Automatic journaling – import from social services (part 3) | APR 21

As the number of people connecting #Facebook, #Twitter, #Foursquare and #Instagram to STEP Journal is continuously increasing, we have been asked more than a few times what gets imported from where and how to streamline the import. This post – the third in line about Automatic Journaling – is to answer all the related questions. In the first post we’ve discussed import from wearable devices (Fitbit & JawboneUP), while the second dealt with internal sources of iPhone (Calendar, Photos, Locations and Motion activity).

1. Start from Status on Facebook

Start writing your post from “Update Status” entry point on Facebook Timeline

or “Status” entry point on your personal page.

If you start from “Status” entry point, and write text, add Photo(s), tag friends, enter Place – all will be imported to STEP Journal (given photos are stored in Mobile Uploads album – only this album is reachable for STEP Journal at the time of writing this post). As by default photos uploaded using Facebook’s web interface are placed in “Timeline Photos” album, and photos uploaded using Facebook’s app on mobile device go to “Mobile Uploads” album, the sure proof way is to use mobile application. Posts will be imported irrespective of privacy settings (Public, Friends, Only Me, etc).

What won’t get imported from Facebook? Posts in which your friends tagged you, posts including links and / or videos (even if initiated from “Status”), moods (feeling awesome, etc), and photos uploaded to all the other albums.

2. #tags get seamlessly converted to STEP Journal’s activities

This status update on Facebook mobile app

Will look like this when imported to STEP Journal

But if you use hashtags when writing Status Update

they will turn into STEP Journal activities (given such activities exist in the database of STEP Journal). Come on, you are not planning to use #WalkingMyAmazingPuppyRex, are you?

3. The way data import works

When you connected any social service to STEP Journal (Menu > Connected Services), you could have chosen “Continuous Import” or do manual import every time by taping “Import Now”. Continuous import fetches data every 3 hours (checking more often would affect your phone’s battery life). If you want to see precious post IMMEDIATELY, tap “Import Now” and check STEP Journal’s Timeline.

5. How about Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare entry import?

Import from Foursquare is identical to import from Facebook (Text, Photo, tagged Friends, Place and hashtags turned to activities). The only exception is this: if you check-in yourself and your friend (who is using STEP Journal and connected Foursquare to it), this check in will be imported into your friend’s Timeline.

In case of Twitter and Instagram – all of the above get imported into STEP Journal except tagged Friends. Finally, if you use Twitter app and upload more than one photo, only the first one will reach your STEP Journal’s Timeline (Twitter’s rule, sorry…).

Questions? drop us a line to feedback (at) step (dot) pe