Live Traffic for Smartphone Link now Free?

Wow, that is news! And even though I've paid for mine, it's Good News.

Do camera views, premium weather, etc. still have a one-time fee?

It appears those other services are still pay services.

I recently paid for it. In October, I think.

dobs108

That's a bummer dobs108

Just updated the Android phone at the Play Store. Smartphone Link was one of the updates.

dobs108

Ditto...same for me... bought mine in early Fall.

I noticed that the icon on my Iphone for the Garmin Smartlink had changed this morning. When I checked, I had another button within the app for connecting a Garmin Virb camera, if it is WiFi capable. Then after reading this I checked the Live Traffic and sure enough, there it is, and free.

It's been free from the start with the exception of a few countries.

Yes it is, I paid for Live Traffic and the enhanced weather for my Nuvi 2698 a year ago.

My only complaint is that I lose the connection often. I get out of my truck to sign for a load or whatnot and I get out of range of the connection between the two. Normally only for a few minutes. When back in range I have to reboot both the phone and the Nuvi in order to reestablish the connection.

I don't allow anything on my phone to update automatically, but reading this thread prompted me to check for an update. My icon went from blue to a yellowish color after the update, not seeing anything new within the app though.

Every time you start driving you have to remake the bluetooth connection and start Live Traffic. There have been recent software updates for the GPS (3597) and the Smartlink app. I am hoping the connection problem is solved.

dobs108

After subscribing a bit over a year ago, I quickly noticed the reconnection problem seemed fairly consistent unless I turned off bluetooth from my android phone before getting out of range. I still had to reconnect once returning to the vehicle, but was able to avoid rebooting either device.

Then back sometime around November, Smartphone Link started issuing a notification that my subscriptions were about to expire and I couldn't figure out why since I was certain I had paid for Lifetime subscriptions. I researched everything I could find including here, Garmin support, and Google Play and while nothing seemed to become evident, the warnings eventually stopped while functionality remained.

I recall reading that my current version of Smartphone Link is supposed to activate itself upon turning bluetooth on, but that capability seems inconsistent, so I now double check who my 3597 says is the Traffic Provider before heading out, and restart the app as needed.

Otherwise, nothing has dropped out while enroute, although on occasion I've still hit unexpected traffic where coverage/reporting was weak.

I see a Blue Garmin Smartphone Link App and a Yellow one. The yellow one looks newer. What's the difference?

The yellow one looks nicer but we would like to know what bugs it fixes.

dobs108

Damn, I'd have bought a model that supports it.

Is the traffic and weather displayed on the GPS or on the phone? If on the GPS I'll give it a try. If on the phone I'll stick with Google Maps.

So, I wonder if they will refund those of us who paid for it, so long ago?

So now that I have it for free, how exactly does Live Traffic get its updates? For instance with apps like WAZE, the traffic updates are input by WAZE users who enter them as they spot them.

Does Live Traffic use inputs from users? Where does its information come from?

The weather and traffic is displayed on the GPS, with data received from the Smartphone Link app on the phone. You don't look at the phone. Roads with traffic are highlighted in yellow or red. More importantly, the GPS will modify navigation to the destination, due to heavy traffic, either by a popup asking your approval, or automatically depending on your traffic settings.

dobs108

I am guessing that most traffic info does not come from Waze users reporting traffic they see. I think the Waze server is tracking customers' locations using the GPS on their phones to see how fast Waze customers are proceeding down the road. I think Live Traffic must do the same. I also use Sigalert and this is how they do it. The exact current speed at every point on a road is displayed by Sigalert.

dobs108

I believe Smartlink receives updates from Here, with Traffic Reporting very similar to Google.

