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Android app gives frequent unwanted notifications (bluetooth troubleshooting)

Former Member
Former Member

Add me to the list of people who get frequent unnecessary/unwanted Android notifications from the Garmin Connect app. I'm using the Pixel 3. I've read other such threads and there doesn't seem to be a good solution on the Garmin-software side. For example.

I receive "bluetooth troubleshooting" messages regularly. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice from the screenshots that my phone is in battery saver mode (which makes location much less effective), but these notifications also occur when the phone isn't in battery saver.
When I tap to follow the notification, it takes me to a general-issues-with-bluetooth that is irrelevant (because I'm not having any problems with bluetooth) and doesn't help me get rid of the notifications or address the reason they are showing up.

The incessant notifications are annoying, but also signal that Garmin Connect app is constantly monitoring my location, which it doesn't need to do.

I'd ideally like to set Android so that the Garmin app cannot ever run in the background (I only use it as a go-between to upload my ride data to Strava, and I'm happy to manually start the app when I want to do this. But Android doesn't make this easy apart from clunky develop-options. One thing I miss about Windows Phone, which had straightforward control of which apps are allowed to run in the background.

My other option is to just uninstall Garmin Connect, and manually move the FIT file from my Garmin Edge to my computer and then upload to Strava.

How have others dealt with this issue?

  • On your Garmin watch, go to "Settings->Phone->Alerts" and set to "OFF." At least on all of the Garmin watch & phone combinations I've tried, that setting is to blame for nearly constant "Phone Disconnected / Phone Connected" alerts and has no other use.

    The above will not stop app notifications from coming through.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Otto-Destruct

    Thanks for the suggestion.
    I'll turn my Edge 520 on, pair it, and change this setting when I'm back at home.
    Do you think it will help in my case though? The app notifications about bluetooth troubleshooting only come when I'm not using my Garmin device, which is of course most of the time.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Otto-Destruct

    On my Garmin Unit (Edge 520) the closest option was to go to "Settings->Bluetooth->Call and Text Alerts." But it was already off, which is where I've always kept it.
    I still get Garmin App notifications numerous times per day.

    I'm going back to Developer Settings on Android and blocking the Garmin Connect app from running in the background, since it can't be trusted. I like the hardware, but the app/software is pretty bad.