Hello Garmin,
I inadvertently discarded my activity right at the end of my run.
I noticed I am not the only one with this issue as there are dozens if not hundreds of messages on this forum and other forums on internet about this issue: it is too easy to discard an activity on the watch right after being done and the chances of recovery in most case are: none.
Those are just a few examples you can find out there.
I have a vivoactive 3 (music edition), and I believe the behavior is very similar on the vivoactive 4 and a lot of other Garmin watches:
- To end an activity, you push the main button of the watch which puts the recording in pause mode.
- In Pause mode there is a "Done" button available and this is the one you select to end the activity.
- After that the next screen appears with 2 options: Save (in green taking most of the watch screen) and Discard (in red taking a smaller part of the screen).
- If you select Save, the activity is saved and you are done.
- If you select Discard, the discard option (which was so far taking a smaller part of the screen) becomes bigger and takes the majority of the screen.
- You need to click it again in order to actually discard the activity. At this point your activity is gone and there is no way to recover it.
While this seems fine on paper (as there is a confirmation for the discard, which seems it would prevent a user from accidentally discarding an activity), but in reality, and especially after a workout, it is very easy to discard the activity.
I noticed it happens especially after more intense workout/activities, and the reason is simple: at the end of a particularly tiring activity, you just hit the main button to pause the activity and usually forget about the watch for the next few seconds in order to slow down, walk around stretch, drink, etc ... And then you get back to the watch after that.
But by the time you get back to it ... what happens nearly 100% of the time: the watch rubbed on your clothes, or your arm as you stretch or other and will always somehow select the "Done", and then "Discard" and "Discard" options.
I ask Garmin to please review this and redesign the "end of activity" to prevent discarding activities accidentally.
My suggestions:
1) completely remove the discard option from the "end of activity" flow. Most users will not want to discard immediately an activity. Activities can be deleted at a later time.
2) keep the discard option but ensure that the activities get put in a recoverable area (a recycle bin that you can access directly from the watch and recover things from as needed)
There is nothing more frustrating than pushing yourself during a workout, aiming to do better than last time and then not being able to see the result of your efforts.
Thank you for reading my feedback and hopefully taking actions to solve this design flaw in the "end of activity" flow.