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Synchronization Speed between watch and smartphone app with WLAN or Bluetooth

Ralf_23
over 5 years ago

I come from a Forerunner 735, which had no WLAN functionality. I found the Bluetooth Synchronization always very slow.

With the WLAN integration in the Forerunner 945, I was expecting a huge speed improvement.

But I cannot see such a huge speed improvement with WLAN.

Is the synchronization of the Forerunner 945 with the Smartphone App still done with Bluetooth?

Any options to reduce the synchronization time?

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    Sort of. The watch will synchronize activities via WiFi to Garmin Connect (web). The phone will also synchronize with Garmin Connect (web). So, in that use case, the synchronization can happen through WiFi. However, heart rate, stress, etc. require a Bluetooth connection to the phone. (As do notifications, etc.)

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to JBHORNER

    I’m pretty sure things like HR, stress, performance stats, fitness tracking (steps, floors), etc. also sync through Wi-Fi, not just activities, unless something is broken. The only thing that you absolutely need the phone app for is Connect IQ apps (installing, updates and changing settings), afaik. (Also notifications, and LiveTrack, of course.)

    I usually leave Bluetooth turned off on my 935 to save battery, and only turn it on when I need to change Connect IQ settings with the GC app. But I have no problem seeing all of my stats. 

    Anyway, for my 935, wi-fi syncing is def much faster than Bluetooth. It’s also faster for things like downloading updates. I think updates over Bluetooth trickle down over a longer period, instead of being downloaded in one piece like wi-fi updates, so it’s hard to compare that directly .

    I did a speed comparison a while back, and I think I found there was some apparent delay on the server for both Bluetooth and wifi, of several seconds. So syncs of small data might seem to take the same amount of time, if the delay is long enough. But if you go a few weeks without syncing or if you use 1-second recording (which creates larger files), you might notice. 

    I just like the convenience of leaving Bluetooth turned off on my watch and my phone. I don’t run with my phone, so using wi-fi syncing is convenient and it saves battery. 

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    Yes, synchronization with the watch and smartphone app always happens via Bluetooth. Wi-Fi syncing (from the watch) does not involve the app at all.

    Like JBHORNER explained, everything syncs with the Garmin Connect backend, either way.

    If you want your watch to sync (with the Garmin Connect servers) using wi-fi, make sure to disable Bluetooth. Otherwise, if your watch is connected to your phone (via Bluetooth), it will always sync via Bluetooth. Bluetooth takes precedence over wi-fi, as far as syncing goes. (That is, it will when you use the sync button from the quick controls. I guess you could dig into the wi-fi menu and force a sync that way, but I think that's too cumbersome.)

  • +1 over 5 years ago

    Thanks a lot for your answers @JBHorner and @WillNorthYork !!!!

    After your feedback and disabeling Bluetooth, I got aware that I have a totally different problem for which I opened a new thread.

    https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/166952/wifi-connection-error-0500-after-disabling-bluetooth-for-gc-synchronization