Garmin Connect App Always Running in Background on Android Phone

It is designed to always run so it is unlikely that will change in the close future. 

"The Garmin Connect app needs to run in the background to keep your Garmin device connected with key features such as smart notifications and weather information. This also allows background data syncing to send data from your device to your Garmin Connect account."

https://support.garmin.com/en-AU/?faq=jrKblLfaYB1fZZkraDpAs6&productID=125677&tab=topics

That's BAD design.  We all have smart phones that have better weather reporting than Garmin.  No one needs weather notifications from Garmin when we have a dozen other better apps to report that.  Smart notifications - unlike ALL other apps where this is a SETTING ON/OFF - Garmin has this forced on.  Dumb.
Data syncing - that's what the APP is for - but only after a ride when I run the APP.  Data synch in the background?  That needs to be an ON/OFF setting too, like ALL other apps.

Garmin really blew it.  My 520 plus is on its last legs, and that will be my last Garmin.

It is by default on and most users like to have it like that. They want notifications and weather and other updates. 

But, if the user selects to turn off that it should be possible to stop the app from running and you will have to manually start it to sync. 

I don't care about weather but I want it to sync and forward my messages.

if you don't need those features you can just uninstall the app and sync via WiFi. The Garmin WebInterface is better structured and shows more data anyway.

Why do these Forums always turn into "you could do this or you could do that" with no real solution - to try and work around obvious problems?  I mean, this issue has been posted on the Forums numerous times, for at least 5 years.  But Garmin ignores us.  Garmin could listen and take heed of its customers and add a feature that that easily turns off background processing when the App is not running.  It's pretty standard on all the apps I use, if they have background processing.  But instead, we get a long winded try this and try that.  And it's not just Garmin.  It's about half of all device manufactures.  What's that tell you?

DaveVanGogh said:

Why do these Forums always turn into "you could do this or you could do that" with no real solution

Because this is a user forum, and we can only offer you existing solutions or workarounds. If there are none, we cannot help.

You need to contact Garmin, if you want a change in the app. I recommend using the form at Share Ideas | Garmin, but you can also call the Support, and ask them to forward your request to the leadership, and to the developers.

"I use iPhone, and when I close the Connect app, it stays closed."
It used to work that way on Pixel3.  Could be an Android/Pixel8 issue.

Let's close the issue for now.

DaveVanGogh said:

Why do these Forums always turn into "you could do this or you could do that" with no real solution - to try and work around obvious problems?

Because that is what this forum is for.

That the app is running in the background isn't a problem for most users since they want the smartwatch functionality. The app is the companion app for the watch and will handle the communication of data.

There will of course be some users that don't want to do like the majority and then they need to apply some workarounds. That you experience that about half of all device manufacturers don't do as you want probably means that you are one of those users.

bluefish said:

I use iPhone, and when I close the Connect app, it stays closed.

That is how it works on iOS and that is also why there are many support cases from users about that their watches don't work as expected. They force close the app instead of keeping it running as it is designed to be.

On Android you can set the app to autostart when needed.