Blutooth Connection toggle. What does it do?

Does anyone know what the "Bluetooth Connection" toggle does in GCM?
The toggle is located under Device Settings | Notifications and Alerts

The default setting is OFF

Thanks in advance.

Vivoactive HR | 3.90 FW
Microsoft Lumia 650 | 10.0.15226.0 (Insider Fast Ring)
GCM | v3.19.0.0

I assume it will turn on or off a notification when bluetooth connects/disconnects. I'd guess turning it "ON" will cause the watch to vibrate or make a tone when the bluetooth connects or disconnects.

Vibrates and shows a message on your device when the device connects or disconnects via Bluetooth.

At least on my Vivoactive HR . . . when any Bluetooth functionality actually works, which isn't often. Mostly I see the "Phone Disconnected" message on the VVAHR.

So Gold2ooT, I see you have a Lumia 650, Vivoactive HR, and are on 10.0.15226.0 (Insider Fast Ring).

Does Garmin Connect Mobile actually work for you?

I can connect via Bluetooth once after each installation or Bluetooth re-pairing, but if the two devices lose connection just once, then Garmin Connect Mobile just crashes, and won't start ever again. Garmin support Australia claim to know nothing of Bluetooth problems with my setup, officially, and after going through the setup process, again, can't offer any assistance.

I'm hoping the Windows 10 Mobile update to 10.0.15228 (now available) will fix the problems, but I don't want to join the Insider Fast Ring.
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/06/28/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-16232-pc-build-15228-mobile/#xXfvjKUyJqWHuBiq.97


Thoughts?

Bluetooth still isn't 100% reliable but its better now on Release Preview ring v15063.447.

Some observations of note:

1. Launching GCM fails all the time unless no device is paired in GCM.
Workaround: Launch GCM and leave it running in background (e.g. switch to another app or just press the Home button)

2. If you have no Wi-Fi/Mobile data connected when you launch and access GCM, your device (VAHR) will be removed from GCM but still shows in Bluetooth devices as paired.
Workaround: You would need to un-pair your device via the Bluetooth settings screen and re-pair it through GCM to get it working again. NOTE: You may have to restart your L650 after the un-pairing.

3. Increased battery usage by GCM on phone (possibly due to constant BT connection)

4. Notifications, music controls, weather and calendar working as they should.

Thanks for responding. Nice summary.

Unfortunately that is exactly what I am seeing now, on the earlier, production version of Windows 10 Mobile. The only difference, or something you didn't mention, is that if the W10M phone and VVAHR move out of range of Bluetooth and lose connection, GCM crashes, and I'm back to square one needing unpair, uninstall, reboot, reinstall, re-pair, etc.

For that reason, your No. 1 Workaround doesn't work for me. As soon as GCM crashes I have been unable to restart it.

However, your point No. 2 gave me a hint, and I found that if I turned off Wi-Fi and Mobile Data, GCM would launch, and show an error message about no connection to the internet. From there I could remove the Bluetooth pairing from the W10M phone, then add the pairing back in via GCM. That worked. However, multiple syncs resulted in no data being received by GCM, even though it said the syncs worked. So, now I can connect, but the connection is useless.

Maybe 10.0.15228 will actually fix some of this, but I am doubtful. Just as well USB syncs work, sort of.

Massive FAIL Garmin.

Garmin seem to completely fail to understand how Bluetooth is supposed to work. I even had a Garmin support person tell me that I had to run GCM in the background all the time to maintain the Bluetooth connection, and that if I lost connection, I would need to un-pair and re-pair the devices. She said it as if that was normal for Bluetooth devices! When I explained that GCM crashes if the devices move out of range, she had no answer, other than to go through the re-pair process. Bluetooth devices, once paired, should reconnect whenever they are turned on and in range. That would allow notifications to be sent to the VVAHR whenever it is being used, for example. Of course, GCM would have to be started to sync data to GC, but that is normal.

However, Garmin also seem to completely misunderstand how Notifications are supposed to work. They are part of the OS, and once permission is given for notifications to be sent to the VVAHR, then they should be sent, by the OS. Even Apps such as the weather on the VVAHR should only need permission to use the internet connection on the W10M device to access data, and should not need GCM to be running to work. Maybe that particular App is designed to take formatted data from GCM, but it shouldn't need to do that.

Basically, only Live Data and Syncing should require GCM to be running on the W10M device.

Anyway, I am ranting, to the converted no doubt. But at this point in time the as VVAHR is dependent on GCM working for settings and such (i.e. which activities appear on the VVAHR, and in what order), the VVAHR is "Unfit for purpose" and I am very close to returning under local Consumer Protection Laws.

I'd jump into the Release Preview ring... I find it a lot more reassuring than Slow or Fast rings!

But then again, might be worth waiting until Patch Tuesday on 11th July for the next cumulative update, which no doubt will bump up the version number and add more stability (and probably a few more bugs!)

Also, GCM is due an update soon, usually around the same time as the cumulative updates.

Considering I've had my VAHR since Dec '16, I should have returned it months ago as it "didn't" work as advertised but I was more interested in the fitness side of things, so the other stuff was a "nice to have", especially after the Microsoft Band 2 never gave me much problems (bar the broken strap x3!!!)

I shall wait a little longer for updates.

I am also a refugee from Microsoft Band 2. My Band is in for repair or refund right now. The strap split on my first band exactly one year after I bought it, so just in warranty, although the Microsoft site shows it as having a two year warranty, with the incorrect expiry date. I treated mine carefully, but the band just split on both sides all of a sudden, from nothing to completely split in hours, while charging. MS must have really got that strap material wrong.

I never had any other trouble with the MSB2, although it wasn't perfect, with short battery life on GPS. The Bluetooth connection, notifications, syncing and activities all worked as advertised. Rock solid.

I am really hoping Garmin get their act together, because I love the longer battery life and more accurate GPS on the VVAHR, plus water proof. But it doesn't look good at the moment, and Garmin Support has not been very good about the problems.