If you own a Garmin Forerunner, you already have one of the best Garmin watches in your hands. They’ve all made our lists of the best Garmin watches or the best running watches at some point. Now your smartwatch gets even better thanks to Garmin’s latest free update.
Garmin has announced that the Public beta version 19.09 is in the early stages of rollout and is headed to the following Forerunner watches:
The new update follows Garmin’s unannounced software update in March, which upgraded the Recovery Heart Rate function.
Garmin has clarified that the latest update only works with WiFi-enabled devices that currently have a network set up on the watch, so unfortunately the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 255s without music are not supported.
According to Notebook controlThis is the first update in Garmin’s next cycle, so we can only expect more exciting features to arrive during the next wave of updates. But for the 19.09 update, these are the top five features you can expect.
1. Jet lag consultant
Software update 19.09 adds Garmin’s Jet Lag Advisor tool to its line of Forerunner smartwatches, helping you combat the physical effects of long-haul flights by letting you know how much jet lag to expect. The feature can advise you on your sleep needs and guide you smoothly back to your exercise routines.
The jetlag tool isn’t an entirely new addition to Garmin’s range of smartwatches, however, as it was made available to select Garmin models last year, including the Fenix 7, Garmin Enduro 2 and Garmin Epix. Now Garmin is exploring this tool with other models and bringing it to the Forerunner models mentioned above.
2. Find a lost phone
If you own a Forerunner smartwatch, you can take advantage of Garmin’s new Find My Phone feature. If your phone is lost during an activity, your Forerunner will automatically save the GPS location where your phone is disconnected from your watch, and from there you can use Find My Phone to track down your missing cellphone via Bluetooth, using a similar breadcrumb trail as the watch’s Back to Start feature, which allows you to return to the start of a route.
3. Heart rate accuracy improvements
There’s a reason why Garmin watches are among the best fitness trackers, especially if you’re an avid runner. Garmin’s new software update introduces dynamic heart rate source switching, meaning your watch can switch between your OHR pulse sensor or your chest HRM strap. This improves the accuracy of your heart rate by intelligently selecting data sources for a more reliable measurement.
4. Garmin Messenger app
The new software update goes the extra mile to improve how you can stay connected to others during workouts and activities. With the addition of the Garmin Messenger app, you can easily communicate with others while you’re running or doing HIIT at the gym, by sending and receiving messages directly from your Forerunner smartwatch.
It supposedly works through the Garmin Messenger app on your phone, giving you notifications and allowing you to respond like any other messaging service.
5. UI solutions
In addition to adding useful new tools to the Forerunner models, Garmin is also fixing a number of annoying bugs noticed by users, including the incoming call vibration that keeps buzzing after you reject a call on your watch.
The software also improves the watch’s music controls, reduces its tendency to crash, and fixes the inconsistencies in organizing your activity profiles.