enabling Developer Options for side loading

[MrSlowBurn]

Hello:

I'm a newbie when it comes to working with a Fitbit (I have a Versa 2), so please excuse my ignorance. I'm looking to enable Developer Options with the hopes of side loading an A_P_K, so I can eventually load a Protopie project onto it. Does anyone know if enabling Developer Options is possible in 2024, and if not, do I have other options?

[Gondwana]

APKs are for Android (including Wear OS). Fitbit smartwatches don't run any version of Android; they use Fitbit OS which is not related to Android.

Your options are to use an Android-based device, or use the Fitbit SDK (which means javascript) to develop your project on your Versa 2.

[Guy_]

Hi @MrSlowBurn  - in addition, if you want to create your own clocks or apps for the Versa 2 you can still create watch projects using the CLI and use the OS Simulator to test it, then you can use the developer bridge to side load the project, or you can create a GAM project and use the private link to install the project using the phone browser and Fitbit App, Gallery tile.

The latter may be preferable as it is less resource hungry on the watch battery and will still work even if the battery falls below 25%.

But if you are in an EEA country you will only be able to use sideload from June 2024, see the post on that.

Also check what you want to achieve hasn't already been done, in one of the numerous clocks or app in the online Gallery

In the Fitbit App, Gallery tile you can also search it.

[MrSlowBurn]

Hi Guy:

Thanks for the insight. As far as I know, what I'm trying to do hasn't been successfully done within my industry (Motion Graphics creation for TV/Movies). Fitbit and Protopie both have their way of communicating with outside apps, and the two don't seen to want to coexist. And me, being a complete novice, gets more confused every time a question is answered. Do I use the developer bridge to sideload, or the Fitbit SDK? Are these options possible if I don't know Javascript? 

[Guy_]

@MrSlowBurn- to clarify, development of a program for Fitbit is done using JavaScript and SVG for the display + optionally CSS.

Previously you could build using the Fitbit Studio platform but that was removed. Which leaves the less easy CLI.

There are different SDK versions corresponding to the various watches. Accessing the various watch functions are done using APIs.

Once you successfully compile a program [code with no errors] it can be loaded to the OS Simulator to check it runs ok. The same build can be transferred to an actual watch by sideloading, via the watch Developer Bridge, or it can be saved in a GAM project and installed from there [as a Private link]. Once you are happy the GAM project can be published so others can download it too.

You will need to learn JavaScript to some extent, but using different examples it can be a good starting point.

Hope that is clearer.

[Gondwana]

I had a quick look on Protopie's web site. It seems that it requires Wear OS, and it has not been built to run on other operating systems (such as Fitbit OS, iOS, etc). As such, it will not be possible to run Protopie on a Fitbit watch, since those do not run on Wear OS.