I only have the yellow now, it was blue prior to the latest update for the app. I've noticed very little different between the versions interface, but I only updated today and have yet to pair it with my GPS

Don't hold your breath on refunds for the prior traffic subscription. It's about time though because that was silly really particularly with so many free apps out there. Even with the January 2017 update, I still think it's a bit glitch. The traffic incidents on my DriveSmart 70LMT don't match 100% with the app. The app shows more and the incidents listing only shows closures or construction, rarely actual wrecks, etc. Interestingly, it still incorporates those traffic incidents in the navigation routing - they just don't appear correctly when you go to list all incidents on the Garmin.

The main problem is slow traffic, with no specific cause other than high volume. I used Live Traffic today and drove by choice on a road that had yellow and red areas highlighted on the GPS screen. What I saw on the road corresponded exactly with what I saw on the screen.

This is from the New York City area, with the worst traffic anywhere.

dobs108

I, like many others on this blog, bought LiveTraffic recently. Before this latest update, it worked fairly well. I occasionally had connection issues, but it all in all, it worked when I needed it. However, with this latest update, all other live services work, EXCEPT LiveTraffic. When I navigate to the Apps page on my 2597, it is clearly using the FM Traffic as opposed to the LiveTraffic (when the Nuvi is using LiveTraffic, the traffic symbol changes to black and contains the smartphone link symbol next to it). I might try to call Garmin within the next few weeks to see if they are working to resolve this issue. Is anyone else having this issue?

I'll try SmartLink again.

Live Traffic is working for me. It worked yesterday with the latest updates to the phone and the GPS. The issue I am having is with the bluetooth connection. If bluetooth isn't connected, Live Traffic doesn't work.

Once the connection is made, it works, but if you stop somewhere, the connection does not restart itself. I have not had to reboot the devices, but I have to go into the bluetooth screens on both devices to make the bluetooth connection. Then I have to touch the Live Traffic icon in the app to start it.

Another possible problem I haven't seen is where multiple bluetooth devices are stepping on each other. For example, the phone is paired with the car audio for voice phone use at the same time it is paired with the GPS for traffic. This should work but may not.

To determine if the devices are connected, look at the bottom of the screen in the Smartphone Link app. If it says "Last Connection" it is not connected. In the GPS, look in Settings/Bluetooth and the name of the phone should be there.

The GPS traffic settings must allow traffic provider selection to be "Auto." It may be necessary to view the traffic settings when both FM Traffic and Live Traffic are available.

dobs108

Good info

With the latest app update, my 3597 with GTM-60 (HD traffic) receiver connects to the app's link for traffic, live cameras and weather and all work fine and display on the nuvi.

Regarding Bluetooth issues, it seems from what I've read that iPhones tend to have Bluetooth connectivity issues at least with the Garmin app while Android phones do not. If this is the case, we should specify our phone's OS. Mine is Android.

Regarding the loss of traffic that rame1012 reports, I do not have a problem. Some differences that could explain this are that I have a nuvi 3597, not rame's 2597, and my nuvi traffic without Smartlink is HD, not FM. dobs108, I can't find on my 3597 where to set traffic provider to Auto. In my Settings/Traffic, I see that it is enabled, and with no connected smartphone, it tries to search for HD traffic but fails due to my nearest HD traffic provider being over 100 miles from me. With the Smartphone Link app on and bluetoothed to the nuvi, the app is shown to be the traffic provider, whether the nuvi is powered by the GTM-60 or not (when running off the 3597's internal battery). Although my nuvi shows no traffic incidents right now (which is likely correct), it does show slow downs on the map display (with my traffic alerts set to show Most detail). So even with my GTM-60 connected (but with no HD traffic being received), my Smartphone Link is the source for traffic on the 3597, unlike what rame1012 is seeing.

Android here, Galaxy S6.

I haven't used my GPS since I updated the smartphone link yesterday so I don't know if the reconnect issue (as noted in my previous posts) has been resolved.

Exact same issues with an iPhone 7.

Android phone and nuvi 3597.

I did a test at my location where all traffic providers are received.

With the Android Smartphone Link app off and bluetooth not paired with the nuvi 3597 and GTM-60, in Settings/Traffic/Current Provider, there are radio buttons, Auto, HERE, HERE HD, and Total Traffic Network (my paid subscription). Only one can be checked and Auto is checked. After several minutes of searching, it settles on Total Traffic Network.

