Garmin has pushed out a fix for its massive outage, but is it working?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
We’ve been inundated with emails about the outage over the last day or two.
Who wants to tell them?
Unfortunately, even though Garmin has confirmed the positive update, many users are still facing issues.
We’re still tracking the ongoing problems and will be sharing solutions and user stories in real-time.
Are you still affected?
Who wants to tell them?
Got a story to share?
If this doesn’t work,Garmin recommends these more complex steps which will vary depending on your gear.
Broadly, however, they involve using Garmin Express on a computer.
As you might see, the watches are stuck on their respective ‘power on’ screens.
For want of a better word, bricked.
We’ll let you know if anything changes and Garmin Connect goes down in any capacity too.
Happened at precisely 12 (midday)."
Fingers crossed a better solution presents itself from Garmin shortly.
Not ideal for a watch with a dive mode!
A reset by pressing and holding the power button may restore functionality.
We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available."
It seems this is truly a worldwide issue.
The above, bannerless Garmin Support front page is what you’ll see.
Maybe don’t start recording any GPS activities until this is all over…
Thank you so much for all of your emails.
I’m receiving my first reports of theGarmin Forerunner 165and one of theGarmin Venu 2also crashing.
Plug your gear into the computer, thenfollow Garmin’s instructionsto back up all your files and records.
Which Garmin watches are crashing?
Above, you might see our reader Ziven’s crashed Epix Pro (Gen 2).
Update: Garmin responds!
A representative for Garmin has replied to my request for comment with a statement.
However, it’s the same as the statement on the Support banner I mentioned earlier today.
A reset by pressing and holding the power button may restore functionality.
We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available."
Just joined us?
Here’s what’s happening:
Should you factory reset your Garmin watch?
This isn’t advised by Garmin, and we haven’t tested it on a bricked watch.
So, your mileage may vary.
Sorry, team: here’s what you’re missing out on while you’re waiting for a fix.
First Garmin Instinct 3 reported down
Not even Garmin’s latest watch is infallible.
Dustin says: “it keeps crashing even after resetting it.
And I just got my watch 2 days ago.”
Reader report: Not the Forerunner 55 too!
Even the entry-level, olderGarmin Forerunner 55is being reported as down by our reader Hayley.
However, for others, it’s a serious crimp in their training plans.
A bricked watch could mean no long run on that day, which is annoying but recoverable.
A reset by pressing and holding the power button may restore functionality.
We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available."
It’s not just watches!
Stay safe out there.
If this does not resolve your issue,c’mon click here for more information."
Further, the outages and issues impacting Garmin watches across the globe are still happening.
Good morning folks, it’s TechRadar’s Senior Fitness & Wearables writer Stephen Warwick checking in.
The latest from Garmin:
Garmin continues to display an outage warning on its website.
If this does not resolve your issue,c’mon click here for more information.
The internet never misses a beat…
Here are some of the best so far:
Probable cause?
This isn’t the first time everyone’s Garmin has stopped working for no apparent reason.
There was a massive crash in 2021, and the same GPS issue is the cause this time.
“Not sure of other implications of doing this but my watch is back.”
- Godspeed, Andy.
Another corker of a meme:
Radio silence from Garmin?
A reset by pressing and holding the power button may restore functionality.
We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available."
How the turntables…
Hi, Cat Ellis here - homes editor here at TechRadar, and Garmin nerd.
A rare success story… Chris' Forerunner 955 is now working, with all parameters, faces, and alarms intact.
“No connection and no fix”, LB tells me via email.
We hear your frustrations, but for now there’s no other way.
This isnt the first time Garmins services have suffered a major outage.
Back in 2020,the companys services went down for four daysfollowing a ransomware attack.
For some users, it was nearly a week before things were completely back to normal.
Maybe Garmin will extend this one?
I’m a newcomer to Garmin, having been team Apple Watch for 10 years.
But where did the “of death” tech meme start?
The blue screen of death dates back to Windows 1.0 and 1985.
The BSOD indicates a critical Windows system failure or crash crash.
The US is waking up… “Comms and support from Garmin have been terrible,” Max tells me.
“Their X feeds offer nothing.
I’ve had more info and support via sites such as TechRadar and YouTube.
It’s all very frustrating.”
Hey, that’s us!
Glad we could be of service.
Garmin disruption
Many users rely heavily on their Garmins for sleep tracking, training, and more.
A Garmin odyssey… Michelle is “Hoping for brighter Garmin days ahead.”
So am I, Michelle, so am I.
Watch completely dead?
What is going on?
A Strava kudos hack…
They can then choose your name from their list of followers.
After all, if a run isn’t on Strava, did it really happen?
Lost streaks…
Who wants to tell them?
It’s tough seeing Garmin users who are losing their streaks as a result of the outage.
Another easy way to get today’s workout in… Once theyre linked, data will be synced between the two so they always match.
Hit Start and off you go!
A small ray of hope for the unaffected… “I did a run this morning and it was fine.
No updates or anything different.
“Just confirm it’s synced to Garmin and you should be fine.
The corrupt file should be gone,” another added.
Pairing issues?
Anyone else experiencing this?
I keep getting “Pairing Failed” with an option to retry.
I’ve tried powering off and powering back on, same result.”
