Suunto 7 Fitness Tracker app bug

Jamie BG

Bug with tracker app running in background - no buzz (and suspect no tone).

I have my settings for the tracker app set up so that my watch buzzes and no tone is sounded.
If the activity is running in the foreground there is no issues, at the agreed distance interval setting I get a buzz telling me I have done 1km (and if tones are on I get a beep).

However i app is running in the background with screen off (i.e. start activity, go to home screen, and press screen off), no buzz occurs at the interval. Unless I have put DND on there should be a buzz irrespective of whether app is in foreground or background.

Not sure, and will try to check:

If tone will go off while in background with screen off.
Not sure if tone/buzz will go if in background with always on screen.
Not sure if one will work while the other doesn’t.

Consider there is the option to turn off the buzz/tone and there is a DND option, if this is a design feature that the watch shouldn’t alert you in the background, I think it needs a change as that doesn’t make sense. Thus this is a bug that needs fixing as it is important to know when I have reached intervals - and if I were in GPS only mode running with screen off to max battery, I would need this indicator so I don’t have to check the watch to know I have reached the next interval.

Egika

@Jamie-BG
I think once there is a good battery management, this workaround to exit the application and switch off the screen is not needed anymore

Brad_Olwin

@Jamie-BG Is the tracker app you are referring to the Suunto Wear App? If so, what you are reporting is by design. If the SA app is not running in the foreground, you will not get lap notifications. It is not a bug AFAIK and is unlikely to change. There are a lot of arguments one could make to have the watch function the way it does now. In addition, the auto lap notification will use battery as it lights up the screen and activates the vibration motor.

Jamie BG

@Brad_Olwin - hi, yes it is the suunto wear app.

got to say that is bad design, because if you don’t want the app to notify you it is easy to turn the tone and vibration off, and you can do it while the app is running or at start.
If you default is you want it on, it should work in background or foreground.

Can’t see any arguement for having it function the way it currently does, except for saving battery - and if you wanted that you would turn it off in the app to start off with.

They could add another option for behaviour in foreground/background.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos

@Jamie-BG I think it’s possible to “beep/vibrate” in the background but not possible to draw

Jamie BG

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos - would be good if they changed that so that it did. Makes far more sense, as you can switch that off if you don’t want it before starting an activity or during it. And at least this way you are notified when in background.