Key Takeaways
- Widespread crashes are impacting Garmin smartwatches, attributed to firmware updates and a Connect IQ flaw.
- Watch face crashes are caused by a bug in the Storage.setValue() function and restarting the device only offers a temporary solution.
- Garmin has acknowledged the issue and says it is investigating, but it has not been able to consistentaly replicate the bug.
There’s trouble in wearables land this Black Friday. Garmin smartwatch users are reporting constant crashes on their watch faces.
How to reset and restart your Garmin smartwatch
Restore your Garmin watch’s functionality with a quick restart
The problem has been going on for months and has lately spread to every Garmin smartwatch (via Tech Issues Today). Users see an ‘IQ’ logo with an orange exclamation point on their watch face and can’t use the watch. This issue is affecting all Garmin smartwatch models, including Venu 3 and Forerunner 965.
Firmware updates may be to blame
The issue seems to stem from a flaw in Garmin’s Connect IQ platform and the Storage.setValue() function. What happens is the system fails when apps or watch faces attempt to save data using this function, and this causes the watch face to crash. Restarting the device only offers a temporary fix, and the crash returns the moment another save attempt is made.
What’s concerning is developers have been pointing out this problem for months. One dev logged nearly 400,000 crashes since August. Now that the crashes have spread to nearly every Garmin device thanks to buggy firmware updates, user reports are all over the internet. One Reddit user urged other Redditors to reach out to Garmin en masse, and said “The squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
Garmin is finally addressing the issue
Garmin finally acknowledged the issue with a reply to the Reddit post, proving that squeaky wheels do indeed get needed attention. The company said they are investigating the matter, but have not provided a timeline for any fixes. In the meantime, users are left with restarting the watch several times a day. This is clearly not an ideal workaround.
Developers are particularly impacted by the crashes. The bugs undermine the functionality of their apps and watch faces. Garmin has admitted the bug is difficult to reproduce consistently, so many are left wondering what is causing it, and if it can be fixed any time soon.
It’s a tough time for Garmin. The delay in rolling out a fix raises questions about Garmin’s ability to maintain the Connect IQ platform. It also comes at the worst possible time, as the public starts their holiday shopping.
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