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Live Track Text Notification

Former Member over 7 years ago

Is there any chance of having connect send out the Live Track notification/s by SMS rather than by Twitter or Facebook?

I get that people will still use the standard Email notification link, but this seems a little antiquated, considering this is the day and age of the smart phone, along with the newer phone packages. Unlimited Text, Unlimited Calls etc.

The reason I ask for the inclusion of sending Live Track notices as texts messages is. Most of the people I know, friends etc. simply do not look at their personal email accounts if they are working etc. where as they will pick up their mobile handset's and give a text notification a quick glance and would open up the link, once they knew who it was from.

Also why we would ever use Facebook or Twitter is beyond me, as this is just asking for you to be tracked back to your door and then your pride & joy (cycle) possibly being stolen.

The text notification was exactly why I was a premium subscriber with Strava, as Garmin fails here. Though after the latest fiasco with Strava, I no long have their premium membership.

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0 ASmugDill over 7 years ago

As you said, it's the day and age of the smart phone, so most people's handsets are capable of receiving e-mail and being notifications for new incoming mail messages. Using SMS for notification is therefore the more "antiquated" way of sending messages to phones, irrespective of whether some users now have "unlimited text" but limited/metered mobile data usage in their selected phone service plans; the personal cost of sending LiveTrack notifications is not the measure of whether a communications method is "antiquated" or modern.

If you expect your family and/or friends to look at your LiveTrack when they are notified, then quite simply you can tell them in advance to start paying more attention to e-mail notifications. Obviously, if they aren't interested enough, then they won't obliged by changing their phone usage (including notification watching) habits.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

You don't have to share your live track feed with everyone on facebook. Just make a custom list of friends and share the live track with that list instead of "public" or "friends". It can be just one or two friends if that's what you want

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

As you said, it's the day and age of the smart phone, so most people's handsets are capable of receiving e-mail and being notifications for new incoming mail messages. Using SMS for notification is therefore the more "antiquated" way of sending messages to phones, irrespective of whether some users now have "unlimited text" but limited/metered mobile data usage in their selected phone service plans; the personal cost of sending LiveTrack notifications is not the measure of whether a communications method is "antiquated" or modern.

If you expect your family and/or friends to look at your LiveTrack when they are notified, then quite simply you can tell them in advance to start paying more attention to e-mail notifications. Obviously, if they aren't interested enough, then they won't obliged by changing their phone usage (including notification watching) habits.

Sorry but I disagree. Emails are used simply for communicating with other parties, businesses. I never send anything personal by means of email. If I send anything, its either Viber or Whatsapp.
Why not include text messages, SMS as it is still a form of communication that is used every day by millions of people.

Its hard enough to get someone who is at work to answer a phone call, if it's not work or business related, hence the text message. One business owner friend deals with some time up to 200 incoming emails per day to do with work. The last thing he is going to do, is deal or look at personal emails and he told me as much. Others do not even have email set up on their phones, as they want nothing to do with emails outwith business hours, looking for peace and quiet.

I hear you but I do not agree with your views. SMS was always the simplified standard from the conception of the mobile phone. Personally, I hardly use my mobile handsets email either, choosing to use Outlook on the desktop to deal with any email correspondence, once I come in, in the evenings.

SMS should be included. As why do they include Twitter, as I have no intention of even using that, but it is there to cater for those who choose to use it, so let those who choose to use SMS have the same choice, rather than no choice.

It's not exactly a big ask. And if Strava can include it, then why not Garmin.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

You don't have to share your live track feed with everyone on facebook. Just make a custom list of friends and share the live track with that list instead of "public" or "friends". It can be just one or two friends if that's what you want

Unfortunately like emails as outlined above, people at work do not go onto Facebook and I have a good number of friends who simply refuse to go near Facebook and let people see what they are doing. I am in my 50's, so social media isn't exactly our thing. My Facebook is mainly for family and very close friends that are in various parts of the world, so it isn't going to work for me either.

Though, the suggestion's, insight that you have told, would have been better if there was instruction from Garmin on how to do what you suggest in Facebook, as they offer the connection.
Its not much good having these if you do not know or have no interest in sharing by social media.

