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[SOLVED] Android and Garmin Connect Mobile failing to synch F3 after V 4.3 FW update

Former Member
Former Member over 9 years ago
I've spent the whole morning, no kidding at least 4 hours, trying to understand why, after the hard reset following 4.3 FW upgrade of my F3, my phone was unable to register my F3 on Garmin Connect Mobile.

With the Hard Reset (due to the restarting loop) all data was lost so I first had to go through the main settings and the NAV points. Luckily all data depending on Garmin Connect are stored online and retransferred to the F3 via Garmin Express.
However, since the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings were also lost, I basically had to start ALL the configuration from scratch and I got jammed, literally, at trying to understand WHY the F3 was no longer visible on the GCM phone app (Samsung S3 Neo).

My ordeal is here.

There is definitely a bug in GCM right now and your phone might very often lose the WI-FI connection as you try to fix the issue. Without connection to GC, GCM can't operate so keep that in mind. It's not a problem of routers, wireless or internet connection (youtube all the way in the background here). So GCM messes up both the BT and WiFi.

If you find the authentication FAILS on GC it's because of this connection problem caused by either GCM or 4.3 or both (but I think it's just GCM that needs an update).

Unpair F3 with phone.
Clear data (all data) on GCM... you might as well uninstall and reinstall it but clear the data first.
Turn off and on both the cell phone and the F3 (keep BT off for the moment).
Check your Garmin Connect Dashboard. In my case, the watch was not being loaded in the widget and this rang the bell.
Unregister your F3 from your Garmin Account.
Turn on the F3 and connect it to Garmin Express. Follow the procedure to re-register the watch to your account. Garmin will mail you congratulating for your new Fenix 3 (worst purchase of the year needs an extra congratulation)
Turn on BT on phone and F3.
Pair F3 with phone.
Go to GCM on your phone and you should see the F3 in the devices list, not connected (yet), this comes from Garmin COnnect itself. Check GC dashboard and you'll see the brand new F3 on your devices widget.
Sync the F3 on the phone, this means set the F3 to PAIR again.
At this point GCM will crash and they will ask you if you want to send a report. Do it. Tell them how much you love them.

You will not believe it but when you open GCM again you'll see the F3 is now paired.
Head for the settings.
Turn off and on both the phone and the F3.

And it's done... at least here and in my case.

Summary:
If you see in the GCM synch details Requesting device identification file failed it's because GCM has messed its state on GC (proceed to remove F3 from your devices and reinstate it via Garmin Express).
If you see instead OTHER_FATAL it's because your CONNECTED F3 also needs to be in PAIRING mode (it's the same you do when you pair it with the phone, set it in pairing mode when the GCM is synching).
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Right now I've made the test of removing my Garmin F3 device from GCM... you may not believe it but while trying to add it all sorts of things happen.
    This includes the already mentioned crazy detachment of the phone from my wireless connection. So far it's always been OUT OF RANGE but today I spotted two FAILED TO OBTAIN IP. Phone is basically 20cm away from the PC which is connected to the web and playing youtube videos in the background.

    Tried the procedure again and while most of the times the device can't be found (GCM can't find the F3 even if it's on TOP of the phone's screen), I just noticed that at the end of the time out (pairing failed --> Try again) the Bluetooth on the F3 went from CONNECTED to CONNECTING.

    Gone to the phone bluetooth settings and the F3 is no longer in the list of the paired devices.

    Yep... this is 4.4 so it's not a FW 4.3 issue, it's definitely GCM acting up. Hey, I didn't patch my Galaxy S3 neo and I have NEVER had bluetooth issues in the last 5 months. :-)
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    When you are jammed at the device setup screen in GCM instead of hitting PAIR on the F3, if you're having the dreaded Requesting device identification file failed error, try hitting SYNC. The download should happen instantaneously.


    Unfortunately that only works for a one-time sync. If I disconnect and try to reconnect then either it doesn't work, or else the F3 connects with GCM (they both say "connected") but nothing gets uploaded. And at that stage there's no option to initiate a manual sync.

    Another strange thing is that even if GCM connects with the F3 there's no sign of the F3 when I go to the Android system BT menu and look at the list of paired devices. I've also tried pairing the F3 using the Android BT menu but then GCM doesn't recognize it.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Go to Garmin Connect Dashboard: do you see your F3 in the devices?
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Go to Garmin Connect Dashboard: do you see your F3 in the devices?


