Garmin Connect IQ 8.1.0 for enhanced smart notifications now available

The Garmin Connect IQ SDK 8.1.0 is now available. Connect IQ System 8 was announced in January when it launched for beta testing. The release brought a series of tools and improvements for Garmin app developers.

Connect IQ 8.1.0 appears to be the first widely available version of System 8. The release notes are identical to that of System 8. A new Visual Studio Code extension is listed, with features like auto-completion and real-time warnings. There is a new on-device watch face editor for the Fenix 8 (curr. from $999.99 at Amazon) and the recently released Tactix 8.

An improved Notifications API means that Garmin smartwatch users can see more details while the app remains in the background, like during a workout. On top of this, support for the native pairing flow means that Connect IQ apps pair to sensors with the watch. Plus, there is an additional 16 MB of code space.

You can now get the Garmin Connect IQ SDK 8.1.0 from the company’s developer site. The Garmin team notes that users should also ensure that they have the latest version of the Monkey C extension for Visual Studio Code, downloadable from the Visual Studio Marketplace.