Activities still automatically upload using Wi-Fi when Auto Sync is Disabled

Have you checked in your Connect account, if the activities are actually there?

I have Auto Upload off, and after every activity there is a "Sync Successful" or "Sync Failed" message, depending on the software version and whether or not the phone is in reach. This does not result in activities or all-day fitness data upload.

I have no insight in how the software works, but I assume that the watch has an end-of-activity-sequence that includes initiating a sync. The app on the phone forwards this to back-end servers. At which point the upload permission on the account is checked, I don't know. But in the end, the watch receives an acknowledgement of successful communication, whether or not any data was uploaded.

I'm in the EU, it has been this way since the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation in 2016, which resulted in the Data Upload Off setting on Garmin accounts. Which isn't as good as a Data Upload On/Off option _for each device_ as it was in earlier years (around 2014).

Thanks for your answer.

I have checked the process and the activity is still being uploaded.

So when I "Save" and activity, I in the watch a "Sync succesfull" message, I get a notification on the phone saying "New uploaded activity" and if without opening Garmin connect on the phone I open Garmin connect on the web app, the activity is there, so definetelly the setting is being ignored and the activity is uploaded.

Also the avtivity is showed up in Strava inmediatelly.

I have googled a lot about this and found some post about this issue but it was yeards old, nothing actual.

Also, In the mobile Garmin connect app I have the toggle for disabling auto upload, but from the Web app I can't find this options. Does it exists? 

Just wondering if this is a bug in the phone app and setting it up from the web the watch would receive the setting and stop uploading each time.

I do not remove my comment, to track the sync from perspective. But do test from IOS GCM and encounter the same issue, it's a bug.

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Reading your comments here, i took the manual and do some manipulation. And it's function as designed.

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• First - Bluetooth with Smartphone Garmin Connect
  • if your smartphone is connected to your watch, then Activity sync is always "auto" and can also be manually sync https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix66s6xpro/EN-US/GUID-48DF00C6-3060-458D-BE16-DFF562661CCD.html
    Manually Syncing Data with Garmin Connect
    • If you want to block it, your need to Turn Off BT connection to smartphone
      https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix66s6xpro/EN-US/GUID-139CD52F-B25F-4002-B13D-ACF7FEA70A04.html
      

• Second - Wi-Fi without smartphone
  • if you use Wi-Fi, then activity are sync automatically or not depending on Menu - Wi-Fi, Auto-Upload setting.
    Then you can manually use Wi-Fi Sync from the sub-menu
    https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/fenix66s6xpro/EN-US/GUID-7089BCD7-BBA9-4AB1-BE0C-3FA4A2FAE861.html

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To conclude, our device are always sync to Garmin Connect "Cloud" if one of the above connection method (or the two) is enabled.

If you disable BT with smartphone, then your device is not a smartwatch.

Hi, for me it's a bug, i try it and encounter the Auto Upload of activity from GCM even if the option is toggle to off.

• iOS 16.5
• GCM 4.67.3
• F6Pro
• System 26.00

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Reproduce

Under GCM --- Watch

• General
  • Activity Auto Upload - disabled (toggle off, without colour)

Create a fake activity - strength - wait for a little time - Save it

The activity is sync to GC Cloud (and confirm by Strava sync with GC account)

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I open a thread here : https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software/mobile-apps-web/f/garmin-connect-mobile-ios/335763/gcm---ios---auto-upload-off-setting-not-working---activities-always-sync-to-gc-cloud

@socorsu I also think it's a bug.

In wifi mode seems to be working, when wifi auto sync is disabled, activities don't get uploaded.

But for bluethoot connection, the toggle does actually nothing.

Thanks for your detailed answers.

Thank you all soooo much for the information! I can't stand non-consensual uploading.

I don't see it happening now, so I set my phone to not update apps automatically anymore. I'm afraid this bug is in an update to Connect.

GCM is version 4.67 (not 4.67.3) on Android version 13. Software on my device is 25.91 (Fenix 6X Solar).

I have only Bluetooth connection via phone, never configured Wifi.

Settings in GCM (Android): Settings, Profile and Privacy, Data, Device Upload: Off. In Connect Web: Account Settings, Privacy Settings, Device Upload: Disabled.

For some years I had to use my Fenix without Bluetooth or run GCM behind a firewall on my phone to avoid uploading, sure hope this gets fixed soon,

Getting out for a run now.. hoping very much that the bug isn't in the backend services.

Update: No unwanted uploads - still OK. I'll monitor this thread for news.

Thank you for confirming no unwanted uploads occur. I will re-enable updates on GCM and my devices.

@Data

Please note, our engineering team continues to look into reports within this thread for an activity finding a way to still sync even if the Bluetooth connection is turned off and the Wi-Fi Auto-Sync is disabled. Our initial confusion was figuring out if activities were syncing via Bluetooth since the watch uses Bluetooth as primary before it checks Wi-Fi.