Vo2 Max With 3rd Party App Gear S3 Frontier UPDATED

Vo2 Max With 3rd Party App Gear S3 Frontier

For each of the last three years or so, I've started the review process of a Samsung GPS watch, all variants of either the Samsung Galaxy line or Samsung Gear lineup. And each of those years I get a few workouts into information technology and recall what a consummate nightmare information technology is to get data off of the darn watch.  Or more specifically, out of the Samsung app that accompanies the watch. This year with the Samsung Galaxy Sentinel Active, the story is no different.

See, while most companies make information technology relatively painless to download completed conditioning files – Samsung takes the opposite approach. They make it darn near impossible, depending on whether you're on iOS or Android. And fifty-fifty on Android getting a file with HR information included is catchy concern as well. When I'm talking files, I'm specifically talking about something you can download to your estimator and 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 ane. No worries, that's non a business concern hither since Samsung doesn't use .CSV anyway for Southward Health.

Note that this post is definitely not a review of the Galaxy Picket Active (or South Wellness aka Samsung Wellness). It'southward basically just a quick how-to guide on a unmarried topic that seems to perplex many. My actual review of the Samsung Milky way Sentry Agile volition come late next calendar week, after I terminate collecting a scrap more data.

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

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

If Paired to Android Phone:

Every bit one might expect, the Samsung watches mostly have more than features when paired to an Android phone than not. In fact, that even gets taken a step further for Galaxy phones vs a vanilla Android phone in certain features. But for the purposes of exporting data out of the lookout, it's equal.

You've got two and a half basic ways to go almost it:

A) Utilize the .GPX export option from inside Samsung Health: This generally works fine for doing it 1 file at a fourth dimension, except one catch: Information technology doesn't export your heart rate data. While the .GPX file format supports 60 minutes data simply fine, Samsung elected not to put information technology in there. If you don't intendance about that – and so past all ways, use this choice.

B) Use 3rd party sync tools to export data from app to interwebs: In that location's 2 main options here I'yard aware of – FitnessSyncer and SyncMyTracks. Both do basically the aforementioned affair: They get your data off of the phone and up to 3rd political party sites like Garmin Connect, Strava, Dropbox, and endless others. Once you use these apps, your data is costless equally a bird. And it'll include Hour data too (at to the lowest degree with FitnessSyncer that I've tried).

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

In addition to these methods, there'south besides the nuclear option: GDPR. Samsung does allow you to submit a asking for all your data that they have on their platform (synced to the Samsung Health Cloud). The challenge there is that in one case you lot stumble through their automated process, yous get a Naught file back with a crapton of mostly useless JSON files. They aren't in a fitness format that any site would empathize. And so you'd take to write a parser to undo that situation. Thus, like a nuclear bomb – it technically works simply is also a consummate mess.

So, allow's just practise a quick run-through of those starting time three options. Just for the fun of it.

Export every bit GPX: First upwards, using the .GPX sport feature within a given workout. To do this you'll go to the activity you lot desire to export and then open it up. Slide all the way to the lesser and then select 'Export as GPX file'.

After that, it'll ask you what you lot desire to do with it. I'd just electronic mail information technology to yourself and so upload it manually to wherever you want.

3rd Party Sync- FitnessSyncer: In this scenario you demand to create an account (it's free) for FitnessSyncer. This is a website that connects to basically every platform on earth. In the instance of Samsung, they connect via the local Samsung Wellness app on your phone – rather than to Samsung's Cloud – hence why yous need to run the app on your phone.  In one case you lot've got an account created, go ahead and install the Android app (you can as well create an account from inside the app too):

And so, on the options setup a sync inbound from Samsung Health. You tin practise this on the smartphone app or on the site. I like the site considering I like desktop web browsers. This will take the data from Samsung Wellness and make information technology bachelor inside FitnessSyncer'south platform:

Next, y'all'll need to export that data somewhere. FitnessSyncer has basically two things it does in life: Pull information in, and button data out. You merely tell it where to button and pull to.

Now here'due south the thing: I strongly recommend you lot don't become fancy here. Just export it out to ane identify for at present. And don't set multiple imports. The final time I did that my house of cards vicious downwards. Likely my mistake, but just continue it unproblematic for now. Then afterward on when you get self y'all tin break your own house and information technology won't be my fault.

In my example, I set it up to sync to Dropbox, as that's super easy for me to manage my files there:

Y'all tin can add filters and such for dates or titles or anything y'all want. Once again – keep information technology unproblematic until you've got information technology working.

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

A few moments later y'all've got a folder full of conditioning files to upload wherever you lot want – inclusive of HR and GPS data:

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

Strava Sync: Finally, if yous want to sync to Strava, that's quick and easy too. To enable that go into the '…' card in the upper correct corner, select Settings, then select 'Connected Services', and and then choose Strava. It'll enquire yous to cosign once, afterward which new workouts volition then exist synced there:

Do note that there are some oddities however betwixt the information from Samsung Health GPS export versus that of using the Strava sync pick, including distance/time/superlative, which does, in turn, bear on some Strava effort metrics.

