How to set up Fitbit Versa 3+ and Sense series to send and receive text messages

Fitbit Versa text message sync from phone

Sending and receiving messages via Bluetooth is an essential function that almost every smartwatch offers, and Fitbit’s offerings are not an exception to that rule.

So, if you are wondering how to set up the Fitbit Sense series or Versa 3+ for sending and receiving text messages, you just landed on the right spot!

This process generally takes less than a couple of minutes, so without any further ado, let us get right into it!

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About text messaging on your Fitbit Versa 3+ and Fitbit Sense series

While your Fitbit can receive notifications from multiple messaging apps and other apps, you can only reply to messages and app notifications when your Fitbit pairs with an Android device. Fitbit calls this feature Quick Reply. And it works on Android only.

For iPhone users, your Fitbit shows all your notifications so you can read and review them. However, you won’t be able to respond to them directly from your Fitbit watch or tracker. Currently, the only notification you can respond to when your Fitbits pairs with an iPhone are the Fitbit app notifications.

Additionally, for those Android users, you can only send quick replies using these Fitbit devices: Fitbit Charge 3 and above, Fitbit Inspire 3+, Fitbit Ionic, Fitbit Luxe, Fitbit Sense series, or Fitbit Versa series.

Unfortunately, popular older Fitbits like the Inspire HR or Inspire 2 do not support quick replies, even when paired with an Android phone.

To respond to messages from your Fitbit, your phone must be nearby with Bluetooth turned on and the Fitbit app running in the background.

How to sync your phone’s text messages to your Fitbit Sense or Versa 3+

  1. Make sure that you turned on Bluetooth on your phone by going into the phone’s settings (or by using the status bar.)
  2. Open the Fitbit app.
  3. Tap the Devices icon at the top left. Redesigned Fitbit app
  4. Select your Fitbit device from the list under Connected to Fitbit (for this article, your Versa 3.) Fitbit app list of connected to Fitbit devices
  5. Scroll down and tap Notifications. Fitbit app find your Fitbit device menu and options
  6. Turn on Calls if it’s not already on and you want your calls to push to your Fitbit. notification settings inside the Fitbit app
  7. Then, turn on Text Messages and Calendar Events to ensure you get these notifications.
    1. Android users can select which apps the Fitbit app uses as its default for calls, texts, calendar, and email.
  8. Tap App Notifications and turn on any app notifications you want to appear on your Fitbit. Scroll down to review all available apps that can send notifications to your Fitbit. Fitbit settings for different app notifications
  9. Sync your Fitbit with the Fitbit app to update any changes using the Sync Now function.

For the calendar sync, your Sense or Versa shows notifications from all calendars synced to your iPhone’s Calendar app. For Android, the calendar syncs with your chosen calendar app when you set up your Fitbit Versa or Sense.

Enable your Fitbit Sense’s or Versa’s Quick Reply features (Android only) Quick Replies feature on a Fitbit Versa 3

Your Fitbit allows you to read and reply to new text messages using the Quick Reply feature. 

Unfortunately, at this time, Quick Reply work with Android devices only; it is not available for Fitbits paired to Apple iPhones and other iOS & iPadOS devices.

About Fitbit’s Quick Reply for Android

With the Fitbit app’s Quick Reply Settings, you can reply via text or voice to messages and notifications from certain apps directly on your Fitbit with either preset written quick replies or by speaking a reply directly into your Sense, Sense 2, Versa 2, Versa 3, or Versa 4 to respond to messages.

At this time, Quick Replies for Android work with Fitbit Charge 3+, Inspire 3, Ionic, Luxe, Fitbit Sense series, or Fitbit Versa series.

Fitbit microphone setting on watch

Voice replies only work on Fitbits with a microphone, such as the Sense series or Versa 2 and above models, and you must turn on your Fitbit’s microphone via the Settings app.

How to respond to a message on your Fitbit 

  1. Open the notification you want to respond to on your Fitbit itself. Fitbit Versa quick reply options for text, emoji, and voice using microphone
  2. Choose how you want to reply:
    1. Tap the text icon (3 lines) to respond to a message from a premade quick replies list.
      1. Each app has 5 default text quick replies.
    2. Tap the emoji icon to respond to the message with an emoji.
    3. Tap the microphone icon to respond to the message using voice-to-text.
      1. To use the microphone to respond to messages, turn on Microphone access in the Settings app.
      2. Only the Fitbit Sense series or Versa 2+ support voice replies
  3. On some Fitbits, you need first to tap Reply or Replies. Then, choose a text reply or tap the emoji icon.
    1. If you don’t see an option to reply, quick replies aren’t available for the app that sent the notification.

How to change and write your quick reply

  1. In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab and tap your profile picture or icon.
  2. Tap your Fitbit device > Notifications and scroll down to Reply Settings. Reply settings for Quick Reply feature in Fitbit app
  3. Toggle on Voice Replies if you want this feature.
  4. Tap Quick Replies.
  5. To change the default quick replies for all apps, tap Default Replies or the app you want to change the quick replies for.Quick Replies Default replies in Fitbit app
  6. Tap the quick reply you want to change and type in your text–up to 60 characters. make a custom default reply for Fitbit app quick replies
  7. Tap the back arrow to return to the list of apps and save the changes.
  8. Finally, sync your device to update the quick replies on your Fitbit.

You don’t have to use all the same quick replies for each app. To customize your replies for each app, tap on the app and create your custom replies. Any responses made for a specific app override your defaults.

Want to change the emoji options for quick replies?

