Virtual partner cannot be switched off

Hello all, thanks again for your feedback and participation in the Garmin forums.
I've escalated this request for a setting that allows the Virtual Partner feature to be disabled, and will update here with more info when available.

@garmin-clayton any news?

Unfortunately I have no updates just yet. The virtual partner feature is tied into many parts of Edge device functions and software development + validation takes time.

I'm certainly not going to consider upgrading until it is switchable.  

> tied into many parts of Edge device functions

just set the icon to all transparent pixels in the meantime. Add simple toggle bitmap a/b. Edge 1050 firmware is a buggy mess that crashes every ride, every hour or two anyway. 1 developer, 1h max.

I can't state how many navigation errors I've made because of seeing 2 very similar arrows on map. Usually in stressful road situation when you don't have time to properly look down and think about what you see on map. First triangle your eyes see is considered your position. Not to mention that taking a wrong turn on some roads makes for a lengthy detour because you can't just turn back.

On the x40 devices there is a solution via MapTheme customisation but Garmin choose to remove the Maptheme  from the 1050, I suspect it is still there but hidden via MTP settings so users can't customise their own devices to their own tastes and requirements. At least the 1050 has a larger (actually visible) location cursor / symbol on the map rather than the tiny 2mm x 2.5mm 1040 version which is about half the size of the much disliked Virtual Partner symbol,explain the logic of that decision?

https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/cycling/f/edge-1040-series/372871/hiding-the-virtual-partner

I've lost count of the things I've seen suggested that would be a simple check against a toggle in a few if statements, but are never implemented.

I used to post every year at daylight saving switch requesting that there be an option to have the backlight stay on when the unit is in "night" mode. Pretty simple -- add a toggle button to one menu, and then in the block that controls whether the backlight is on or not, add the check there. Or maybe they use some kind of timer callback that turns off the backlight after it expires... Either way, there should be a very simple way to hold the backlight on based on a bit being set.

But instead of that, we get a unit that keeps the backlight on all the time.