XNODE

Git-tracked home for the active LilyGO Watch Gen3 / T-Watch S3 XNODE firmware.

Workspace paths:

• Active project: C:\GitHub\XNODE
• Archived legacy generations: C:\GitHub\XNODE\obsolete\backup

Watch screens

These XNODE screens show the LilyGO T-Watch S3 firmware and the current T-Watch Ultra build in daily use.

Current T-Watch Ultra build

Current clock	GPS diagnostics	Map with GPS position	Map overlay close-up
Current watchface/clock view on the Ultra hardware.	GPS status page for hardware bring-up and live receiver checks.	Tactical map with current position and XTOC/XCOM overlay markers.	Close-up map/GPS state with synced overlay symbols on the installed basemap.

T-Watch S3 reference screens

Launcher	Tactical map	XNODE alerts
App launcher for messages, mesh, the tactical map, media controls, alert summary, and watchface management.	Tactical map view with the installed basemap, synced XTOC/XCOM markers, zoom controls, and map menu access.	Alert/news view for XTOC-pushed check-ins, operator alerts, and other watch-visible updates.

Buy the watch

Hardware listing:

• LILYGO T-Watch S3 on Amazon

Companion software

XNODE is built to work with the MKME X software stack. Add the companion software below to turn the watch into part of a larger offline tactical comms, mapping, and intelligence workflow.

• XTOC - Tactical Operations Center Software Suite - Offline command-center software for SITREPs, TASKs, CHECKIN/LOC, map overlays, zones, SATCOM, ATAK/KML/CoT workflows, and packet-based field coordination. XTOC directly interfaces with XNODE over the BLE bridge to move maps, markers, locations, alerts, and operational data back and forth.
• XCOM - Offline Radio Communication Suite - Offline-first radio and mapping toolkit with repeater maps, packet stations, callsign lookup, mesh/Reticulum support, and XTOC data import. XCOM also directly interfaces with XNODE over the BLE bridge so operators can send and receive watch-ready map, alert, location, and packet data.
• XCORE - Offline Tactical AI Analyst - Local Windows AI analyst for XTOC/XCOM operational data, including AO summaries, anomaly scans, 24-hour SITREPs, aircraft pattern checks, and structured packet drafting.
• XINTEL - Radio Intel Monitor + Transcription - Local radio-intelligence monitor that transcribes legally receivable audio, watches for keyword/rule hits, decodes ViperGram bursts, and pushes structured intel into the XTOC/XCOM workflow.

Current status

Working now:

• Builds for t-watch2020-v3-s3.
• Flashes to the LilyGO Watch Gen3 / ESP32-S3 target.
• Exposes the XNODE BLE bridge to XTOC and XCOM with sync, location, meshtastic, basemap, mapOverlay, newsNotifications, and ble capabilities.
• Adds a Manual SOS launcher tile that sends a clear XTOC SITREP packet over the watch's Meshtastic radio, with the roster Unit ID, destination Unit ID, P1, HELP, current lat/lon, and note Manual SOS.
• Adds a CheckIn launcher tile that sends a clear XTOC CHECKIN/LOC packet over the watch's Meshtastic radio, with the roster Unit ID, OK status, current lat/lon, and timestamp.
• Installs the active XTOC/XCOM tactical map raster as the watch basemap in SPIFFS and selects offline from watch flash on the watch.
• Replaces the active basemap cleanly with clearBasemap plus a streamed mapTile upload, so stale seed or old tiles do not bleed into the current map.
• Persists the installed basemap center, zoom, and projection zoom so the same map returns after reboot.
• Displays local position, shared location, Meshtastic position updates, and XTOC/XCOM overlay markers on the tactical map.
• Supports watch markers for team members, mesh nodes, SITREPs, CONTACTs, TASKs, CHECKINs, resource requests, assets, zones, missions, events, phase lines, Sentinel, and routes.
• Uses host-projected mapX/mapY marker placement when provided, with Web Mercator lon/lat projection as the fallback.
• Keeps markers aligned while zooming and panning the installed watch-flash basemap.
• Persists synced overlay markers in /spiffs/osmmap/overlays.jsonl and reloads them when the map opens or the watch reboots.
• Applies replacement overlay syncs transactionally: existing markers stay visible until the expected replacement batch arrives; an intentional zero-count replacement clears the cache.
• Stores XTOC/XCOM pushed news and alert items in the XNODE alerts app, with the watch-side show pushed news toggle.
• Keeps the launcher functions active for messages, mesh, Tac Map, media player, Alert Summary, and watchface manager.
• Inactivity timeout returns the T-Watch S3 build to standby instead of leaving it awake indefinitely.
• T-Watch S3 standby uses the LilyGo ext1 touch wake path on BOARD_TOUCH_INT.
• Display timeout settings use a real 15..300 second range. 300 is five minutes, not a hidden never-sleep mode.

