• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 20 subscribers
  • Views 324 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

Development 101 - help me (an idiot) with a guide

larkim

I've developed a single datafield which was inspired by the way my son (a young man with learning disabilities) uses his Garmin watch, and would like to fully test it with him.  I know I can send the file directly via MTP.

But I was looking for a more rounded approach.

Can I just ask a few really simple and dumb questions so I don't waste time here?

1 - My Garmin development email address is different to the Garmin user account I have.  How do I manage to install beta apps that i've sent to the "store" on my "day to day" watch if they have different user credentials?

2 - Is there a way to have a beta datafield associated with a whitelist of user accounts so them, and only them, can see the datafield on the store and be able to install it? 

3 - Is there a way to upload the datafield "privately" to the store, bypass the approval processes etc so it happens quickly because it is "private" and not for general consumption etc?

  • Hi,

    I don't think there is a way to allow more than one account to access a Beta app which I think all 3 of your queries are asking in different ways, so I think your options are:

    1] Side load the app directly to the second watch - pretty easy, only real drawback is you can't then change settings via phone.

    2] Create the same Beta app in both accounts - yours and your son's.  This would need different app IDs for each but if you have both account login details this could work with a bit of care.  I did this at one point testing mine and a family members watch.

    3] If there is no sensitive data in your app that any inadvertent users may see, create a full release version just targetting the two watches with very limited app info stating that the app is for personal/family use and you don't intend to provide wider support - unlikely to get many downloads.  Initial approval likely take 3+ days, but after that updates generally very fast (minutes).

  • in reply to LitDev

    Cheers, appreciate the info.  Surprised there isn't a whitelisting option for a small pool of beta testers, but it is what it is, and I guess if people abused that then Garmin's gatekeeping would break down with wild apps out there breaking people's watches etc!

    TBH I was only asking because a few AI tools (!) told me there was a way to distribute the beta to a white list, and I didn't find it!  

    I've gone down the route you suggested; just waiting for the datafield to be approved!

    Once again, thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

  • Yeah these questions come up from time to time. And since the answers are no, the feature request to make sone white listed users for beta apps also comes up sometimes. 

    Maybe not worth for only 2 users, but another way to do can be to add a secret key, that you have to type in the settings, and the app only starts if it's there. (Otherwise just display some text, i.e: Beta app, key needed)

    And the even lighter version of this is that you just upload it as a regular app (wait until it gets approved...) and state very clearly in the app's description that this is only for testing. i.e: https://apps.garmin.com/apps/4db70717-f1c9-442a-9f18-9d81c31e2ea0 (BTW this was a beta app, which one day became a regular app due to some Garmin bug in the store that probably is still not fixed - happened to numerous devs last year)