    Yes, it's in the GCM device list, but not in the Android system BT device list.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Give me 15'.
    I'm posting in the main F3 forums an Album to show you and the others what's wrong with BLT and how to solve it.

    Hang on tight! :cool:
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    When you are jammed at the device setup screen in GCM instead of hitting PAIR on the F3, if you're having the dreaded Requesting device identification file failed error, try hitting SYNC. The download should happen instantaneously.



    This is the only thing that worked for me. I would constantly get the "Requesting device identification file failed" error. Now my F3 and Moto X are able to re-pair. Unfortunately my F3 still disconnects at least 3 - 5 times a day. Each time it requires and app cache flush or app reinstall just to get to the pairing step mentioned above. I know the F3 was just updated to 4.40 but there was also an update to GCM for android about a week ago. I am curious if it was the F3 update or the GCM update that is causing this BLE problem. Either way, I sure hope G gets this figured out sooner than later.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Nothing works today... again.
    Sync is not working and Garmin Connect Mobile hijacks the phone's WIFI connection.
    The F3 reports as being connected but nothing really works.

    A huge set of problems such as this one, coupled with other issues on the F3 calls for a new patch so it's pointless to waste further time.
    I would reformat the watch and try again but I can't move without Garmin's official file structure.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    Reason why mails weren't getting pushed to my phone immediately upon reception from server is because something has changed the sync settings from PUSH to Manual in the MS exchange server settings.
    That something is Garmin Connect Mobile upon giving its permission to PUSH from phone to F3.

    Problem solved, GCM cleared data and uninstalled.

    Guys... you really ought to publish something about what you're doing because while I have been enjoying all of this, others may really go crazy to find what's going on with their phones.
    I can already imagine the fellas going crazy after their routers... when GCM messes up the wireless connection on the phone. :)


    1) When F3 is paired --> GCM must stop searching.
    2) When F3 is paired --> F3 must stop trying to pair.
    3) When F3 is paired --> Sync must occur immediately.
    4) When F3 is paired --> Data must be delivered.
    5) When F3 is paired --> if BLE is disconnected, upon reconnecting 3 and 4 must be performed automatically.
  • 0 over 9 years ago
    Workaround to connect F3 to GCM and reactivate notifications

    After trying it all (remove / add F3 to GCM and GE and reinstall GCM and reboot phone and watch)
    This worked for me :
    When in GCM getting error on retrieving ID file:
    F3: settings > Bluetooth > sync (someone else said this before, thanks!)

    Also after every BT reconnection all smart notifications stop (looks like GCM and F3 don't reactivate notifications subscriber)
    This is my workaround :
    F3: settings > Bluetooth >sync (and in GCM it shows "1 subscriber(s)" again and I start getting smart notifications on my F3 (until the next BT signal reconnection...))

    - garmin please fix this...
    (still happening on 4.40 firmware)
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 9 years ago
    All sorts of issues going on in the watch and even in the phone... I think the best we can do is just plainly wait for a solution from Garmin and the GCM developers.
    From this end, the phone's wifi gets hijacked during the GCM pairing sequence so that wifi connection is lost. A few days ago the router was reported out of range (impossible) now the lost connection says unable to get ip (impossible). This means GCM hijacks the wifi connection and possibly it's a matter of bad protocols.
    Another thing I notices is that the mails were not being pushed immediately to my phone upon receipt by the mail server. I checked the phone settings (MS exchange) and I found synching was on manual. I didn't change this so it has had to be GCM and it must have happened when the reinstalled GCM asked for permissions to the phone to push out notifications to the watch.
    Lastly, I noticed (and reported) weird behavior in synching. Details here.

    Since BLE issues have nothing to do with the F3 rebooting in certain circumstances (and especially not when BLE is turned off on the F3) I have concluded the 4.3 has leftovers that 4.4 didn't overwrite and still active on the F3. The new file system must be the cause of the crashes and I've decided to format the watch and see what happens because I figured I am one of the few who can do it safely (whatever happens I have the files but I must try to see what happens when the watch has a fresh restart first) and whose expertise may help Garmin/GCM identify the issues.

    You can find the details here.