Upload Samsung Health to Gear Fit Pro 2

For each of the last three years or so, I've started the review process of a Samsung GPS sentry, all variants of either the Samsung Milky way line or Samsung Gear lineup. And each of those years I get a few workouts into it and remember what a complete nightmare it is to become information off of the darn sentinel.  Or more than specifically, out of the Samsung app that accompanies the lookout. This year with the Samsung Galaxy Picket Agile, the story is no dissimilar.

Encounter, while most companies make it relatively painless to download completed workout files – Samsung takes the opposite approach. They get in darn near incommunicable, depending on whether you're on iOS or Android. And even on Android getting a file with HR information included is tricky business too. When I'thousand talking files, I'yard specifically talking about something you tin download to your reckoner and then load onto various fitness apps/platforms. Common file formats like .FIT, .TCX, and even .GPX. While .CSV is considered a file format, it's not a fitness one. No worries, that'due south not a concern here since Samsung doesn't use .CSV anyhow for Due south Health.

Note that this post is definitely non a review of the Galaxy Watch Agile (or Southward Health aka Samsung Health). Information technology's basically just a quick how-to guide on a single topic that seems to perplex many. My bodily review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active will come late side by side week, afterwards I end collecting a bit more data.

Now, a super brief graphical overview of how the Samsung watches work from a fettle file standpoint.

Got all that? Adept, we'll probably refer to information technology a few times.

If Paired to Android Phone:

As one might look, the Samsung watches generally have more than features when paired to an Android phone than not. In fact, that fifty-fifty gets taken a footstep farther for Galaxy phones vs a vanilla Android phone in certain features. But for the purposes of exporting data out of the watch, it'due south equal.

You've got two and a one-half basic ways to get nearly it:

A) Utilise the .GPX export option from within Samsung Health: This mostly works fine for doing it one file at a time, except one take hold of: It doesn't export your heart charge per unit data. While the .GPX file format supports Hr data simply fine, Samsung elected not to put it in in that location. If you lot don't care about that – and so past all ways, use this option.

B) Use 3rd party sync tools to consign data from app to interwebs: There's two main options here I'm aware of – FitnessSyncer and SyncMyTracks. Both do basically the same affair: They become your data off of the telephone and up to 3rd party sites like Garmin Connect, Strava, Dropbox, and endless others. Once you use these apps, your data is free as a bird. And it'll include HR data as well (at least with FitnessSyncer that I've tried).

C) Sync to Strava (this is the one-half choice): In this selection you tin enable Strava sync for your workouts, and then download that file later the fact from Strava. Be enlightened that this merely works for data synced directly from the scout to your Android telephone and so to Strava. If you lot're looking at this option from the perspective of an iPhone user, it won't work (more on that in a moment).

In add-on to these methods, there's besides the nuclear choice: GDPR. Samsung does permit you lot to submit a request for all your data that they have on their platform (synced to the Samsung Health Deject). The challenge there is that once you stumble through their automated process, you get a ZIP file back with a crapton of mostly useless JSON files. They aren't in a fitness format that whatever site would understand. So yous'd accept to write a parser to disengage that situation. Thus, like a nuclear bomb – information technology technically works simply is likewise a complete mess.

And so, allow's simply do a quick run-through of those first 3 options. Simply for the fun of it.

Export as GPX: First upwardly, using the .GPX sport feature inside a given workout. To do this you lot'll go to the action you want to consign and and then open up it upward. Slide all the way to the bottom and then select 'Consign equally GPX file'.

Afterwards that, it'll enquire you what you want to practice with information technology. I'd just electronic mail information technology to yourself and then upload information technology manually to wherever you want.

third Party Sync- FitnessSyncer: In this scenario you need to create an account (it'south free) for FitnessSyncer. This is a website that connects to basically every platform on earth. In the case of Samsung, they connect via the local Samsung Health app on your phone – rather than to Samsung'southward Deject – hence why you need to run the app on your phone.  Once you've got an account created, go alee and install the Android app (yous tin also create an business relationship from within the app too):

So, on the options setup a sync inbound from Samsung Wellness. You can do this on the smartphone app or on the site. I similar the site because I like desktop web browsers. This will have the data from Samsung Wellness and make it available within FitnessSyncer's platform:

Side by side, you'll need to export that data somewhere. FitnessSyncer has basically two things information technology does in life: Pull data in, and push data out. You lot but tell it where to push and pull to.

At present here's the thing: I strongly recommend yous don't get fancy here. Merely export it out to one identify for now. And don't set multiple imports. The last fourth dimension I did that my house of cards fell down. Probable my error, but just keep it simple for now. Then after when you get cocky you tin can interruption your own house and information technology won't be my fault.

In my case, I set information technology upwardly to sync to Dropbox, as that's super easy for me to manage my files there:

You tin add filters and such for dates or titles or anything y'all want. Once more – proceed it simple until you've got it working.

And with that, printing that sync push button and off it goes. Then printing the sync button next to Dropbox as well:

A few moments afterward yous've got a folder total of workout files to upload wherever you want – inclusive of 60 minutes and GPS data:

Note that the Samsung watches don't natively connect to sensors, so that type of data consign isn't really an issue here.

Strava Sync: Finally, if you want to sync to Strava, that'south quick and easy too. To enable that go into the '…' menu in the upper right corner, select Settings, then select 'Continued Services', and then choose Strava. It'll ask you to authenticate one time, afterward which new workouts will then be synced in that location:

Do notation that there are some oddities however betwixt the data from Samsung Health GPS export versus that of using the Strava sync choice, including distance/time/elevation, which does, in turn, impact some Strava try metrics.

