I find that 9 time out of 10 when I look at my watch, the screen is black. So the one thing this watch is no good for is telling time.
Is there a way to increase the sensitivity so that the watch lights up easier? I shouldn't have to use 2 hands to operate a watch.
Do you wear your watch on the bottom of your wrist? Or do you wear it on your right hand? I've found that it is almost perfect at detecting when I want it to wake, only when it is on the top of my left wrist.
Have you tried restarting the watch? The watch should wake up whenever you turn your wrist to look at it
So I've finally had the chance to play with one of these watches extensively, and I am baffled by ambient mode.
It's not that it still turns off sometimes; that makes perfect sense. What's wrong with it is that it doesn't actually update even when the screen is on.
Test it yourself. Use the default watch face, enable ambient mode, and go in a completely dark room. You can leave the watch still or move it about, just don't let it act as if you're raising your arm and brighten the display.
Watch it for two or three minutes, and you'll notice that even though the screen remains on, it never updates -- the minute hand never moves, and so it doesn't actually show the right time very quickly after it dims. (This is with the official, default watch face, a just-rest watch, the latest firmware installed, and plenty of battery remaining.)
When the screen turns on from a raise or tap in ambient mode, you can actually see the minute hand jump forward several minutes in one go. Even with ambient mode disabled, the watch still turns on automatically with the raise gesture, and it takes no longer to do so than it does in ambient mode.
That implies there is no reason to use it other than vanity. After all, in the brief time before the backlight comes on the watch shows the wrong time, and it doesn't actually show the right time any faster than it would have.
But it's not really a vanity mode either, because except in a very dark place, the dimmed screen is indistinguishable from a powered off one to those standing near you. So you're wasting power, but still look like you have a blank screen on your wrist.
So what, precisely, is the point? It seems to me to add no benefit, just to waste battery. I'm baffled.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
I played with Ambient Mode a little before the recent update, but battery life just wasn't sufficient to keep it on. After the update, battery life improved enough for Ambient Mode, so I switched it on. I dealt with it a couple days, then ultimately turned it off for this very reason. It just seemed clunky to me, and as you stated, I'd often glance at my wrist only to see the wrong time until suddenly the watch came fully on and updated.
I was excited for Ambient mode, but like you, I no longer see the point. I'd rather just have a user-controllable setting for "fully on" sensitivity. If I could make my 360 just a little more sensitive to my raising my wrist action, it'd be perfect without Ambient Mode.
I wish I could have the screen on all the time in some cases.. like if you go to someplace classy, i would have the face on all the time displaying the watch face. Thats just me.
I've seen the screen update while it was dim. I do think that it is too dim to use outside like you mentioned.
I noticed this as well. Surely just a bug or an issue with android wear that will be fixed at some point. I'm also sure they will provide a lot more features to regulate screen controls, on, off, brightness, etc in future updates. It's just a matter of time.
I look at it this way... the sensor is kind of future proof if anything. Might not be very useful now, but could have a lot of potential in the next few months or once custom ROM's start rolling out.
Android wear is still in the early stages. It can only get better. Just be patient, we are early adopters on first generation hardware.
tlxxxsracer said:
I wish I could have the screen on all the time in some cases.. like if you go to someplace classy, i would have the face on all the time displaying the watch face. Thats just me.
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Click to collapse
Here is a way you can set the screen on all the time:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=55311726
knoxploration said:
So I've finally had the chance to play with one of these watches extensively, and I am baffled by ambient mode.
It's not that it still turns off sometimes; that makes perfect sense. What's wrong with it is that it doesn't actually update even when the screen is on.
Test it yourself. Use the default watch face, enable ambient mode, and go in a completely dark room. You can leave the watch still or move it about, just don't let it act as if you're raising your arm and brighten the display.
Watch it for two or three minutes, and you'll notice that even though the screen remains on, it never updates -- the minute hand never moves, and so it doesn't actually show the right time very quickly after it dims. (This is with the official, default watch face, a just-rest watch, the latest firmware installed, and plenty of battery remaining.)
When the screen turns on from a raise or tap in ambient mode, you can actually see the minute hand jump forward several minutes in one go. Even with ambient mode disabled, the watch still turns on automatically with the raise gesture, and it takes no longer to do so than it does in ambient mode.
That implies there is no reason to use it other than vanity. After all, in the brief time before the backlight comes on the watch shows the wrong time, and it doesn't actually show the right time any faster than it would have.
But it's not really a vanity mode either, because except in a very dark place, the dimmed screen is indistinguishable from a powered off one to those standing near you. So you're wasting power, but still look like you have a blank screen on your wrist.
So what, precisely, is the point? It seems to me to add no benefit, just to waste battery. I'm baffled.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just watched mine move the minutes hand just fine in ambient mode... this is with the classic Motorola face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsTpDpgYwFY
I have started using ambient mode for the first time in a bright office environment and noticed that at random times the display completely turns off. It turns back on once I move my hand ever so slightly. For me Ambient Mode should always be on regardless of lighting condition and watch orientation.
zarks said:
I have started using ambient mode for the first time in a bright office environment and noticed that at random times the display completely turns off. It turns back on once I move my hand ever so slightly. For me Ambient Mode should always be on regardless of lighting condition and watch orientation.