Interestingly, there used to be mode more options for platforms Samsung sync'd to, just they're all gone these days. Information technology'south just Strava, and only Strava. Either style, at least if you're on an Android phone you tin get your data out. Sometimes one escape route is better than none.

If Paired to an iPhone:

I'm going to exist the bearer of bad news here – but the simple reality is that without an Android telephone you won't be able to download whatsoever workout data files from your device. At least if you recorded that action using the native Samsung workout apps on the Galaxy watch. That data goes into Samsung'southward Samsung Health app on your iPhone and then up to Samsung Health cloud. However, there's no mechanism on the iOS app to download workout files (fifty-fifty partial ones).

In fact, unlike the Android app, you can't even connect the Samsung Health to Strava. It'due south simply not an option. But like there is no option to export data as .GPX files like there is on Android. This has been this manner for years, since the days of the Gear Sport and prior.

The *simply* selection you lot've got that doesn't involve an Android phone is the GDPR request to request all your information. Simply as I outlined in more detail upwardly above in the Android department, that just gives you a pile of mostly useless non-fitness formatted JSON files. Sure, the information is in there, but good luck doing anything with information technology unless you spend a bunch of fourth dimension writing scripts to manually parsing that data. And if in that location'southward annihilation I've learned in doing this more than than a decade information technology'due south that when it comes to parsing fettle files: Information technology'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 co-ordinate to standards. It's the edge cases that kills them. Silly things like how to deal with information driblet-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 – it's a slam on Samsung: Only offer your .GPX export option on iOS. Or, go all modern and offering .TCX or .FIT like everyone else.

Your only promise – using a 3rd party app to record workouts: For iOS users, this is really the all-time bet. This allows y'all to record a workout using an app similar Endomondo, which supports proper data syncing too as exporting via a desktop web browser. They sync to enough of platforms, well beyond just Strava. The only downside here is that yous won't get the data into Samsung Health as a cohesive workout moving picture. But hey – it doesn't sound like you lot intendance nearly that anyway.

I know that DesFit used Endomondo for the vast bulk of his review he just released with actually good success. I'yard planning on using it for the remainder of my workouts for this review. As an iOS user, using it or another fitness app is frankly your all-time choice for file exporting.

Got an Android friend? Now, if you do accept a friend on Android, there'southward some opportunity hither if you lot want to keep using the native workout app on the Samsung watches. Oh, and I hateful, similar, a actually practiced friend.

See, the iPhone app syncs up to Samsung'south Health cloud automatically. So all your data is actually there. Information technology's just that you can't practice anything with it as an iOS user.

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

In fact, that'due south mostly what I'yard doing today. My Galaxy Scout Agile is paired to my iPhone, and so information technology syncs via the deject to my secondary Android phone, where I tin can then export the data out via FitnessSyncer. Information technology's hardly ideal, but information technology's an pick – peculiarly if you've got an older Android phone lying around (Fun tidbit though: Samsung Health app won't permit you sign-in the first time without a SIM carte in the phone on Android).

Lastly – you may be wondering why doesn't Samsung just offer an API on their website and allow apps to access it that fashion? Well, they do in fact.

It's simply that it's not viable cost-wise for companies to use it. First, Samsung charges $10,000 for the initial API access, and then they charge on a per read basis for each transaction.  In talking to one company looking at rolling it out, the cost for that small app would likely be over $1,200,000 per year based on the load/demand they get. Every bit you might imagine, that's well into non-starter territory. And I doubtable also the reason why we've seen every app but Strava disappear from S Wellness over the past 6 months.

Got whatsoever other ways?

Now – if you've got whatever other means to get the data out, especially for iOS users, I'm all ears!

On one mitt, some might make an statement that 'Hey, at least Samsung allows y'all to connect their watches to iOS. What about Apple that doesn't allow you lot to do that to Android!'. And that'south true. But it's as well whataboutism. At the end of the twenty-four hours, Apple isn't selling their watches to Android users, and as such, they aren't offering a crappy feel.

Given Samsung's spent money developing not one, merely ii apps (Samsung Health and the Galaxy watch app) for iOS – they're showing an investment in catering beyond not merely Samsung phones but also beyond Android phones.  And while one might besides argue that 'perchance Samsung will add the export features soon', history illuminates that'south simply not the example.  Stretching all the manner back to 2017 this event has been present. In fact, it's gotten worse since then. Previously even on Android at that place were more data sync partners. At present merely Strava is left.

In the concurrently, I'll continue doing the 2-phone and 3rd political party app tango to go my data out. Oh – and that concluding review? Don't worry, still coming up next Friday as promised. Later on I find a friend with a Samsung Galaxy phone and fly to another country so I tin install the previously always available Spotify app on my lookout man.

With that – thanks for reading!

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Vo2 Max With 3rd Party App Gear S3 Frontier UPDATED

Posted by: ceciliawilcorts.blogspot.com