Known limits:

• Watch-flash mode is a single installed raster tile, not a multi-tile slippy engine.
• Zoom is image scaling around the installed tile center.
• Panning is constrained by the visible image bounds.
• The watch keeps up to 96 overlay markers; when full, the oldest marker slot is reused.
• The active watch basemap is one current image, not a stored library of selectable maps.
• SPIFFS is small, so host-side tooling must keep the installed raster compact.
• Manual SOS requires a configured watch Unit ID, a valid watch location, and a ready Meshtastic radio/channel before it can transmit.
• CheckIn requires the same watch Unit ID, valid watch location, and ready Meshtastic radio/channel.

Power management status (2026-06-21)

Current verified firmware baseline:

• t-watch-ultra: built, flashed, and post-upload watchdog reset verified on the T-Watch Ultra.
• t-watch2020-v3-s3: built successfully after the shared power/config changes to protect the other watch variant.
• Latest power audit commit: 5ae38af Improve T-Watch Ultra battery life.

Variant status

Area	T-Watch Ultra	T-Watch S3 / Gen3
Idle timeout	Uses the shared display activity timer and standby request path.	Uses the shared display activity timer and restored timeout-to-standby path.
Display standby	AMOLED brightness is set to zero and the panel is put into display.sleep().	Backlight/display is turned off through the S3/LilyGo path.
Touch wake	Touch/display rail stays powered because it is shared; touch interrupt can wake the watch.	Uses LilyGo-style ext1 wake on BOARD_TOUCH_INT.
GPS at boot	Off by default after one-time config migration.	Existing behavior preserved.
GPS while using map	Tac map can still auto-start GPS for the user-location marker.	Existing behavior preserved.
GPS in standby	Off unless an app explicitly blocks standby. GPS status no longer enables standby GPS.	Existing tracker/status behavior preserved.
WiFi at boot	Off by default after one-time config migration; dummy setup scan disabled.	Existing behavior preserved.
BLE at boot	Off by default after one-time config migration; BLE stack is lazy-initialized.	Existing auto-on behavior preserved unless config says otherwise.
LoRa / Meshtastic	Radio chip is put into sleep on standby; regulator rail is not cut yet to avoid a risky radio re-init path.	Existing behavior preserved.
CPU performance mode	Active tac map and normal awake watchface use performance mode; standby handoff, hibernate, and the GPS loop do not globally pin performance.	Shared change applies; S3 build verified.

What changed in the Ultra audit

GPS:

• Removed the Ultra-only code that forced /gpsctl.json autoon=true at every boot.
• Added GPSCTL_CONFIG_VERSION and a one-time Ultra migration that sets autoon=false and enable_on_standby=false.
• GPS BLDO1 is disabled at Ultra PMU boot instead of being left powered.
• The Ultra auto-off path explicitly shuts down the GPS UART and GPS regulator.
• The GPS loop no longer calls powermgm_set_perf_mode(), so GPS reads do not pin the CPU in full-speed mode.
• The GPS status page powers GPS only while active and no longer requests GPS to stay on in standby.

WiFi:

• Added WIFICTL_CONFIG_VERSION and a one-time Ultra migration that turns off WiFi auto-on, standby WiFi, web server, and FTP server.
• Ultra no longer inserts the dummy foo / bar network at setup, which prevented an unwanted boot-time WiFi scan.
• WiFi can still be turned on from the UI/statusbar when needed.

BLE:

• Added BLECTL_CONFIG_VERSION and a one-time Ultra migration that turns off BLE auto-on, advertising, standby BLE, and disconnect-only standby blocking.
• BLE advertising now only starts when BLE is actually on.
• BLE stack initialization is lazy, so the controller is not brought up on Ultra boot when BLE is off.
• Turning BLE on later still initializes the normal services, including Gadgetbridge, XNODE, battery/steps, and Meshtastic BLE.

