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Vivosmart 4 not tracking GPS

JonathanLeifheit
over 4 years ago

I have all the appropriate app permissions configured to allow access to Location. I've made sure that everything is set up as expected. But, for some reason I get NO location data on any of my walks. 

Is this a known issue? Is there something I can do to fix it?


Thanks!

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    I should've included the fact that NONE of my workouts on the Vivosmart 4 have ever had location data. I previously had a Vivorsmart HR and ALL of them have GPS data. But, that dates back to 2018 when the HR died. I was expecting to get location data with the 4 but haven't figured out how to make it work yet. I have had it since November and hadn't really paid attention but was looking at stuff tonight when I realized it was missing.

    I am using the 4.38.1 version of Connect.

    The 4 is on 4.90.

    Phone is a Samsung Galaxy S7 and I'm on Android 8.0.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JonathanLeifheit

    Make sure you follow exactly the instructions from the manual, when starting the Activity, and especially verify whether the connection to the phone is established and confirmed on the watch: Recording an Activity with Connected GPS (https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/vivosmart4/EN-US/GUID-30591B3B-2970-4D9C-BDAE-0925718DE243.html)

    There are also some videos with instructions on this page: Using the Connected GPS Feature With a Garmin Watch 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to trux

    Does GPS not work with the auto-start feature?

    That just occurred to me that I have been allowing it to do that in lieu of starting manually for my walks.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JonathanLeifheit
    JonathanLeifheit said:
    Does GPS not work with the auto-start feature?

    There are two options - Move IQ (does not start the activity, just tags it on the daily activity graph), and then the Activity Auto-Start (available only on some devices). The auto-start feature should start the activity, including the GPS automatically. The question is whether the activity was really deteted, recorded, and saved. You need both options on.

    If you have the walks in the list of your past Activities, they are indeed of the type "Walk", and not an indoor type (like Treadmill), and still missing the GPS info, then it may be that your watch does not have any ephemeris data - check the document Expired EPO on a Garmin Outdoor Watch for details.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to trux

    I do have all the activities listed on the list of past activities so Auto-start is enabled and working. 

    Also, the types of watches listed on your Expired EPO link don't include the Vivosmart 4's. They are Fenix (and other) watches. Mine is the 4 - which I believe relies on the phone to track GPS.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JonathanLeifheit

    Ah, yes, I forgot you are using the Connected GPS. In that case it looks like the problem is either on the phone (i.e. disabling GPS because of some power saving options), or the BT connection to the watch is not functional. Does the app continue showing the Step and HR data in real-time, when you walk?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to trux

    So I just started a very short (like 10 second) activity manually and it actually gave me the GPS data on that activity.  That is the first activity I have manually started since I got the 4 - been relying on auto-start exclusively.

    I'll head out at lunch and let it autostart an activity and see if it now collects GPS data with it or not. It may have needed me to do the GPS link manually one time before it works? We shall see.....

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to trux

    I forgot to answer the question. I do see step and HR data in real-time on the phone as I walk.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JonathanLeifheit

    OK...so I just did an auto-start activity and it shows up on my list of activities but it is not using GPS. I also had the connect app open for the activity and it was showing my heart rate and steps real-time.

    Is the answer that it won't use GPS connect during auto-start? I have to start everything manually?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to JonathanLeifheit

    Could you share the web link of that activity here, so that we can have a look at it? It may reveal some crucial details, why it is happening. Anyway, starting activities manully is definitely the better and the more reliable way to track them. The auto-start will always start the activiyt too late anywy (it needs some time to detect what you are actaully doing)