Download numbers displayed in the Store are wildly off.

Actually, in the past, statistics used to show the total downloads, which included users just getting an updated version, vs the main number which shows the unique users that downloaded the app.  So if the same user had 3 watches, and installed the app on all 3, unique downloads only went up by 1.  That's hard to see since they started rounding the unique downloads not long ago.  There are threads about this in the discussion forum.

I'm not a fan of the new stats, and don't bother with them  Devices doesn't even list all the devices I know apps have been installed on, like the one on my wrist!  There are forum threads about this too.  And this could use total downloads and not unique downloads.  I've never looked.

What you seeing for "100+" downloads is correct if you consider unique downloads, users with multiple devices, etc.

I wasn't sure if it would show "500+" when an app got to that point, or not change until "1K+".  After 1K+, I think the next change is 10K+, then 50k+,100K+,500K+, 1M+ and so on.   

Bump. Can we get a reply from someone from Garmin?

eau_de_vie said:

I have a watch face that shows up as having "100+" downloads.

On the Statistics page there is a per-device breakdown and shown percentages don't work for any number between under 1000.

It's just not possible to arrive at indicated percentage for any combination of p/q where q < 1000.

This apparent discrepancy has come up before, and my understanding is:

The "main" download number that everybody sees ("100+" in your example) only counts installs (not updates). The download numbers on the dev statistics page (per-device and per-version) count installs and updates.

I think this was true in the past, before the store started obscuring the exact download number as it does now, and I don't think it's changed since.

Additional anecdotal evidence for this is that the stats page originally simply showed a graph of downloads over time (not per-version or per-device), and every time you updated your app, the graph would spike, indicating that the stats tracked both installs and updates (furthermore, the main download number did *not* spike in the same situation). It seems clear that when the stats transitioned to per-version / per-device numbers, they continued to track both installs and updates.

eau_de_vie said:

Show what you must to the public, but PLEASE, for the love of God show us exact download numbers on the Statistics page.

I think it's fairly clear that download numbers were obscured because monetization was added (the Google Play store does something similar), to prevent people from figuring out your revenue to any reasonable degree of accuracy, but I agree that there doesn't seem to be a need to hide the exact download numbers from developers themselves.

FlowState said:

This apparent discrepancy has come up before

1. The discrepancy is between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude. Not some round-down fluke.

2. There was NO response from Garmin reps on the issue. Zero.

It's the second part that really bothers me.

There is clearly an issue. It's been brought up multiple times. It obviously affects developers in a bad way.

No way they aren't aware of it. Yet they don't respond at all.

eau_de_vie said:

1. The discrepancy is between 1 and 2 orders of magnitude. Not some round-down fluke.

I didn't say I think it has anything to do with rounding.

I said, to reiterate, I think that:

- the main download number that everyone sees seems to be installs (and not updates)

- the percentages in the dev stats seem to be based on installs + updates

I already outlined the reasons why I think this is the case in my previous comment.

eau_de_vie said:

2. There was NO response from Garmin reps on the issue. Zero.

It's the second part that really bothers me.

Can't argue there.

I really don't want to descend to speculation again, but for this particular bit:

FlowState said:

the percentages in the dev stats seem to be based on installs + updates

I have two versions out. This would give 2x discrepancy at most. What I'm seeing is way over 10x, which doesn't align with your conjecture.

Fair enough. I actually had a feeling you'd say something like that, but I wanted to hear it.

As a counterpoint to my own argument, the Garmin API endpoint for stats has "fullInstalls" (or something similar) in the request url.

Ig we'll never know until Garmin decides to tell us :/

As far as Garmin answering questions here, see https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/f/discussion/289584/connect-iq-developer-support

"Posting questions to the Connect IQ Developer Discussion Forum (here!). This is the best place to ask how-to questions or get answers for problems you may be encountering during development. Our developer community is helpful, and we have a handful of moderators that actively work to support developers and answer their questions. The Connect IQ team does not actively monitor every forum thread, but we sometimes do get involved in discussions."

In other words. "Discussion" is primarily developer to developer.  But sometimes Garmin folks may jump in, but not all the time by any means.

I think you need to try to understand things experienced developers are saying to you.

jim_m_58

Given the amount of head-in-the-sand excuses given here by "experienced developers" for even minor gripes aimed at Garmin, it sure feels like most of them are under Stockholm syndrome.

As a newcomer, my main takeaway from the past couple of months here is that of complete indifference on the part of Garmin towards their development community. The Store is neglected and overflowing with spam. Vital Store stats needed to evaluate one's work are fudged, crippled or missing. Questions regarding these issues are either ignored or deflected.

Garmin just doesn't seem to care about people who write for their platform.

I've been programming professionally since the mid 90s. Garmin's engagement with their developer community is absolutely bloody abysmal. Given the volume of posts in these Forums there could be a Garmin rep in every thread and even then it won't be a full-time job for a single person. And, yet, instead we have you chime in in every thread to try and dismiss issues as old, "it's always been that way" or in some other apologetic form of the same.

Jim, this is not normal. Nor is it helpful.

jim_m_58 said:

I think you need to try to understand things experienced developers are saying to you.

I think you need to try and reevaluate your take on the status quo, because the status quo is really quite bad.