Resolved: Changes to Data Export tool

[KateFitbit]

Fitbit Update 11/30/2018: This issue has been resolved and I'll be closing it from further responses. 

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Fitbit Update 11/28/2018: The old data export tool is now back and available for use. You can now choose which way you would like to export your data going forward. If you would like to access the old tool, please go here and select "if you would like to use the old data export tool click here" under Export My Fitbit Data. 

If you have any issues, please let me know. Thanks for your patience and reports! 

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Fitbit Update 11/27/2018: Happy Tuesday! Just a heads up that we hope to have an update soon on the Data Export tool. I'll continue to update the thread this week. 

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Fitbit Update 11/20/2018: While I don't have an update today, I can assure you that your feedback is being heard. One note, if you contact our support team, they will not be able to supply additional details, but I will continue to update this thread as I know more. We do appreciate the feedback.

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Fitbit Update 11/16/2018:  Hi Everyone, here's an update on the recent changes to the export tool:

With the recent improvements to our tool, you can now export your Fitbit data, starting from your first step with Fitbit.

You can also access new data for download, such as heart-rate data, exercise logs, and your activity in the Fitbit community. For more information, see How do I export my data?

We understand that some customers are having difficulty interpreting their data in the new download format. We’ll continue to add features and make improvements based on your feedback.

Thank you all for your input in the thread. Our team will continue to monitor this thread and I'll let you know when I have further updates. 

[NathanpGonzalez]

we can all agree that these changes are bad and that we want what we had before and obviously they are aware of it now. Lets just chill and wait to see what they plan on doing. I can't imagine being a moderator or a dev and seeing comments like you're losing me as a customer or you're dumb. I would think that would make me brush off the intent of the original question altogether. 

[S.ixy]

Why change this feature? What happened to 'Your data belongs to you'?
What with this and the lack of Find My Phone feature I think I'll be going back to Garmin unless they listen to what their customers want.

[KateFitbit]

Fitbit Update 11/14/2018: Hi Everyone - I've merged a few posts together to keep this topic in one spot. Our team is currently reviewing the feedback received on the update and I will update this thread when I hear further. Thanks very much for taking the time to reach out. 

[coati]

Just adding my voice to those who are unhappy with the change. In the past, the data export was a pay-only-feature, and I was so happy when I discovered one day by chance that it was now free for everybody. Before I had to manually enter number by number into my excel sheet, and now I'm forced to do it manually again. Please bring the old export functionality back where I could select a date range and save in excel format.

[artbypep]

Adding my voice here as well to say this feels like a ‘one tiny step forward and three giant reverse lunges back’ sort of update.

If this was an attempt to address the needs of user requests for more data, this failed. 

This is like if we asked to see a dessert menu to go along with dinner and y’all threw up your hands and just told us to go look in the kitchen and figure it out for ourselves.

Thanks for the kitchen privileges, but we didn’t want or need them. 

If this was to meet some GDPR standard and had to be pushed to release despite obvious flaws, I get it, but also still, why get rid of the old data access?

This is just bizzare and it feels like someone in the chain of command was probably told these issues, but didn’t understand them and was just like “IT DOESN’T MATTER JUST GET IT DONE” and maybe that person is not the person who should be making decisions like that. 🧐

[SunsetRunner]

Something I posted here back in August

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Alta-HR/Walk-Run-Hike-and-Outdoor-Bike/m-p/2901554#M31010

08-17-2018 21:21

JoJo

Not so much a bug but a lack of end to end integration between trackers, apps and the dashboard. They just need to stop tweaking here and there to try to fix things and take a long hard look at the whole package and get it right,

It smacks of a disorganised bunch who have grown too quickly, are busy chucking new hardware out the door and not taking the time to get right. Some of the managers should read the Steve Jobs autobiography they may learn something.

Pete

Choose

https://www.fitbit.com/nz/about

Pete

[SunsetRunner]

JoJo

Not so much a bug but a lack of end to end integration between trackers, apps and the dashboard. They just need to stop tweaking here and there to try to fix things and take a long hard look at the whole package and get it right,

It smacks of a disorganised bunch who have grown too quickly, are busy chucking new hardware out the door and not taking the time to get right. Some of the managers should read the Steve Jobs autobiography they may learn something.

Pete

[Colinm39]

I have just bitten the bullet and requested Permission to Export..  So when I try my next export I will see.

I already have my life history so I will see in the next few days..  I'm still using the Premium Export until March 2019 when that expires not to be continued...

[JPSnow]

What is the Premium Export feature? I thought they had converted the Premium export to a free feature, on the principle that your data is always your data.

[JPSnow]

Since you're consolidating, I'll make an effort to do the same with the various messages here.

