GoPro Digital camera Management Now Obtainable on Garmin Watches



Garmin has launched an expanded Join IQ App Retailer possibility that permits corporations to monetize apps for varied charges, and with it, Garmin has launched a brand new GoPro digital camera management app on the Garmin Join IQ App Retailer, which lets you management your GoPro digital camera out of your watch.

The app helps you to begin/cease recording, change modes (e.g., video/photograph/timelapse), in addition to change inside the varied presets you could have created. Additional, it helps you to save a number of GoPro cameras to a saved pairings menu. The app is listed for $5.99USD, as a one-time charge.

I’ve been utilizing it now for a couple of months, so I figured I’d simply rapidly run-through the way it works. This isn’t a sophisticated app, thus hopefully not a protracted submit.

Utilizing the App:

First up, you’ll want a appropriate watch; as of launch, the next watches are appropriate:

– Fenix 7/7 Professional Sequence
– Epix/Epix Professional Sequence
– MARQ 2 Sequence
– Forerunner 255 Sequence
– Forerunner 265
– Forerunner 955 Sequence
– Forerunner 965
– Tactix 7 Sequence
– Quatix 7 Sequence
– D2 Mach 1 Professional

I don’t know why key watches such because the Venu or Vivoactive collection are left off. My guess is it’s as a result of they lack the identical button format (and are extra touchscreen-focused), and that’s what Garmin in all probability centered on supporting/creating first.

You’ll additionally want a appropriate GoPro, that are as follows

– GoPro Hero 9
– GoPro Hero 10
– GoPro Hero 11
– GoPro Hero 12

These are mainly the GoPro models that use the newer API that GoPro launched 4 years in the past.

Subsequent, you’ll have to seize the GoPro app, which is made by Garmin, from the Join IQ app retailer. Merely seek for GoPro (when you have a number of Garmin units, notably a Garmin Edge machine, guarantee your appropriate watch is the one at present chosen within the decrease proper nook of the Garmin Join IQ App Retailer).

From right here, it’ll ask you to pay for stated app. If that is the primary time you’re doing so, you’ll want so as to add a bank card to your Garmin Join account. It gained’t pull in present Garmin Pay playing cards you may need in your Garmin units, so that you’ll basically have to re-add that bank card. It solely takes a second.

From there, it’ll set up it to the watch, similar to some other Join IQ app.

On this case, it’s a ‘Widget’ fashion app, one which’s accessible by scrolling down the checklist of widget glances, to see the GoPro app (in my case, it’s already been paired, so it’s exhibiting the linked digital camera stats):

The primary time you employ the app you’ll pair it to your GoPro. To take action, on the GoPro, go into the pairing menu, as in the event you have been going to pair a brand new telephone/distant. Basically the GoPro will suppose you’re pairing to the GoPro app, and present it as ‘GoPro Quik’.

As soon as that’s accomplished, you’re able to roll. The app can management the mode you’re in, by urgent the center button (e.g., video, photograph, timelapse):

You can begin/cease the GoPro by urgent the higher proper button. The beginning/cease motion on the GoPro occurs in below a second. You’ll see the recording timer synced, in addition to battery and SD card house remaining.

You may mark a spotlight by urgent the decrease left button:

After which, in the event you long-hold the center button, you’ll be able to open up your entire GoPro presets (e.g. totally different saved video presets):

If you choose these, it’ll change it on the GoPro, after which you can begin/cease recording as per above. And that’s it. Tremendous simple. Notice the identical applies to pictures/timelapse settings (by way of altering presets, in addition to taking pictures or beginning a timelapse).

Lastly, it can save you a number of GoPro cameras inside the connections, although it’ll solely concurrently management a single GoPro directly. That means, you’ll be able to’t management 4 GoPros to start out/cease at the very same second like you’ll be able to with GoPro’s personal remotes.

Wrap-Up:

In the end, it’s cool to lastly see GoPro and Garmin truly working collectively. It feels prefer it’s been a kind of issues we’ve all been ready for, however apparently needed to wait until Garmin’s VIRB motion cam lineup was long-since lifeless (that’s positively lifeless now). When it comes to stability/and many others, in utilizing it over the previous 3 months, it’s by far the very best implementation of the GoPro API I’ve seen so far, by way of controlling cameras and stability. It ‘simply works’ actually each time, one thing most different corporations have struggled with. My suspicion right here is that Garmin might have obtained a bit additional assist on this space, or just spent these additional months working via the bugs.

My solely actual concern right here is whether or not or not the brand new Join IQ funds piece will blossom into overlaying options that in all probability ought to have been free. On this case, that is Garmin’s app, not GoPro’s app. And thus, it’s Garmin that’s making the cash right here (whereas Wahoo offers their GoPro management performance at no cost, albeit it’s extra fiddly). I don’t thoughts different corporations getting cash on Join IQ apps, as I believe that’s in all probability an excellent factor to permit them to recoup these prices and supply one thing they may not have. But when we begin seeing Garmin charging for each little new characteristic, versus being at no cost – then that’ll be a disappointment. Which isn’t to say that’s going to occur, however…I’m simply throwing out the barely-yellow flag now.

In any case, as for this explicit implementation, it’s properly applied, and within the grand scheme of issues, fairly low cost. Good job.

Thanks for studying!