Are there at least 2 streams of data responsible for what you see in Connect?

I agree, "streams of data" was a misleading and inaccurate choice of words. I was trying to describe this user's experience of seeing what was previously displayed in the Android app get rewritten minutes later and slightly altered, presumably after some additional processing.

Venutianiii said:

For example, I see that I have climbed/descended many flights of stairs on days when I have not really done so. However, I do see correlation with higher overall activity levels on those days. 

In this case, I would assume that the both the app and the watch report the same amount of stairs climbed/descended (whether it's correct or not).

https://support.garmin.com/en-CA/?faq=LJ6vYF2phv7JUAOlsRRjC8

I Am Getting Too Much Credit

Situations that can cause excessive credit include a significant change in pressure such as a strong pressure system or walking into a warm building on a cold day. Walking near exit doors when it is cold outside may also trigger extra credit. Walking outside on a windy day with the watch exposed to the wind can also result in false credit.

You will also get credit for stairs climbed/descended if you go up and down a hill (assuming the hill is steep enough). Garmin is fairly transparent about this:

This feature uses the built in barometric altimeter sensor to detect a change in air pressure which occurs when you climb or descend a flight of stairs or a hill.  

Venutianiii said:

Also, I will see my real time stress graph (for instance, on Android app) in the low blue zone when resting and inactive and subsequently after activity it will of course spike into the orange. What I do not understand is why some of the prior blue areas seem to get re-written (retroactively) on the graph later on to reflect additional stress if I have been particularly active minutes later

Interesting.

Is it possible that this data is retroactively changed on the watch as well? 

Speaking of this, Garmin claims that stress should not be measured during "physical activity" (because high stress levels are supposed to be normal and somewhat beneficial in this case, if I'm understanding them correctly).

www.garmin.com/.../

But people have been saying that they're seeing high levels of stress during a timed activity:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Garmin/comments/1gpvkic/garmin_showing_activity_as_stress_whereas_it/ 

As far as filtering and processing of data goes, this definitely does happen on the watch itself. If it also happens in the Connect app (or, actually, the backend, since you can also view the same data in the Connect website), would that really be a problem? I still think that the majority of the data which is gathered/calculated by the watch should be presented in Connect without modification (except for things like rounding and aggregation).

FlowState said:

But people have been saying that they're seeing high levels of stress during a timed activity:

In that particular case on Reddit, the watch was not recording any timed activity (Edge was used for that), hence it was registering the stress as usually. So it still stands - watches do not log stress during timed activities, or when excessive movement is detected (which was apparently not this case). That told, there are some exceptions - for example Stress is being logged during Yoga (and possibly Meditation) activities.

Venutianiii said:

what was previously displayed in the Android app get rewritten minutes later and slightly altered, presumably after some additional processing.

You mentioned in your other thread that you use two different watches. Hence it can easily happen that the data that you have seen previously, were adjusted, when the data from both watches is merged together, which may indeed happen with a significant delay (sometimes both watches have to sync twice, in order to exchange all data completely).

trux said:

You mentioned in your other thread that you use two different watches. Hence it can easily happen that the data that you have seen previously, were adjusted, when the data from both watches is merged together, which may indeed happen with a significant delay (sometimes both watches have to sync twice, in order to exchange all data completely).

Great point.

Something similar (retroactive merging of data) happens if you wear an HRM-PRO (or newer) strap while you are not wearing your watch. (Even if the strap is still connected to the watch during a timed activity)

The HRM-PRO will collect metrics like steps and all-day HR, and sync these metrics to the Connect app. The *applicable* metrics will be synced back to the watch, which indeed results in certain metrics being retroactively changed.

For example, I play basketball while wearing an HRM-PRO but not wearing my watch. I record a timed activity and have the strap connected to my watch during this time.

In this way, HR (and running dynamics related metrics) are logged in the activity in real time, but steps are not (even though the strap can count steps - see below). (Garmin refuses to record steps in real time from any source other than the wrist.)

However, the strap still records steps in the background, and when I sync the strap with Connect after the activity, the steps I took during the game are retroactively added to my step count / graph in Connect and on the watch (in one big lump sum).

Similarly, if you wear an HRM-PRO while not wearing your watch and not recording a timed activity, then steps, calories, intensity minutes, and all-day HR will be recorded by the strap. When you sync the strap with Connect, all of those metrics will be merged into Connect and back to your watch.

If you want to prevent the HRM-PRO from ever retroactively changing your stats:

- unpair the strap from the Connect app

- if the watch tries to search for stored HR after an activity, make sure to always cancel the operation (e.g. press LAP/BACK on a 5 button watch). [I do this anyway, because this happens even if the strap was connected during the activity, and if I let the watch download stored HR, then it actually results in bad HR data for the whole activity]

(I will admit that if data comes from multiple watches/devices and an HR strap, this def counts as multiple streams of data.)

Just to be more clear, I'm now as of Dec 2024 only using the Venu3. Although I see that old Vivoactive logged data still associated with my account.

FlowState said:

In this case, I would assume that the both the app and the watch report the same amount of stairs climbed/descended (whether it's correct or not).

I'm guessing you thought I meant number of stairs climbed would always equal number of stairs descended (assuming you started and ended at the same place). That is *not* what I meant.

I meant that floors climbed in Connect should match floors climbed on the watch, and floors descended in Connect should match floors descended on the watch. 

I was saying that the data should be consistent between the watch and Connect, not that the data should perfectly match reality.

I get that you were probably expecting floors climbed to equals floors descended for that day, assuming you started out and ended up at the same place, but all I can say is the algorithms aren't perfect.

Floors climbed/descended are estimated by measuring barometric pressure, which means that things other than climbing or descending stairs (or hills) can cause the estimate to change.

Garmin is fairly transparent about this:

https://support.garmin.com/en-CA/?faq=LJ6vYF2phv7JUAOlsRRjC8 

This feature uses the built in barometric altimeter sensor to detect a change in air pressure which occurs when you climb or descend a flight of stairs or a hill. 

How Do I Get Credit?

Credit is given for a consecutive increase of 10 feet (3 meters) in elevation with a grade of 10% or higher while walking or running. This includes during a recorded activity, whether indoors or outdoors.
I Am Not Getting Enough Credit

Holding onto a handrail or skipping stairs as you climb can affect credit due a reduced amount of swing in your arm. To earn credit, you must be moving forward and up which would exclude riding an elevator or using exercise equipment.

I Am Getting Too Much Credit

Situations that can cause excessive credit include a significant change in pressure such as a strong pressure system or walking into a warm building on a cold day. Walking near exit doors when it is cold outside may also trigger extra credit. Walking outside on a windy day with the watch exposed to the wind can also result in false credit.