Researchers FAQ

Different devices collect different types of data, however you can find general information in our Fitbit Privacy Policy under Information We Collect.

Researchers have several data collection options:

1. For Fitbit accounts established by participants or research staff, daily summary data from an individual Fitbit account can be exported to an Excel or CSV file. You can find more information on the data export tool online here
2. Fitbit provides a public web API for accessing data from Fitbit devices at no charge. With technical resources, developers can create an app that programmatically requests Fitbit device data from participants once they’ve authorized your app’s access..
3. If due to technical resources or other reasons you are unable to use our public web API, another option is to utilize a third party platform. Fitabase is a longtime Fitbit partner and they’ve built a platform on top of Fitbit’s web APIs that allows researchers to collect and aggregate data from consumer devices.

No, but you can make product suggestions here.

Fitbit takes the security and privacy of end user data seriously. More details can be found in Fitbit’s Privacy Policy.

Fitbit’s web APIs have the ability to expose a finer granularity of data collected throughout the day. This collection of data is called intraday data. Intraday data is available through the Activities and Heart Rate Time Series endpoints. Intraday support can extend the detail-level response to include 1 minute and 15 minute for Activity, and 1 second and 1 minute for Heart Rate.

f you are planning to access data via our public web API, you’ll need to first establish a client ID, submit a research application and place a request for intraday data. We recommend building time into your plans to complete these processes before launching your app to avoid potential delays

If you are planning to work with a 3rd party platform, like Fitabase, they may already have access to intraday data. If working with a third party, we recommend reaching out directly to confirm this granularity of data can be collected for your study.

Fitbit’s software developer’s kit (SDK) gives developers the ability to build apps and clock faces for Fitbit’s operating system (OS). If study participants are equipped with one of Fitbit’s smart watches, researchers can display and capture novel data from participants directly on their wrist by developing a custom app or clock face. You can learn more online here.

Our web API documentation and general developer documentation is all available online. Fitbit also has a supportive and active developer community which offers a wealth of online guidance.

It’s important to note that you or your team will need to have technical knowledge and assets to utilize these resources.

Alternatively, our third party partner, Fitabase, has built a platform that allows researchers to collect and aggregate data from consumer devices.

If you need support, you can submit an online request online and a member of our API support team will reach out soon.

For general Fitbit support, you can get in touch with our world-class support team here.

Geolocation is available through our web API only with recorded exercises and devices that support GPS. For our smart watches, developers can access geolocation data outside of recorded exercises, however we recommend short-term data capture to avoid impacting battery performance. Please visit our Research Pledge and Platform Terms of Service for important privacy considerations.

You can find more information on our geolocation web API endpoints here.

Fitbit’s Web API Data Dictionary defines commonly used activity, sleep, heart rate, weight, food logging and device endpoints.

As part of our OS 4.1 update in 2020, we released an improved heart rate tracking experience for our smart watches called Pure Pulse 2.0. You can find details on our updates in the following help articles “What’s changed in the latest Fitbit device update?” and “What changed in the latest Fitbit OS update?”

You can find details from both our device and operating system online here.

No.

Yes.

No, but researchers can request access to Fitbitt intraday data which can get down to 1 sec heart rate measurements, which may work for some research needs.

Device costs vary by model and you can compare costs in our product comparison page. Researchers may be eligible for discounts up to 20% off the retail price of Fitbit products in the U.S. and Canada.

If your study is outside the U.S. or Canada, we can’t guarantee a research discount but will introduce you to a local distributor who may offer a similar discount.

Once you’ve decided to include Fitbit devices in your study and your study details are finalized, please submit a research application. Once approved, we’ll send you an email introducing you to a Fitbit team member who can help you place the discounted order.

When you’re ready to purchase devices for your study and your study details are finalized, please submit a research application.

In most cases, we’re happy to provide you with a standard letter of support. Please submit your request here and a member of our team will be in touch soon.

We’re currently not able to assist with grants or grant proposals

Our research discount is 20% year round, while retail promotions are time sensitive. Additionally, many retailers don't support ordering several devices at once or may have caps per purchaser during a certain period of time. Additionally when purchasing from Fitbit Health Solutions, our customer support teams can provide priority support for both participants and researchers.

Fitbit is able to provide quotes for orders that meet the following conditions:

• Order must be for a minimum of 30 devices and in increments of 10s by SKU
• Order must be paid by credit card, check or wire (credit card is preferred and check/wire can add 7-10 days to the ordering process)

Fitbit only accepts purchase orders from clients that are already approved for credit with our Team.

Internal notes:

• Contact credit@fitbit.com, currently managed by Adrienne Sandoval from Fitbit’s finance team, or FHS Sales Team members (such as Tim Schmidt) if they have been approved for credit.
• If the hospital/university is small, chances are high they do not have a secure line of credit with us.
• Even if the client says they usually cannot pay with a credit card, mention “we work with other institutions that typically do not use credit cards, but are able to make a one-time exception with this type of order”.

We are not able to alter our terms and conditions.

Please reach out to legal@fitbit.com

Please email materials to legal@fitbit.com for review

Citations should be inline with other citations in your publication, however we ask that you note that when referencing Fitbit data you do so with as much specificity as possible.

Citations should be inline with other citations in your publication, however we ask that you note that when referencing Fitbit data you do so with as much specificity as possible.

Yes, Fitbit complies with all applicable HIPAA requirements.

Fitbit’s trackers and smartwatches are not FDA-regulated products. The Aria 2 scale is an FDA-regulated medical device, and complies with all applicable FDA requirements.