How to set and manage an alarm on any Fitbit device

This article explains how to set an alarm on any Fitbit model. This can you used to wake you up or alert you of something with a vibration.

Most Fitbits have this feature built-in, even the older crop of devices. This is a silent feature, meaning it uses the vibration mechanism in the wearable to alert you of something. The benefit of this is that if you are sharing your bed with someone, it will wake you up without disturbing the other person.

But alarms can be used for so much more. Set one to remind you to drink more water during the day or to refuel at regular intervals during exercise. You can set reminders to take medicine, visit a doctor or dentist. Or how about setting an alarm to remind you to charge the wearable. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

How to set and manage alarms on a Fitbit

The way you set and manage alarms differs depending on the Fitbit you own. For older wearables you will need to use the smartphone app or website dashboard. The process is made easier for newer Fitbits as you can do everything on the device itself.

Set Fitbit alarm via the smartphone app

This is probably the easiest way to set the alarm on a Fitbit. You are already used to using the app. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go to manage the alarms. And it’s not complicated.

These are the steps:

1. Open the Today tab, tap on your profile image, tap on your device picture. This takes you through to the settings page.
2. Choose the Silent Alarms option, choose Set a new alarm.
3. All that is left is to select the alarm time and frequency. You can set up recurring alarms if you need them.
4. Make sure to sync your Fitbit with the smartphone app so that the alarms are activated.
5. To delete an alarm choose Delete Alarm in the Silent Alarms section.

The above procedure works for all types of smartphones. But for Windows 10 devices, the steps are slightly different. In this case you need to:

1. Click the + icon in the app dashboard.
2. Choose Set Alarm and then the +icon.
3. Set the alarm time and frequency. Save and sync your Fitbit.

Set Fitbit alarm via the website dashboard

Those that like to use the Fitbit website dashboard will be happy to know alarms can be set and managed online. To access the feature you will need to:

1. Tap on the gear icon and then your device image.
2. Choose the Silent Alarms option, choose Set a new alarm.
3. Decide on and enter the alarm time and frequency.
4. Save the changes and choose the Fitbit Connect icon, tap on Sync Now.
5. To delete or edit an alarm you’ll need to click the pencil icon next to the alarm. It can be found in the Silent Alarms section.

Set Fitbit alarm on a smartwatch

Good news if you have a Fitbit Charge 3, Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Luxe, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Ionic and the Fitbit Versa series. These devices allow you to set alarms directly on the device.

1. Open the Alarms app on your wearable.
2. Here you can see scheduled alarms, add new ones, delete and edit them.
3. Choose + New Alarm.
4. Enter the alarm time and tap on am or pm.
5. Decide whether you want to use the Smart Wake function. This analyzes your sleep and chooses the best time to wake you up, i.e. when you are in a light stage of sleep. It looks at the period 30 minutes before the alarm is set to go off. If it doesn’t find a better time, it will wake you when the alarm was originally set.
6. Choose whether this is a recurring alarm or a one off.
7. Save the changes.

Using voice assistant to set an alarm

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant on a Fitbit smartwatch are an alternative way to do certain tasks such as check the weather or control smart home devices. You can also use voice assistant it to manage alarms. It’s important to note that these alarms are separate from the default alarms managed on your Fitbit device.

On Amazon Alexa the procedure for setting alarms is as follows:

1. Open the Alexa app on the watch.
2. Choose the alerts icon that can be found in the top right of the display. Then swipe left or right to navigate between alarms.
3. Tap on an alarm to switch it on or off. You can also do this by saying your request.

Google Assistant also allows you to do this. Simply open the Alarms app or Timer app on your watch and manage the alarms from there.

How to dismiss an alarm

The Fitbit on your wrist vibrates and flashes when the alarm goes off. To dismiss, press any button on the device. On Fitbit Inspire 2 and Fitbit Ace 3, you’ll need to press both buttons simultaneously. On Luxe, swipe up from the bottom of the display.

Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets

If you don’t dismiss an alarm it will stop nagging you after a while. But then it will reactivate 9 minutes later. Another way of dismissing an alarm is to get up and walk at least 50 steps. That will switch it off on most Fitbits.

Word of note. If your device is low on battery the alarm might not go off. So make sure the wearable is topped up.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!