Participant App FAQs

Got questions about the Labfront Companion app? We've got answers.

 

 
Installing App and Joining Study
How can participants download Labfront's participant app?
The Labfront Companion app can be downloaded here.
 
Do participants need to install both the Labfront Companion and Garmin Connect apps?
It depends on the data source (s) chosen for your study based on which data you'll be collecting. You can learn more here.
 
Do participants need to provide a subject ID or other ID to join a project?
We provide anonymous invite codes to connect the participants with your project - you just need to keep track of the Participant Identifiers.  If you have an existing StudyID or similar identifier, you may use that as the Participant Identifier to track participants.
 

Setting Up and Syncing

 
When I try to set up my device, multiple Garmin devices are showing up and I don't know which one is mine. What should I do?
If moving at least 30 feet away from the other devices does not work, we recommend temporarily turning off the other devices' Bluetooth and only turning on Bluetooth for the Garmin device you want to pair. 
 
How often do participants need to open the Labfront Companion app to sync Garmin data?
It is best practice to open the Labfront Companion app to sync every day. This is because the Labfront app collects data at a more granular level so there is a lot of data to sync. More data = longer sync time. If you forget to open the app one day and open it the following day, you will have twice the amount of data and therefore your sync time will be doubled.
Researchers can view the last time participants were seen on the app via the Adherence page.
 
Do participants need to keep the app open to sync?
It is highly recommended to keep the Labfront app in the foreground while syncing. This is to help ensure the process goes smoothly and all data is synced properly. Read more about syncing data in this article. 
 
When a device is synced on Labfront Companion, does it sync on Garmin Connect also?
No, it doesn't. If your study is using Garmin Connect data, you will need to open Garmin Connect regularly to sync. While the sync Garmin Connect sync time is shorter, we still recommend syncing daily for best practice (and to help remember).
 
There is a syncing error. What should I do?
First of all, don't panic (or throw your phone against the wall). In this case, we recommended fully closing and restarting the app. It sounds a little too simple, but it often works.
You can also try turning your phone's Bluetooth off, waiting for 10 seconds, and then turning it back on.  
If the issue persists, the next recommended step is unpairing and re-pairing the device from the app.
 

Tasks and Notifications

  
Can participants send notifications to researchers in the app? 
Currently, no. While researchers can send custom notifications to participants during a study, participants cannot send any messages back. 
 
Can I edit a questionnaire that I've already submitted?
Unfortunately not. While you can review your answers and make edits while you're completing the questionnaire, you can't make changes after the questionnaire has been submitted. 

 
Do I need to keep the app open if I'm completing a timed task?
No! The timer will continue to run in the background so don't worry about keeping the app in the foreground. Learn more about completing tasks in this article
 

Other 

Can we use the same wearable device more than once for different projects and participants?
Yes, you may use the same device for different projects and participants. Each time you go through the pairing set-up process with a new invite code it will connect this device to the new project and apply new settings to the device.  We also recommend resetting the device.
 
What should participants do if they encounter a bug on the app? 
While in most instances, participants should reach out to the researcher in charge of their study if they encounter an issue, a bug (Ex: the app keeps crashing), can be reported directly to the support team by going to  ⚙️ Settings > Report a bug. Their project ID and user ID will be included in the message and they should write a brief description of the issue so that our team can resolve it as soon as possible.