Integrate with iOS Health

[so-rich]

Hi there,

I'm really excited about Apple's announcement of the Health App in iOS 8 to be release this fall.  I'm looking forward to seeing a product announcement by Fitbit for a successor to the recalled Fitbit Force, and I'm really hoping to hear some exciting news about Fitbits intigration with Apple's new Health App to be released alongside iOS 8 this fall.  

This is a huge oportunity to make your devices even smarter and more integrated - Please support these APIs!  Thanks!

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity and labels.

[JohnBez]

Right… This is APPLE's fault…. LMAO.
It's not an oversight it is this company completely ignoring the entire iOS user base... we're at iOS 9.3.5 as of yesterday.
This thread was started when iOS 8 was released over two years of begging it's ridiculous.

And I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong, but does their API really allow access to ALL our data?? I was under the impression it didn't. Not like I'm going to program my own app to do what they should have since they still mislead all iOS users with their packaging that states "iOS/Apple compatibility".
It's bad enough they hold our data hostage.
Yes, I too bought and paid for "sync solver" and at least it allowed some of the dated to be channeled into my Apple health app that said there's no excuse for this.

My Fitbit Charge HR is sitting in my bedside drawer discharged. And as much as I don't care for anything Microsoft, I'm using a Microsoft band 2 (it was a gift) until Apple Watch 2 is released, enough of this.

John

Sent from my iPhone

[R4Fb]

With the release of their watch has Withings stolen the march on Fitbit. Apple Health compatible, waterproof, long lasting battery, elegant - its a watch!

http://www.withings.com/us/en/store/details/activite-steel

[Rich_Laue]

We will have to see about Withings, it's a nice watch, but only displays the percentage to your daily goal, like the Flex does.. Will they also be able to out sell the AW watch like the Blaze currently is doing? 

[seanmclean]

It's quite unbelievable that Fitbit refuses to acquiese to massive consumer demand here. I'd wager that all of us owned a fitbit device at once point, and then switched to the Apple Watch. I'm not coming back and buying another fitbit, but I do like the software and service. I track my steps and activities in multiple places, and it should all be able to be summarized here. It's a shame that it isn't, and may stop using this service entirely.  My weight from the scale will automatically sync elsewhere.

[Rich_Laue]

Since your obvious apple fanatics i hope your all asking apple health to integrate with fitbit? Remember this is a two way street. Fitbit already encourages others to work with them.

[SunsetRunner]

@Rich_Laue

I'm sure we have been through this with you before, and either by willfull ignorance or a lack of comprehension you still don't understand the fundamental differences between the services and APIs offered by Apple and Fitbit.

Fitbit's default position is that they don't want to give your data to anyone, not even you. If you try to download all of your data you will find the process prohibitively tedious and the data incomplete. They offer full access only to other companies that they have managed to strike a deal with. They are clearly motivated by their own business goals only.

Apple Health does not strike deals with anyone. Their API is FULLY OPEN TO ALL. I cannot stress this point enough, and you must understand it to be able to make a fair comparison of these companies. Apple's API is open to every single application on the app store. You can be a multi-billion dollar company, a small startup, or a student writing an app just because you want to. In all of these situations, you get full access to all of the data stored, and you can add any kind of data that you want.

Do you see the fundemental difference now?

Apple does not integrate with other applications because they don't have to. It's like you're complaining that Apple doesn't try ti integrate their microphone with Facebook, or their camera with Instagram. Apple is the platform provider, and it is up to third-party developers to take advantage of the hardware and software available on each individual platform.

Please pull your head out, and stop turning this into something about fanboism.

[Rich_Laue]

Fitbit has two api's one of which anybody can access, i access it through a Google script, so yes it is easy for me to download my data. 

The other api is not hard hard to gain access to, simply use the form to ask. 

Fitbit has chosen to let third parties connect to them, just like. apple has done, i guess that means it is in a stalemate. 

There is one guy on these forums who wrote an android app, in one day had users uploading data to their fitbit account. 

[JanSoy]

They're now promoting the new Fitbit armbands in Product Hunt, a big thing atually. Let's tell the world about our kidnapped user-data and vote up my comment here: https://www.producthunt.com/tech/fitbit-charge-2

[ydna]

Didn't realize this would turn into a religious/political discussion.  

