Tread Changes Exisiting Routes - Shaping Point Issues

[jfheath]

PS
The Tread app also synchronizes in the background. You can only prevent synchronization by disabling the Bluetooth connection, or by installing the Tread app without Explore, but then you won't be able to transfer routes with it.

I had to reset my XT2 and then synched it to the Tread app a couple of days ago. On previous versions of Tread I was asked if I wanted to use Explore, on this install the sync with Explore was done without me being asked if I wanted it, or not. That is, the "Enable Storage" was not a choice. That's on Android 3.00.6.

In order to remove the link to the Tread App, you have to Delete the Tread App from your phone.

AND

perform a system reset of the Zumo XT2 to factory condition

Then reinstall the Tread app and let it pair using the QR code. The option to not allow data to be saved or not allowing synch will be there on the phone.

If you don’t delete the Tread app from your phone first, the app still has the connection settings and I believe that it recreates the Tread link as soon as a BT link is established.

[turbo19]

You also need to "forget" the bluetooth conexion of the XT2 in bluetooth menu, otherwise Tread App starts with syncing enabled

[jfheath]

You also need to "forget" the bluetooth conexion of the XT2 in bluetooth menu, otherwise Tread App starts with syncing enabled

But if you have reset the XT2 to factory conditions as I suggested, that will have gone anyway ?

Do you think that it is possible to break the connection with Tread just by 'forgetting' the BT device ? I know that is not what you said - I'm just asking. I was of the opinion that certain information was retained - in particular your connection details for your Garmin account - and it would find a way to reconnect unless a reset had been carried out.

By '"Reset to Factory" I mean: System->Device->Reset->Delete Data and Reset Settings
or
Hidden System Menu -> Diagnostic Page-> Clear all user data

[turbo19]

You also need to "forget" the bluetooth conexion of the XT2 in bluetooth menu, otherwise Tread App starts with syncing enabled

But if you have reset the XT2 to factory conditions as I suggested, that will have gone anyway ?

Do you think that it is possible to break the connection with Tread just by 'forgetting' the BT device ? I know that is not what you said - I'm just asking. I was of the opinion that certain information was retained - in particular your connection details for your Garmin account - and it would find a way to reconnect unless a reset had been carried out.

What I meant was that, once you've followed the steps you mentioned—resetting the XT2 and uninstalling the Tread app—you have to remove the XT2 from the phone's Bluetooth list. Otherwise, when you reinstall it, the synchronization will automatically activate because the connection between the two is already saved on the phone (list of paired Bluetooth devices).

I realized that by having to do it to test different versions of Tread app.

This was just a heads-up to prevent anyone from going crazy installing Tread and having it automatically sync without the app giving them the option to disable it. It's necessary to remove the pairing from your smartphone's Bluetooth list.

[jfheath]

Yes - of course. Thank you. I tend to do that without thinking about it.

And if I don't do it, the pairing fails at the scan the QR code stage. It takes forever and never gets anywhere. Start again, clear everything - including the phone's pairing. Then it connects very quickly.

[smfollen]

Given all the recent posts on this subject, I decided to retest the issue originally reported here with current updates.

Bottom line, over the last 18 months, Garmin has made zero progress in addressing the issue.

I updated my XT2 to current firmware (6.40), updated to the most current maps and reset the XT2 (Settings->Device->Reset->Delete Data and Reset Settings).
I also removed the XT2 Bluetooth connection from my phone, then installed the latest version of the Tread App (3.00.06).

When reconnecting everything, the option to "Enable [cloud] Storage" was presented. I initially did not chose that.

On my PC, I deleted everything from my sd card, then copied the route from my original post here to the sd card and imported it to the XT2. All was well as expected.

I was unable to perform any kind of sync until I "Enabled Storage".

Once I enabled storage, a sync occurred automatically and the route changed significantly. Below, the original route is magenta, the route after sync is blue.

ChathamLoopBeforeAfterSyncMarch 2026.png (1.48 MiB) Viewed 574 times

This is the exact same result as the one in August of 2024 - see the original post in this thread for details if interested.

[jfheath]

I wonder if anyone with an XT3 can reproduce this. Maybe the XT3 includes different algorithms.

Garmin tech support have said to me a couple of times, something to the effect of ‘we can’t guarantee that it will be fixed for this model….. but may be included in subsequent models’.

It would be handy to know ‘cos I sent them much evidence and described the faults as making the XT2 ‘not fit for purpose’. If the XT3 shows improved behaviour, that suggests the faults have been recognised. I want the fix - either new xt2 software or the replacement that includes the fix.

[smfollen]

@jfheath I wonder if anyone will buy an XT3

I suspect this is more of a Tread / Explore issue than an XT_ issue, but that is only a guess.

[proofresistant]

I want to believe everyone and not contradict anyone.
Honestly, I just want to understand.

But then I think, as already mentioned, that the Explore Cloud is not the problem in principle.
The synchronization of the Tread app with Explore Cloud also seems to work just as well.
And remember, Explore Cloud (most likely) also has the shaping points in its database, regardless of whether you can see these shaping points or not.

I also don't believe that Garmin has a service running in the cloud background that independently changes something in the cloud

I did some experimenting, first without any zumo XT 2 Bluetooth connection.
Note:
I'm currently playing around with my zumo and tread 2 for these experiments, and the Tread 2 can also sync with the cloud via Wi-Fi, without the Tread app at all.

My test environment:
- Smartphone 1
- Smartphone 2
- Garmin Explore website in PC browser
- zumo XT2
- Tread 2

1st test:
Creating a route with shaping points in the Tread app on smartphones 1
1st results:
Route is 1:1 with shaping points, without any noticeable differences, then also
a) in the Explore cloud
b) in the Tread app smartphones 2
c) When I then create a track from the route in the Explore website, the desired shaping points can also be seen 1:1


2nd test:
Connection of the Tread 2, only via Wi-Fi, without the Tread app or without Bluetooth activated on the smartphones

2nd result:
The shaping points are also in the Tread 2 device,
but all shaping points are slightly shifted!

3rd test:
Everything deleted again.
Tread 2 device switched off.
Prerequisite from test 1 rebuilt 1:1.
Checked that all shaping points (approximately) are the same as in test 1, in smartphone 1 = smartphone 2 = Explore website.
OK Shaping points are correct again.

Bluetooth activated on a smartphone.
zumo XT2 switched on, synchronization started.

3rd result:
The shaping points are now also in the zumo XT2 device, just as before in the Tread 2 device,
but again, all shaping points are slightly shifted!


What does all this tell me?
I'm confused.
It's all too complex—why, who, when, and on what basis the shaping is shifting.
It's not just one thing.
And I suspect it only gets bad when all three work together, mainly the navigation device and the Tread app.

[proofresistant]

Here are also the screenshots

WK 3B Tread App Test TA-Explore.png (2.4 MiB) Viewed 550 times

WK 3B Tread App Test zumo XT2 device.png (651.58 KiB) Viewed 550 times

And here in zumo XT2 image with red dots where the shapings of the Tread app were set.

WK 3B Tread App Test zumo XT2 device cpmpare.png (650.19 KiB) Viewed 549 times