I’d say that’s a wise course of action at this stage!
Drop me an email:stephen.warwick@futurenet.com -thanks reader Ian for the heads up!
It’s me, Matt!
In that circumstance, I think my watch would go straight in the bin regardless of cost.
Will you trust Garmin again?
I don’t think it’s any secret that I love Garmin watches.
Thebest Apple Watchesare fantastic all-around smartwatches, and the Coros Pace 3 leads ourbest cheap running watchpack.
Bugs come and go, even if a mass outage like this is comparatively rare.
Shareholders weigh in
Hey guys, Stephen here, I’m back!
At this stage, it would be easier to figure out which Garmins aren’t affected by the outage.
Come on Garmin," Ella-Dee tells me.
I think that pretty much sums it up for all of us!
It really is bad timing.
Even the Garmins that are working aren’t working… “Going back to Apple,” he tells me.
“Mine went to the blue triangle yesterday when I was doing a pool dive for training.
The power button reset doesn’t work for me.
Well over 24 hours… We absolutely love it so far, but obviously we can’t really use it right now.
It’s a brilliant watch, but will Garmin’s infrastructure woes put off customers?
Read our full Garmin Instinct 3 review
Sync troubles following the outage?
As noted, we’re seeing plenty of reports of users having trouble syncing and connecting their Garmins post-outage.
After doing the rest, users are reporting connection difficulties, as well as syncing problems.
“I anyone experiencing an inability to synch their steps since yesterday with Garmin Connect?
Some of them sync to my phone but not all of them.
Ive not seen this reported,” oneRedditor asked.
Success connecting to a PC?
Sadly, Nathan’s story hasn’t been a common one for Garmin users over the last 24 hours.
“Ive tried every proposed fix and nothing works,” she continued.
“Pretty dismayed cause its a $1000 watch Ive only had a few months.”
Way to rub it in, Erna.
Enduro 2 users out there?
“I think my watch is totally bricked now??
Unsurprisingly, he was quoted athree-hourhold time when he tried to call Garmin this morning.
That’s 1,400 worth of kit.
If it helps, my Garmin Instinct 3 is still working.
I’m going to tempt fate and try recording a run later tonight.
Miraculously, still on.
I plan to go for a test run later, to tempt fate a little bit.
On… for now.
An official warning in Garmin Connect
This is an image taken from my personal Garmin Connect app.
Other users report seeing this onGarmin Reddita couple of hours ago.
This yellow warning wasn’t present earlier this afternoon.
Couldn’t wait to use it.
We hear you, Ben.
Enjoy the snowboarding, and congrats on your nuptials!
An official fix has arrived!
Garmin has published information regarding a potential fix!
Different watches follow different processes, so we won’t list them all here.
Gary was able to use his computer to sync the watch with Garmin Express, ending the issue.
“Hope everyone gets sorted soon” he signs out.
What a kind soul.
If you are still experiencing this,kindly visit support.garmin.com for steps to patch up the issue.”
It sounds like Garmin has stopped the problem recurring, or spreading to more watches, at least.
We’ll let you know if a remote fix rolls out in the meantime.
Still want to run, like me?
“Thankful to find your blog today before I went out for a run!
Before starting my run, I went into run parameters and turned off GPS.
It still tracked my mileage without issue and I avoided the blue triangle crash. "
The only glitch was the watch had a harder time tracking pace but everything else was fine.”
Nothing but the logo at any point.”
Seemingly, the fix isn’t working for everyone just yet.
Still without a fix?
Stephen will pick up with you tomorrow, and he’ll take you the rest of the way.
Good morning!
Good morning, Stephen checking back in here.
Garmin says it has resolved the underlying issue, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Sadly, Stu’s story is a common one.
Many users both before and after the fix have found their devices completely bricked.
Ross from Australia reached out overnight to confirm he’d followed the steps for Garmin Approach owners.
“However it does not cause my watch to reboot and return to set up screen.
Screen just goes blank.”
“I’m really screwed,” he tells me.
“Im gearing up for a competitive race soon and my training metrics are super important for me.”
Can you imagine the carnage if this had happened right before a major marathon or other such event?
Descent continues to drown
One of Garmin’s most expensive devices is its Descent Mk3i dive computer.
“My index finger is now killing me from holding on to the start/stop button for minutes on end.
This issue is very annoying,” he says.
“I just got my watch up and running.
Is it safe to go back outside?
All the users I’ve spoken to who have successfully restored their Garmins are not reporting repeat offences.
Meantime, users like Fredrik are reporting “no improvement” since the official fix was released.
If you are still experiencing this, yo visit support.garmin.com for steps to deal with the issue.”
“This cannot be good news for Garmin though,” he warns.
Another issue?
Namely, he’s stopped seeing maps of his activities on Garmin Connect.
Enough to make you switch?
Here are a few messages I’ve received:
If at first you don’t succeed… Nopporn from Thailand has reached out to confirm that it took three tries to restore their watch.
A share price dent
On Tuesday, Garmin’s share price hit an all-time high of 222.97.
We’re still hearing from customers in bother though, so do reach out if you’re still struggling!
Still not solved… ## Jumping ship?
Samsung didn’t miss a beat… Crucially, the unit must switch on though, so a bricked Garmin might not make the cut!
