Home / Technology / Hack Your Scale: Ditch Withings Subscription Fee
Hack Your Scale: Ditch Withings Subscription Fee
29 Oct
Summary
- Open source project reroutes data away from Withings servers.
- Project allows free syncing to other apps and platforms.
- Requires alternate firmware on older Withings scale models.
A new open source project, YourOwnWeigh, offers a solution for users frustrated by Withings' decision to require a subscription for syncing health data to third-party apps. Developed by Tom Anthony, the project enables users to reroute their data from Withings scales, circumventing the company's servers and allowing for free synchronization with other platforms.
The initiative primarily involves a web app that runs on a user-hosted server, or even a free CloudFlare account. This web app updates Withings scales with alternate firmware, directing data to a non-Withings server. It also imports existing settings and user profiles, then downloads health data from weigh-ins.
Currently, the project is limited to two older Withings scale models. While Apple Health integration has been achieved using Apple Shortcuts, there is hope for community expansion to include other platforms like Google Health. This would likely depend on the ability to patch firmware on newer models.
