Manual Lap

I?m very interested in buying the VA 3.
The only concern I have is the impossibility to take manual lap. Maybe only during a workout but this is not the way I want to use the watch.
Is someone having the watch can check this point or give more details?
The major defect of the VA 1 I have is to take manual lap on the touch screen (no button) but for the VA it seems to be worse: no manual lap!

Incredible!
I just receive my VA 3. Version 2.50, no manual laps.
I find a good way to use manual laps. I created a workout with 40 x press lap button.
In that way I was able to take manual laps by using a workout.

1 hour later I saw update 2.60 available.
After update, I saw that manual laps have been implemented during activity! Unfortunately by double tap on the screen. Unfortunate but ok, I decided to keep my workout for track training.
I tried again but NOOOO, they implement also double tap instead of button press!!!

Why they don't decided the other way: implement manual lap during an activity by pressing the button like for workout instead of the opposite (implement double tap everywhere).

I will return the device. What's a pity!

You press the button to start an activity. Pressing a second time is to stop the activity. If you were to use the button for manual laps, the watch would be unable to determine if the user wanted to set a lap or stop the activity. Is a double tap on a touch screen device really a deal breaker for you?

I think that the OP is saying he would prefer it being like the strength workouts. In those workouts you press the button between sets and if the new set is a rest period then a little touch area will show up at the bottom of the screen allowing you to end the workout. I have done that a bunch of times and I think that the touchscreen approach for manual laps is way better. Hitting the button is more difficult than hitting the touchscreen especially with gloves on. And then hitting the little "done" touch area is even worse. Double touching the screen anywhere is way easier. The only thing that is a little confusing is that you can have manual and automatic laps enabled at the same time if you forget to turn automatic laps off. So you could end up with some weird laps. These switches are in the lap settings for the activity.

I'm familiar with the strength app and it would pose the same issue as choosing run or bike. Pressing the button ends the set or workout, whichever you choose. It's just like the run app where you can press the button to start or stop your run/ride as many times as one wishes before selecting "done". Since the VA3 only has one button which controls starting and stopping apps the only way to add manual laps would be to tap the touch screen.


Update: Well, I just updated to FW 2.60 and started the strength app. 2.60 now says to double tap the screen to change sets. Unfortunately, the strength app is now broke on my watch. Double tapping the screen does absolutely nothing and pressing the button a second time stops the app and ask if you're done. Pressing the button again just starts the rest timer and you can't proceed to set 2 or edit your sets/weight anymore. I've tried a restart of my VA3 and the problem is still there. Anyone else having this issue or any idea on a fix without waiting weeks for 2.70?

I think that the OP is saying he would prefer it being like the strength workouts. In those workouts you press the button between sets and if the new set is a rest period then a little touch area will show up at the bottom of the screen allowing you to end the workout. I have done that a bunch of times and I think that the touchscreen approach for manual laps is way better. Hitting the button is more difficult than hitting the touchscreen especially with gloves on. And then hitting the little "done" touch area is even worse. Double touching the screen anywhere is way easier. The only thing that is a little confusing is that you can have manual and automatic laps enabled at the same time if you forget to turn automatic laps off. So you could end up with some weird laps. These switches are in the lap settings for the activity.

Yes, the method you describe at the beginning of your post is the better way to take manual in my opinion.
Double tap on the screen when running at high intensity (>20 km/h) is almost impossible.

I'm familiar with the strength app and it would pose the same issue as choosing run or bike. Pressing the button ends the set or workout, whichever you choose. It's just like the run app where you can press the button to start or stop your run/ride as many times as one wishes before selecting "done". Since the VA3 only has one button which controls starting and stopping apps the only way to add manual laps would be to tap the touch screen.


Update: Well, I just updated to FW 2.60 and started the strength app. 2.60 now says to double tap the screen to change sets. Unfortunately, the strength app is now broke on my watch. Double tapping the screen does absolutely nothing and pressing the button a second time stops the app and ask if you're done. Pressing the button again just starts the rest timer and you can't proceed to set 2 or edit your sets/weight anymore. I've tried a restart of my VA3 and the problem is still there. Anyone else having this issue or any idea on a fix without waiting weeks for 2.70?

Yes same for me. It’s a bug.
https://forums.garmin.com/forum/into-sports/health-fitness/vivoactive-3-aa/1266870-strength-app-issues-after-2-60-update

The manual lap feature by way of double-tap will work as designed after the sensor hub update 5.10 is installed. Information on this can be found here. We apologize for the confusion this update process has caused and thank you all for your patience while we resolved this.

Does anyone know how to tell what version of Sensor Hub is on your watch (without trying features to see if they work)?

From the main menu, Settings - System - About - SW Versions

From the main menu, Settings - System - About - SW Versions

Now that the feature works I confirm that for me it is too difficult to take manual laps in that way.
It would be more ergonomic to press the button, then the screen show the time of the lap and the possibility to stop the activity.

But I know that this will not implemented in that way...