syncing multiple devices

[davecake]

A potential client would like to use multiple FitBits (or potentially another device if one would be more appropriate) for a research project. The project would be to have multiple fitbits (say, 10), and a group of people to wear them during a shared activity, and then collect and compare the shared data. Most FitBits can collect the data she needs, privacy and authorisation should be doable (especially as it is legitimate university research). And the Web API would be fine for collecting the data she needs (especially heart rate at 1 minute detail).

But how to handle data synchronisation and accounts? Setting up accounts associated with the devices rather than the individual users would be ideal, as it would reduce the associated administration significantly, but we can set up accounts and authorisation for each session if necessary. But having a separate phone for each device to synchronise would be impractical. Are there other means, such as using devices that allows synching data via WiFi? Or logging in and out of multiple accounts on the one phone to synch the data of each device in turn? Or using Bluetooth dongles scripted from a laptop to do the same thing?

Any suggestions of how practical this is, and if it is not practical, suggestions for an alternative? 

[DorisFitbit]

Hi @davecake 

Thank you for reaching out! Here is a summary of the options for handling data synchronization for your client's research project.

Using a single phone to sync multiple devices:
This is a potential workaround. The process involves using one phone and sequentially logging in and out of each participant's Fitbit account to sync their specific device. Each participant will still need their own Fitbit account and must provide a one-time authorization for your app to access their data via the Web API. To set the right expectation, it's important to understand that this is not a standard use case. The Fitbit ecosystem is designed for the typical scenario where each person has their own device paired with their own mobile phone. While your proposed method of using a single phone for multiple accounts might work, we recommend you test it thoroughly to ensure it is a practical and reliable solution for your research needs.

Using Bluetooth dongles:
This method is NO longer supported. 

Recommendation: Your most viable option is to test the single-phone method. The key is to log into each user's account on the app, sync their device, and then log out before repeating the process for the next user.

Please let us know if you have any further questions.