New Garmin Smartphone update

I checked my version this morning, it still shows version 2.9.3, cant find an update button so will have to wait.

Prompted as an update Thursday
Thanks
iPhone 6

Prompted for update on Thursday for Android version 2.9.3b14

I've never been prompted about an update for this app, I always find out via this forum. Of course I have "notifications" turned off because I would constantly get the " ... is not connected" notification.

In any event I too am now up to 2.9.3b14 on my Android.

Got it. Went to App Store and update.

Working like a charm so far. The last update was a big boost and has been much more reliable!! Such a relief.

Yesterday. Everything seems fine.

Good to know. Thanks

Thanks,

Updated to Android version 2.9.3b14.

All seems well.

Version 2.9.4 has been running fine for a few days now.

Mine has updated without any prompting so I guess I have automatic updating set somewhere.
Seems to be running OK

What does this app actually do? Garmin Street Pilot does not come up in the IOS app store for me.

What would be the advantage of this over the Apple, Google or Mapquest free apps? All work pretty well for us here.

As I understand it, Garmin has discontinued the Street Pilot app. They also discontinued the Navigon and Viago apps. AFAIK, they no longer have any navigation apps for either iphone or android. And, no significant new road navigation devices in over a year and a half. I think the Garmin road navigation party is about over (hope I am wrong about it).

With the newer Garmin GPS devices, the app provides traffic, weather, and other services to the GPS.

For folks that prefer Garmin GPS devices for navigation, the Smartphone Link app provides the best of Garmin's available traffic to the GPS, much better and more widely available than the FM or HD traffic available to the Garmin device. The app uses very little cellular data.

Your nuvi 2689 is compatible with the Smartphone Link app installed on your iPhone so you could try it out if you want. The app is free but some of the premium services have a one-time subscription fee.

Thank you for posting.

with my iPhone 7 and nuvi 3597. It didn't have any problems staying connected. On the second day of a recent roadtrip it inexplicably refused to connect with the 3597. I finally had to resort to "forgetting" the nuvi and starting the pairing process all over again.

Thanks, Craig W but since the app is not in the IOS apps store, I guess it's moot.

I am curious though how the app would communicate with the 2689. Wi-fi?

That's odd as the apps's page on the Garmin site shows it available on Google's Android Play and Apple's App Store:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/111441

Are you saying Garmin Smartphone Link is no longer available in the Apple App Store? I haven't heard that.

I don't have a iPhone to test it out with, but it is still listed via a Google search: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garmin-smartphone-link/id567...

Please let us know if the Garmin Smartphone Link IOS app is no longer available. That would be a real downer!

The Garmin Smartphone Link app communicates to your Garmin device via BlueTooth, and communicates to the cloud through your iPhone data (cellular) connection.

It's still available in Google Play. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.garmin.and...

Whew, the app gets terrible reviews with many users giving it a rating of 1 (overall, 2 out of 5 for IOS and 3.4 for Android) for a product that is well-accepted here at The Factory. I think the Apple rating is lower than Android due to it frequently losing Bluetooth connections for many users with the app's earlier versions. It could also be that early users of the app gave it a poor rating due to the cost of the optional premium annual service subscription fees which later were changed to a minimal one-time fee.

I expect that the reason for it being liked here at The Factory is that its traffic reporting coverage in the USA is so much more available and it offers more and better traffic notifications than the other FM and HD traffic options offered by Garmin.

Let's hope Sixeye is incorrect about Smartphone Link no longer being offered in the Apple App store for IOS. If it is true, the future of the Garmin Android app, and even Garmin map updates is not to promising.

Unless we start getting confirmation from other iPhone users. I am going to assume that this is just a misunderstanding on the part of Sixeye of what Smartphone Link is.

Garmin Smartphone Link is available in the IOS and Google Play Stores.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garmin-smartphone-link/id567...

