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Connect with multiple Garmin Devices

vosadrian
over 7 years ago
Hi All,

I posted a thread in the VA3 forum, but got no response. I think the question is more about connect then the VA3, so repeating it here. I will repeat my previous post below, but a brief on my query is that I have used an Edge 520 for years for my cycling and recently got a VA3 which is more an activity tracker. I use the iOS Connect app with both of them, and Connect knows about activity on both but does not seem to combine the activity from both. For instance the HR data on connect shows only the data from the VA3 and ignores the rides I do on the 520 even though I had a HR chest strap on. Also, the intensity part of the connect app ignores the activities on the 520 and only considers the VA3. It seems like it would be simple to combine the data and show the combined result in the app and then sync to the VA3 so it can show combined intensity and HR but this is not done. Just wondering if I am doing something wrong or is Garmin just not doing this?

Here is my previous post on the matter with more detail:

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I am a longtime Garmin product user mainly from my cycling. I have been using Garmin Edge series bike computers for many years (currently use an Edge 520 with vector pedals on my bike), and I recently got a VA3 to allow me to monitor my other activities (steps, sleep, rest HR, some swimming etc.). So I now have the watch on at all times except when I am riding my bike. I don't like wearing a watch when I ride as I race and prefer not to have unnecessary items that can get damaged or cause injury to myself or others in the case of a crash. Typically I use the ride time to charge my VA3 and put the watch on as soon as I get off my bike.

So both my Edge 520 and VA3 upload directly to the connect App. This seems to happen quite well (although it seems the 520 will not connect to the connect app if the VA3 is connected to it). The problem is that although they are both on the same account, they seem to work entirely independently. Activities on the 520 do not seem to count to intensity on the connect app and are not synced through as activity to the VA3 so do not count as intensity on the VA3. Also, I wear a HRM on my 520 so my rides have HR logged throughout the ride, but there is no syncing of the edge activity HR to the HR graph in connect which could then be synced to the VA3 but is not. Basically my HR graph has a big gap where I cycle even though the connect App knows exactly what my HR was doing at that time.

So basically, if I take my watch off and use another Garmin device that syncs to the same app using the same Garmin account, it is completely ignored for general fitness data by the data parameters that are updated from the VA3.... and the VA3 does not acknowledge anything about the activities on the other device. So am I doing something wrong (I have some settings wrong), or is this just not supported by Garmin. I would have thought it would be in Garmin's interest to enable you to use multiple devices seamlessly to encourage you to spend more $$$ on other devices with them.
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Cheers,

Adrian
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    I do have the same issue and discovered on this forum that you are not able to get them work together. Only wearbles of Garmin can complement to each other with TrueUp.
    I found it really hard to believe...... I returned my Vivoactive 3 today for this reason. What is the purpose of my activity tracker if I have gaps in my HR graph daily due to my 12-20 hours of cycling per week with the Edge?

    Can't believe Garmin did not fix this yet.

    Martijn.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    The difference is that the VA3 is a fitness tracker and the Edge isn't.

    If you had a VA3 and another tracking device such as a vivofit or Fenix, etc., TrueUp would combine the tracking results from the 2 devices. The other aspect to consider is that when you have 2 or more activity trackers, you have to specify which one is your primary tracker. It means that, in certain scenarios, the primary may still override tracking stats from the secondary tracker.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 7 years ago
    The difference is that the VA3 is a fitness tracker and the Edge isn't.

    If you had a VA3 and another tracking device such as a vivofit or Fenix, etc., TrueUp would combine the tracking results from the 2 devices. The other aspect to consider is that when you have 2 or more activity trackers, you have to specify which one is your primary tracker. It means that, in certain scenarios, the primary may still override tracking stats from the secondary tracker.


    I understand that the VA3 a fitness tracker and the Edge is not, but from a programmer perspective it's quite easy to substract HR data from the ride (Edge) and parse it into the 24/7 graph of the VA3. As well to sync back the training minutes. The watch says I didn't move a minute today while I cycled 6 hours.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    but from a programmer perspective
    That means nothing, because as a user – irrespective of whether you have the skill or experience of a software developer to take “a programmer perspective” – it isn't your design (or implementation) decision to make, no matter how ‘easy’ it would be for someone else to appease you or give you what you want.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Garmin made a decision not to implement this. It is easy to do technically, but either it did not occur to them or it is just not a priority or they specifically do not want it for some marketing reason. Given that this is a case of people using multiple garmin products I would have thought in there interest to make it more appealing to stick with Garmin than to use another brand of product. In my case, there is little benefit in me having a bike computer from Garmin and a fitness device from Garmin. Since the data from each is not integrated, I might as well get a different brand bike computer as I can't combine all my fitness/training data in one place.
  • 0 over 7 years ago
    Or you might just wait a little bit according to the comments Nr 16 to 19 below this dc rainmaker article...
    https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2018/05/connect-tidbits-features.html

    apparently Garmin wishes to implement these features and will do so.
  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to DanielM

    2 years later... They don't really seem to have addressed the underlying concern.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    It seems this is still not fixed. Come on, Garmin!

    Im not interested in the programmets perspective. I have an edge and an Instinct smart watch, and buy Garmin expecting that my Egde activities will be interested with Instinct data and show collectively in Connect. If not, Connect is not able to show me the actual correct information and I see no reason to stay within the Garmin product range.