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Click to collapse
I thought it would stay on the dimmed mode the whole time too... but like you said it turns on with even the slightest rotation of the wrist now, and that means we can finally glance at the watch and see the time!
:good:
The minuets do update in real time so idk what you're seeing?
This observation definitely needs to be settled because we have 2 conflicting reports here. Some of you are claiming the watch does not update the time even when the screen is on unless you fully wake the screen. Others are saying it updates just fine, so what gives?
FYI my G watch always displays the correct time, even when dimmed, so I dont think it's an Android Wear problem. Sounds kinda like additional battery conservation steps by Moto. They are essentially sleeping the CPU so that there is just enough juice remaining to keep the screen on for 16+ hours. I just dont understand how some of you are experiencing this and others are not.
for me, in ambient mode, the screen still turns off after a while. but it turns back on much quicker than with ambient mode off. it often takes an exaggerated bring-up-arm movement to turn on the screen with ambient off. i used to resort to tapping the screen instead. with ambient on the battery still last me a "work day". off charger at 7AM and dies around 10PM or so...battery lasts longer with stock faces compared to Facer faces...
Most developer purposes.
My ambient mode used to stay on all the time now it turns off the screen..
ws6kid said:
My ambient mode used to stay on all the time now it turns off the screen..
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Click to collapse
I just started using it and noticed the screen stays on if you keep it flat horizontal, but if you turn your wrist past 45 degrees it turns off.
Maybe they added that with the update, did ambient mode used to stay on even when that watch is sideways?
Ambient is so useless for me, the screen is almost off all the time... So frustrating coming from a g watch
RunNgun42 said:
This observation definitely needs to be settled because we have 2 conflicting reports here. Some of you are claiming the watch does not update the time even when the screen is on unless you fully wake the screen. Others are saying it updates just fine, so what gives?
FYI my G watch always displays the correct time, even when dimmed, so I dont think it's an Android Wear problem. Sounds kinda like additional battery conservation steps by Moto. They are essentially sleeping the CPU so that there is just enough juice remaining to keep the screen on for 16+ hours. I just dont understand how some of you are experiencing this and others are not.
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Click to collapse
For me, I believe I have seen my watch 'get stuck' maybe once or twice where the time on the dim screen wasn't the same as I had on my computer. This could just be a difference in the clocks, as whenever I check both my phone and my dim watch together, they are the same. Like RunNgun42 said, I think it might be a thing where the proc is in sleep mode to try and save power and isn't keeping up the time as accurately as it could. Once you shake it though and the screen lights up again, the proc will come out of sleep and maintain more accurate timekeeping.
Isn't there a screen always on option in the android wear app?
And yes ambient mode still turns off when the watch is at an angle consistent with being down at your side or is completely still.
SilentAce07 said:
Isn't there a screen always on option in the android wear app?
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Click to collapse
No, you can't keep the screen on at all times out of the box, but some 3rd party software can do it...
Ambient mode is a lot quicker to wake up and react than non-ambient, it's a lot more accurate (non-ambient often stays off when I turn my arm to look at the time), it's easier to see what time it is, and it acts a lot more like a conventional watch- the display is on when you need it.
Battery drain is not a biggie, I get through the day, every day.
I realized today my phone was facing inwards towards my leg and that it may be double tapping and turning on in my pants. Any way of stopping this, but also monitoring? I am just curious as I faced my phone outward it kept my battery lasting much longer today.
Dsmwookie said:
I realized today my phone was facing inwards towards my leg and that it may be double tapping and turning on in my pants. Any way of stopping this, but also monitoring? I am just curious as I faced my phone outward it kept my battery lasting much longer today.
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Click to collapse
I had the same issue, but for me it turned out to be neither the back button nor double tap to wake. For me it was greenify, which does evil things when it doesn't have root: it turns on the screen, goes to the app info of an app it wants to hibernate, and "clicks" the "force stop" button, before going back and just leaving the screen on.
Of course this may not be the cause of your problem. You may not even have greenify installed. Have a useful way to debug the issue: install tasker (or something similar, maybe condi can do it too), and make a profile that makes your phone vibrate when the screen turns on. Make sure the vibration duration is distinguishable from notifications, 200 ms worked for me.
This way, you will know exactly when your phone turns on in your pocket. You will be able to reason about whether the back button was accidentally pressed or whether it's double tap to wake, or something else altogether, like greenify in my case.
Just a side note: it's unlikely to be double tap to wake, because double tap to wake will not turn your screen on when the proximity sensor detects that something is close. You can try that by holding your finger over the proximity sensor while trying to turn it on. Double tap to wake won't turn the screen on in the first place, and the screen will turn on and immediately off when using the power button.
So yeah, try the tasker/condi profile and see what your phone does right after it wakes. I saw mine force closing Facebook messenger like 7 times in less than an hour, and it stopped after I uninstalled greenify.
