Able to select which data to export and date range after Google migration

[NitLionPSU]

I recently migrated to the google app which has superseded my fitbit app. It appears that the google app does not provide the same options to export the data from the fitbit device that the fitbit app allowed. The original fitbit app allowed me to output a spreadsheet that was a daily summary of the body, activities and sleep information.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[LokeAa]

Having to export all data when looking for data for a specific function is overkill. I want the same option as for some of the other Google products. They have a submenu where you can specify which data you want to extract. For example Google Photos, where you can choose which albums to export.

[tromardon]

After switching to Google account on the updated Fitbit app (a pain in and of itself), the data export now goes to Google Takeout and I can only do a full export of all my data, or do an export every 2 months for a year. I use to be able to do a custom export with a date range, or a specific week/month/etc.

[bravesfan87]

Bring back the capability to download in csv / google sheet. 

[steve111]

The data export since moving to Google is HORRID.  Is there way to revert to the original FitBit data export where one could actually choose the date range, and various activities.  The new Google thing is TOTAL CRAP!!!!

[steve111]

I did the chat thing with Google and Fitbit a few days ago. I was assured that the data export tool would work after 24 hours (e.g., specifying date range). Well, it's been way more than 24 hours - and the data export is still ABSOLUTELY USELESS (I could use far stronger and less polite language - but chose 'absolutely useless'). Cannot specify a date range, or anything like I used to be able to do on the Fitbit version of Fitbit. Google has destroyed what used to be a very friendly data export function. 

[5xmvz3]

I moved to Google by mistake, it removed my Google account and used an email address i don't use, took me 3 days to get it back,  i want to revert back to my normal fitbit app,  please put an option up so we can revert back. 

[snmbs]

Bring back the feature to export step data that used to exist before the Google takeover of fitbit. It was simpler and download format was in excel format. I tried to download the data and it generates a 1000 different files, so very not user friendly at all.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @NitLionPSU, and thanks for taking the time to share this product feedback about providing the same data export options after migrating to Google with us. We rely on feedback like yours to help us develop products and features that we know our community wants to see. If this product feedback receives votes from other customers and gains popularity, it will be shared internally with various teams at Fitbit. To learn more about how Fitbit decides what product feedback is developed, visit our FAQs.

Watch this space for status updates. In the meantime, try visiting Health & Wellness to talk with other members about all things health and fitness.

[GeneOfSteel]

I agree. The data retrieval feature in Google Takeout is fairly useless. Really wish under Google that the data export by data range feature could be restored. I, too, am regretting that I moved my Fitbit account to Google

[steve111]

Well, it has now been almost two weeks I was "assured" by the Google/Fitbit chat people that the previous way of selecting a date range and the CSV data export would be fixed "the next day" (within 24 hours). Tried it just now (Oct 26, 2023) and nothing at all has changed since October 12. Nothing. It is still a multi-gigabyte file with USELESS information and an UNUSABLE format.  If they don't fix this data export to the way it used to be in the pre-Google days by the end of the year I will almost certainly cancel my Fitbit Premium subscription. 

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @LokeAa, thanks for sharing this product feedback about being able to select which data to export with us. Because this idea was already requested in this board, I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to make sure the product feedback shared here doesn't get confused, or split a popular vote. Please click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

[Stacey646]

I have the same problem.   I need to submit yearly step data to get an incentive check for meeting the steps goal. Fitbit data does not allow me to do this in excel format.   I saw that Google Fit has data that you can export but this is just from the phone not from my Fitbit watch.   How do I fix this.   Last year I was able to submit the data from Fitbit in Excel format.  

[reallygoogle]

Hey Googs, Fitbit Division, whatever,

This is absurd. Create a friendly way to export data with some constraints -- Google takeout is not it.

Also, while you're at it, get rid of the dashboard widgets that require flash, and start acting like a billion-dollar company who's able makes a decent product -- especially when you charge for it.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @snmbs, thanks for sharing this product feedback about being able to select which data to export from Fitbit after Google migration with us. This idea was already requested in this board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to make sure the product feedback shared here doesn't get confused, or split a popular vote. Please click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

[LizzyFitbit]

Hi @tromardon, thanks for sharing this product feedback about being able to choose the date range to export data after migrating to Google with us. This idea was already requested in this board, so I’ve moved your post here. This will help us to make sure the product feedback shared here doesn't get confused, or split a popular vote. Please click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

[jabarb]

I agree completely with all these comments.  I have been using Fitbit over 6 years and have daily activity data going back that far.  I have several health problems and thought that using a Fitbit to monitor various stats would be a very good idea.  Unfortunately, without that continuity of data, it all becomes somewhat moot now - all I really have is a snapshot when I look at the device, ie no daily figures and no continuity.  Would Google ('cos they're now the owners) please reinstate the ability to export selected data by date range.  That ability was removed for users a while ago, but after significant complaints, was reinstated - I hope that the same happens this time too, but I don't think I'll hold my breath.

In my latest email response from fitbit-support, it was stated that "We received great feedback about the ways Fitbit customers use our data export tool."  I didn't see one positive comment in this thread, so is it all great negative feedback?

[steve111]

Hello jabarb,

I have tried to do the data export - several times, the most recent was today (Nov 20, 2023). Still, it is over 2 Gigs of useless data in an unusable format. Used to be able to export usable data (.csv or Excel), specify a date range, and the type activities to export. Like you, I wonder about all the "great feedback about the ways Fitbit use of data export tool."  I haven't seen a single post about how "great" the new data export tool is. The only ones I have seen are all NEGATIVE!!! If Google doesn't bring back the "old" way of exporting data by the end of the year, I will cancel my Premium membership. Not that they care though. That is a thing of the past.....

