A NotiTrac guide for Fitbit Air and iPhone
Does the Fitbit Air show notifications?
No. There is no screen to show them on, and Google left notification vibrations out on purpose. What you can do is add a buzz with an iPhone. Here is the full picture before you buy, or before you spend an hour in settings looking for a switch that isn't there.
What the Air does by itself
- Tracks steps, distance, energy, heart rate, sleep and vitals, and syncs them to Google Health.
- Vibrates for its alarm and Smart Wake.
- Vibrates and shows a red light when its battery is low.
That is the whole list. It doesn't vibrate for messages, calls, calendar events or anything on your phone, on iPhone or Android.
The sharing switch that doesn't apply
Google Health on iPhone has a "share system notifications" setting for Fitbit trackers with screens, such as the Charge and Inspire. The Air isn't on Google's list of supported devices, so the switch does nothing for it. If you've turned it on and felt nothing, that is why.
What you can add on an iPhone
NotiTrac gives the Air a buzz for the alerts you choose. A call buzzes until you answer, free. Messages and other apps you pick get one short buzz, with NotiTrac Pro. The wrist buzz is the Air's own vibration, triggered from the phone through Apple's Shortcuts app and Bluetooth; nothing is sent through Google's servers. The setup guide has the steps.
On Android there is no equivalent that keeps Google Health working, as far as we know.
Two things to know
- The buzz is short and has no pattern of its own. You feel that something arrived; you look at your phone to see what.
- Buzzes can be a few seconds late or occasionally missed. Treat them as a nudge, not a guarantee.