  • Follow steps 1-4 and choose the EMOJI tab. emoji default quick replies in fitbit app
  • Tap an emoji you want to change.
  • Scroll through and select your preferred emoji. pick a different emoji for fitbit default replies
  • Tap the back arrow to return to the list of apps and save the changes. different default emoji for fitbit quick reply emoji
  • Finally, sync your device to update the quick reply emojis on your Fitbit.

Don’t forget that such features rely on your phone’s connection to send and receive messages. So, you’ll have to be in Bluetooth range with the phone for any Reply Settings to work. 

As a reminder, quick replies on Fitbit currently only work with Android devices. If you are on iOS or Windows, you are limited to Fitbit app notifications.

How to get notifications from WhatsApp or Messenger

As mentioned, you choose one app as your primary messaging app to send and receive texts on your Fitbit Sense or Versa.

Fitbit prioritizes the app you selected as your primary text messaging app.

To get WhatsApp or other text messaging app notifications, make sure you turn on WhatsApp, Snapchat, Messenger, or any other app in your Fitbit app’s notification settings.

  1. Open the Fitbit app on your phone.
  2. Tap on the Today tab and select your Fitbit.
  3. Tap on Notifications > App Notifications. add whatsapp notification to Fitbit Versa 3
  4. Scroll down the list of apps and toggle on or checkmark WhatsApp, Messenger, and any other third-party apps you want notifications sent to your Fitbit.

Are notifications not showing up on your Fitbit?

To receive notifications on your Fitbit, your phone must be nearby with Bluetooth turned on and the Fitbit app running in the background.

If you change your primary messaging app from its factory default, it’s a good idea to ask someone to send you a message from the new primary messaging app.

For example, if you changed it to WhatsApp, ask a friend to send you a WhatsApp message, then check to see if it arrived on your Fitbit.

Text notifications disappearing or not staying on your Fitbit’s screen very long?

Notifications automatically disappear from your Fitbit once you review that message on your paired phone.

This is intended behavior and cannot be changed.

Check that Do Not Disturb is off DND Fitbit

If you still don’t get any notifications, we recommend making sure your phone is not set to Do Not Disturb (or Sleep mode.)

  1. Swipe right from the clock face to access quick settings.
  2. Check if the do not disturb icon (minus icon) or sleep mode (crescent moon icon) is not illuminated. If so, tap it once to turn it off.

DND mutes notifications not only on the phone but also on the Fitbit watch. 

For other tips on notifications or text messages not showing up, see this article Fitbit not getting texts or notifications? Let’s fix it!

Wrapping Up

This is how to set up your Fitbit Versa series or Fitbit Sense series watch for sending and receiving text messages.

If there’s something you still don’t understand, or if you want to add anything else, feel free to let us and everyone else know about it in the comments section below, and the MyHealthyApple team will get back to you. 

Also, feel free to stick around for more how-to guides on everything that has to do with health, smartwatches, or both!

13 COMMENTS

    • HI Buffy,

      Are you using an Android phone? Quick Replies are not available for Apple iPhones, unfortunately.

      You should be able to use quick replies to send premade responses to text messages and messages from supported messaging apps with these models: Fitbit Charge 3+, Luxe, Sense, Versa series, and Ionic. This feature is ONLY available on Fitbits paired to an Android phone.

  1. I have done all of the steps for trying to get my text messages, calendar and emails to come across on my new Versa 3. I still have not been successful. Any suggestions?

    • I am not able to respond to messages on my versa 3. The only option I get when I get a text come across my Fitbit is to either open or clear it. I have followed all the steps to be able to have this work. And it still does not work any suggestions? I have an Android.

      • Hi Christine and Angie,

        Sorry that this quick reply feature isn’t working on your phones. First, make sure that your phone is nearby your Fitbit and that your Fitbit shows that it’s connected to your phone’s Bluetooth Settings.

        To do that, check the phone’s Settings app > Bluetooth and make sure that your Fitbit shows up in the list of Connected Devices.

        Then, in the phone’s Settings app, choose Apps and locate the Fitbit app. Open the app’s settings and choose Mobile data & Wi-Fi. Verify that Background data and unrestricted data usage are both toggled on.

        Staying in the Fitbit app settings, tap on Permissions, and choose SMS. Make sure this is set to Allow.

        Now, lock your phone (leave it on) and run a test and ask a family member or friend to send you a text message. See if that message shows up on your Fitbit.

        If so, tap the message notification on your watch and see if you can reply to the message by either tapping the microphone icon, the text icon, or the emoji icon.

        Now, if you don’t see the message or cannot reply to it, we suggest reinstalling the Fitbit app and running through the setup processes again–this is, unfortunately, very time-consuming.

    • Hi Jason,

      At this time, you cannot respond to a text message when it’s paired with an iPhone. You are able to read-only. When a Fitbit pairs with an Android phone, you can respond via Quick Replies or using the Fitbit’s microphone.

      Many users would like to see Fitbit adopt this same feature for iPhone; however, it’s currently not in development. Consider adding your voice to the growing list of folks who want this via this feature request page.

  2. I can’t choose more than one messaging app to receive notifications for, on my Versa 3. I was able to, but now I can only choose one.

    • Hi Amy,

      YOu can only choose one primary messaging app but you can then add notifications from other apps, like WhatsApp Messenger, Messenger (Facebook), etc. To find these settings, open the Fitbit app, choose your profile picture or icon, then select your Versa 3.

      Scroll down to the settings area and choose notifications. Tap App Notifications and toggle on which apps you want to see notifications for on your Fitbit.

  3. Thank you for this. It’s been driving me crazy trying to figure out why my Versa 3 wasnt receiving notifications. Now it is.

    • Hi Laquetta,

      We hadn’t tried this out until now and no, it does not appear that any messages you forward to yourself show up as notifications on your paired Fitbit.

      If someone else forwards you a message, then it does show up as a notification.

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