30 days of free beta on every app · one-time code · no subscription
DIALFORGE

Outdoor and photography

Golden Hour

Golden light, timed to the minute, wherever you point the camera.

Coming to Connect IQ Unlock €4.99

Golden Hour icon

Beta: free for 30 days

The app works fully and for free for the first 30 days after you first open it. After that you can buy a one-time unlock code below. No subscription.

Golden Hour computes real sun position for your GPS location (NOAA solar formulas, not a generic table), so times match your exact latitude and date. Most widgets stop at sunrise and sunset. This one tracks golden hour and blue hour separately, morning and evening, shows which way to point the camera, and adds the moon.

  • Morning and evening golden and blue hour windows for your location
  • Live countdown to the next window
  • Sun direction during evening golden hour
  • Moon phase percent, moonrise and moonset
  • 3-day outlook to plan ahead
  • Glance shows the next window without opening the app

How to use it

Add Golden Hour to the widget loop (swipe through widgets on the watch).

Swipe, tap, or press UP/DOWN to switch between today and the 3-day list.

Manual

Golden Hour: user manual

What it does

Golden Hour shows when the light is golden and blue where you are, computed on the watch from your GPS position. It covers the morning and evening windows, a countdown to the next one, the sun direction for the evening, moon phase, moonrise and moonset, and a 3-day outlook.

Requirements and supported watches

Needs Connect IQ 3.3.0+ and the Connect IQ or Garmin Connect phone app. Supported watches:

  • Round AMOLED: epix 2 and epix Pro 2, fēnix 8, E, Forerunner 165, 265, 570, 965, 970, Instinct 3 AMOLED, Crossover AMOLED, Venu 2, 3, 4, vivoactive 5, 6.
  • Round MIP: enduro 3, fēnix 7 series, 8 Solar, Forerunner 55, 245, 255, vivoactive 4.
  • Square and rectangular AMOLED: Venu Sq 2, Venu X1.

Installation

In the Connect IQ app on your phone (or Garmin Connect, then the Connect IQ Store) find "Golden Hour" by Dialforge, tap Install and sync the watch. Find it in your glances (UP or DOWN on the watch face, or swipe) and press START or tap to open it.

First launch

The glance shows the next window, like "Golden 19:12 (in 2:05)". Open the widget for the full page. With no stored position you see "Getting GPS fix", so step outside with a clear sky. Until you first open the app, the glance says "Open app". The 30-day free beta starts the first time you open it.

Controls

Watches with buttons (START, UP, DOWN, BACK)

  • UP or DOWN switches between today and "Next 3 days".
  • START recalculates. If the stored position is older than 24 hours, it also asks for a fresh GPS fix.
  • MENU (hold UP) opens one item: Get GPS fix.

Touch watches (tap, hold, swipe)

  • Tap or swipe switches between today and "Next 3 days".
  • To get a fresh GPS fix, open the menu with the menu button or a long press.

Settings

Phone: Connect IQ app, Golden Hour, Settings (the unlock code fields are there too).

License

  • Free beta: 30 days from the first launch, everything works.
  • Price: 4.99 EUR once at dialforge.dev, no subscription. The 8-character code is tied to your watch's UID.
  • Where to enter it: phone, Connect IQ app, Golden Hour, Settings. Read the UID in "Watch UID (needed to buy a code)", buy the code, then type it into "Unlock code from dialforge.dev". The end-of-beta screen on the watch shows the UID too.
  • After the beta without a code: an end-of-beta screen with the UID replaces the app. Enter the code, then open it again. New watch? Write to us and the code moves for free.

Privacy and permissions

Permissions:

  • Location: one GPS fix to compute sun and moon times. The position stays on the watch.

No internet use. Data stays on the watch.

Troubleshooting

The code does not work. Check that the UID you bought for matches "Watch UID (needed to buy a code)" and type all 8 characters (case is ignored, no 0, O, 1 or I). A code for another app does not fit. Sync, then reopen.