Display and PMU rails:

• Ultra GPS BLDO1 and haptic BLDO2 start disabled at PMU boot.
• Ultra haptic expander enable starts low; WATCH_POWER_DRV2605 controls the rail and enable line together.
• Ultra standby defensively cuts GPS and haptic power again before entering light sleep.
• Ultra display standby now calls display.sleep() after setting brightness to zero, and wake calls display.wakeup().
• The shared display/touch rail is intentionally not cut on Ultra because touch wake depends on it.

Apps and CPU mode:

• Tac map activation uses performance mode while the map is open so zoom, pan, and map buttons stay responsive; closing/hibernating the map returns normal mode.
• Watchface activation uses performance mode for normal awake use, but the standby handoff and hibernate path force normal mode so the idle sleep path is not pinned high.
• The GPS loop no longer calls powermgm_set_perf_mode(), so background GPS reads do not pin the CPU in full-speed mode.
• Tac map still auto-starts GPS when its autostart gps option is enabled so the large GPS triangle can appear.
• Tac map WiFi auto-start defaults off on Ultra after a one-time OSMMAP_CONFIG_VERSION migration.

Display brightness:

• DISPLAY_CONFIG_VERSION was bumped to 2.
• On Ultra only, old configs above half brightness are migrated once down to DISPLAY_MAX_BRIGHTNESS / 2.
• The user can still raise brightness after the migration; the firmware does not force it down every boot.

Expected Ultra behavior now

Normal idle:

• Screen fades after the configured display timeout, the AMOLED panel sleeps, and the watch enters light sleep if no subsystem blocks standby.
• GPS, WiFi, BLE advertising, and the unused haptic rail should not be running on a clean idle boot.
• The watch should wake by touch/power/PMU events without requiring a reboot.

Opening the tac map:

• GPS may power on if map autostart gps is enabled.
• WiFi should not auto-start unless the map/user config explicitly enables it.
• The map uses performance mode while open and returns normal mode when closed.

Opening GPS status:

• GPS powers on so live debug fields can update.
• Leaving the page restores the previous GPS auto-on and standby settings.
• The page does not keep GPS alive through standby.

Turning BLE or WiFi on manually:

• BLE and WiFi still work from the normal UI/statusbar paths.
• Those radios will cost battery while enabled, especially BLE advertising and WiFi scanning/connection attempts.

Known power tradeoffs still open

• Meshtastic LoRa regulator power is not cut in standby. The SX1262 is put to sleep, but cutting the rail safely needs a full radio re-init path on wake.
• OTA/update still uses powermgm_set_perf_mode() intentionally while flashing or updating.
• powermgm_set_lightsleep(false) users in OTA and battery calibration still need a paired release audit, as noted in the older S3 audit.
• Any app that explicitly enables GPS-on-standby, WiFi-on-standby, BLE always-on, or long display timeout will reduce battery life by design.

Power verification commands

Build Ultra:

pio run -e t-watch-ultra

Build S3 / Gen3 regression target:

pio run -e t-watch2020-v3-s3

Flash Ultra from this repo:

pio run -e t-watch-ultra -t upload

After flashing, confirm the watch re-enumerates:

pio device list

Power management audit (2026-04-18)

Scope:

• Board/environment: t-watch2020-v3-s3
• Problem reported: the watch stayed awake, the screen did not time out reliably, and the battery drained quickly.

Root cause found:

• src/gui/gui.cpp had a LILYGO_WATCH_S3 special case that skipped the normal timeout-to-standby request path entirely.
• src/hardware/touch.cpp put the S3 touch controller into monitor mode for standby, but used a custom GPIO light-sleep wake path instead of the LilyGo S3 ext1 touch wake path.
• The S3 touch path also read touch coordinates without first checking the touch interrupt state, which increased the chance of false activity and unnecessary polling.
• The saved display timeout still treated 300 as a hidden "no timeout" value, so older settings could keep the watch awake forever even after the standby path was restored.
• Activity resets relied too much on LVGL inactivity tracking, which did not consistently follow every wake source on the S3 build.

