Connect IQ Store - problems and suggestions

Garmin has recently posted that "Big Changes in Store for the Connect IQ Store" are coming.

https://developer.garmin.com/index.php/blog/post/big-changes-in-store-for-the-connect-iq-store

I think it is a good opportunity for us to give suggestions and discuss some of the issues that are currently affecting users and developers. Hopefully Garmin will listen to what we have to say...

In my opinion, these things must be addressed urgently (and they don't seem to be too difficult to implement...):

1. Users should be able to change their reviews and developers should be able to change their replies

2. Users should not be able to write reviews for apps that they never installed

3. Users should not be able to write multiple reviews for the same version of an app.
- remark: if a user writes a review and click multiple times on the "send" button, multiple copies of the same review are published. That shouldn't be allowed at all.

Other suggestions:

4. Embed a quick and easy-to-read "Connect IQ FAQ" or "Get started" to explain users what are the app types, how to use them, how to install and uninstall, etc.
- We (devs) get tons of messages and bad reviews from users who don't know how to use data fields, who complain that the widgets close automatically, who can't uninstall a watch face.

5. Place the "Contact developer" link next to "Write a review", with the same font size and weight. Many users write reviews to report problems because they do not find the contact developer link.
- Maybe it would be nice to suggest users to contact the developer when he is about to leave a one or two star review.

6. "Developer page": let the developer customize the page that lists all his apps (add text, images, feature a specific app, etc...)

7. List of "Highest rated" apps should take the number of reviews into account. Maybe it isn't necessary to implement very sophisticated algorithms, but just exclude apps with less than X reviews from the top.

8. Let developers download the statistics

9. Suggest users to review recently downloaded apps (unobtrusively. e.g. a discreet card on the front page of the store)

Maybe I'm dreaming, but I really think it would be a great thing to have:

10. Embed a simulator (with a settings editor) on the download page, so that users can play with the app without installing it.

Kind regards

peterdedecker over 7 years ago

my list of demands isn't that big I would already be happy if the complete description was visible at once and that the "more" link was not there :)

HermoT over 7 years ago

Good comments. Have encountered most of these at some point too.

a1234.garmin over 7 years ago

11. user friendly developer name instead of UUID, the same for apps.
12. improved search. Top results should be ordered by present words I search in the name of the app. Non-strict search (fuzzy searching) required also. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approximate_string_matching
13. Garmin Connect mobile app should have normal in-app store, instead of mirroring m. version of apps.garmin.com site. A lot of issues with GCM itself. It suddenly refreshes list of opened apps, taking back to the menu.
14. give ability to hide some apps from the results.
15. developer account: add filter most downloaded, most rated
16. inbox for comments for apps.
17. versatile filtering, like watchface with 1sec update, hands or digits...
18. it's a pain to update the watchface that is currently running - no clear message about it - just error. All apps update progress
19. name of the apps - increast space for it, presenting it on apps.garmin.com. A lot of space wasted to banners and devices.

ftrimboli over 7 years ago

Just to add to this list from the consumer side — "Categories to help app and watchface discovery".

As developers, we're already classifying our creations, but there is no way to surface this in the store. Ideally, the store would have areas for "Apps > Lifestyle", "Apps > Cycling", "Apps > ANT+ Connected", "Watchfaces > Professional", "Watchfaces > Digital", "Watchfaces > Fun", etc.

You can imagine having a landing page for each section, with hand-picked / curated apps that are showcased. Will move the App Store from a "directory" to an "experience".

jim_m_58 over 7 years ago

Franco - Are you saying a "digital" watch can't be "professional"? :)

ftrimboli over 7 years ago

Jim — haha, ok good point. Analogue / Digital then :)

a1234.garmin over 7 years ago

Use tag system. Tag cloud will show important things. Use various requests using tags.