this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2023
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I'm trying to move away from a fitbit, once in a while I forget to charge it and I have to install the app and fork over all of my data to fitbit to set the time.

Anyone have any recommendations, I need something with a decent heart monitor, that's really the only thing I care about.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Does the Garmin app require location services to be turned to use like fitbit?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

it uses true gps from my understanding, not cell service triangulation

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can you adjust the time on it without using an app?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I think time can get out of sync. Privacy wise, it's pretty good for proprietary: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/garmin-forerunner-series/

Not open source of course, so it is something to weigh up.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Location services have to be turned on in Android whenever you're searching for Bluetooth devices.

This isn't because they're necessarily using your location but because scanning Bluetooth/wifi devices could be used to localise you.

As far as I can tell, Garmin does not use location on the phone. Weather updates come through the phone's internet connection but only work based on the watch location.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

My phone has CalyxOS so I don't need to

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm on CalyxOS and I have to enable location services to search for my Xiaomi Smart Band 7 through Gadgetbridge.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

That's weird I haven't had to do that before, maybe it's just a smart watch thing

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I can search for Bluetooth devices without location services

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

That sounds like a bug.

Software can theoretically recover location by searching.

Like my TV hasn't moved in the last 3 years, if any app searching for Bluetooth sees it they can know where I am.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I'm not complaining

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

So, I just checked under the app information in Android. The location permission was turned on. I disabled it, and started the app up and it seems to work fine.