Garmin watches consistently rank among the best fitness trackers and smartwatches. These powerful tools help us stay healthy and active by offering features like heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, and personalized workout plans. With so much technology packed into one device, knowing some basic troubleshooting is essential for a smooth experience.



Even the top-of-the-line Garmin watches can occasionally encounter hiccups. Whether it’s a minor software glitch or a temporary freeze, knowing how to restart your watch is the first step in resolving these issues. This guide shows you how to restart your Garmin watch, ensuring it continues to operate at its best.



Why restart your Garmin watch?

Continuous use of Garmin watches for running, sprinting, or exercising may lead to technical issues. These issues can affect step counting, distance tracking, and calorie-burning calculations. When such problems arise, restarting the device can resolve the problem, restore accurate functionality, and get things back on track.

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The following are some reasons why you might need to restart your Garmin watch:

  • Technical issues: Restarting your smartwatch may remove temporary files and processes, free up system resources, and enhance the watch’s performance or unresponsive behavior.
  • Software updates: For continuous updates to take effect and guarantee smooth performance, your watch may need to restart after updating or applying its settings.
  • Resolving software glitches and freezing issues: Sometimes, software glitches or conflicts can cause a Garmin watch to freeze or behave unexpectedly. Restarting can resolve such issues and restore normal functionality.
  • Enhancing GPS accuracy and tracking capabilities: Restarting your watch also recalibrates the GPS, improving accuracy in tracking location-based activities, for example, during running.



A Garmin Forerunner 55 watch showing active lifestyle.Restart your Garmin smartwatch

The process for restarting your watch may differ based on the model and whether it has actual buttons or a touchscreen display. The easiest way to fix little bugs or malfunctions without losing your data is to perform a soft restart. Here’s how to restart your Garmin watch:

  1. Press and hold the power button on your watch for 15 seconds.
  2. For certain models, the watch automatically powers off. However, some watches may have a power menu button on the screen, allowing you to click it to power off the device.
  3. Release the power button and wait for a few seconds.
  4. Press the power button again to turn the watch back on.

Sync your data before performing a soft reset, as some data may be lost during the reboot.




How to reset your Garmin smartwatch

Some Garmin watches, like the most recent Forerunner and Instinct models, allow you to reset the default settings without losing your activities, personal data, or music. This is done through the Reset Default Settings option. This clears the device’s cache, which assists in resolving persistent issues.

  1. Open the Menu by holding down the watch’s Menu Button on your Garmin watch.
  2. Scroll down to Settings, then click System.
  3. Find Reset and tap through to select Reset Default Settings.
  4. You’re asked to confirm before restoring these settings.

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Although a medium reset usually takes slightly longer than a soft restart, data and settings are still saved.

Beware when attempting to reset

the
Default Settings
. Some recent Garmin watches offer a
Restore Defaults
option, which performs a hard reset.


Man wearing a Garmin Forerunner watch and holding rugby ball in his right hand.Hard reset your Garmin smartwatch

Consider a hard or factory reset if a simple restart isn’t effective. This more drastic option wipes out your personal data, settings, and activity history, restoring your Garmin watch to its original factory defaults.



There are slight variances in the hard reset method for different Garmin watches:

  • Garmin Forerunner watch, Fenix, Instinct, and Vivoactive watches: Settings > System > Reset > Restore Defaults / Delete Data and Reset Settings.
  • Vivomove HR: Settings > Delete Data and Reset Settings.
  • Approach golf watch: Settings > Reset > Delete Data and Reset Settings.
  • Quatix and Descent watches: Settings > System > Restore Defaults > Reset Settings.
  • Earlier Forerunner watch models: Menu > Settings > System > Restore Defaults > Yes.

Hard resets should be used only as a last option, as it removes any settings or data from the watch.


Keep your Garmin watch in top form

Just like you need breaks after intense workouts, sometimes your Garmin watch needs a refresh. Restarting and occasionally resetting it ensures peak performance. Additionally, maintaining your smartwatch’s physical condition is equally important. For guidance on cleaning the watchband, case, and screen, check out our guide on how to clean your smartwatch.