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Version 3.8 July 15: Still no "Auto Upload=On/Off" device control

Former Member over 9 years ago

I appreciate the efforts of the development team to continually improve and enhance the GCM app.

Unfortunately, this release still enforces uploading of all data, whether you want that or not. The choice that was taken away in version 3.5 is still not back. The "voluntary" uploading as mentioned in Garmins Privacy Agreement is not voluntary at all. The control is grayed out and everything is always uploaded.

In effect, smart notifications, IQ Connect store access, updates, changing (activity tracking) settings, and predicted satellite orbit data are still only available "in exchange" for activity-tracker data and stored activities.

Please, development team, give the choice back to the user. It worked great before release 3.5!

Apart from privacy aspects, there are practical issues too. For example when you're on a slow or expensive internet connection, you may want to defer uploading until you have a better/cheaper connection, while still having the option to change activity tracking settings.

0 rugby49 over 8 years ago

No On/Off Switch

Thanks for the response. I had a solid connection at this house both for LTE and WiFi. Traveling to my house in VT today where I have no Cell Service and the Internet is 5mbs. Will be interesting to see the battery drain. Yesterday by 9:00PM I was down to 15%. The software does have a switch to turn Auto Synch Off but it is greyed out. Wonder what they are accumulating all this data for. Also do Garmin Reps ever participate in these forums?

0 Bit over 8 years ago

The software does have a switch to turn Auto Synch Off but it is greyed out.

It has been greyed out since April. I don't know why they leave it in, if they have no intention of returning the functionality.

Wonder what they are accumulating all this data for.

A couple of things come to mind:
- The majority of fitness device buyers values the service (instantly uploaded, no waiting until you're home and at the PC, the sharing, the competitions, etcetera).
- There is no third-party software to process data files that contain steps- and sleep data (monitor files). It's not likely that a software producer will invest in creating an independent product to do this. They would be competing against the free Garmin service. I had to write my own software to extract the data that I need, but I enjoy doing that.
- Last but not least, as anonymous aggregated data it is very valuable information that can be sold.

Also do Garmin Reps ever participate in these forums?

They sometimes do, but this is a user-to-user support forum. If you have a question or issue that you want answered by Garmin, you have to open a support call.

If Garmin, for their business model, really need to receive every users' data 'in return' for them receiving device firmware updates, satellite orbit prediction data, weather information, notfications, IQ Appstore access and such, I can understand, but I would prefer to 'buy that off' with a small fee. For example, offer the AutoUpload ON/OFF switch as a one-time in-app purchase.

There are some tips for the Fenix 3 that may be of some use here.

0 rugby49 over 8 years ago

On/Off Switch

I have the VivoActive HR and do like the device. Only using it for about 10 days now but the battery drain from the constant update is concerning for me. As an extremely light user I should not be getting a low battery warning at around 6:00pm est. Normally I would still be around 60%. So I will do a factory wipe of a Blackberry DTEK60 and only install Garmin Mobile and see what happens. Just to make sure that I am not having a battery issue on my Galaxy S7 Edge. But between IOS, Android and Tizen I never had a device or software that automatically sent data. Always synched manually several times per day when I needed to. Might have to rethink this purchase if the battery drain continues.