Bit lost as just a user

Hello, just got a bangle.js 2 today. Feeling a bit lost.

I get that it is a developer device and most of the documentation is set up around that, eventually I did find the wiki though which answered at least my early troubles.

I wanted to use with Gadget Bridge but I couldn't even load the Android component on to the bangle because I didn't have Chrome on my Linux desktop, nor on my phone. That was a bit of a pain point, and I stumbled into the solution by installing other browsers until I found one which worked.

Couldn't get the bangle charged because the charger will not stay connected, it's far too loose (wiki says there might be a jig / mount to solve this).

I'm very confused about watch faces. I installed a couple different ones, but always I see the default face. How can I change the default watch face? Launching a new face will show it until the button is pressed again.

It's not clear to me what are widgets (they install to the top and bottom of a screen?) , and how I might install or use them. My watch face would ideally be a large time, a weather indicator, step counter and battery remaining. I think the battery and step would be 'widgets' but I couldn't find how to install those or configure them for display either.

Is there a resource I can go to which is essentially "bangle.js 2 for users" ? Thanks :)

Hi! :)

I'll answer some of your questions here.

I get that it is a developer device and most of the documentation is set up around that, eventually I did find the wiki though which answered at least my early troubles.

Where did you start looking for answers? And do you think the wiki should have been linked from there?

I wanted to use with Gadget Bridge but I couldn't even load the Android component on to the bangle because I didn't have Chrome on my Linux desktop, nor on my phone. That was a bit of a pain point, and I stumbled into the solution by installing other browsers until I found one which worked.

Couldn't get the bangle charged because the charger will not stay connected, it's far too loose (wiki says there might be a jig / mount to solve this).

There are hints about browsers as well as charging here: https://banglejs.com/start2

Does the magnet of the charging cable not attach at all when positioned correctly?

Do you think something about browsers should be added here?: https://www.espruino.com/Troubleshooting+Bangle.js#i-can-t-connect-to-my-bangle-js

I'm very confused about watch faces. I installed a couple different ones, but always I see the default face. How can I change the default watch face? Launching a new face will show it until the button is pressed again.

Yes, so on the watch from 'Settings'->'System'->'Clock' you choose your default clock from the ones you installed from the App Loader.

We can maybe add a FAQ point on the wiki regarding this. What do you think?

It's not clear to me what are widgets (they install to the top and bottom of a screen?) , and how I might install or use them. My watch face would ideally be a large time, a weather indicator, step counter and battery remaining. I think the battery and step would be 'widgets' but I couldn't find how to install those or configure them for display either.

On the App Loader you can click the 'Widgets' icon to get a list of all widgets, and then sort by 'Installed' or 'Favourited' to see the most popular ones: https://banglejs.com/apps/?c=widget

So choose among those and install them like any app. They should show up in the widget field on your watch.

Those are the standard Bangle.js widgets, but some clocks come with widgets on them that aren't widgets in the same sense, since they are coded into the app and are displayed in the app area.

And third, there're 'Clock Infos' that are a more general way to have widget-like functionality on the app area.

Is there a resource I can go to which is essentially "bangle.js 2 for users" ? Thanks :)

I'd say https://banglejs.com/start2 is meant as a first introduction when you get the watch.

I know thought and effort have been put into making info like this available to us with Bangles. It would be interesting to know if you have found your way to these pages/resources before and if you think some info in a resource should be linked from somewhere else? Or if you see some other problem?:

• https://banglejs.com/
  
• https://banglejs.com/start2
  
• https://forum.espruino.com/conversations/341830/#comment15028140
  
• https://github.com/espruino/BangleApps/wiki
  
• https://www.espruino.com/Bangle.js
  
• https://www.espruino.com/Bangle.js+Getting+Started
  
• https://www.espruino.com/Troubleshooting+Bangle.js
  
  
  
  

Also here's a video introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoNray1iuBM

I think it's mostly up to date.

I'm very confused about watch faces. I installed a couple different ones,

Sounds like you were able to connect to the app loader afterall.

My watch face would ideally be a large time, a weather indicator, step counter and battery remaining

Try Circles clock

Where did you start looking for answers? And do you think the wiki should have been linked from there?

Using web searches, which really only brought me to developer pages.

I do now see the start2 link on the cardboard insert, I had overlooked that. I avoid QR codes, and the much more prominent URL printed on the inside of the card led me down the developer path

There are hints about browsers as well as charging here: https://banglejs.com/start2

If only I'd seen start2 from the ... start. I ended up using Ungoogled Chromium, but I still find that the charge pins are very prone to disconnecting, it took way longer to charge than it should have because every time I tried to lay it down, it disconnected.

Do you think something about browsers should be added here?: https://www.espruino.com/Troubleshooting­+Bangle.js#i-can-t-connect-to-my-bangle-­js

No I think that's fine as it is, start2 would have solved my problems had I found it sooner , at least the very early ones like, how do I install stuff.

Yes, so on the watch from 'Settings'->'System'->'Clock' you choose your default clock from the ones you installed from the App Loader.

Thanks for that, managed to install a clock. Might have to customise it, but that can come later.

