Garmin Issues Warning About Watch Boot Loop Bug – Forbes
Garmin Epix 2 ProUsers of Garmin watches are reporting their wearables are getting stuck in a boot loop over at Reddit.Garmin is working on a fix, there may be a way to solve it for your watch before that arrives. And we have a decent idea of why the great Garmin crash has happened.Here’s everything you need to know about the Garmin watch crash situation, the Forerunner, Fenix and other watches affected, and more.But it all started when some Garmin users began posting about the issue over at Reddit.”This morning at the pool, as I was scrolling through activities to select swim it crashed and has been stuck in a reboot loop where the logo just keeps coming on and disappearing,” writes Reddit user quistodesI have approached Garmin for comment on the situation, which supplied the following statement:“Garmin is researching reports of devices displaying a blue triangle when starting a GPS activity. A reset by pressing and holding the power button may restore functionality. We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available.”User reports suggest the Garmin watch crash happens when you try to do anything with the wearable that activates its GPS feature.This is most likely to be starting an outdoors activity, like a run or a tracked bike ride.It is believed to be caused by faulty GPS data sent to the watch. When you pair your Garmin with the Garmin Connect app on your phone, it will often update a GPS cache that tells the wearable where it’s likely to be whenever you start an activity.The watch then only has to triangulate within tight parameters, rather than working out where you are across the entire surface of the Earth. This is why Garmin watches can often lock onto GPS signal within around three seconds, rather than the 30-plus seconds of much older models.Is this good news? It sure is, as it means we’re likely not looking at a deeper issue that sees your watch’s hardware at fault. Whether we get a detailed conclusion as to why this has happened remains to be seen.Some Reddit users have also already received a reply from Garmin customer support.“We have added you into an open investigation which will be used to determine the cause of this issue which we are looking into currently,” quistodes says they were told by Garmin.An update has also been posted on Garmin’s Japanese website, which says “currently, a bug has been reported worldwide in some Garmin devices where a triangle icon suddenly appears on the screen during use and then flashes.”“We are investigating this issue further and appreciate your patience… We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.”Models affected include:Garmin owners have also posted on X, with pictures of their watches stuck in a triangular boot loop.I am currently using the Garmin Instinct 3, and it is not stuck in a boot loop — not right now at least. I took the Garmin Fenix 8 and Instinct 3 out for a run the day this issue came fully under the spotlight, and neither has suffered from the “triangle” crash issue.X user Herbie Vine claims the issue is related to the watch’s GPS connection. He suggests hard resetting the device to get it working again. The exact process to do so varies by the model in question, but instructions are available at the Garmin website.One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:So, how can you be a power user?Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