Fix applied:

• Re-enabled timeout-driven POWERMGM_STANDBY_REQUEST handling for the S3 build in src/gui/gui.cpp.
• Changed S3 standby wake to match the LilyGo library path in lib/twatchs3_core/src/LilyGoLib.cpp: esp_sleep_enable_ext1_wakeup(_BV(BOARD_TOUCH_INT), ESP_EXT1_WAKEUP_ALL_LOW).
• Gated S3 touch reads on watch.getTouched() before reading coordinates in src/hardware/touch.cpp.
• Added a firmware-side display activity timer that is reset by touch, button presses, wake requests, alarms, notifications, and explicit keep-awake flows.
• Changed timeout handling so the persisted user setting is always 15..300 seconds. Temporary keep-awake behavior now uses the internal DISPLAY_NO_TIMEOUT override instead of the old magic 300 value.
• Added a legacy config migration so pre-fix /display.json files that stored 300 as the old never-sleep value are converted once to 15 seconds on boot and then rewritten.
• Fixed S3 standby wake handoff so a touch wake from light sleep becomes a normal POWERMGM_WAKEUP_REQUEST and the display comes back without a reboot.

Files changed for this fix:

• src/gui/gui.cpp
• src/hardware/touch.cpp
• src/hardware/display.cpp
• src/hardware/display.h
• src/hardware/config/displayconfig.cpp
• src/hardware/button.cpp
• src/hardware/powermgm.cpp
• src/gui/splashscreen.cpp
• src/gui/quickbar.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/mainbar.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/display_settings/display_setting.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/watchface/watchface_manager_app.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/update/update.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/bluetooth_settings/bluetooth_message.cpp
• src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/bluetooth_settings/bluetooth_media.cpp
• src/app/alarm_clock/alarm_in_progress.cpp
• src/app/wifimon/wifimon_app_main.cpp
• src/app/sailing/sailing_setup.cpp

Build verification:

• Confirmed with:

pio run -e t-watch2020-v3-s3

Flash verification:

• Last confirmed upload after this fix:

pio run -e t-watch2020-v3-s3 -t upload --upload-port COM8

Expected sleep / wake behavior

Display timeout:

• User setting range: 15 to 300 seconds in Display settings.
• 300 means 300 seconds / 5 minutes.
• There is no normal hidden never-sleep slider value anymore.

What happens when idle:

• The firmware starts fading the backlight during the last brightness * 8 ms before timeout.
• At the default mid brightness that fade is about 1 second.
• At max brightness that fade is about 2.0 seconds.
• When the timeout expires, the watch requests standby, turns the display off, and then enters ESP32-S3 light sleep if no other subsystem blocks it.

What counts as activity:

• Touch press.
• Side / power button press.
• Wake requests from notifications, media updates, alarms, splash/update UI, and other explicit wake paths.

Wake methods:

• Touch interrupt on BOARD_TOUCH_INT using ESP32 ext1 wake, matching the LilyGo S3 library.
• Power / side button.
• Motion wake paths already wired through the BMA callback flow.
• RTC alarm / silence wake paths.
• PMU / charger related interrupts.
• Bluetooth notification/media wake when those options are enabled.

Touch wake interaction:

• One touch should wake the watch from standby.
• After wake, the normal next touch interaction should be able to scroll or change screens without forcing a full reboot.

Temporary no-timeout cases:

• Internal app flows can still keep the display awake with DISPLAY_NO_TIMEOUT.
• Current users are OTA update, watchface manager, Wi-Fi monitor, and the sailing app's explicit "Always on display" toggle.
• Those are runtime overrides, not saved Display settings.

Follow-up risk still open:

• powermgm_set_lightsleep(false) is called in src/utils/http_ota/http_ota.cpp and src/gui/mainbar/setup_tile/battery_settings/battery_calibration.cpp.
• Those paths do not currently show a matching release call in the same flow, so light sleep can remain disabled until reboot after those operations.
• That does not explain the idle timeout bug on a clean boot, but it is another battery-life issue worth fixing next.

Repo layout

The active firmware now lives here in git:

• boards/
• data/
• images/
• lib/
• src/
• support/
• platformio.ini

Legacy working copies and old generation snapshots were moved under:

• C:\GitHub\XNODE\obsolete\backup

That archive is for reference and rollback only. New work should happen in C:\GitHub\XNODE.