We can maybe add a FAQ point on the wiki regarding this. What do you think?

I think that new clocks might be the first things people want to install, or maybe that's just me.

I just checked the wiki and I didn't see this information on how to set an installed clock to be default, so it could be helpful yes, and the wiki is linked from start2 so that would be fine I think. Pretty sure I found the wiki organically at one point, but it still didn't show how to get the clock I installed to stay on.

On the App Loader you can click the 'Widgets' icon to get a list of all widgets, and then sort by 'Installed' or 'Favourited' to see the most popular ones: https://banglejs.com/apps/?c=widget

So choose among those and install them like any app. They should show up in the widget field on your watch.

Those are the standard Bangle.js widgets, but some clocks come with widgets on them that aren't widgets in the same sense, since they are coded into the app and are displayed in the app area.

And third, there're 'Clock Infos' that are a more general way to have widget-like functionality on the app area.

I think I get this now. Though, I seem to have a widget showing that isn't installed and I can't get rid of, but that's for another topic proably. Widget Editor app doesn't appear to let me hide or suppress it either, though it can edit its position (It's called "Weather *", and ideally I'd like rid of it as using Weather Clock makes it unnecessary, and it's too small to read anyway).

I know there have been thought and effort put into making info like this available to us with Bangles. It would be interesting to know if you have found your way to these pages/resources before and if you think some info in a resource should be linked from somewhere else? Or if you see some other problem?:

I think my initial reactions were a bit harsh and for that I apologise. The main problems I have are mostly of my own making it seems.

Missing the start2 URL on the pamphlet, not having a Chrome based browser installed anywhere (and not knowing I had to because of not seeing start2).

The clock apps and widgets, maybe could be explained a bit better, I still really don't understand how widgets work, and how I can chose which of the installed ones are visible -- if even I can.

And as for my eyesight? sigh

Thanks for your help, appreciate it.

Thanks for elaborating - I'll see if I get to doing some tweaks to the wiki at least.

Where did you start looking for answers? And do you think the wiki should have been linked from there?

Using web searches, which really only brought me to developer pages.

What search phrases did you use? Might be useful information to know. Maybe something can be done to get the 'start2' page show up in those search results?

To hide the weather widget:
Setting->Apps->Weather .. Hide widget []

From what I've seen so far: Most widgets are install to be active, uninstall to hide. The weather one is an exception, it's built into the Weather app.

For charging, I got the wooden dock and after some finagling to get it put together, it's been oddly good at just connecting when I plop the watch on there. I also use the watch app that rotates the screen so I can see that it's charging.

:P I spent a month not realizing I could just swipe left/right on notifications. I thought I had to click the tiny x in the bottom left to dismiss them...

So you're not alone, there is some learning curve and plenty of room to help document stuff. Everyone seems pretty open to contributions and suggestions and answering questions though!

Thanks! I'm a lot more comfortable with the bangle now than a couple days ago. I might even have to fix (what I consider to be) a bug in Weather Clock :) Maybe in a few days when I get a handle on the dev side.

Ah, I can't remember exactly. It was in ddg , and I was trying things like 'bangle.js 2 install clock' . This very thread seems to float up now, haha.

First three hits were a wall of javascript, a github page, and skin irritation :)

Glad you got it sorted! As others have said, anything you think we can add to help new users would be great.

I don't know if maybe there's a way to have https://banglejs.com/apps/ point users at https://banglejs.com/start2 first time around, but it might just annoy people.

Either way, if you go to https://banglejs.com/apps/ and click 'Connect' on an unsupported browser, it should display a dialog which then points you to https://www.espruino.com/Quick+Start+BLE#with-web-bluetooth with instructions for enabling Web Bluetooth?

On the charger front, I'm surprised you're having issues with it coming off - someone else complained recently, but until that point I hadn't really heard of anyone having issues (and I use just a bare cable most of the time here)... As others mentioned there is the charge cradle (and if you have access to a 3D printer there are a few printable options on Thingiverse as well).

On the charger front, I'm surprised you're having issues with it coming off - someone else complained recently, but until that point I hadn't really heard of anyone having issues

I have never complained because it is something that I can live with (and nothing you can done to fix it). But the connector is very bad: the connector in the watch side is not recessed, the magnets are too weak and the connector too tall. The connector twists and stops making connection with just a gentle movement of the cable or the watch. A USB-C is my ideal option, but it would take a lot of internal space.

I know someone with a 3D printer, I'll get a solution printed up I think. My Bip watches of an older generation have a cradle that the watch nestles in, and the newer ones have a raised oval on the back of the watch and an oval shaped magnetic arrangement that sits over it. A 3D printed cradle will work fine though, I'm sure. The bip cable with the oval at the charger end with the recessed pins, reduces the likelyhood that it will magnet on to something and short out, too. The charging arrangement of pads flat to the back is very like the original Bip though ( I keep bringing up Bip because I have lots of them, and they're my primary comparison point, lol )

( I keep bringing up Bip because I have lots of them, and they're my primary comparison point, lol )

The similarities with the bip, especially the 'transflective' display, is a big part of what led me to get a Bangle 2 as well :p