A lot of users liked the feature that was available up until very recently where one could download an XLS or CSV format for a range of days. The output included daily summary levels of calories, weight, steps, etc. It also included sleep sessions with the breakout of the various stages, as well as nutrition and hydration. The summary level reflected most of what was available on the dashboard on line or via mobile, except for time in heart rate zones. This summary level was useful for a range of needs including dialogue with nutritionists, doctors and trainers, and for anyone doing any form of "quantified self." 

The new download actually has more detail but it isn't consumable by the average user. I do expect there are advanced users, myself included, who would work with the full detail in the JSON format, but this should be an extra rather than the only solution.

The underlying principle should be that fitness data is fully and easily accessible to its owner. The new format is richer, but we lost the easily accessible part, and without any advance warning. 

[UnseenHero]

Severely limiting and a giant deal breaker. Considering the amount invest into Fitbit products I would not like to migrate to a new ecosystem, but if I can't simply control my data as I'd want then it kind of defeats the purpose of me being with Fitbit. 

[Colinm39]

@JPSnow You are probably correct and my post was because I had been using Premium since 2011..All gone soon.

As I post this my new export download is at 90% so I will see what is affecting others...

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@JPSnow wrote:

What is the Premium Export feature? I thought they had converted the Premium export to a free feature, on the principle that your data is always your data.

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[Colinm39]

Just exported my data..

I can see what everyone is concerned about..

With the proliferation of data I can see why the json file type was used because I have photos in my Profile and they came through as images.. So the mix and match of data would be an issue for the programmers.

What happens after the initial full history download...?

Not easy Jan......

[syphus]

I agree that this format should be set to what it was before.  The change is ridiculous and serves no one at this time.  I think that if you report this to support, there will be a voice to say , "put it back".

I for one, do not need to get ALL my data - I just need data for the last week on a weekly basis.  I'm hoping that someone will be looking at this thread and realize this move was a bad one.

I for one am really angered to the fact that data export is useless to me for at this time especially since I have been using it to track health information. . .

If FITBIT wants added security for data exports - fine - make it friendly and stop limiting when it can be done.  Sorry for ranting but this is a bad decision on their part. 

Syphus

[milanjovich]

Completely agree. They changed completely company vision & mission in just one day. The slogan "My data belongs to me" is the main reason why I picked Fitbit.

[syphus]

I actually talked to support and they said they were going to refer my issue to "the department" that takes care of data . . .   Yet to hear anything from them!   All I could get out of support was a link that shows how I can't do what I wanted to do and the person I talked to would only tell me it was a "Management" decision.

If that statement is true (management decision), I have worked for enough companies to know that "Management" makes decisions that are not based on anyone's needs but their positioning in the company - most have no technical knowledge of what they are "managing" . . .   Unfortunately, the customers are the ones that have to pay the price.

For me, this could decide if I continue using their products or not . . .

Syphus

[edodtw]

This is an awful "upgrade"!  Something that was so simple, user friendly and fast is now ridiculously complicated, user unfriendly and slow (24 hours to get a lot of data I don't want).  I simply want to download my Aira scale data to a spreadsheet. 

[SunsetRunner]

I can see that there are three things that need do be considered by the Fitbit team in making any decision.

1. Keeping the periodic data download format consistent to enable users to continue to manage their daily recording.
2. Including heart rate data in that periodic download dataset (which was the intent of the request on the other thread) 
3. Providing a full data download to meet legislative requirements (much as other social media sites have been obliged to do)

Unfortunately, items 2 and 3 seem to have been intermixed. It could well have been the case that item 3 was in progress before the request on this thread occurred.

Let’s hope that the quick fix of re-instating the periodic data download format alongside the full export isn’t the end of the matter. The periodic data download still needs the heart rate information to be included.  If the dev team had taken the time to interact with the community on some basic requirements analysis this fiasco could have been avoided.

Pete

[mattcaves]

Adding my voice too, ridiculous change, please bring back the original downloading and add this as an extra option if necessary.

I use the export to xls/csv every few days to download and track my weight loss data, now I just can't do that without downloading the entirety of my data every time AND converting from JSON, just silly for the average user.

[Sealevel_Rmd]

Tried the Microsoft solution but the options are different for Office 2016 Excel.  Data > Get External Data > From Text gives some interesting info:

1) data for ONE day is recorded BY THE MINUTE just for distance

2) data is seen as delimited so you have to figure out the structure of the data in order to get it to go into columns correctly

We need to get at least a CSV (and preferably XLS) data format.  What they have done is the equivalent of a Wikileaks dump which is not user friendly.  I hope FitBit responds quickly or this could bring them down in the eyes of many serious users. 

Watch the stock market....

[Colinm39]

Maybe this is Fitbit's way of allowing us to get our Lifetime data then they will offers elective options of date period and data type.. and even CSV..

Here's hoping, because I don't want to download 7 years of data every time..

In my case Fitbit have about 4 months to give us the options when my Premium Account expires.