How fast can I retrieve live data?

[dorienh]

I was wondering how big the delay is if I use the fitbit API. If I understand correctly, the fitbit syncs with the phone through bluetooth, then uploads it online to the user's profile, then the API gives me that data.

If my app would like to display the current pace or something, it would seem that this method causes a lot of delay. Should I I connect with the fitbit device directly? Or with the fitbit app locally?

Thanks for any insight.

[AndrewFitbit]

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dorienh wrote:

If my app would like to display the current pace or something, it would seem that this method causes a lot of delay. Should I I connect with the fitbit device directly? Or with the fitbit app locally? 

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You can only get data from the API once it has synced to Fitbit. You won't be able to get real time data because you can't connect directly to a Fitbit device, and you can't connect locally to the Fitbit app.

[dorienh]

Thanks for the clean answer.

Any idea or rough estimation on how much the delay usually is?

[AndrewFitbit]

@dorienh For retrieving data or for syncing? Data should be immediately available as soon as the device syncs, but Fitbit devices will only attempt to sync every 15 to 20 minutes (unless synced manually).

[Jaywalker92]

Hey, I'd like to hop in the conversation. Currently working on a VR game which should be able to retrieve live tracking data from the users device (we don't know which devices we want to support yet but fitbit seems to be the most common).

So the manually syncing - is it something that by leaving the display on, or having it somehow set up can be achieved in a 15 second interval?

Or is it possible to have another app installed that ommunicates with the fitbit and syncs heartrates to our server?

Or is fitbit sadly not built for 3rd party live data usage?