The repo also vendors the required T-Watch S3 support libraries under:

• support/twatch-s3-libdeps

That removes the last build dependency on C:\GitHub\lilygo.

Map install flow

The XNODE watch map path is:

1. XTOC or XCOM fetches one raster tile for a chosen center and zoom.
2. The host clears the active watch basemap state with clearBasemap.
3. The host streams the new image over the XNODE bridge with mapTileBegin / mapTile.
4. The active tile is written to:

/spiffs/osmmap/current.png

5. The host sends installBasemap with center longitude, latitude, zoom, and projection zoom.
6. The watch persists that manifest and uses the installed tile in offline from watch flash.
7. The watch requests overlay sync for the active basemap, then stores synced overlay markers in /spiffs/osmmap/overlays.jsonl.

Behavior on the watch:

• zoom in/out scales the installed tile
• directional controls pan around the tile
• long press recenters to the stored map center
• markers are projected with Web Mercator math and stay in the right position as zoom changes
• host-projected marker pixels are used when the host generated the installed map image
• overlay markers persist across map close/open and watch reboot

Controls in watch-flash mode

• + / -: zoom the installed image
• directional inputs: pan the current view
• long press center/select: recenter the map

The minimum zoom is clamped so the tile still fills the display frame. The app should never shrink to a tiny image in the middle with no usable controls.

Files that implement the map fix

• src/hardware/ble/xnode.cpp
  • accepts clearBasemap, mapTileBegin, mapTile, installBasemap, syncState, overlayBatch, packetBatch, newsItem, and location commands
  • creates the watch basemap directory before writing
  • streams PNG chunks into /spiffs/osmmap/current.png
  • acknowledges overlay counts back to the host so XTOC/XCOM can verify sync progress
• src/app/osmmap/config/osmmap_config.cpp
• src/app/osmmap/config/osmmap_config.h
  • persist installed basemap center, zoom, and projection zoom
• src/app/osmmap/osmmap_app_main.cpp
  • resolves watch-flash mode to the installed tile
  • scales one image across zoom levels
  • applies pan offsets only in map mode
  • keeps swipe inversion local to the map view
  • stores and restores overlay markers from /spiffs/osmmap/overlays.jsonl
  • handles transactional overlay replacement so partial syncs do not wipe visible markers
• src/utils/osm_map/osm_map.cpp
• src/utils/osm_map/osm_map.h
  • Web Mercator projection helpers for marker placement

XTOC / XCOM integration

Host-side install support lives in:

• C:\GitHub\XTOC\xtoc-web\src\pages\XnodePage.tsx
• C:\GitHub\XTOC\xtoc-web\src\core\xnodeBridge.ts
• C:\GitHub\xcom\xcom\modules\shared\xnode\xnodeBridge.js
• C:\GitHub\xcom\xcom\modules\xnode\xnode.js

These flows now support installing the active raster tile onto the watch using the existing XNODE install path. They also sync visible tactical map markers to the watch as overlay batches, including packet/check-in style markers and host-projected marker pixels for the currently installed basemap.

Current host behavior:

• clear the watch basemap and overlay cache before installing a replacement map
• stream the active map image to /spiffs/osmmap/current.png
• send the basemap manifest with center and projection metadata
• send watch SOS configuration, including the roster-backed Watch Unit ID and SOS To Unit ID
• push overlay batches after the watch activates the basemap
• keep overlay markers persistent on the watch until a new complete replacement sync arrives
• push XTOC/XCOM news and alerts into the XNODE alerts app

Manual SOS over Meshtastic

Manual SOS is a watch-side emergency shortcut. It does not send the distress packet back to the BLE host. When the operator opens SOS on the watch and taps SEND SOS, XNODE builds one clear XTOC SITREP packet and passes it to the watch Meshtastic service for transmission on the active Meshtastic channel.

