Garmin Connect IQ 8.1 – what today’s improvements mean to you
Garmin will launch Connect IQ 8.1 (CIQ 8.1) to developers, which should make its way promptly to most (all?) recent devices, with Tactix 8 and Fenix 8 the first in line for the new goodies. Support for CIQ8.1 should start to appear soon in the beta release notes.
I covered the features of Connect IQ 8 at launch in January. These offered developers exciting new capabilities; however, most won’t necessarily translate to new features that watch owners experience. The themes for CIQ8 included more personalisation and mode resources for developers to make more robust apps.
CIQ 8.1 gives you this!
- Easier-to-Use Apps: With new tools for developers, apps will become more reliable and user-friendly, offering smoother performance and fewer glitches.
- Better Watch Face Customization: If you own a Fenix 8 or Tactix 8 series, you can expect better, more personalized watch faces that integrate seamlessly with your device.
- Faster App Updates: Some apps will run more efficiently as developers now have access to more storage, which means quicker, more responsive features on your watch.
- Easier Pairing with Devices: Apps will integrate more smoothly with your Garmin sensors and devices, improving overall connectivity and reducing setup time.
- Enhanced Notifications: Developers can now create apps that send notifications, even when you’re not actively using them, so you stay informed without interrupting your activities.
Take Out
Everyone loves faster, more reliable apps.
I’ve been talking a bit recently with one of the major CIQ app developers, who pointed out that there has been an issue with third-party developers connecting to their sensors. Essentially, the ‘unusual’ sensor paired via CIQ is given lower priority and takes quite a bit longer to pair. After reading the notes for CIQ8.1, I realized that this might now be improved – it will have affected apps like Stryd Zones.
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