Error 401

[Kirus]

I am using the intraday api after having received the relevant authorisation.

However, when I make api calls to fitbit, some users (it doesn't seem to happen to everyone) receive them status code 401.

To give you a bit more context, I am using the api calls from a mobile app made in flutter and the fitbitter package, which does not handle intraday calls but I have adapted it, everything seems to work in the test environment, only some users have this problem and I can't understand why.

There is the url i m calling:

'https://api.fitbit.com/1/user/${fitbitCredentials.userID}/activities/${resourceToString[resource]}/date/$startDateStr/$endDateStr/1min/time/$startTimeStr/$endTimeStr.json'

For example my complete url is:

'https://api.fitbit.com/1/user/AAAAA/activities/steps/date/yyyy-mm-dd/yyyy-mm-dd/1min/time/15:45/23:59.json'

The two dates are same day for intraday api constraints

[Gondwana]

I think you might get a 401 if the user hasn't provided permission for your app to access the data you're requesting.

Some intraday data need Fitbit approval (see here).

[Kirus]

Thank you for your reply.

I have actually already done this step with my app and received permission to use this type of api. is there perhaps an extra step to take when I call api to have my app recognised as authorised for intraday?

[Gondwana]

The only reason I can think of for intermittent 401s would be for users who haven't authorised your app's use of the specific data you're trying to access.

[Kirus]

I will try to investigate this, I too cannot honestly explain it, I will ask to my users. Thank you for your reply.

[Gordon-C]

Hi @Kirus 

At 401 can be caused by several things.  See https://dev.fitbit.com/build/reference/web-api/troubleshooting-guide/error-messages/#401-unauthorize....  The most common issues are

1. expired token
2. user hasn't consented to share the activity data
3. application doesn't have intraday access

The access tokens have a lifespan of 8 hours.  Once they expire, you need to use the refresh token to obtain a new access token/refresh token pair.   Along with verifying the user consented to activity, have you verified if the access token is still active?

Gordon

[Kirus]

Before each api call the library automatically checks if the token has expired and if so it is regenerated. Surely this is not the third case, I am investigating with my users to see if they have given authorisation. The alternative is that the library does not regenerate the token correctly, I will check this too.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Gordon-C]

Just to confirm the 3rd scenario is not an issue, have you applied for intraday access and gotten approval?

[Kirus · Accepted solution]

Yes, I have already received authorisation.

I have discovered that there is a problem with the flutter library for the fitbit I am using in that it does not regenerate the tokens correctly, so for the first 8 hours it works, then failing to regenerate the token it makes calls with an expired token, the 401 is definitely due to this.

Thank you very much for your support.