I do use a 3rd party app on my iPhone that syncs my Fitbit data to Apple health but it only gives me average information for the HR data which is all that Fitbit authorizes for external sync.  I am probably switching to the "Garmin Vivosmart HR" any way as it is also waterproof - I can swim with it - and it fully syncs with Apple Health.  Would love an Apple Watch but not willing to pay the $$ and it's also not "swim proof".

-andy

[welp]

The Fitbit app does not give me credit for steps taken when running with just my Apple Watch. This is clearly Fitbit's choice, and it is theirs to make.

The Fitbit app gives me *wrong* data. Wrong data is worse than no data at all.

I own a competing product. Sorry, not sorry. I'm still willing to be part of your community, but every time I see the weekly email from Fitbit or peek in the iOS app I see wrong step numbers. Every time, I think about how maybe I ought to delete the app or unsubscribe from the emails.

By the way: literally any other tech company in the world would be dying to get user data FOR FREE from their competition.

I hope you add support for this before I finally break down and delete and unsubscribe. But once I do, I won't care anymore, so do whatever you like, I guess.

[Rich_Laue]

In what way is it Fitbits choice.. Do a search and you'll see a request to add a fitbit app to the apple watch.. I wonder if apple would allow this to happen? It sounds like a meat idea.

[humanista]

I know I should feed trolls, but this last comment is nonsensical. If Fitbit wants to have an app on the watch, they should build it. No one, definitely not Apple, is holding them back. Why do I say this? Because of all the other "competitors" who have apps on the Apple Watch or platform. Under Armor, Withings just to name a few.

[Rich_Laue]

And that's xactly my point, all of the other apps and websites that have chosen to connect to Fitbit have had no problems doing so, and when they have had problems Fitbit has helped them work through them.. So what is up with apple refusing to connect to Fitbit?
BTW I'm not a troll, just trying to get it understood that it is a two way street, and you should be going after Apple as adamantly as your going after Fitbit..

[SunsetRunner]

@Rich_Laue

You are trying to make us believe something that is simply not true. It is not a two-way street.

Power companies don't adjust their voltage to suit the appliances that manufacturers make. They don't bargain with appliance makers to convince them to make appliances for the correct voltage. You are trying to convince people that the power company should try to strike a deal with the appliance maker!

Apple is the platform supplier (the power company). Fitbit make fitness products and apps (appliances) that they sell to people on the promise that it works with all that Apple has on offer.

You *still* have this situation confused. It is not a two-way street.

[Rich_Laue]

What I'm saying is that Apple could, if they wanted to, connect to fitbit, just as easily as Fitbit could connect to apple. So yes it is two way. 

Think of it as a street each side has a person.. either person could say hello first, they do not need the permission of the other person to say hello. 

Fitbit has had a lot going on this past year, is it really their responsibility when they already provided the tools for any third party to access your data? 

[scatteredthings]

Yes, but while FitBit needs Apple's customers, Apple does not need
FitBit's. Moreover, this thread is asking FitBit to serve their own
customers. It's not an unreasonable request.

In any case, I now want FitBit to integrate with Google Fit - they've taken
so long I've had 2 different phones since this thread started and I'm now
on Android.

[Rich_Laue]

In what way, since the two new trackers where released each one individually is out selling the AW.. 

Your logic makes no sense. 

[SunsetRunner]

@Rich_Laue

You are correct insofar as Apple could, if they wanted to, spend resources attempting to connect their Health platform to every provider out there, and then deal with all of the minute differences between the data they recieve and the difference in granuality. 

What they have decided to do instead, as the platform provider, is provide a framework for all apps to connect to eachother through a clear and consistent API. This way, third-party app developers don't have to worry about how/what every other app developer is offering, how they offer it, and what restrictions there might be.

The approach Apple has taken is by far the better option. Simplifying things for app developers and incresing interoperability is a win for consumers and developers. Your constant suggestions that both companies are on equal ground are baseless and misleading.

Do you connect walls to pictures, or do you connect pictures to walls? It really is that simple. Apple Health is an API. It's a framework for free health data sharing between any apps that want to participate. It doesn't force participation, and it doesn't reach outside of it's bounds to other apps. If you do not understand this, please read and study more about platforms and frameworks until you can understand it.