Looks like its back to Strava then, as they have sms notification for their Beacon.

0 ASmugDill over 7 years ago

As why do they include Twitter,

I don't use Facebook or Twitter myself, but it's easy to see that e-mail, Twitter and Facebook are all Internet-based services, while SMS isn't. Since the LiveTrack notification (which includes a link, to be tapped or clicked on, for bringing up the LiveTrack page in a browser) is only useful when the receiving device has packet data capability and is connected to the Internet, I think it's perfectly rational to only send such over Internet-based communications services.

so let those who choose to use SMS have the same choice, rather than no choice.

As a consumer and IT service user myself, I staunchly disagree with allowing people as much choice and customisation as possible, especially for "free to use" IT services. People get given what others what to offer, and they can learn to make do with the tools available.

0 Former Member over 7 years ago

I don't use Facebook or Twitter myself, but it's easy to see that e-mail, Twitter and Facebook are all Internet-based services, while SMS isn't. Since the LiveTrack notification (which includes a link, to be tapped or clicked on, for bringing up the LiveTrack page in a browser) is only useful when the receiving device has packet data capability and is connected to the Internet, I think it's perfectly rational to only send such over Internet-based communications services.

As a consumer and IT service user myself, I staunchly disagree with allowing people as much choice and customisation as possible, especially for "free to use" IT services. People get given what others what to offer, and they can learn to make do with the tools available.

Some of your packet data speak etc. has just went right over my head. You'd be as well talking Afrikaans or any other language for that matter, as it isn't English, well not the English language that I understand.

You get perfectly good internet based link as text messages, as various businesses will text me a link, that opens a web[page or video page. One example is the dealership where I bought my car.

But, when the tools that are available are either uncommon or you are not one of the "Look At Me Generation" (Twitter & Facebook), then it leaves us with no where to turn, except to a 3rd party vendor who will supply the communication procedure that we know, works for us and our families, close circles of friends. As such, Garmin is providing a Keep You Safe tool, in Live Track, but it is not usable by all, for the reasons I have already mentioned for myself n my replies above.

It just means that I cannot use live track, as I have no way to share the link with not being able to send it as a sms link to the webpage, yet STRAVA can.

It is dumb, as I am about to try and set my mobile phone up as the recipient of the live track notifications, then copy/pate it into a group sent text (SMS) message. If I can do it this way, then why can't Garmin do if for those of us who rarely or never use email, facebook or Twitter!

0 PThexton over 6 years ago

Wow. Who would've thought this would be such a controversial topic. I actually came here looking to see what responses were received, because having just looked at LiveTrack, I immediately noticed the glaring problem with the sharing options.

I'm going on holiday with a group of friends in a few months, and intend to go out for a few runs while I'm there. LiveTrack seems like a nice way of sharing with the group so that they can keep an eye out, in case I run in to difficulty/injury and require a bit of help.

I can set it up to e-mail me and I can then share to the group WhatsApp manually, so it's not an end-of-the-world issue for me, but it's a very disappointing faff.

An option to share to a WhatsApp contact/group would be really very simple value-add to the feature from an end-user perspective (and far more beneficial for those of us who are wanting to use the feature from a safety conscious aspect, rather than the scatter gun social media posting aspect for the vain).

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

I'm personally still a frequent email user and it's my preferred form of communication. But I here acknowledge that it's been my preferred form of communication since I got my first email account in 1987, which means I am old. I see absolutely no reason why other opt-in forms of notifications shouldn't be or couldn't be offered. Text, social media, whatever "WhatsApp" might be (told you I'm old), it's all good. It seems like it would be a trivial matter.

0 dharrisonz over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

I agree with everyone that thinks is just dumb dumb dumb , ridiculous and annoying that Garmin does not support notification via text/sms, whatever. I would love to use LiveTrack, but I dont because of this inability.

Although it is not as informative as LiveTrack, I use Glympse because it does support notification via text/sms.

0 rtread48 over 4 years ago

Garmin should support SMS notification. However, here’s a workaround. Use your own email. From the email, copy the link. Then paste the link in a text message to those you want to notify.