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Simple suggestions for software usability improvements

Former Member
Former Member

I recently purchased a Vivoactive 4s and it’s been great so far! However, there are some issues with the watch’s software and the Garmin connect app that I believe could be fixed with just a little effort from Garmin. I am posting these here both to get help from other forum members in case there is some workaround that I hace overlooked and since I have seen that there are some Garmin staff on the forums that I hope could forward this feedback to the right instance. These suggestions are all relatively simple, but would yield major improvements in usability.

  1. Optionally disable automatic counting of reps. As is listed on Garmin’s own website, the automatic rep counting is inaccurate for all exercises that do not involve regular arm movement (and I have found it to be less reliable even for exercises such as bench press). It is a major annoyance to have to edit the repetitions of every set manually via the phone app, just because the watch is not counting accurately. Since most sets are performed at the preset number of repetitions, a simple fix for this problem is to have an option to disable automatic rep counting and instead use the preset number of reps as the default (while still allowing for manual edit when needed).
  2. Remove the need to enter leading zeroes. When editing the reps or weight for an exercise, the default value is ---, so the user always needs to enter a three digit number, such as 009. A simple fix for this is to make the default value 000 instead of ---, then users only need to enter the number of digits in their number and no leading zeroes. This is important in the middle of an intense workout where you want to spend as little time as possible fiddling with the watch.
  3. Add multiple timers. Multiple timers are commonly used, and this feature is available in all smartphones. There are already multiple alarms on the Garmin watch so adding support for multiple timers should be straightforward and a significant upgrade for many users (e.g. it is really good for working with the pomodoro technique, for taking naps, and for timing different activities and rests simultaneously).
  4. The Android Connect app does not allow to scroll down to edit the last exercises of a workout since these are hidden by the keyboard. Instead, I need to close the keyboard and directly click the set I want to edit.
  5. Don’t require location services for weather. There should be an option to set a default location that is used when location services are not activated on the phone. In addition, the watch will sometimes say “No hourly data available” although it has reported weather for hourly data previously that same day.
  6. Views over time in the connect app, such as heart rate, would benefit from being zoomable via pinch to zoom.
  7. When editing the amount of calories burned in an activity, the spinner should be replaced with the possibility to type in the numbers. If the calories are way off it is quite tedious to spin the numbers (I have had to do it for ~ 30 s) instead of just entering the calorie count right away.

Particularly the first three points above are major upgrades that would require little effort to fix and be a big win for many Garmin watch users.

  • Esto que suscitas no es algo exclusivo del deporte de Gimnasio, es algo análogo al resto de deportes, los cuales tienen una configuración muy limitada, así como la información que nos ofrecen después del entrenamiento. 

    Yo soy partidario de que eliminen tantos deportes de su menú, y que Garmin se centre en ofrecernos con una buena interface y elaboración los 10 o 15 deportes más recurrentes para los usuarios. 

    Sobretodo que Garmin escuche las demandas de sus clientes, que se gastan más de 300€ en un dispositivo pulsómetro+GPS, que ahora mismo cuesta la mitad. 

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago

    For point 6 above, I discovered that it is possible to pinch to zoom after clicking an exercise graph or rotating the device. This work quite well for stats in an activity and soso for individual stats outside an activity since there is some interference with the "compare two points" feature for both measurements.

  • #1 - Don't use the internal Garmin Strength app. I find it too cumbersome to use and all the manual editing and what not. And if you're doing single arm exercise, it won't register anyways. Better just use a 3rd party app or something else to track.

    #3 - There are multiple apps in the connectIQ store that does just that. 

    https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/542affcf-e440-43d4-a118-5aa3bba2f14e 

    This app for example fits these 2 thing. simple and straightforward.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago

    #1 - I actually think the reps count is kinda good in all the big exercises. (benchpress, squat, deadlift) But since i always edit every set to add the weight on the bar i would like the option to just accept the rep count and just add the weight. Now i need the type the reps even if the watch actually counted correct. 

    #2 - This was something they fixed in version 4.0 (i think). now you dont need to write 009. You can just type 9 and then tap the green arrow wich will appear inside the circle of numbers. It does require two taps but in my opinion this fix actually made the strength app a lot better. All I want now is the ability to search for different exercises in garmin connect to see my personal records in different exercises. for example whats my heaviest bench press and so on. 

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Nikeow

    It doesn't look like that app includes the type of exercise and the weight, is that correct? For timers, I was referring to outside strength training, just using the watch instead of a timer for other things.

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

    Yes, it is great that they fixed #2!  It would still be nice if the default was the preset number of reps, but this is definitely better than before!