Fitbit Sense smart watch – firmware update

Fitbit Sense is the premium smart watch of Fitbit. As of August 2021, the latest firmware of Fitbit Sense is the VERSION 44.128.5.49. This Fitbit firmware update will also update the Fitbit operating system or Fitbit OS to 5.2.1. The Fitbit OS 5.2.1 is currently available for only the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3 smart watches.

Fitbit Sense firmware update, normally, takes an hour or more. It is suggested that before you update the firmware on Fitbit Sense, make sure you are good in terms of:

  • battery charge on the Fitbit Sense should be adequate to last at least an hour. We do recommend that you would be better off ensuring that the Fitbit Sense is fully charged before you update the Sense watch.
  • battery charge on the phone that hosts the Fitbit app must be adequate to last at least an hour. Again, as suggested above, we would like that your Fitbit app phone is also fully charged up.
  • finally, the Fitbit Sense and the Fitbit app phones should be located close to each other. Proximity of the Sense device to the Fitbit app phone is critical for the process of update to complete successfully.

Once you have ensured that the prerequisites are in place, we need to move on to the next stage as per the instructions below.

Find the current firmware version of the Fitbit Sense watch


Before initiating an update of the firmware, it is wise to know the current version of firmware running on the Fitbit Sense watch. To know the current Fitbit Sense firmware version, please follow the instructions below:

Find Fitbit firmware version through Fitbit app

  • In the Fitbit app, tap the Today tab Fitbit logo in black, which looks like 13 circles in the shape of a diamond, where the circles are larger from left to right 
  • Tap your profile picture
  • Check your device image. The firmware version number appears under your device’s name.

This will reveal the firmware version installed on the Fitbit Sense smart watch.

Find Fitbit firmware version through the fitbit.com dashboard

  • click the gear icon An icon of a gray gear and
  • select your device to find the firmware version.

This will also tell you the firmware already installed on the Fitbit Sense smart watch.

Once you know the Fitbit firmware version on the Fitbit Sense smart watch, we need to update the firmware version to the latest version available through Fitbit – 44.128.5.49. We can update the Fitbit firmware through the Fitbit app on your phone or through the Fitbit connect from a computer. Below, we will look at both methods to update the firmware on Fitbit Sense firmware to VERSION 44.128.5.49.

Update the firmware on Fitbit Sense using the Fitbit App


  1. Firmware updates only become available if you allow the Fitbit app to run in the background. You may need to adjust your phone’s settings to allow the Fitbit app to run in the background.
  2. With your charged Fitbit device nearby, open the Fitbit app.
  3. Tap the Today tab Fitbit logo in black, which looks like 13 circles in the shape of a diamond, where the circles are larger from left to right then your profile picture then your device image.
  4. Tap the pink Update button. This option only appears if an update is available.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions and keep the device close to your phone, tablet, or computer during the update. After you start the update, a progress bar appears on your device and in the Fitbit app until the update is complete. This may take an hour or more to complete the updates.

Update the firmware on Fitbit Sense using the fitbit.com dashboard


  1. You will need Fitbit connect app to be installed on your computer to follow this process of updating the firmware on your Fitbit Sense smart watch.
  2. Confirm that you have the latest version of Fitbit Connect. To do so:
    1. Click the Fitbit Connect icon Fitbit logo located near the date and time on your computer.
    2. Click Open Main Menu.
    3. Click Troubleshooting.
    4. Below the Fitbit Connect number, click Check for updates.
  3. Go back to the main menu and click Check for device update.
  4. When prompted, log in to your Fitbit account.
  5. If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions and keep your Fitbit Sense device close to your computer during the update. After you start the updates, a progress bar appears on your device and in Fitbit Connect until the update is complete.

To verify that the firmware has been installed successfully, you may check the firmware version on the Fitbit Sense as per the instructions mentioned above. If the update was successful, your Fitbit Sense watch should be running on the firmware VERSION 44.128.5.49.

If you have other models of Fitbit smart watches, you may follow the instructions to update the firmware and the Fitbit OS using the helpful links below:

You may also like to read the following content related to Fitbit smartwatches:

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Helen Kurt - Contributor on TECHEPAGES.COM. Reach me on email.

Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].