Sent from my LG-H815
Ive noticed the screen on out of pocket but rarely. One new feature is the "slide down" quick peek while the display is off. This new feature may have new side effects.
player911 said:
Ive noticed the screen on out of pocket but rarely. One new feature is the "slide down" quick peek while the display is off. This new feature may have new side effects.
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Click to collapse
That too doesn't work when the proximity sensor senses something is close. Try it by holding a finger over it while trying to pull down the thing with another finger.
Sent from my LG-H815
Is it possible to turn on cinema mode and get notifications?
I can not find battery stats in Android wear app. Can you tell me where it is?
Open the Android Wear App.
Click on the cogwheel, upper righthand corner, not the 3 dots.
Click on "SmartWatch 3" under "Device settings".
Click on "watch battery" and you get the battery stats.
As I understand it you still get messages when Cinema mode is turned on you just don't get any visible/audible(no loudspeaker on the SW3 but vibration is audible too) notifications. That setting is specifically there so your Smartwatch won't turn on the display lighting and make any sound while you are in a cinema or other sensitive area where light and sound would be disturbing.
Side benefit, it won't react to touches on the display and it also won't turn on the display lights accidentaly when you move your wrist in a way that would make your watch think you want to interact with it. You can however turn the screen on by pushing the hardware button to check if any new messages have arrived.
Haven't tried cinema mode for myself yet, though, so no guarantee on the "still receiving messages" part.
Would be nice to just turn on vibration without having the display light up. I would use that but since that option doesn't exist I just turned of the wrist movement thing. My watch lights up and vibrates, when I get a message which is OK to me since that's what I have a smartwatch for but it doesn't drain the battery from always turning on accidentally just because it detects wrist movement which happened a lot before I turned that option off.
You can use app "Feel the wear" you can have vibration and also screen light if you would. So in Cinema mode you have vibration to know notification and if you choose light on the screen, you can also see the notification if you flick your wrist while screen is on
I spend a lot of time at home, and should naturally rest my phone on its dock, but there appears to be no way to prevent it front brightly shining the time at all times, and with no movement, given that every amoled screen owned gets burn in after 6 months.
It Apparently goes off at night hours but not when you're room is pitch black and asleep still at 11am.
Is there any way to turn off the clock, where it just comes on for notifications and a tap to the screen to see the display light up with time
It made my Google home which came with the device pointless, clashing with the phone itself, but at least it makes use of the Ambeient didpsay, and in pitch black the clock is only just visible (even if it is lcd)
while the phone is on the dock, tap the top right corner to access the settings. then click the option for "Screen off when dark"
thank you
I'd say how hard was that to find after lots of reading, but as we know whilst Google has the tech they can lack in intinuity.
I was about to unplug the £60 useless device. The fact I had to ask a knowledgeable user for info speaks volumes. Granted, it'll have a bright glowing unneccrsary day time on when day docked, meaning forced not to use. But at least in darkness it will stop burning the screen out whilst the free home display will keep the time if I need to glance rendered so beautifully that it's only visible in darkness after your eyes have adjusted.
Just wondering if enabling ambient lighting, whilst disabling what you said, would lower the oled clock to almost darkness, whereby not an issue.
Whilst not perfect, your advice means at least I can use the Dock provided I don't use or for long periods during the day, which I won't.
Can't believe how u intuitive that setting icon popped up when pressing in an open blank space.
Thank you.
_____
Second, surely, or I guess not, docking can't enable smart unlock which then enables you to your example say 'hey Google morning', turning on all lights, heater, music, and needing to be unlocked, unset "do not disturb"
I can't just yet think of any owner intrusive questions to ask, and hence I've subsequently (for those in my situation), found a toggle to stick on 'silent mode' when docked.
The remaining issue is having both Google home display and stand in the same room. At one point the ovine did the actions and now the home display does.
Saying 'ok google, goodnight' , turns all my lights and heater off, a weather and travel to work summary, and asks what time to wake up, then plays an entire hour long of sleepy music. I'm happy the home hub does it, but it sets its own as alarm whist my phone doesn't set. I then cant find any way of adjusting the length of the sleep music. When it was thru the phone it allowed you to change the sleep music type (but not duration). The home display appears to not allow either.
Also, can anyone reccomend a smart life (and hence goggle home compatible) relay box to insert between my mum's immersion heater 'on' light switch style plug. She's downsized to an apartment, which has one of when old immersion tanks that it's purely for hot water (washing dishes and shower), whilst the heaters are electric.
We can't seem to find a way of programming it and it seems silly keeping it on 24-7, when it's likely to just be turned on from 5am-7am. Then 5pm-9pm. Adding a smart live breaker to schedule and turn on /off via Google play would be great
Thanks in advance.
Ps last unrelated question, I'm guessing the memory management issue has been fixed still, as everything constantly refreshes, unlike my pixel 2xl,pixel 1,and nexus 6p lol lol lol
Thanks in advance