[rockman112]

I migrated to Google an hour ago, and was disappointed to discover the aggregated method of data export is no longer accessible in favor of a myriad of disaggregated JSON files.

I depended on the previous aggregation method to save my data to .csv, which I then loaded into a Jupyter Notebook to do visualization.

Disabling access to a free feature, forwarding users instead to the Google Takeout export, broke my data pipeline, and I am no longer able to use the service in the way it was presented to me and intended.

If this is not fixed by the end of the year, I will need to look toward other solutions for my analysis needs. Thank you.

[Jasminum2012]

What does it export as now? Cause like drive exports readable files and google photos separates the metadata but gives jpeg/mp4 files and json files. 

This makes me not want to switch over at all. I'm worried it will take up more storage space as I'm already having trouble exporting my photos in a way that's dated how/when and what devices took the pictures. I really like the CVs or excel option that fitbit has as it's so easy to read my data.

[rockman112]

Google Takeout will export a .zip or .tgz  with the following structure:

Takeout/Fitbit/*

The directories containing .json, .csv, or .txt files (there may be more types) in my case are:

Account Changes
Active Zone Minutes (AZM)
Activity Goals
Biometrics
Daily Readiness
Discover
Fitbit Care or Programs
Fitbit Friends
Fitbit Premium
Global Export Data
Guided Programs
Heart Rate
Heart Rate Variability
Journal Log
Menstrual Health
Mindfulness
Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)
Paired Devices
Sleep Score
Snore and Noise Detect
Social
Stress Journal
Stress Score
Temperature
Transactions
User Security Data
Your Profile

Some of these contain .csv files where the measurements are aggregated at different time intervals. For example, 'Active Zone Minutes (AZM)' contains a list of .csv files - one for each month.

Within each .csv, each row represents a day + time (minute) combination when activity was detected ('FAT_BURN', 'CARDIO').

The directory 'Global Export Data' contains **mostly** .json files. These contain data from the tracker itself, i.e. this is where you would go to find heart rate information.

My 'Global Export Data' for 2 years contains 4,257 files (most .json with 'estimated_oxygen_variation' as .csv). These are spread across the different data categories (heart rate, steps, calories, distance).

If I open a 'heart_rate' .json, the data are listed in 5 or 10-second intervals, e.g.:
[{
"dateTime" : "MM/DD/YY 04:00:06",
"value" : {
"bpm" : 63,
"confidence" : 1
}
For 'calories', the time interval changes to every minute:
[{
"dateTime" : "MM/DD/YY 00:00:00",
"value" : "4.01"
},{
"dateTime" : "MM/DD/YY 00:01:00",
"value" : "3.72"
}

Sleep:
[{
"logId" : 38519437984,
"dateOfSleep" : "YYYY-MM-DD",
"startTime" : "YYYY-MM-DDT00:34:30.000",
"endTime" : "YYYY-MM-DDT08:35:30.000",
"duration" : 28860000,
"minutesToFallAsleep" : 0,
"minutesAsleep" : 443,
"minutesAwake" : 38,
"minutesAfterWakeup" : 6,
"timeInBed" : 481,
"efficiency" : 97,
"type" : "stages",
"infoCode" : 0,
"logType" : "auto_detected",
"levels" : {
"summary" : {
"deep" : {
"count" : 5,
"minutes" : 64,
"thirtyDayAvgMinutes" : 68
}

I just noticed some of the nested information for sleep appears the same as that in the general export, so it may be possible to extract or rebuild it from the Takeout data. Could possibly just sum caloric activity from 'calories' and extract the respective .json fields from 'sleep'.

[jabarb]

All well and good, but as a someone not terribly au fait with the data manipulations this implies, could I please have the original aggregated versions back.  The data worked well, just fed straight into a spreadsheet,but now!!!

All I want ls my activity data aggregated by date for a date range.

It was nice and easy but Fitbit / Google have now made it complex and time consuming - why?  Very complex and time consuming for me

Why did you have to (as far as I'm concerned) break it?

Will we evenytally get feedback from Fitbit / Google? or is it a case of 'stiff bikkies: put up with it'?

[Stacey646]

They need to fix the data export function. I need my step data in CSV or Excel. I need to support in this way in order to earn my yearly wellness promotion that my company offers. I did not renew my premium membership until they get this straightened out. Google Takeout is useless. I am thinking about switching over to another brand.

[Dave321]

For me this is the last draw.  The first was the "watches" being not able to meet Fitbits clam of "waterproof" to 8 meters.  I have gone through two pairs swimming at a depth of 2 meters.  Now I pay extra to download data that I will need to write a program to use. When this wrist unit dies, so will Fitbit.  Please don't take this as a threat.  It is a promise. 

I do really find it interesting that Fitbit makes this change out of the blue.  Then then need to get votes to work on it.  Seems a bit backwards to me.  

[jabarb]

One of the (many) things that really narks me is that, having done the 'right ' thing and switched to Google, I then discovered that they'd removed functionality that I relied on (export of activity data aggregated by date for a date range).  They then had the temerity to tell me that I can't switch back.  I gather that customer support and satisfaction is not a priority at all, even if they are the ones who have 'broken' it!

Not a Happy Bunny !!!

[Stacey646]

They need to fix it!!!