work, but fine-tuning the arrangement felt like too much trouble.

Spin It on a Power Drill

After the ceiling fan test, I was not feeling optimistic about this idea. It seemed clear that back-and-forth motion, not rotation, was key to tricking the tech. But as a man of science, I didn't want to rule anything out based on my assumptions alone. I taped the whole FitBit, wristband and all, to the end of a drill, then lightly held the trigger switch to cause it to rotate at moderate speed.

Results: This flat-out didn't work. I may have recorded a few incidental steps as I performed the setup, but other than that, this gained me about as much as I'd have gotten by taking a nap.

Effectiveness: 0/10. People who have done this are plainly smarter than me.

Plausibility: 10/10, but only by default, because it didn't add any steps.

Fitbit Push Notifications

Verdict: Nah man.

Swing It on a String

This was the last idea I tried, and the only one I hadn't seen mentioned online before while researching how to cheat on FitBit. That's a shame, because it's got a lot going for it, starting with a simple setup: just tie the tracker to a string, and use your wrist to swing it back and forth with minimal effort. (Taping it to a yo-yo would also work nicely. I attached mine to a headphone cord, and that did the trick just fine.) The idea is to simulate the to-and-fro motion that makes swinging your arm so effective, but in a way that's easier to keep up for long periods.

Fitbit Notifications Iphone

Results: At a comfortable pace, I was able to add about 120 steps per minute, so a bit more than swinging my arm alone. It was also far, far easier to keep up.

Effectiveness: 9/10. By resting my elbow on my knee, I could easily maintain the swinging motion of my wrist for an hour or more. In fact it was almost relaxing, like a fidget spinner of dishonesty.

Plausibility: 8/10. The pace perfectly matched that of a brisk walk. The only risk is overdoing it: you may raise suspicions if you continue it mindlessly at the same rate for hours.

Fitbit Notifications Android

Verdict: The combination of simplicity and reliability make this method the clear winner. The only potential improvement would be to automate the motion of the string somehow, perhaps by building a simple robot that could begin swinging it at the flip of a switch. But if you or I were that ambitious, 'how to cheat FitBit' articles wouldn't need to exist in the first place.