One thing I find confusing is that My Samsung gear fit 2 does not require location services on,
but my Garmin Vivosmart HR does, but only when I go out of bluetooth range.
Although it's a pain, I just enable location services long enough to connect
To the Garmin; then disable it again.
My Samsung will auto connect to bluetooth every time, no location services needed.
So my point is, if Samsung can do it, Garmin should be able to as well.
Salscott,
This should be easier than having to pair.
Try this:
Turn on Location Services.
Turn off Bluetooth
Wait 30 seconds
Go to the devices screen in Mobile Connect
You should see a message that Bluetooth needs to be turned on.
Turn BT on from there
Wait 1 minute to see if it reconnects.
@GennaroRun
Here's the history... even before Android Marshmallow, some phones would just NOT reconnect. To remedy this, developers realized that if they coded the app to perform a BLE scan (kick the BT chip in the butt, so-to-speak) first, the phone would reconnect. So, GCM along the way, coded it this way... for ALL phones. Then Marshmallow arrived with the new app perm model, which required location services permission and service be "enabled" (which you're already familiar with). GCM is still coded to perform a BLE scan (no matter what phone you have) when there's a open BLE connection "slot".
You're right. While GCM and a Garmin device are connected, you can turn off location services, and as long as the BLE connection remains alive, the app & the device will sync just fine. But, once your phone and your Garmin device lose the connection (we do this by walking down the office hall with the Garmin device in hand, and leaving the phone on our desks), in order to reconnect, since GCM is going to do a scan, it will need location services to be enabled again.
I know what some may be thinking now... "why not code so that for certain Android phones, GCM does NOT have to scan first". While possible, it would be very difficult with all of the Android device fragmentation out in the world. :)
I hope this helps explain the inner-workings, and why this service must be turned on for BLE reconnection, and thus syncing.
- Doug
This triggers the phone to keep the connection. Therefore, it is NOT necessary to do ANY KIND OF DEVICE SCAN so location is unnecessary!That does not prevent the Bluetooth connection from being broken or terminated for other reasons than timing out, such as when the wearer of the watch leaves his/her mobile device on the desk when heading off to the kitchen for a moment to make a cup of tea; then, to reestablish a connection when the two device are back within physical range of each other, the user must allow the Garmin Connect Mobile app to access Location services on the Android‑6 mobile device (including by enabling them in the OS settings) and perform a scan.
I know the challenges you mention, and believe me, it took a very long time for me to figure out the perfect recipe.The ‘perfect’ recipe is simply to ensure the user is aware of the new requirements, and allow him/her to make a conscious choice as to how it is to be dealt with:
That does not prevent the Bluetooth connection from being broken or terminated for other reasons than timing out, such as when the wearer of the watch leaves his/her mobile device on the desk when heading off to the kitchen for a moment to make a cup of tea; then, to reestablish a connection when the two device are back within physical range of each other, the user must allow the Garmin Connect Mobile app to access Location services on the Android‑6 mobile device (including by enabling them in the OS settings) and perform a scan.
The ‘perfect’ recipe is simply to ensure the user is aware of the new requirements, and allow him/her to make a conscious choice as to how it is to be dealt with:
- Choose a different mobile device (running Android 4.3+ or 5.x, Windows‑10 Mobile, or iOS) on which to run Garmin Connect Mobile, and with which to pair and sync the Garmin watch
- Choose not to sync the Garmin watch over Bluetooth
- Choose to enable Location services on the mobile device, at least when syncing is required, irrespective of how he/she feels about the necessity or technical merit of Google's requirement
The user's place here is not to dictate the requirements and priorities to either Garmin or Google when putting together his/her personal IT landscape, but to choose and make a compromise that is least daunting to him/her in the face of constraints.
Try my app, like 5200+ other active users.There's no point in my doing so, since I use alternately a Windows‑10 Mobile, an Android 5.1 handset, an Android 5.0 tablet and an iPad Air for syncing with my FR235, with no intention of upgrading either of my Android devices to Android‑6.x – not the least because of Google's new requirement. That is my choice as a user and IT consumer.
There's no point in my doing so, since I use alternately a Windows‑10 Mobile, an Android 5.1 handset, an Android 5.0 tablet and an iPad Air for syncing with my FR235, with no intention of upgrading either of my Android devices to Android‑6.x – not the least because of Google's new requirement. That is my choice as a user and IT consumer.
