Garmin Connect IQ: Flood of AI apps causes delays, Garmin promises improvements

Anyone developing apps and watch faces for the Garmin Fenix 9 ($999 on Amazon) and similar devices is having a tough time at the moment. Over the past few weeks, several developers have complained that some core features do not work properly when third-party apps access them, such as the GPS module on the Fenix 9 Pro.

Meanwhile, Garmin's new terms of use prohibit developers from forwarding data from the Garmin Connect API to other services, which can severely limit the functionality of some third-party apps. Some apps have already been discontinued as a result, including Intervals Pro. Now, several developers are reporting on the Garmin Support Forum that it can currently take well over a week for new apps and watch faces, as well as app updates, to be published in the Garmin Connect IQ Store – significantly longer than the three days Garmin actually promises developers.

This can cause problems for developers, for example if a Halloween update does not reach customers until November, or if a price change takes so long that the planned promotion may already be over before the new price appears in the store. Some developers speculate that the numerous AI-generated and frequently duplicated watch faces are the reason for the delay. 

Garmin confirms that there was an "enormous number" of submissions last month and says that apps, watch faces and updates from developers with paid merchant accounts will be prioritized in the future so that they can be processed faster. However, Garmin has yet to provide a timeline for this revised system.