In the meantime, I've received too many emails from this thread with only one response from Fitbit a few months ago. As far as I am concerned, Fitbit is a dishonest company that intentionally misleads their customers. I'm unsubscribing to this thread, and I will forever tell friends, family, and work associates that Fitbit is a company to avoid.

[Rich_Laue]

Now your beginning to understand, fitbit also finds it easier on their side to release the information and the API, thus letting third parties do the detailed work for themselves. 

The only exception i know of is Fitstar, but then Fitbit owns them. 

As for moderators respondong? Why should they? This area is where users can present their ideas to the developers, of which the moderators are not. 

[Rawdata]

I first acknowledge that posting here will not change anyone's mind that isn't open to an open dialog about the concerns. Here are my main two concerns: 

If FitBit allowed data from other trackers to be used in Challenges, that would probably quiet some of the noise. If you manually enter data into the app, it is not allowed in Challenges. If you sync another device to the FitBit app, the data is not allowed in Challenges. That is on FitBit, not on Apple. I've lost more friends in the FitBit app challenges because of this than anything else. They have had too many FitBit hardware devices fail on them (bubbles, skin rashes, ease of losing them, batteries dying) and have gone with other hardware manufacturers. They are no longer in our friendly challenges because their data isn't allowed in the challenges. 

And if this is on Apple, then why have the other major fitness hardware manufacturers worked with Apple and made it so that their data syncs to Apple's HealthKit app? Why are other apps making sure that their data can sync to HealthKit? Up to this point, the average consumer sees that FitBit hasn't moved in this direction. Thus, the frustration showed throughout this thread. 

I've always enjoyed the FitBit app and what it brings to the table. I hope that the company can open the challenges to other data sources and that they can work to integrate their collected data from their hardware into other company's health tracking applications. 

Thanks for listening!!!

[HopefulRunner]

Apple has not given special treatment to any fitness device becomes the Apple Watch.

Why should they give Fitbit special treatment?

Apple makes the iPhone. The Fitbit app runs on the iPhone. Without the phone manufacturers approving Fitbit's apps in their app stores, Fitbit would be back to the days of needing a computer to sync.

This not two way street. Apple and Fitbit are not, and never will be equal players in this game. Neither will Andriod and Fitbit be equal.

Fitbit needs the phones for its app to run on. The phones don't need the Fitbit app.

Google and Apple are the road. Fitbit is just one vehicle trying to move on the road.

[scatteredthings]

@Rich_Laue I was comparing FitBit's unavoidable need for their users to own an iPhone (or Android phone) to Apple's complete lack of need for their users to own FitBits. The onus is on FitBit to serve their customers, not for Apple to serve FitBit's customers (who are a tiny proportion of total iPhone owners and whom Apple has incidentally already served from their perspective by providing an Apple Health API for FitBit to use).

[scatteredthings]

 Perhaps this helps make my point:

[zellner3]

@Rich_Laue

I think you are missing some vital info. Such as the fact that Fitbit itself has stated they have no intention to integrate with apple health.

As others have mentioned they also do not integrate with the android or microsoft health apps any longer. They did have an aggrement with microsoft for a time that ensured they integrated but they have since severed that tie.

Furthermore they train their employees to lie and then try to cover it up when they get caught. They have poor customer service all the way around in my opinion. I bought a Charge HR, that did not work and after 6 chat sessions, 3 phone calls and 2 emails they finally escalted the issue and sent me a new one. In the course of all this I requested the corporate address so that I could send a letter about how disappointed I was and was told "I am sorry ma'am but we do not have a corporate office at this time", a simply google search disproved that and then the so-called manager decided to try and tell me that the rep told me there was no corporate phone number. And yes I have a copy of the chat proving otherwise.

Here is the post stating that they do not plan to integrate:

[goherd15]

I keep reading that the new apple watch software that is coming out next week will have a fitbit like dashboard. It will allow us to track progress against other users, which I consider a huge motivational tool.

Also a note on fitbit customer service. They have been nothing short of amazing anytime i had an issue with one of their products.

Sent from my iPhone