Widget: what3words

Welcome to my first widget, witch let you convert your current position into the unique 3 word address.

what3words is a universal addressing system based on a 3mx3m global grid.

Each of the 57 trillion 3mx3m squares in the world has been pre-allocated a fixed & unique 3 word address.

More Info about what3words http://what3words.com


https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/dce8ef10-7c8b-4a91-b80a-b1a544556e88
v 1.3 switch to what3words API V2

v 1.2 - You get the 3 Word automatically in you language if it is available on what3words (EN, DE, ES, IT, RU, SE, PT, FR, PT)

V 1.1 - Add Support for D2™ Bravo, ForeAthlete® 235J, ForeAthlete® 920XTJ, Forerunner® 230, Forerunner® 235, Forerunner® 630, Forerunner® 920XT, epix™, fēnix® 3, fēnix® 3 HR, vívoactive®

V 1.0.1 - Small bugfixes

V 1.0 - initial release
  • Hi,
    yes i know about the accuration from the first GPS shot. So i used the Start / Stop Button on the fenix 3 for recalling the api. I tested your device in the debugger, it´s the right side button on your vivoactive (on the vivoactive hr its the right down button)

    I plan with the next update, to wait for the good GPS signal, but i only get the information Position.QUALITY_GOOD or Position.QUALITY_USABLE, but i don`t know how far it will be from my location. I also dont want to confuse the user with 2sec updates of the text position.

    I researched a little bit, i search for an way to start the GPS on the watch, but i dont know any way to do this.

    I am on this, greetings Sven
  • Former Member
    Former Member over 8 years ago
    Vivoactive HR

    Hello...I installed the app on my Vivoactive HR and noticed that it acquires GPS (or says so), yet the three words never change. Any ideas / solutions?

    Thank you!
  • Hello...I installed the app on my Vivoactive HR and noticed that it acquires GPS (or says so), yet the three words never change. Any ideas / solutions?

    Thank you!


    Hi, normally it will use your GPS for your location, and when it will have an location ist request over Bluetooth the data. Will your GPS work? Are you have try it outside an Building? Mail me, Contact infos on the App Page
  • Hi. Any plans for Forerunner 235 support please?
  • It would be cool if there was a way to input What3words into it and it convert that into GPS co-ords to then navigate to.

  • What3Words requires an internet connection. 

    That is, you would need to have a phone. 


    Inputting text into a watch is going to suck anyway.

     Use the phone. 

    Using “plus codes” would be a much better idea.

    It’s much fewer characters to input and doesn’t require an internet connection. It also doesn’t require proprietary data owned by one company.

  • I get your point but if the person I know is using what3words then that is what I have to work with and I did not buy a watch with navigation to then walk around using my mobile phone to navigate with. I've not heard of plus codes before though so that is interesting.

    I do have a workaround which is more cumbersome than it should be but here it is, in case anybody else wants this feature or can improve upon my mad method (Android)
    You need What3words app on your phone.
    You need Google maps app on your phone.
    You need Maps Share app (mawistudios) on your phone.
    You need Maps Share app (mawistudios) on your watch.
    so someone sends you a what3words location which you duly open up on the what3words app on your phone. You then click the NAVIGATE button and choose MAPS. It then opens it up on Google maps. If it does not show the GPS co-ordinates just drop a pin onto the same location (sometimes it seems to show the GPS co-ordinates straightaway, other times not). Then click SHARE and choose MAPS SHARE and voila it pops up on your watch ready for navigation.
  • I get your point but if the person I know is using what3words then that is what I have to work with and I did not buy a watch with navigation to then walk around using my mobile phone to navigate with.

    The What3Words either needs internet access to encode/decode the words OR the app/widget would need the What3Words "database", which would need to be included in the app/widget code. This would likely make the app too big. You'd likely need to pay for a license to use the "database".

    Who is using it? It doesn't seem common at all.

    It seems pretty silly to use a proprietary method for indicating a location.

    I do have a workaround which is more cumbersome than it should be but here it is, in case anybody else wants this feature or can improve upon my mad method (Android)

    Yes, use pluscodes instead.

    One issue with pluscodes is that the long version is not commonly provided.

  • Maybe it's a UK thing. It's relatively common here but plus codes seems good.

  • What3Words is a "cute" idea that has lots of problems.

    The basic problem with it is involving privately-owned proprietary data for passing locations.

    www.bbc.com/.../technology-57156797

    cybergibbons.com/.../