Bug in x-axis spacing of all activity graphs in the connect app

This is not really a bug, but rather the way the data is presented on Garmin Connect Mobile (GCM). Unless you use the "Every Second Recording" mode, the logging is irregular, depending on diverse conditions (changes of direction, elevation, HR, etc.). Unlike GCW (Garmin Connect Web), GCM simply plots all the keypoints into the graph, without egalizing the x-axis over the duration or over the distance. You need to look at the x-axis labels that help you evaluating the data properly.

If you need a more precise graphs with the x-axis egalized either over the duration or over the distance, you have to use Garmin Connect Web - at the graphs there, you can choose whether you want to have a linear time or linear distance on the X-axis. This option is not currently available on GCM.

Alternatively, you can use the "Every Second Recording" mode - the X-axis on GCM should be then linear over the time, too. Note: this mode can drain your battery and memory space slightly faster than the default "Smart Recording".

trux said:

Unlike GCW (Garmin Connect Web), GCM simply plots all the keypoints into the graph, without egalizing the x-axis over the duration or over the distance.

I would classify this behavior as a bug (or intentionally misleading if the app is designed to display data like this). The display of the data should be independent of the logging interval, and the mobile app should do either the same as the web version, or at least spread out the points at unequal length if they are recorded at unequal time intervals. Having unequal time intervals at equal distance along the x-axis severely limits the ability to correctly interpret the plot.

However, I don't think this is a logging problem. As can be seen by the granularity in the heart rate curve, there are clearly enough data points to choose them so that they would be spread out equally timewise along the x-axis. It is incredibly difficult to mentally adjust for the current irregular offset and a fix in the app would be very simple.

I would classify this behavior as a bug

Of course, you can classify it as you like, but it won't change anything on its behaviour. GCM simply currently shows the data in this way. If you want graphs with a linear time axis, you'll need to use the graphs on GC Web, or trying whether the Every Second Recording helps.

trux said:

Of course, you can classify it as you like, but it won't change anything on its behaviour. GCM simply currently shows the data in this way.

Naturally my classification won't magically change how the app works, I don't get your point here. Thanks for letting me know that there is no current way of changing this so that I just haven't missed an option somewhere.

I detailed my reasoning to why I think the plot is not fulfilling its desired purpose of communicating data clearly to its readers and suggested a more suitable behavior for this purpose (which you helpfully pointed out is already the default web behavior). By bringing up reasons for why the current behavior is subpar, I hope to get an idea if others share my view point or if there are benefits with the current state of things that I have overlooked. If many app users agree on one side of an issue, hopefully someone at Garmin would notice it and take action.

Do you consider the current behavior desirable and if so which advantages you see with it? Would you prefer it to change to be consistent with the web representation?

Do you consider the current behavior desirable and if so which advantages you see with it? Would you prefer it to change to be consistent with the web representation?

Frankly told, personally I do not care much. For me the most important is understanding how the data is presented, and how to interpret it. As long as that is assured, I am rather flexible and can adapt a wide range of formats. And especeially knowing that there is another aternative, in the form of the GCW graphs, that I prefere using anyway, it really does not bother me at all.

That told, I understand that you or anyone else may prefer a different way. However, the user forum here serves primarily for the mutual help. We can help each other, offer explanations, advices, and workarounds, but that's about all. You do not communicate to Garmin here, and whether the posts on the forum have any impact on the decisions at Garmin at all, is highly doubtful. You better contact them directly, or use the form at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/

trux said:

the user forum here serves primarily for the mutual help. We can help each other, offer explanations, advices, and workarounds, but that's about all. You do not communicate to Garmin here, and whether the posts on the forum have any impact on the decisions at Garmin at all, is highly doubtful.

Well received, and it has been helpful finding out that there is no option to change this and that the web version is different. I have seen a few posts from Garmin reps, so I was (maybe naively) hoping that posting here could potentially get an official response or explanation, since I didn't hear back when I contacted them directly.

I also think this issue is not immediately obvious when looking at the graph (I initially noticed it because my even length intervals showed up as differently long white lines), and getting more people aware of the current behavior could both be helpful for them and potentially cause more people to suggest that this changes.

Yes, it is certainly very helpful posting it here, because people looking up similar problems in future, can find so the explanation and the workarounds.

I would also classify this behavior as a bug. The current presentation is useless or at least missleading. In fact, I was collecting logs and screendumps for a troublereport when coming across this chat.