When the Smartphone Link app is started and the bluetooth is paired, in Settings/Traffic, Current Provider is greyed out with Smartphone Link under that. You can't get in to Current Provider to see any choices because it is greyed out. It doesn't matter if a specific selection was made instead of Auto. Smartphone Link overrides that selection.

I did another test to simulate stopping the car, the nuvi goes to sleep, and the phone goes out of range of the bluetooth. When I came back and started the car again, in Smartphone Link, at the bottom of the page, I touched the black triangle icon "Last Connection" and the bluetooth was paired and Smartphone Link became the provider. This was much better than my previous tests.

The nuvi 3597 software was updated and the Android phone was updated at the Play Store before these tests.

dobs108

Any chance my good old Nuvi 760 can use this Smartphone link app?

For the iPhone to reliably connect the Smartlink app, you have to have the hands free option selected. Once you've connected, you can go to the Smartlink app page and turn off the hands free. Yes the GPS well over ride the connection with your radio for the hands free option.

Before you disconnect, turn the hands free back on.

No. The source is the Play Store Smartphone Link app. It can be viewed with a PC or even a Mac.

Smartphone Link works with select Bluetooth-enabled 2012 through 2016 Garmin devices, including the -
DriveSmart, DriveAssist, DriveLuxe
nuvi 2417, 2467, 2475, 2495, 2497, 2498, 2517, 2559, 2567, 2577, 2589, 2595, 2597, 2598, 2599, 2689, 2699, 2789, 2797, 2798 with Backup Camera, 3490, 3590, 3597, 3598
nuviCam
RV 660, RV 760
zumo 590
dezl 570, dezl 760, dezl 770
dezlCam

dobs108

It is sort of like asking if your 2005 Nokia flip phone can access You Tube.

But then I suspect you already knew the answer and were just soliciting someone like me to make a stupid wise crack

The last software update on the 7x0 series was June 2012. It is unlikely that we will ever see another one.

After taking my 20 dollars they then made the traffic free. Now the traffic function is not working in smart link. Way to go Garmin #pitiful.

Have you lost traffic as well as rame1012? Mine is working so it'd be good to know how many folks have the issue. It'd also be good to know if it's cropping up across Smartphones or if it may be iPhone or Android only.

Used mine for the first time on Friday ... it reported a "no delay" incident, so I assume it was working OK. Since I have never had traffic coverage before (with the GTM receivers) in my local driving area, I am not sure what to expect. My phone is an el-cheapo LG Tracfone (Android Lollipop 5.0.1).

With my nuvi 3597 since the update it DOESN'T show Live Traffic. If you check out reviews in apple app store several people already have noted this same issue.

My Android Live Traffic is working with the latest updates to the nuvi 3597 and the app at the Play Store.

...and it seems that the Live Traffic on my 3597 is working. It will be interesting to see what the issue is with the units that are not receiving it. I am using an iphone.

I'm using an iPhone 6 and nuvi 3597 both with all the latest software updates.

Samsung GS3 running Android 4.4.2 paired to my 3597.

Also no icon color changes (tied to chosen traffic data source) that I could find on the 3597, just the phone's new yellow & gray one replacing the previous blue Smartphone Link icon.

Smartphone Link also autostarted as soon as I turned on the phone's bluetooth capability, no re-pairing needed.

Lost traffic Have an iphone 7 plus and 3597

Life traffic works fine with my HTC (Android 6.x).

This is good to hear about the live traffic being free now. In my past experience, I found it was not as good as google or waze but it is better than having nothing.

Looking into it aswell.

As one of the people who no longer can get get Live Traffic on my nuvi 3597 I called Garmin Support and took them through the whole issue. Probably spent 30 minutes with them. Let them know that it stopped working right after doing the recent update.

I hope this will cause them to do testing and find out why this anomaly is showing up for some users.