It communicates using bluetooth.

dobs108

I like the Garmin Smartphone Link I even paid for the add on. I really like being to pass destinations to it from my phone. My only complain is even when the app is not running and I get in the car the Garmin wakes up my phone and sometimes I don't notice it on in my pocket running down my battery. Doesn't seem to do it all the time and I have not figured out why.

What other app are you running concurently?

Maybe an email program?

An SMS app?

Some social media thingies.

All to many of apps are constantly polling, looking for this or that being new. Sending your location somewhere..

Maybe if you give an idea of your apps someone might see whats going on.

What is running varies but when the phone comes on it is always the Garmin app that comes on. Not a heavy phone user so most of the time just Mail, Feedly, Calendar, Notes, MacJournal, HandyBase and maybe a few others that happen to be running that I haven't shut off.

Been observing how my connection behaves.

Seems like if the garmin has been paired with my phone previously, when I start the car and the Garmin turns on because power was supplied the Garmin wakes up my phone because the Garmin looks on the bluetooth network for a connection and if one is discovered the phone becomes active.

I've since learned when I get into the car and before I start the car, I shutdown all running apps.

Seems like there appears to be a lot of bluetooth polling that may account for the consumption you describe.

You might consider checking to see if your phone is in a high performance mode and detune it also check to see if your display can be reduced in its brightness.

Maybe these ideas may help you.

Normally my display goes dim in about a 40 seconds and shuts off in about 60 seconds of no usage. When Garmin wakes it up, the display and phone stay active till I shut the phone off.

Garmin has been pushing updates out for this app fairly regularly lately.

As for the pairing, I've had this issue off and on. Frankly I think it's just Bluetooth. As with your experience, I simply tell the phone to forget the nüvi and then it pops back up with a prompt asking if you want to pair it and all is well until it happens again. It's easy to spot that it's not working as the antenna "blossom" icon in the upper left is gray or the local temperature isn't displaying on the top bar on the 3597 front screen.

I think this happens for me when I leave the car with the phone and there must be some sequence after starting the car and the 3597 wakes up and the handshake between the nüvi and the iPhone and the Smart Link app doesn't happen in the right sequence. I know the phone is trying to pair to the car's onboard hands free deal, and often my passenger's gadgets are pairing with each other.

Decided to do more experimenting. I downloaded the latest version of the app last night.

Sat in my truck this morning with the app active but phone off. Turned on Garmin and the phone woke up with the app running.

I then repeated the experiment with the app off and the phone off, powered up GPS and phone woke up with app running.

Turned off all the apps on the phone and turned off the phone, turned on GPS and the phone woke up running the app. Not sure why before it only happened part of the time, looks like it happens all the time.

I have the latest Android app version installed on my phone that has Android Version 8.1.0. Now, only the phone will connect. I do not get any smart notifications at all. On the DriveLuxe 51, under Bluetooth Devices, the Smartphone Link will not stay checked.

Called Garmin and they sent another unit but I get the same results. Tried other Android phones as well.

Anyone else with this issue?

In my experience, the apps are quite flaky. Sometimes they work, sometimes they throw up issues like you described. It is more pronounced after any updates to the apps, but some day they just magically start to work again. Used to be vexing, now I do not pay attention to it.

I checked the version on my phone and it is 2.9.5 b22. Does anyone know why this is not the same version everyone else has?

Mine is 2.9.6 for IOS 12.1

version 2.9.5 b22 installed

Go figure I wonder what is the latest?

I tried to d/l a newer version via the play store and it said I was up to date with 2.9.5.b22.

Good to know

...the same thing.

same thing here

I am still trying to figure out the benefits of the program. It doesn't seem to add anything to the GPS. It takes forever to load up for live traffic. I don't use Four Square. I haven't tried it to route to a contact but if it is one step, that may be nice.

The Benefits are, it gives you Traffic when the FM traffic is out of range..

thanks

It also allows you to copy locations from your contact app directly to your GPS and a few other things. I have only had it for a few months but it was a cheap way to add some features and I think it was worth it.