Vivoactive 3 Auto-Update Apps failing to update watch faces

I think I'm having this issue.
I have to uninstall the watch face, and then reinstall it, losing all configs...
Could you workaround it?
Regards

For Vivoactive 3, Garmin appear to have implemented in the Garmin Connect App "Auto-Update Apps" in the Device Settings, however for watch faces to update a different watch face needs to be selected and hence when Garmin Connect Mobile attempts auto-updates it causes the watch face to automatically change the watch face and the update fails. This is causing users to think that the watch faces that is trying to be updated is the cause of the issue when it is not this but the auto-update process.

Has anyone else seen this problem?
Is Garmin aware of this issue?

I don't know why you're having an issue updating watch faces, but the auto update app wasn't just implemented. It's been around for years.

I have had a Garmin 235, 735XT, 935, friends who have Fenix 3 and Fenix 5's and none of these have had the "Auto-update Apps" option in the Device Settings in Garmin Connect. Nor have any of these devices every tried to automatically install the third party apps, widgets or watch faces. All users of Garmin watches have known for some time that they can not update a given Watch App if it is the current Watch being displayed on the device, Garmin Connect will show an error as it is unable to update an active app. I also have a Vivoactive 3, and only with this device is there an option in the Device Settings titled "Auto-update Apps", and what I have observed is Garmin Connect constantly trying to update the Watch face that is active on the watch but failing, and hence caught in a loop trying to update the Watch Face that is active on the watch. When I first got the VA3 the battery life was terrible, and it was then that I observed it was trying to update an active watch face and failing constantly. I turned off the "Auto-update App" feature and now the battery life is as expected. If I am wrong about this, perhaps you could post some screen shots from Garmin Connect of the "Auto-update App" feature in the Device Settings of a Garmin watch, other than the Vivoactive 3 or the Forerunner 645, such as the FR935, Fenix 3 or Fenix 5.

The "auto update app" settings is only use by Garmin Express (when you plug in to a computer.) Using GCM, you have to do an uninstall/reinstall, and lose your settings as a result. The "update" button on iOS kind of does that in the background, so you lose your settings.

That's the main thing I use GE for - getting app updates and not lose settings. Yes, it's a pain, and it's something app developers have been asking to get changed for quite some time. But it does work with Garmin Express.

Hi Jim. I wouldn't call the update when you plug your watch into the PC and use Garmin Express an auto-update, that would be a manual update, after all you are actively choosing to plug your watch into your computer to do an update.

My issue doesn't relate to loosing settings.

My main issue is the new option in Garmin Connect titled "Auto-update App" that is automatically enabled for owners of Vivoactive 3's, hence, given their watch is continuously connected to their phone, Gamin Connect constantly tries to update the users watch in the background without any user initiation. What this means is if there is a Watch App update for their current displayed/active watch the update constantly fails in the background, sucking up battery life through the continuously failing attempt to update an active watch face over Bluetooth. I believe this is why VA3 owners are experiencing poor battery performance.

I have enabled this on my wife's watch, and disabled, numerous times and the battery life varies significantly. Much better battery performance when Auto-update App is turned off in Garmin Connect.

You may be seeing something different. With the va3, when you are connected to a phone, it will update things like hr and steps in GCM. For apps, I see GE as the "auto-update", as when you plug in, all your apps get updated without any interaction or the side effect of losing settings. I think the "auto-update apps" in GCM has been there for a long time, but in a different place. I've never seen an app on the va3 get updated from a phone without my interaction (uninstall/re-install)

If a WF crashes, that will cause the type of switching WF's you'll see, but it seems to switch to a native WF when that happens. If you select the one that crashed again, it will run until it crashes again.

What watchfaces are involved?

Hi Jim

I think you are missing my point. I have been using Garmin Connect and Garmin Express every day since it was first released on a range of Garmin smartwatches watches.

Fact 1: If you try and update a watch face via Garmin Connect and that specific watch face is active on the watch the update will fail until you change the watch face via the watch to a different watch face to the one you want to update. This has been the case since Garmin Connect was released and Garmin watches support third party watch faces. This is a binary issue, it has always been the case. I have seen it on every Garmin watch I have had, on every iPhone I have every had (which is a lot), and everyone I know who has a Garmin Smartwatch (20+), plus the many people who use my watch face not just for my watch face but for every watch face they use.

Fact 2: If you open Garmin Connect, then select your watch, then go to "Device Settings" there has never been the switch title "Auto-update Apps". This has not been any where in any version of Garmin Connect for any of the Garmin watches until the Vivoactive 3 was released. I still don't have the option available for my FR 735XT or my FR935. I have checked on my friends Fenix 5's, Fenix 3's and FR235's, and they do not have the option anywhere, never have and still don't have the option. This option only appeared when the Vivoactive 3 was released and I now have this option but only for this watch. We have 6 Garmin watches in our house, FR735XT, FR935, Vivoactive HR, Vivoactive 3, on 4 different iPhones. The only watch which has the "Auto-update Apps" button in the Device Settings is the Vivoactive 3.

Fact 3: The watch apps have never updated automatically updated via Garmin Connect, you have always needed to proactively open Garmin Connect, check to see if there are any updates and then press the "install update" button. This is based on a lot of Garmin watches, many versions of Garmin Connect and many iPhones over the past few years.

The combination of 1 & 2 above, means if the Vivoactive 3 has "Auto-update Apps" button in the Device Settings turned on, it will fail to auto update a watch face that is current active on the screen. My testing has not been slight, I have check this with the Vivoactive 3 on a range of watch faces and it always fails to auto-up date the watch face if it is active.

The only way for you to be confident in this as well is to take a look yourself. I don't know which watch you have, but if it is a pre-Vivoactive 3 watch I would be interested if you can find a button "Auto-update Apps" in the Device Settings.

I hope the above provides more clarity as to the issues.

#1. yes that's a fact. You can't "update" the active watchface with GCM, as that's actually an uninstall/reinstall of the WF.
#2, It might have been somewhere in GCM, but has been in GE for years. It only applies to GE. It's under Tools/utilities on GE. Maybe they just exposed the GE setting in GCM.
#3 Not Garmin Connect - they update automatically only with GE.

As I said, 3rd party devs have been asking for a better way to update with GCM for years. It's far from unique with the va3. I've got 30+ apps in the store, BTW! :)

Hi Jim, yes I fully agree with your comments. It has definitely been in GE for years.

The issue I have still remains however, the "Auto-update App" in GCM is new, and it only is appears for the Vivoactive 3 (and maybe the FR645/645Music). I believe this is a primary source of the battery issues that Vivoactive 3 users are experiencing due the constant attempting of GCM attempting and failing to update watch apps that are active on the watch. I can't seem to get the attention of anyone at Garmin on this issue. If I look at this on my wife's watch VA3 and GCM it sits there constantly trying to apply an update to the active watch face.

PS I know that you have a lot of apps, I have to admit to "stalking" your valuable input on the forums.