Is the Fenix 7 able to run apps while recording an activity?

Well...sort of, if I'm understanding you correctly. (You're asking if a CIQ "app" can be launched while a native activity is being recorded, right?)

Even older devices like 935 have been able to run CIQ *widgets* while recording a native activity.

So with CIQ 4, widgets and device apps are merging into a single category called "super apps", so perhaps your source was referring to the fact that a widget can be launched while an activity is recording.

Except on my 945 LTE, CIQ widgets *can't* be opened while an activity is running. The widget "glance" (or top-level summary information) is visible if I return to the watchface/widget loop while activity is running, but I'm unable to access any additional CIQ widget functionality.

However, according the official Garmin development documentation, you should be able to open a CIQ 4 widget while an activity is being recorded. It's just that from my POV, this isn't a new feature, and the lack of support in the 945 LTE is weird (given that it's more powerful than the 935.)

I'm just not sure what would happen if the CIQ app in question has a feature like recording which isn't normally available to widgets.

https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/core-topics/the-application-object/#superapps

In devices with API level 4.0 and above, the widget and device app types are merging. This means that widgets will now be launchable from the app launcher, and apps can have glances. The glance list is accessible to the user while they are in an activity, and your apps can be launched from the glance list while the user is recording an activity.

There's also this:

Apps will behave differently when they are launched from the glance list versus the activity menu. If an app is launched from the glance list, a timeout will be applied to the app. If the user does not exit the app within a given time frame, the system will terminate the app and return to the home screen. If an app is launched from the activity menu, however, it will not time out, and the user must explicitly exit your application.

So really, even though widgets and device apps are merging into a super app, a super app is still going to act similar to a classic widget when it's launched from the widget/glance loop.

IOW I don't think the end user really gains anything except they can download one super app where they would've previously had to download separate widget and device app versions of the same app. (Either way, the dev has to build support for both modes.)

I'm hoping to run the notes app while keep recording an activity (in best case with 2 CIQ datafields in that activity).
apps.garmin.com/.../a084990b-09bb-4c71-ad67-821167ec7e61

I'm getting this from here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/10/developer-conference-platform.html

– Apps can now be launched at any time, including from an activity

So that doesn't sound like I'm using the app as a widget. But yes an app that could also record would be odd. But maybe the system doesn't care, just wouldn't make much sense. Just a glance would not be enough information, I need fullscreen (not using the glance feature anyway, hope it still possible to turn it off).

Anyway this is kind of an important feature for me, that I would like to know about before getting the new watch.

KrapfenKringel said:

So that doesn't sound like I'm using the app as a widget. But yes an app that could also record would be odd. But maybe the system doesn't care, just wouldn't make much sense. Just a glance would not be enough information, I need fullscreen (not using the glance feature anyway, hope it still possible to turn it off).

As I said in my response above (and as the documentation implies), although device apps and widgets are being merged into a single category called "super widgets", they are still launched in two different ways:

- From the glance list / the widget loop. I'm guessing that this still applies even if you have glances turned off, but I'm not sure, to be honest, as I don't own a CIQ 4.0 watch. Obviously, for CIQ 3 watches, if you turn off glances, you just get the plain old fullscreen widget list. EDIT: Actually, the 945 LTE doesn't have the option to turn off glances, so it's possible that CIQ 4 watches won't have this ability either

- From the app launcher (just like any native activity.)

Given that an app launched from the widget loop still has the two minute timeout, I think it's fair to say that a super app launched from the widget loop is "still a widget".

The question is, does it really matter whether you call it a "device app", "widget" or "super app"? Other than the widget restrictions such as the two minute timeout and no recording, I don't think it matters.

However, also as I said above, the 945 LTE doesn't support opening CIQ widgets while an activity is recording, even though the 935 does have this support, which is baffling to me, as it's a step backwards. But the 945 LTE doesn't support CIQ 4, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

The other thing to note is that developers still have to explicitly provide support for their app being launched in glance / widget mode:

developer.garmin.com/.../

Your existing widgets will still be able to build and run for API level 4.0 products without modification. However, you now must create a glance if you want the widget to show in the glance list. If you are building an app, creating a glance for your application gives users two unique ways to launch your app.

This means that if a dev doesn't implement a glance for their super app, it still won't show up in the glance/widget list.

So its not really as I imagined it.

At best I would have to put the notes thing in my widget list (where it does not belong because I only need it in very specific situations), where I hopefully can make it fullscreen, but get an annoying timeout.

At worst its just a glance that's not giving me enough screen space to get the infos I want.

But I read the the F7 has more memory for CIQ datafields, maybe the developer could make this into one.

Yeah, there's already notes data fields, although I'm not sure if any have been adapted for Fenix 7 or to support on-device settings (which would be nice if you want to be able to switch notes or scroll through a bunch of notes.)

KrapfenKringel said:

At best I would have to put the notes thing in my widget list (where it does not belong because I only need it in very specific situations), where I hopefully can make it fullscreen, but get an annoying timeout.

Yeah, if you were hoping to be able to launch an activity, start recording, then launch another app (CIQ or native) from the app list, I doubt that's possible. I could be wrong tho.

Yes but none have been able to put that much text in it that I need to, last time I checked and it needs to be scrollable, also hard to do with a data-field, maybe now possible with touchscreen support, or as you say with that "on device settings" feature.

Not such a big step then, since my Fenix 6 can run widgets (in fullscreen) during an activity already. Just making apps into widgets...well lets see how it develops.

Thanks very helpful, I will tell the developer, in my case I don't need laps in this situation. So that sounds good.

Of course easiest option would be to display the notes based on GPS location with areas I could setup, so it just shows the relevant stuff for the current location, but I'm not a programmer. :)

So now I have my F7: every widget is now an app in the app list, but not every app can be run as a widget. That's not helping at all or in any way what I take from the description. 

KrapfenKringel said:

So now I have my F7: every widget is now an app in the app list, but not every app can be run as a widget. That's not helping at all or in any way what I take from the description. 

Yeah, like I said, developers still have to add widget support to their app in the form of implementing a glance.

developer.garmin.com/.../

However, you now must create a glance if you want the widget to show in the glance list. If you are building an app, creating a glance for your application gives users two unique ways to launch your app.