Interestingly, there used to exist style more than options for platforms Samsung sync'd to, only they're all gone these days. It's just Strava, and only Strava. Either way, at least if you're on an Android phone you tin go your information out. Sometimes i escape route is meliorate than none.

If Paired to an iPhone:

I'm going to be the bearer of bad news hither – but the elementary reality is that without an Android telephone you won't be able to download any workout data files from your device. At to the lowest degree if y'all recorded that activity using the native Samsung workout apps on the Milky way lookout. That data goes into Samsung's Samsung Health app on your iPhone and so upward to Samsung Health cloud. Even so, at that place'due south no mechanism on the iOS app to download workout files (fifty-fifty fractional ones).

In fact, unlike the Android app, yous can't fifty-fifty connect the Samsung Health to Strava. It's simply non an selection. Just like in that location is no option to export data equally .GPX files like in that location is on Android. This has been this way for years, since the days of the Gear Sport and prior.

The *but* option you've got that doesn't involve an Android phone is the GDPR request to request all your data. Merely as I outlined in more detail upwardly higher up in the Android section, that merely gives you a pile of mostly useless non-fettle formatted JSON files. Sure, the data is in there, but good luck doing anything with it unless you spend a agglomeration of time writing scripts to manually parsing that data. And if there's annihilation I've learned in doing this more than a decade it's that when it comes to parsing fettle files: It's really difficult.

I've no doubt someone on GitHub probably has a parser somewhere for these files. But it often takes companies years of work to get their files perfect and compliant according to standards. It's the edge cases that kills them. Giddy things like how to deal with data drop-outs in tunnels or weird 0,0 lat/long blazon bugs. Things that most DIY parsing scripts won't likely have handled properly. Which isn't a slam on them – information technology'southward a slam on Samsung: Simply offering your .GPX export option on iOS. Or, get all modern and offer .TCX or .FIT like everyone else.

Your just hope – using a third party app to tape workouts: For iOS users, this is really the best bet. This allows you to tape a workout using an app like Endomondo, which supports proper data syncing as well every bit exporting via a desktop web browser. They sync to plenty of platforms, well across just Strava. The only downside hither is that yous won't go the information into Samsung Health equally a cohesive workout movie. Merely hey – it doesn't sound like y'all care about that anyhow.

I know that DesFit used Endomondo for the vast majority of his review he but released with really good success. I'm planning on using information technology for the remainder of my workouts for this review. As an iOS user, using it or another fettle app is frankly your best option for file exporting.

Got an Android friend? Now, if you do have a friend on Android, at that place'south some opportunity here if you want to proceed using the native workout app on the Samsung watches. Oh, and I mean, like, a really good friend.

Run into, the iPhone app syncs up to Samsung's Health deject automatically. And then all your data is really at that place. It's but that you can't do anything with information technology as an iOS user.

However, if your friend installs on their Android phone the Samsung Health app, and so you log in with your account – then y'all can sync your workouts automatically downwardly to that telephone and export from there. Same goes for FitnessSyncer on the Android phone after installing S Wellness.

In fact, that's mostly what I'chiliad doing today. My Galaxy Watch Active is paired to my iPhone, and and then information technology syncs via the cloud to my secondary Android phone, where I can and so export the data out via FitnessSyncer. It'due south hardly ideal, but information technology's an option – especially if you've got an older Android phone lying around (Fun tidbit though: Samsung Health app won't let y'all sign-in the first fourth dimension without a SIM card in the phone on Android).

Lastly – y'all may be wondering why doesn't Samsung just offer an API on their website and permit apps to access information technology that style? Well, they do in fact.

It'southward just that information technology'due south non viable cost-wise for companies to apply it. First, Samsung charges $10,000 for the initial API access, and and then they accuse on a per read ground for each transaction.  In talking to one company looking at rolling it out, the cost for that small app would likely exist over $i,200,000 per year based on the load/demand they get. As y'all might imagine, that'southward well into non-starter territory. And I doubtable also the reason why we've seen every app but Strava disappear from S Health over the past vi months.

Got any other ways?

Now – if you've got whatsoever other means to go the information out, especially for iOS users, I'1000 all ears!

On 1 hand, some might make an argument that 'Hey, at to the lowest degree Samsung allows you to connect their watches to iOS. What about Apple that doesn't let yous to do that to Android!'. And that's true. But it's likewise whataboutism. At the end of the solar day, Apple isn't selling their watches to Android users, and every bit such, they aren't offer a crappy experience.

Given Samsung'south spent coin developing non i, merely ii apps (Samsung Health and the Galaxy sentry app) for iOS – they're showing an investment in catering beyond not just Samsung phones but also beyond Android phones.  And while i might also fence that 'maybe Samsung will add the export features before long', history illuminates that'southward simply not the example.  Stretching all the manner back to 2017 this issue has been present. In fact, it's gotten worse since then. Previously even on Android in that location were more than data sync partners. At present simply Strava is left.

In the meantime, I'll keep doing the two-telephone and 3rd party app tango to become my data out. Oh – and that final review? Don't worry, still coming up next Friday as promised. After I find a friend with a Samsung Galaxy phone and fly to some other country so I can install the previously always available Spotify app on my spotter.

With that – thanks for reading!

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Source: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/03/export-data-samsung-watch-galaxy-health-app.html

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