Packet contents:

• packet family: SITREP v1
• source: the configured watch Unit ID
• destination: configured SOS To Unit ID, or U0 for broadcast
• priority: P1
• status: HELP
• location: the watch's currently stored latitude/longitude
• note: Manual SOS

Real-world uses:

• injured, lost, trapped, or separated operator who cannot stop to use a phone or tablet
• vehicle crew, shelter lead, search team, or marshal who needs a fast distress cue on the same mesh net the TOC is already monitoring
• bad-weather, low-light, gloved, or high-stress conditions where a two-tap watch flow is more reliable than opening a full field app

Setup for success:

1. In XTOC Team or the XCOM imported roster, give every watch wearer a stable Unit ID.
2. In XTOC -> XNODE or XCOM -> XNODE, connect the watch, choose Watch Unit ID from the roster, choose SOS To, and click Save.
3. The watch stores this assignment in /xnode.json and reloads it after reboot. To clear it, reconnect from XTOC/XCOM, choose Unassigned / clear saved watch ID, and click Save.
4. Set the watch location from the XNODE page with Set watch GPS + time, Share current GPS once, or the GPS relay before relying on Manual SOS. Future GPS-equipped watches can provide this directly. Host-set location is also stored so the last known lat/lon survives reboot.
5. On the watch, open the mesh app and confirm the status is Mesh ready on the expected Meshtastic channel.
6. Send a short test mesh message and confirm the TOC mesh station can receive and auto-import XTOC packet text.

Use in the field:

1. Open the watch launcher.
2. Tap SOS.
3. Tap SEND SOS.
4. Confirm the watch shows SOS sent over mesh.

If it fails:

• Set the watch Unit ID in XTOC/XCOM first. means the watch has not received a roster Unit ID.
• Set the watch location before sending SOS. means no valid lat/lon has been stored yet.
• Meshtastic not ready means the onboard radio did not initialize or no usable channel is active.

The receiving TOC should leave mesh packet auto-decode enabled so the inbound SITREP lands in the normal packet store, timeline, triggers, and map workflows.

CheckIn over Meshtastic

CheckIn is the routine one-button position report. It also transmits from the watch Meshtastic radio, not back through the BLE host.

Packet contents:

• packet family: CHECKIN/LOC v1
• source: the configured watch Unit ID
• status: OK
• location: the watch's currently stored latitude/longitude
• timestamp: current watch time, rounded to packet minutes

Real-world uses:

• shift start, staging arrival, checkpoint arrival, shelter arrival, route departure, vehicle stop, or post-task accountability
• routine "I am here and OK" updates from operators who should not be distracted by a phone screen
• last-known-position breadcrumbs for TOC staff when a field team only has time for a single button press

Use CheckIn for routine accountability. Use SOS when the operator needs help, safety response, or urgent TOC attention.

Setup is the same as Manual SOS:

1. Assign the watch wearer a stable roster Unit ID.
2. In XTOC -> XNODE or XCOM -> XNODE, connect the watch, choose Watch Unit ID, and click Save.
3. The watch keeps the saved Unit ID across reboot until XTOC/XCOM explicitly saves Unassigned / clear saved watch ID.
4. Set the watch location from the XNODE page or GPS relay before relying on CheckIn.
5. On the watch, open the mesh app and confirm Mesh ready on the intended channel.

Use in the field:

1. Open the watch launcher.
2. Tap CheckIn.
3. Tap CHECK IN.
4. Confirm the watch shows Check-in sent over mesh.

The receiving TOC should auto-decode mesh packets so the inbound CHECKIN/LOC updates the unit's latest position on the map and in the roster.

Build

From C:\GitHub\XNODE:

pio run -e t-watch2020-v3-s3

Flash

Check the active USB port first:

Get-CimInstance Win32_SerialPort | Select-Object DeviceID, Description, PNPDeviceID

Then flash:

pio run -e t-watch2020-v3-s3 -t upload --upload-port COM8

Last confirmed watch upload in this workspace used COM8.

If the watch does not auto-reset into bootloader mode, put it into boot mode manually and rerun the upload command on the current port.

Quick verification

1. Build and flash from C:\GitHub\XNODE.
2. Open XTOC or XCOM and connect to the watch.
3. Load and install a map tile.
4. On the watch, open the map app and use offline from watch flash.
5. Confirm:
   • the same image stays loaded while zoom changes
   • the map still fills the screen at maximum zoom-out
   • markers remain visible and aligned
   • markers survive closing/reopening the map and rebooting the watch
   • a new packet/check-in sync updates markers without making existing markers vanish
   • panning moves the viewed area without affecting the rest of the watch UI