Is the Versa monitoring my SpO2?

[TempestFire]

Hi can anyone at Fitbit confirm the Versa is collecting SpO2 (peripheral capillary oxygen saturation) data? I know its not available to users yet but I am interested if its being collected and analysed by Fitbit.

I notice on waking up in the morning that the Versa heart rate monitor LED alternately flashes green and red, once it decides you are awake it then goes back to flashing green throughout the day. My partners Versa does the same so I know its not a fault.

To see the red green flashes more clearly remove the Versa and move it quickly from side to side whilst watching the LED,  you may need to briefly put your thumb over the sensor to get the LED flashing again as it will turn off automatically after a few seconds.

[Cantryboy]

If it is a seems like it's an exciting step forward!

[TempestFire]

@Cantryboy I would be interested if you see the same effect with your Heart rate LED, appreciate you can only try it once the Fitbit has detected you sleeping then waking up. The LED alternates very quickly and looks mostly green, but moving the watch as I describe means your retina can clearly see the Red phase.

[blu-steel]

---

@TempestFire wrote:

Hi can anyone at Fitbit confirm the Versa is collecting SpO2 (peripheral capillary oxygen saturation) data? I know its not available to users yet but I am interested if its being collected and analysed by Fitbit.

I notice on waking up in the morning that the Versa heart rate monitor LED alternately flashes green and red, once it decides you are awake it then goes back to flashing green throughout the day. My partners Versa does the same so I know its not a fault.

To see the red green flashes more clearly remove the Versa and move it quickly from side to side whilst watching the LED,  you may need to briefly put your thumb over the sensor to get the LED flashing again as it will turn off automatically after a few seconds

I want to know what this is as well. Is this something they just turned on or is it always been that way and we just didnt notice. I have the Ionic BTW. 

[TempestFire]

@blu-steel looks like it’s been there a while on the Ionic 

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Which-sensor-lights-are-flashing-for-you/td-p/2222632

[WavyDavey]

We do know the sensor is present.

We also know the software to allow us to view the data isn't.

Whether the sensor is active or not, is unknown. Without the accompanying software, it's a little bit irrelevant for us.

[TempestFire]

Hi @WavyDavey what you say is correct however I don’t agree that it’s irrelevant I would like to know if Fitbit are collecting my data to analyse prior to making the feature available. 

[WavyDavey]

Again, unknown. It doesn't seem feasible to be able to develop firmware without using any data at all. It sounds like the class chicken-and-egg situation?

Since there are no functions currently in the app for SPO2, it seems logical to me that there's no data being transferred from our trackers along those lines. But everyone's free to guess how they may. 

[TempestFire]

So why would the heart rate monitor change to a different mode when you are sleeping, why not leave it using just the green LED as it does in the day same as my Charge 2 did day and night?

I suspect data is being collected as you say Fitbit need datato develop the SpO2 feature, but if they are I would like to know the data is being collected. GDPR is only a couple of weeks away in Europe and Fitbit will need be a bit more transparent on what they are collecting then. 

[WavyDavey]

---

@TempestFire wrote:

So why would the heart rate monitor change to a different mode when you are sleeping, why not leave it using just the green LED as it does in the day same as my Charge 2 did day and night?

I suspect data is being collected as you say Fitbit need datato develop the SpO2 feature, but if they are I would like to know the data is being collected. GDPR is only a couple of weeks away in Europe and Fitbit will need be a bit more transparent on what they are collecting then. 

---

To be fair, we don't know that at  all. It's seems an assumption you're making based on seeing a light flash briefly?

[blu-steel]

Yes I just noticed that the red one was flashing in the center with the green one upon waking up so its obviously used while sleeping. I am wondering what the other 3 sensors are used for. I dont see them doing anything. Do they receive only or are they not currently in use?

[TempestFire]

Yes I am making assumptions but without Fitbit chipping in that’s all I can do, However the alternating red green led flashes are not brief but all night whilst you sleep once the Versa decides you are awake it returns to just the green led only.

The heart rate sensor definitely is doing something different in sleep mode and I would just like to know what, hence my original question at the start of this thread.

[dgn88]

I have noticed this also. I even turned off the heart rate monitor and the green light remains flashing. Have you tried turning off the heart rate monitor?

[AlvaroFitbit]

Hello everyone! The Versa as you all mentioned does have a SpO2 sensor but it isn't active. In the future, this sensor could give consumers the opportunity to identify potential health issues like sleep apnea. We are still exploring how this could manifest in the consumer experience, but such technology would use this sensor.

Regarding the heart rate sensor not turning off, try restarting your Versa by doing the following:

1.- Press and hold the back (left) and bottom buttons until you see the Fitbit logo on the screen. This should take less than 10 seconds.
2.- Let go of the buttons.
3.- If your Fitbit watch doesn't work normally, use the instructions in How do I turn off my Fitbit device? to turn your watch off and on again. 

After this retry turning it off and saving the changes.

Let me know how it goes!

[calumthomas]

In the ionic release notes they said the red light was used to better attain resting heart rate, which is best taken when you’ve just woken up. I imagine this is why the red light flashes when you notice it 🙂

[TempestFire]

Thanks @calumthomas do you have a link to the release notes?

[Jeannie1012]

That doesn't say if fitbit is able to use the data. It says end user can't yet. The question was is fitbit collecting and or using the data?

[Rich_Laue]

And as mentioned above. your guess is as good as mine, but they are just a guess and as accurate as a coin flip would be. 

My guess is that there is a group of users that have volunteered to run beta software on there Versa or ionic and this software is collecting spo2 information for test and Analysis.

This would be my guess, could these people be Fitbit employees where the research team is able to comoarecreadings with certified meters? Dont know. 

[ahefner33]

BioStrap already does this so they backed there marketing. I bought the Ionic for a major reason to see oxygen level while asleep. Also I've been sent two replacements for Ionic due to its step counts and wild hr recording. Been disappointed 

[KB9WNS]

That or they have applied for FDA 510(K) approval and are waiting on the FDA.