Fitbit: Troubleshooting Connection and Data Issues

Fitbit Data Does Not Display in MyDataHelps

Occasionally the Fitbit app stops transmitting data to the MyDataHelps app, or expected Fitbit data does not display at all. While this can happen for various reasons, the sections below address the majority of the causes.

Sync the Fitbit App with the Fitbit Servers

1. Have the participant open the Fitbit mobile app and ensure that it's fully synced. They may need to refresh the screen by pulling down on the screen with their finger.
2. They can confirm that the sync is complete by viewing their dashboard in fitbit.com and verifying that the data is correct there.
3. After the sync is complete, have the participant:

• • Open MyDataHelps and select the tab that the Fitbit linked account displays on. The tab can vary depending on the project's configuration.
  • Touch the circular arrows to manually refresh their Fitbit data.
  • To see their refreshed data, they may need to refresh the screen by pulling the screen down with their finger.

Ensure the Participant's Fitbit Model Supports the Data in Question

For example, some Fitbit models do not track heart rate data, and some models do not track elevation data (floors climbed).

Ensure the Participant Enabled the Necessary Fitbit Access

To determine which data type accesses are enabled, the participant will need to sign in to their account on fitbit.com, navigate to "Settings," and then select "Applications" from the menu.

We request access to the following Fitbit data: activity and exercise, profile, heart rate, weight, sleep, and food and water logs. If the participant denied access to any of these (and the study uses any of these data types), that data will be missing.

It is also a good idea for participants to allow access to Fitbit devices and settings; this access helps with syncing Fitbit.

If the participant wishes to change access, they will need to select the Revoke Access button for CareEvolution in Fitbit.com, and then sign in to Fitbit again in MyDataHelps. Data that did not display due to an access issue will then display.

Ensure the Correct Fitbit Account is Linked to MyDataHelps

Participants may have multiple Fitbit accounts. If there is an issue with Fitbit data not syncing to MyDataHelps, then it is important to check that MyDataHelps is connected to the correct Fitbit account. Otherwise, data will not display in MyDataHelps Designer. The below instructions will step through how a participant can check which Fitbit account is connected and connect a new one if necessary.

First, check which email was used to create the account in Fitbit:

1. Open Fitbit app
2. Click the account image in the top left
3. Scroll down to Settings and click Account Settings
4. Click Change Email
5. The Current Email listed at the top of the screen is the one connected to Fitbit account
6. Note this email address for reference

Next, connect your Fitbit to MyDataHelps using the email address in your Fitbit app:

1. Open the MyDataHelps app
2. Click Account in the bottom right of the screen
3. Under Fitbit, click Remove Connection followed by Ok at the prompt
4. Click Connect your Fitbit Account
5. Login to Fitbit with the email address you located from your Fitbit account in the steps above

Reconnecting Fitbit to MyDataHelps

Normally a participant will only need to connect with Fitbit once, when they first connect. If their Fitbit tokens somehow become invalid, they will need to connect to Fitbit again within MyDataHelps. When this happens, they will see an "Access Expired. Please reconnect for us to pull your latest records." message. To reconnect, they would touch "Reconnect" and follow the onscreen prompts.

To see their refreshed data after reconnecting, they may need to refresh the screen by pulling down on the screen with their finger.

Failed Sync

On occasion Fitbit fails to sync. This can happen, for example, when the Fitbit server is down for a short period of time. MyDataHelps will be updated once the Fitbit issue is corrected.

This could also happen when the participant has exceeded the download data limits allowed by Fitbit for the hour. The participant would need to wait until a new hour begins (e.g., if they tried and the sync failed at 3:45pm, they would need to wait until after 4pm to try again).

Getting an Error When Trying to Connect to Fitbit

An error can occur if they are not using the same user name and password that they used to sign in to Fitbit on MyDataHelps that they use to sign in to the Fitbit app.