Activate spo2 and skin temperature anytime

[Koreysw]

Just a quick suggestion. You should create apps that can activate the skin temperature and the spo2 when the user wants to. The automatic is good but enabling these features for the user during the day would be quite useful. Thanks.

[Guy_]

Yes. many developers are waiting for Fitbit to announce the APIs to permit this so it can be initiated directly from the clock face.

Surely it will come.

[Giampi71]

@Guy_ I have big problems to agree with "surely it will come", actually hints coming from the SDK developers board are everything but encouraging. 

[Guy_]

Thanks, what advantage is gained by not releasing the APIs?

[bouncealong313]

@Guy_ 

1. Not having to support them.

2. Not having to deal with all of the consumer complaints about battery life being even worse because they're using a clock face that constantly does even more.

3. Aren't these readings only done at night currently because that's when they've got algorithms working with more "reliable" readings and data? So if people start using them all the time during the day that means either (a) even more work to make the daytime readings and data more reliable and (b) constantly explaining to people complaining that the data is unreliable why they should only be using the readings at night.

4. They've got enough other issues with the Sense to fix first before worrying about new stuff (at least you would hope they're bothered about fixing stuff that should work but doesn't rather than introduce more things that could go wrong).

[Guy_]

@bouncealong313 

Thanks for your remarks.

1. yes

2. yes

3. No, the current SpO2 clock face exists and returns data

4. yes, but the API must exist already, as their clock face is doing the process,. Just not yet published.

5. Agreed, though it would be good for the Fitbit image to have more clock faces doing Oxygen levels, better than the one they provide.Could be in parallel.

[bouncealong313]

@Guy_ 

How do I track blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) with my Fitbit device? 

Under "How does my Fitbit device measure my SpO2 level?" says that it measures it while you sleep. What is shown on the clock face is just the most recent sleep data. So my point 3 is correct (although the exact technical reasons may or may not be).

[Guy_]

@bouncealong313 

True, but point 3 above refers to the special Fitbit SPO2 clock face which you have to load as a clock, and is nothing to do with the sleep.

[bouncealong313]

@Guy_ 

Not sure what you're talking about there. I said the readings are currently done at night, which they are. The original poster is asking for readings to be able to be done at any time during the day - whenever the user wants - which conflicts with the current fact that they're only done at night due to technical readings about the accuracy of the sensor readings and algorithms used.

[Guy_]

@bouncealong313  see Clock face 

[bouncealong313]

@Guy_ 

It says right there on the page you linked to "Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2): Shows the average value from your most recent sleep session and the highest and lowest values we recorded. "

So all you're doing is confirming that what I said is right. Thanks.

[Guy_]

@bouncealong313 

Interesting thanks.

I wonder if it's true for the Sense as well.

If so, the clock face gives you no more usable information than found in the Fitbit app.

[bouncealong313]

@Guy_ 

As far as I know, it's exactly the same with the Sense. 

Track Your SpO2 to Uncover Changes in Your Wellbeing - Fitbit Blog another blog on Fitbit's own website confirming it's only actually reading anything while you sleep and also listing the Sense as doing exactly the same as the other models.

Hence why the original poster made this whole post.

[Rich_Laue]

Point 3 about the clock face is a mute point. The SpO2 function has been moved to its own hidden app. No special clock face is needed to record the spo2. 

Have you voted? 

I really do not see how getting a skin temp through the day as helpful. The temp will have more to do with the surrounding air temp then skin temp. 

[bouncealong313]

@Rich_Laue 

Point 3 was about the readings. Perhaps you meant Point 2 about the clock face. That was aimed at what Guy_ said about developers wanting to be able to initiate new readings from the clock face itself (or implying a new clock face incorporating SpO2) so it isn't a mute point when the statement was directly about choosing to use clock faces and implying the possibility of new ones being made, not the app and not necessarily just what is available at this point in time. Whether an app is available or not, people will try the clock faces if they're available and some people might not even find the app before judging the Sense on the clock faces. But yeah the app could be an alternative for enabling on-the-spot readings if people find it and don't demand it has to work on a clock face for them to be happy.