What are the windows exactly? Golden is the sun between 4 degrees below and 6 degrees above the horizon, blue is between 6 and 4 degrees below. Morning runs from the end of the night to the end of golden, evening from the start of golden to the end of blue.

What are the rows on the main page? Morning and Evening windows, Sun (the compass direction and degrees during evening golden hour), Moon (percent lit, waxing or waning) and Rise/set for the moon.

It says No location. The app needs a position once. Open it outdoors and wait, or choose Get GPS fix in the menu. The position is stored and refreshed when older than 24 hours.

The glance is out of date. It reads the windows saved the last time you opened the full widget. When they run out it shows "Open app". Open the widget to refresh it.

Contact

kontakt@dialforge.dev or dialforge.dev. Please write before leaving a low rating.

Permissions and privacy

This product asks the watch for the permissions below. Connect IQ shows them when you install it.

  • Location (GPS): Uses the watch location for distance, speed or sun and moon times. The location is not sent anywhere.

This product does not use the internet and sends no data to our servers.

Compatible watches

51mm, D2 Air X15, D2 Mach 1 Pro, Enduro 2, Enduro 3, epix (Gen 2), epix Pro (Gen 2) 42mm, epix Pro (Gen 2) 47mm, epix Pro (Gen 2) 51mm, Forerunner 165, Forerunner 165 Music, Forerunner 245, Forerunner 245 Music, Forerunner 255, Forerunner 255 Music, Forerunner 255s, Forerunner 255s Music, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 265s, Forerunner 55, Forerunner 570 42mm, Forerunner 570 47mm, Forerunner 965, Forerunner 970, fēnix 7, fēnix 7 Pro, fēnix 7 Pro - Solar Edition (no Wi-Fi), fēnix 7S, fēnix 7S Pro, fēnix 7X, fēnix 7X Pro, fēnix 7X Pro - Solar Edition (no Wi-Fi), fēnix 8 43mm, fēnix 8 47mm, fēnix 8 Pro 47mm, fēnix 8 Solar 47mm, fēnix 8 Solar 51mm, fēnix E, Instinct 3 AMOLED 45mm, Instinct 3 AMOLED 50mm, Instinct Crossover AMOLED, MicroLED, quatix 7, quatix 7 Pro, quatix 7 Sapphire, quatix 7X Solar, quatix 8 47mm, quatix 8 Pro 47mm, tactix 7, tactix 7 – AMOLED Edition, tactix 8 47mm, tactix 8 Solar 51mm, Venu 2, Venu 2 Plus, Venu 2S, Venu 3, Venu 3S, Venu 4 41mm, Venu 4 45mm, Venu Sq 2, Venu Sq 2 Music, Venu X1, vívoactive 4, vívoactive 4S, vívoactive 5, vívoactive 6

Screenshots

FAQ

What happens after the 30-day beta?

The app shows a screen asking for a one-time unlock code from dialforge.dev instead of opening normally. Buy the code once below, no subscription.

Does the app send my data to Dialforge?

No. The app works fully offline, and the unlock code is checked on the watch itself, without contacting any server.

The app does not work as described on my watch. Can I get a refund?

Yes. Write through the feedback form below, or to the e-mail in the footer. If we cannot fix it, we refund you, as described in the terms.

Changing your watch?

Write to me and I will move your code for free.

Changelog

Unlock

€4.99

One-time payment. No subscription. The code works on the watch whose UID you enter.

  1. Install the app from the Connect IQ store. It works fully and for free for the first 30 days.
  2. Find your 10-digit UID: Connect IQ app on the phone > My Device > Apps or Data Fields > this app > Settings > Watch UID.
  3. Enter UID and e-mail, pay with PayPal (cards work without a PayPal account). The code appears here at once.
  4. Type the code into the same settings page, field "Unlock code". The watch checks it offline.

Tell us how to make it better

Missing a data field, a colour, a layout? Found a bug on your watch model? Write it here. We read every message and ship improvements in updates.