Fenix 8 Pro: CIQ watch face selection / customization not possible

Yeah, just received another message from a different F8Pro user (and different watch face) for the same issue. Seems to be real. 

OK I wrote product.support and posted the same stuff on the F8 device forums. Let's hope for a quick fix.

Apps that still rely on the ConnectIQ app on the smartphone to change settings seem to work fine. Just 3rd party apps with on-device customization (like stock Garmin watch faces do) seem to be affected

That makes sense as the native on-device customization feature for Connect IQ watchfaces is fairly new (and it only works for Fenix 8 and newer watches). I can imagine that most watchfaces don't take advantage of it, and I can see how it could get past internal Garmin testing.

Still not a great look. 

"Here's an amazing new feature for CIQ apps that your users will love *! Only for the latest and greatest devices! Just another reason to buy a Fenix 8, Forerunner 970 or Venu 4"

* "It's not guaranteed to actually work tho"

On-device customization was retro-fitted to older devices as well. Forerunner 165, 265 or Epix2, Epix2Pro, Venu3 do this, too. We use this technique since spring last year.

Oh seriously? I didn't realize that.

To be clear my understanding is you mean on-device customization with the native UI (like stock Garmin watchfaces, as you said), and not simply providing your own on-device settings view, which is an old feature.

If so, the docs are out of date then (quelle suprise):

https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/core-topics/editing-watch-faces-on-device/ 

Watch Face Configurations

Since API level 5.1.0

The fēnix 8 and newer wearables have an on-device watch face editor.

https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/api-docs/Toybox/Application/WatchFaceConfig.html 

Yes, I realize even devices as old as FR955 have CIQ 5.1.0 now, but I always assumed from the wording of the docs and the supported devices list that the feature was only ever intended for Fenix 8 and newer devices. Was actually kinda annoyed about that, at the time.

But now I see the ConfigurableWatchface SDK sample supports the older CIQ 5.1.0 watches too:

      <iq:products>
            <iq:product id="enduro3"/>
            <iq:product id="epix2"/>
            <iq:product id="epix2pro42mm"/>
            <iq:product id="epix2pro47mm"/>
            <iq:product id="epix2pro51mm"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7pro"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7pronowifi"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7s"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7spro"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7x"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7xpro"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix7xpronowifi"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix843mm"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix847mm"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix8solar47mm"/>
            <iq:product id="fenix8solar51mm"/>
            <iq:product id="fenixe"/>
            <iq:product id="fr165"/>
            <iq:product id="fr165m"/>
            <iq:product id="fr255"/>
            <iq:product id="fr255m"/>
            <iq:product id="fr255s"/>
            <iq:product id="fr255sm"/>
            <iq:product id="fr265"/>
            <iq:product id="fr265s"/>
            <iq:product id="fr955"/>
            <iq:product id="fr965"/>
            <iq:product id="marq2"/>
            <iq:product id="marq2aviator"/>
            <iq:product id="venu3"/>
            <iq:product id="venu3s"/>
            <iq:product id="vivoactive5"/>
        </iq:products>

Just another bug in the documentation...

EDIT: no, it's a bug in the SDK sample.

Hey flowstate, I really appreciate your input. I wasn't clear on that, we don't use the "watch face configuration API", we are pushing our own on-device settings view, so no rocket science involved. 

Roboleo-Apps said:

I wasn't clear on that, we don't use the "watch face configuration API", we are pushing our own on-device settings view, so no rocket science involved. 

Oh ok that's even worse then. On-device settings have been supported since CIQ 3.2, which was released over 5 years ago.

Btw I think the new watchface configuration API (where your CIQ app uses the exact same UI as the native watchfaces) actually is only for Fenix 8 and newer.

I built the ConfigurableWatch SDK sample for FR955 and it crashes at runtime on a real device and in the sim, with "Symbol Not Found" when trying to resolve WatchFaceConfig.

Also, if I search ConnectIQ/Devices/*.api.debug.xml, the WatchFaceConfig symbol is only available for those devices listed above (Fenix 8 and newer).

So the real bug is in the SDK sample.

Just to close this issue: A user from the Fenix 8 forum pointed out, that this odd behavior occurs when the watch is in "Focus Mode". Focus mode was introduced recently to minimize distractions in some scenarios (sleeping, working, ...). Therefore not a bug in the F8Pro firmware, but something that needs improvement by changing that message from "do not change, use system watch face" to "quit focus mode to change settings".