Google is taking over FitBit after it’s been announced to be paying about $2.1 Billion which apparently seems to be a bad news for FitBit users as they question the sincerity of Google about handling their personal health data.
Google in fact knew about this and made an announcement after the sales agreement that the company will never sell any personal information whatsoever . And also promises that the FitBit health and Wellness data will not be used for Google Ads. Google also promises to give FitBit users the choice to review, move or even delete their data which is a good one.
Even though Google had given their words, some of us might still be skeptical about all these “Big Tech” even though some FitBit users are already threatening to move to Apple Watch as a result of the acquisition (and, thus, your data) from Fitbit’s servers before the sale goes through. It’s actually pretty simple to do.
HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FITBIT HEALTH DATA
If you’ve already made up your mind to ditch your FitBit account then you might need to download your existing data from t he platform before moving finally.
One good thing is if you’ve not been using FitBit for too long like say 31 days or lesser, then you can easily download your data. but let’s assume you’ve been using FitBit for quite a longer timeframe, then you’ll need to request an archive of your data which can be done on the FitBit’s desktop Dashboard. To do this, head to your computer and then login to your FitBit account and then:
- Click on the gear icon in the upper right corner.
- Select “Settings.”
- Select “Data Export” from the left-hand menu.
- If you just want up to the last month’s worth of data, choose your time frame and whether you want your data in CSV or Excel formats. Once you’ve made your choices, click on “Download.”
- If you want your entire history, then scroll down to where it says “Export Your Account Archive” and select “Request Data.”
- Look for an email with a link; it will take you to a page where you will confirm your wish to recover your data.
- Finally, you’ll be sent another email with a link that lets you download your data. Depending on how much information you’ve got stored, it may take minutes, hours, or days before this second email arrives.
Once you’ve gotten your data, then you can delete your account right from the Desktop Dashboard or from the mobile application user interface.
Meanwhile upon the “Delete Account” request, there is always a 7-days grace period which FitBit gives you to be able to recover your account just in case you hanged your mind to retain your account but afterwards, the account will be permanently deleted. While complete data wipe-out will take between 30 – 90 days before completion.
DELETE FITBIT ACCOUNT FROM THE DESKTOP
- Go to your Fitbit settings page and scroll down to the bottom. Click on “delete account.”
- You’ll get a warning pop-up; type in your account password and click on “Send Confirmation Email.”
DELETE FITBIT ACCOUNT FROM YOUR MOBILE APP:
- Open your Fitbit app and tap on the “Today” icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap on your account icon (usually your photo) at the top left corner.
- Scroll down until you see “Manage Data” and select it.
- Tap on “Delete Account.”
- Once again, tap on “Delete Account”
Either way, you will start the process of deleting your account and all the data that Fitbit has collected. You are then free to start using an Apple Watch — or any other fitness wearable that you may want to move to.