Real-Time Heart Rate Streaming

[jf52]

Hi All,

I've successfully managed to query heart rate data using the python-fitbit library, but noticed there is a sync delay of approximately 10-15 minutes between pushes from the phone to the fitbit servers. I'm hoping to use the Alta HR as a continuous tracker to enable alarming if heart rate goes out of bounds overnight; my code as it stands would support this, but it seems I can't get around the sync-delay.

Understandable, I imagine a few million trackers continuously pushing would be....interesting to manage server-side, plus Fitbit would have to implement a toggle to allow people to choose if they want to continuously push over cellular or only when connected to Wi-Fi, etc., but I'm still hoping to find a way to get the data in a continuous manner.

The iOS app appears to update in realtime if I have it open to the dashboard page; is there a Fitbit-sanctioned way of getting that instantaneous value out of the app? Any other potential mechanisms for continuous monitoring?

[jf52]

Forgot to mention, some level of latency is ok (e.g., I know I can only hit the Fitbit API 150 times per hour, so once every 24 seconds is maximum resolution I'd get), just looking to avoid the 10-15 minute lag times.

[Gondwana]

I'm not familiar with the term 'push' in this context. My understanding is that fitbit devices 'sync' their onboard data with the fitbit server every 15 minutes or so (unless the user manually triggers a sync). This would explain the delays you're seeing, and means that real-time monitoring isn't possible.

Because syncing is initiated by the device rather than the server, there's no API call to trigger a sync.

[jf52]

Yeah, hadn't had my coffee yet and used the terms push and sync interchangeably. I'm pretty resigned to being unable to get the needed data resolution by pulling from the fitbit servers at this point...I am a little hopeful that there might be a way to scrape the data out of the app on the fly, but I'm not sure where to start with that one.