And for your second point, although I am entirely sceptical that on-the-spot day temp readings will be accurate on a Fitbit product or useful/interpreted correctly/meaningfully by the Average Joe if it's shoved in their face all day every day like HR readings are, some touchless thermometers work well regardless of air temp (to a degree... pun intended) and the watch sensor should be fairly snug against the skin - it shouldn't be directly exposed to the air. So I wonder if surrounding air temp would really be as big a problem for the sensor itself. I suspect other issues play a bigger role.

[Rich_Laue]

The tracker should not be to tight on the arm, with the ability to easily slip 1 to 2 fingers behind the band. 

When it comes to skin temp at night, my readings are very dependent on how many covers and if the mattress heater is on or off. 

Even during the day, my skin temp readings, vary in relation to how hot the heat was while in the car. Even when it has been 10 minutes since leaving the car. 

A person's body, when chilled, will let the skin temp drop to conserve the core temp. 

[bouncealong313]

If I put the Sense loose enough to fit two fingers behind it the HR readings go even further down the drain so I'd never wear it that loose. And even wearing it that loose, the back of the watch is still flush against skin in the majority of positions and the sensor is right in the middle of that.

The situations you describe could also be explained by the fact that higher external temperatures will raise your skin temp, naturally. So what you think is the external air interfering with the sensor could be more to do with the fact your skin temp is higher because the external temp has affected your body, not affected the sensor. And all the sensor is doing is picking up that difference in your skin temp.

And with the watch sensor being flush against skin it will take ever so slightly longer for your skin in that exact position behind the watch to change temp compared to say, your fingers (assuming you're not wearing gloves/have hands in pocket) because wind etc won't be hitting that exact part of your skin.

Plus you can't have it both ways saying that (a) the sensor is affected too much by external temp and then also say (b) when you change your environment, the sensor isn't changing temp. That doesn't make sense to argue both at the same time. What does make sense is to say the external temp made your body temp higher, which meant higher readings, and changing your environment takes time to affect your body temp which is why there's a gradual delay in the sensor changing readings once you change your environment.

If anything, the sensor taking time to change readings when changing environment argues that it's not as affected heavily by external/air temp, otherwise it would instantly change to reflect whatever environment you move into.

There could also be delay issues with how well the sensors detect and react to fast changes - the exact same problems that the Sense HR sensor has when you have fast changes in HR - which could easily explain the delay issue when changing environments. And given the number of problems the Sense has, I think that's much more likely.

[Rich_Laue]

@bouncealong313 it was @Guy_ who brought up the Clock face with night readings. 

Until the latest firmware. Using the Clock face gave us more SpO2 details. 

With the latest firmware, this recording function was moved to its own app. 

[Giampi71]

Going back to the original discussion and the excellent argument posed by @bouncealong313 on why Fitbit doesn't have any interest to open the API for their data here's my reason and that can be summarized in one word only: Premium.

Fitbit is putting behind a paywall more and more data recorded by its trackers. In fact as today the following data ca not be retrieved via API:

- ECG

- SpO2

- EDA measurements

- Stress analysis

- Breathing rate (BR)

- HRV (variable heart rate)

- Sleep score and all information about sleep (stages and so on)

If those data were made available via API any developer could start to retrieve the information and make data analysis to the users who wouldn't be therefore incentived to subscribe to Premium. 

[Rich_Laue]

Even if the user has a premium account, the api still doesn't give access. 

Premium accounts, with extras, seem to be the current trend. I'll play devil's advocate. 

Premium on Spotify is needed for friends to live track the user

Pandora and Deezer wants a payed account for local storage. 

Spotify, Garmin, even YouTube have premium services. 

If people are willing to pay, the app developers are happy to charge. Maybe not everyone is willing to provide everything for free. We even have some apps and clock faces where the author wants to be paid. Magin that?