Stock stopwatch background colour

I am using v11.10 on my FR245 and it is black text on white. I have not updated because each software update semms to bring lots of complaints about battery drain and new bugs, judging by the firum posts.

I find the stock stopwatch to be pretty poor. Tiny numbers and lots of empty space.

I would recommend this app instead:

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/6c635562-809b-445e-981a-d2549630ee0b

Nice clear numbers. Can toggle the top display to be time, HR, steps, etc. Also colours are customisable via the ConnectIQ app.

Give it a try.

Yeah, the stock stopwatch is not the best, but it used to be "good enough" with the white background. The black background makes it a little harder to read.

I would be interested to know if anyone out there with software version 15.19 on the FR955 has the stock stopwatch with a white background? This would mean there is a way to configure it some how.

Thanks,

KnightAzul

KnightAzul said:

I would be interested to know if anyone out there with software version 15.19 on the FR955 has the stock stopwatch with a white background? This would mean there is a way to configure it some how.

I'm on a newer beta firmware (16.16) and the stopwatch background color is black. I don't think there's any way to change it.

I have a CIQ stopwatch app that's not yet available for 955, but I'm considering porting it over:

[https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/38eddacd-e098-40ce-82d8-f45584b0a117]

It has:

- choice of light and dark mode

- large numbers

- ability to scroll through your laps while the timer is running (just like the stock stopwatch)

- shows both lap time and total time simultaneously

- ability to toggle between laps (lap time) and splits (total time)

- "simple mode" (no laps, larger numbers)

- ability to save an activity

Would you be interested in seeing this app on 955?

Hi,

Thanks for the confirmation that the stopwatch background color is black now.

I really don't understand why Garmin would have changed it to be less readable with a black background and with no option to change it back to the more readable white background colour. Especially when the stopwatch readability wasn't the best to start with, having unnecessarily small numbers, when much larger numbers could have easily been used on the large screen.

I'll live with it for now in the hope that Garmin sees sense in a future software update!

KnightAzul

KnightAzul said:

I really don't understand why Garmin would have changed it to be less readable with a black background

I feel like the fact that 945 LTE / 955 / 965, Fenix 6 / 7 are all using similar software now means that there are certain changes that get applied everywhere, even if the change is more applicable to certain models than others. One example could be the use of a black background almost everywhere except activity screens. Of course on the OLED devices, every screen has a black background, so maybe it's easier for Garmin if they apply the same logic to the MIP devices (like 955) (except of course for the activity data pages.) Similarly, the background for the music library in the Spotify app is now black when it used to be white on previous devices.

Another example is that the map page has large translucent on-screen buttons for pan and zoom, on touchscreen devices. This makes sense because they're not only physical button hints, but also tappable buttons.

On the 945 LTE, this screen used to only have small button hints (with completely transparent background), but it changed to have the same large on-screen buttons (except they're opaque, probably since the other devices have a GPU and 945 LTE does not.). This change makes no sense on the 945 LTE, since it doesn't have a touchscreen, and the new opaque buttons obscure a much larger part of the map than they used to. The only reasoning I can think of here is that it's easier for Garmin to just use the same map code for 945 LTE and the other devices, even though it's a worse user experience.

Another explanation could be just that dark mode is trendy (because phones have OLED screens now.) It is also perceived to easier on the eyes for general use, although it's probably not the case for a MIP screen.

I agree it wouldn’t be hard, but it’s more that it’s not a high priority for them. Just like they inappropriately ported the map buttons to 945 LTE, which can’t make them translucent (so they’re big and opaque), and which doesn’t need them because it doesn’t have a touchscreen. It probably would’ve been more work for them to keep the old small button hints, idk.

Just a lack of attention to detail imo.

Ironically the reason I originally made the app linked above was because people said they wanted a stopwatch with a black background for the 235/935/Fenix 5 generation of devices. Now that Garmin made the native stopwatch black, it inevitably annoyed people who liked it with a white background.

Sometimes options are good, but it’s just more work for engineering and QA, so I can see why it fell by the wayside. Garmin users are already very familiar with the tons of bugs that appear with every new product and update, so I’m sure Garmin will do anything to avoid adding stuff unnecessarily.

My app does give you a choice for the background color, but ofc it can never be as good as the native stopwatch. (For one thing, the native stopwatch allows you to decide to save an activity when the timer is stopped, whereas my app requires you to choose to record an activity before you start the timer. Another thing is that the native stopwatch can be launched from the controls menu. And it can run while a native activity or other CIQ app is running. The former may be possible for newer watches, but not for older watches)

I do not think you will get many improvements to the FR955, it has already been replaced by the FR965. Garmins focus is likely to be on the best software for OLED screens from now on.

To be honest I am quite disappointed by the software of my Garmin watches. But all credit to Garmin, they released an SDK and allow third party apps. The watches can be improved dramatically.

Nighflame said:

Garmins focus is likely to be on the best software for OLED screens from now on.

I have to agree with this. If not now, some time in the near future.

I'm kinda sad that MIP is probably on its way out except for some specialty watches (like Enduro). I get that MIP isn't impressive or pretty but to me it's still the best option for outdoor running in daylight. I like being able to glance at my watch and see stats instantly, without a deliberate wrist gesture. I always say MIP is to OLED as ereader is to iPad but ereaders are a niche market too.

I find the talk of how "nobody said Garmin will stop making (mainstream) MIP watches" to be a cope. 265/965 are OLED, 255/955 are MIP. Doesn't get any clearer than that. I can't see Garmin releasing a 275 with a MIP screen and 285 with OLED, or even 275 (MIP variant) and 275 (OLED).

There's also the standard talk about how people who like MIP screens are stuck in the past. The problem is MIP still has advantages over OLED. The other problem is that most people don't care (or don't know) about those advantages. Once OLED is "good enough", Garmin will abandon MIP. Maybe that time has already come.

It's kinda like the old argument about bluetooth earbuds vs wired earbuds. People were upset when Apple got rid of the headphone jack (and other vendors followed). Now airpods are everywhere and wireless earbuds in general have improved so much that nobody complains anymore. But there's still use cases for wired earbuds (like gaming). The difference here is obviously people can still use wired earbuds or headphones with an adapter, but if Garmin stops making MIP devices then there's nothing we can do about it.

Nighflame said:

To be honest I am quite disappointed by the software of my Garmin watches.

Yeah Garmin software has issues, but we keep buying their products.... Probably because Garmin fills a niche in a way that even Apple hasn't matched (yet).