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Intraday data now immediately available to personal apps

Fitbit introduced the intraday time series API endpoints in 2011. These endpoints contain the most detailed data recorded by Fitbit devices, such as second-level BPM heart rate measurement and minute-level step counts. These endpoints have always required use-case review.

 

Fitbit is introducing a new type of application classification: personal app. Starting today, people using the Fitbit Web API for their own personal use no longer need to go through the use-case review process. Access to the intraday time series is immediately available to any application classified as a personal app.

 

Only the developer who registered a personal app will be able to authorize the app. Developers wanting to access intraday time series data of other people will still need to request use-case review. Only select non-personal apps are granted access to the intraday time series.

 

Existing applications may be reclassified as personal apps. To do so, edit your app settings at https://dev.fitbit.com/apps . For the "OAuth 2.0 Application Type" setting, check the "Personal App" type.

 

oauth-2-persona-app-type.png

 

Reclassifying a "Server" or "Client" app as a "Personal App" will cause all existing access tokens to be revoked, which cannot be undone. (Subscriptions for a user are also removed when a user's access token is revoked.) Apps later can be reclassified as "Server" or "Client", but existing access tokens will be revoked and access to the intraday time series will require use-case review.

 

We know Fitbit users love playing with their data. The new "personal app" classification will allow you to get started  with the Fitbit Web API faster than ever.


This topic is for discussion of the new "personal app" classification. Off-topic discussions will be moderated.

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32 REPLIES 32

Thank you very much for this much awaited feature!!

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Does this go for friends, too? Can developer see this data for his "friends" who did authorize access?

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@Zdravko wrote:

Does this go for friends, too? Can developer see this data for his "friends" who did authorize access?


No, "personal app" is for your own data only. If you want other users' data, you will need to request intraday access as described in the documentation.

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"OAuth 2.0 Application Type" where I can find it ?

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@chw333: Go to your app settings page at https://dev.fitbit.com/apps and edit your app.

 

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Hi All,

 

I have forty fitbit flex trackers, and would like to give them to persons recruited to a health informatics project under the auspices of hospital ethics guidelines.

 

Does the "Personal" category allow me to obtain intraday data on activity for each of these trackers, or is it preferred that I obtain fitbit use-case review ?

 

Regards,

Tony Barry

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@tonybarry: "Personal" means just you.

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Thank you for the speedy reply !! 

 

I shall transmit my request.

 

Regards,

Tony Barry

 

Moderator edit: removed email address

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Jeremiah,

Is this "intraday time series API endpoints" the way a personal user can download their minute-by-minute heart rate data from a charge HR to a CSV file, or something that can be imported to Excel?  This is what I'm looking to do, but haven't been able to figure out how to do it.  Can you help me with this?  Thanks.

 

Jeff

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The data is in a JSON format. You could write a script to convert that into another format.

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I have a question about accessing the Fitbit API, and I have looked everywhere possible and can find no reference to what I wish to do.  Is is possible to download my personal Fitbit data (including intraday) using Microsoft Excel as a webservice request?

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I would like to obtain my intraday data and understand I need to register an app to do so. I tried to go through that process but I don't have a website or other required fields. How can I obtain this data?

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Is there any information to be found how the "personal app" character is defined in terms of authorization?

The docs say "intraday data is available only for and to the authorized user.", but how does Fitbit check that the requesting API call comes from the authorized user himself?

If I use for example something like the googlfitbit scripts (https://github.com/simonbromberg/googlefitbit) how can I tell Fitbit that the authorization request comes from the user for whom I authorized that access?

Or is that even possible?

Would it be enough to use the same Google account for both the Google Sheets document and for the Fitbit access?

Thanks!

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Ok, solved it myself.

When first registering my app I missed one field and the page reloaded. Unfortunately the setting for

"OAuth 2.0 Application Type"

gets reset to "Server" in this case, which I overlooked.

Now I changed it to Personal again and everything works as expeced.

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I also would like to get my intraday sleep data. So I guess can go through the process to register a "personal" app and then I can do some programming and access the API or whatever and debug it, and then I can use my personal app to download my data. So if need be, I'll do that.

 

But really I just want the data, I don't really want a programming project as a hobby. Hasn't someone already written some sort of app where I can download my intraday data to a spreadsheet or something? I wouldn't mind paying a few bucks. (Although It Would Be Nice if fitbit just let me download my own intraday data as a csv file or something.)

 

Any other alternatives? 

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Jeremiah,

I have analyzed my minute by minute data (couple of seconds by couple of seconds) during higher exercise periods and in exercise mode.  The data is quite accurate relative to my own manual pulse measurements during the higher peak activity.  However, the actual Fitbit Surge shown/ displayed on the tracker during the exercise very often doesn't match the actual second by second accurate data that is getting recorded and uploaded for the exercise activity data and graph.

 

Can you explain how to get the actual display to be more accurate relative to the actual data measurement the HR is measuring and recording on the device?  (accurate as determined by manual pulse measurement vs data is fine, just the number displayed during exercise is often quite "off")

This occurred on my first Surge as well. 

 

Case # 12177291.

 

I am asking here because I am not sure that the tech support people accurately captured the issue. 

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For personal use, how do I setup a personal app that can enable downloading the data. I see the instructions for registering an app but not sure how do I set one up.

 

My use case is getting access to my intraday time series data.

 

Thanks!

-Abhi

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What if I want to test the API with my personal data, but don't have an app website (callback URL), company website, etc. ?

Why are all these required if an app is registered as "personal" ?

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Hi,

 

I would like to access to the raw data measurements of my fitbit surge but to a second level.

The aim here is to count my forehand, backhand swings, ... during a Tennis Activity.

I would like to take a movie of myself and have to raw data associated (accelerometer measurements especially) in order to teach an algorythm to count my different hits during a play.

 

Are these data available in some ways?

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

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