Feature Request: Using Back/Lap button in WatchFace mode

Is there a way to make the Back/Lap button available in Watchface mode? I want to use it as a toggle to loop thru some fields in a watch face.
Right now it only acts as a Light button (at least on my Fenix3), which is 'functionality' thats already covered by the original Light button.

Thanx in advance,
Arjo
  • No, this is not something you can do. Watch faces don't work with an input delegate.
  • No, this is not something you can do. Watch faces don't work with an input delegate.


    Well, that's unfortunate. I think it would be a great enhancement if this button could be used as a 'toggle' button. So you would be able to loop thru color schemes or different information views.
  • I "second" something like this for toggling a bit more information in the UI of the watch face, which I would not want all of the time. I could see the menu button being used as the toggle button.
  • I'll file a feature request for this. These limitations are intentional, and for watch faces it's usually to keep power consumption as low as possible. Having some kind of simple toggle seems reasonable, though.
  • I'll file a feature request for this. These limitations are intentional, and for watch faces it's usually to keep power consumption as low as possible. Having some kind of simple toggle seems reasonable, though.


    Thanx Brandon,

    I think honouring this request will make a lot of people (developers & users) very happy :D
    In this way the power consumption is totally dependable on the user's interaction with the watchface.
  • I understand, Arjo. I can't make any promises, but the request has been put through. Typically, there has been a lot of resistance to opening up watch face functionality since there was a lot of careful consideration about what would be made available to watch faces in the first place. Memory and battery life are very limited on our hardware right now, so we have to be cautious about adding these kinds of capabilities.

    Regardless, we've heard you, and your request will definitely be considered! Thanks for the feedback!
  • I'm going to be a no vote here. Adding more inputs to a watchface could cause issues, as it might be hard for users that bump or press something by mistake and don't understand why it changed. Watchfaces are meant to be very simple. Lets keep them simple and not add options that only some watchfaces use.

    If you want to display more info, make it a widget, and position that widget next to the watchface in the scroll order instead, as users will easily understand this. You want a second page? Swipe to the widget to see page 2! If the user doesn't want the second page? They don't install the widget.

    And in this way the widget can also be used with other watchfaces.

    If for example, you want a very simple watchface, with a second page that shows steps/move bar/ and all the other stuff for tracking, make the second page a widget. That way no changes are needed in CIQ, and the "new tracking widget" could be used by other watchfaces. And the widget could also do stuff a watchface can't do with things like comm and sensors... (like get the temperature and GPS location)
  • jim_m_58 has pretty much hit this on the head. :) Configurable settings may also help with whatever Arjo has in mind. For example, if you wanted to toggle between two colors or different date formats, that could be handled by settings.
  • @jim_m_58: I' think you underestimated most users. With a proper description the 'toggle' option is a no-brainer . But I like the idea of a widget next to the watch face. I'm certainly taking this option into account.

    I'll wait and see where the developers @garmin will come up with.
  • What is it you're wanting to do based on the user input? As I said, functionality is limited in a watchface, as far as what it can do - things like Comm and accessing sensors, you can't do. IIRC, no tones or vibrations either, and I'm sure I'm missing a few more.

    Also, is it something that would work in "low power mode"? (that's how a watchface runs 99.9% of the time, where it only updates (runs) once per minute, and when it drops out of low power and runs every second, that only lasts about 10 seconds)