Why On-Device Video Processing Matters for Fitness Privacy

- By SpotMe MT

Filming your sets is one of the best ways to check your form. But a workout video is personal. It shows your body, and often your home or your gym. Before you hand that video to an app, it is fair to ask where it goes.

What on-device processing means

Some apps send your video to a remote server, analyse it there and send the results back. On-device processing works differently. The analysis runs on your own phone, so the video does not need to travel anywhere to be checked.

SpotMe works this way. When you record or select a video, the app looks at the frames and estimates where your body landmarks are, such as your hips, knees and ankles. From that it works out reps, movement measurements and feedback. Normal exercise videos are analysed on your device. SpotMe does not upload those videos to its servers for analysis.

Why it matters

  • Less exposure: a video that never leaves your phone cannot be exposed in a server breach.
  • More comfort: many people feel self-conscious filming themselves. Knowing the video stays with you can make it easier to start.
  • Your choice: you decide what to keep, share or delete on your own device.

What stays on your phone, and what syncs

It is important to be precise here. Videos, thumbnails, pose data and calibration are excluded from normal account syncing. Some information does sync to your account, so it can follow you between devices. That includes exercise results, achievements, height and weight.

Your phone's own backup service may also copy local files, depending on your settings. That is separate from SpotMe. Our SpotMe Privacy Policy explains all of this in full.

Pose estimation is not face recognition

Motion tracking looks at the position of your joints so it can analyse your movement. It is used to understand how you move, not to identify who you are.

What you can do

Whatever app you use, a few habits help protect your privacy:

  • Read how the app handles videos before you film.
  • Check which data syncs to your account and which stays local.
  • Film with a plain background so less of your home is visible.
  • Delete videos you no longer need.

Privacy was one of the first decisions we made when building SpotMe. You can read more about the founders behind SpotMe, or learn how to position your camera for better form analysis. Questions about your data? Get in touch with us.