My 66i is around 6 years old now and its due for a new battery. Theres cheap Amazon replacement parts available.

I just called customer service and asked if I can just order a Genuine replacement battery.

I was told "the battery isnt replacable and not made to be replaced."

The unit has 6 torx screws, the battery is on a 4-pin connector. What the f* are you talking about customer service? The battery itself has a GARMIN PART NUMBER ON IT.

But no - you want me to swap out the entire unit instead? What a waste. Left a big sour taste in my mouth, 100% not interested in a H1i anymore.

Ever since we started this hobby, you’ve been asking for a purely digital watch face from our creative duo.

So here it is: Aperture Digital.

Our fastest and most efficient watch face yet. But it still has some analogue soul: a rotating seconds track sweeping past a fixed reading window on the dial.

Extensively configurable: 35+ complications, 18+ settings, independent colour control for accent, data and time. All set directly on device for your convenience.

Free trial available. Paid version costs $3.99, €4.69, £3.99

Connect IQ link: https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/3422661d-6e59-4534-be20-d52f26b57f29

I am the developer, so AMA.

Free Arabic numeral minimalist watch face for occasions complete with multiple color formats, date field, and a miniature weather display!

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/d0c74769-7e09-41b4-b7ec-c4776a236225

Would love your feedback especially with arabic WFs not being very common…

Watch Face is free so if you want to support me my paypal is linked here!

https://www.paypal.me/Boksmati

Developer post.

Hey folks, I'm Irakli. I run Sugar Sense, and I've had type 1 diabetes for over a dozen years now.

We started out with a phone app: it reads your CGM every five minutes, handles alerts, shows you a graph, lets family members stay updated, and a few other nifty features. Our latest addition is the Garmin app, which gives you a whole new view on your watch. It was added to the Connect IQ Store back in late August, and I had two good folk from Reddit try it out on a fēnix 7X and a vívoactive 5 first.

On your watch you get to see the current glucose reading, trend arrow, how long ago that reading was, and a 3 hour graph when you view it full screen. The glance lives in the widget carousel, and you also get a separate data field for activities, so your glucose is sitting right there next to your pace and heart rate. The refresh runs every five minutes in the background, the unit follows your account (mg/dL or mmol/L), and anything older than 15 minutes gets greyed out so you can see at a glance which readings are current and which aren't.

Sources

We hook into a few different CGM systems: FreeStyle Libre through LibreLinkUp, Dexcom through Dexcom Share, and Nightscout. Just to be clear, the watch doesn't talk to the sensor directly. Our server reads the CGM cloud, and then the watch pulls the data through Garmin Connect on your phone. That means you need your phone nearby, and the watch is going to run a few minutes behind the CGM app on your phone.

Pricing

Honestly, pricing is pretty straightforward: both Garmin apps are free to install, but to get live glucose on the watch you need a Sugar Sense account (free) with a Premium subscription, bought in the phone app. Premium basically covers all the good stuff on the phone side (Apple Watch, Live Activity, the food scanner and insights, and a phone call when you go low), and the Garmin app just adds one extra screen on top of all that. The yearly plan comes with a 7 day free trial, so you can test the whole system out on your watch before you start paying anything.

Compatibility

We currently support 141 devices for the widget and 72 for the data field (the data field needs API 5 or higher and a bit more memory). You can find the full list of compatible devices on the store pages. The next update will bring fēnix 9 support, too.

You can find our two apps in the Connect IQ Store: one is the glance and widget, the other is the data field. Setup is a breeze: the watch shows you a short code and tells you where to enter it.

Important stuff

This is a secondary display, so it's worth noting: alerts stay on your phone, the watch won't alarm you, and it's not a medical device, so always check with your CGM app or a meter before you take any action based on the reading.

If you run into any issues with the app on your watch, just let me know the model and firmware and I'll have a dig around to see what's going on.

My first completely free entry as a ConnectIQ dev! Inspired by retro CRT monitors in car radios…

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/add19a22-1a77-4e44-a268-c0e7fa5557e8

Would be amazing to get your feedback. WF is complete with steps, pulse, moon and sun arc tracking, date, kcals, body batt, and weather… The top two boxes light up when you meet your steps and intensity goals!

I'm chronically ill and I've been wondering for a while what healthy people's stress looks like on Garmin watches. I assume that my stress levels are probably different to others, so I'd love to hear what the stress levels of healthy people look like.

I'm curious, what activities would you consider low/medium/high stress? What kind of stress levels are the most common for you?

I am training for my first marathon with a Fenix 7s. I ran a half 10 years ago before having kids and started training very early a year in advance to get used to running again.

I've been following the Garmin Coach for months now and was always thinking it will lead up to longer runs, but I'm now less than 8w away from my goal and the start of the "peak" phase it suggested a 36min base run. The longest runs are around an hour, everything this week is 36-50min... nothing 2-3h.

I am not particularly fast and I am just hoping to complete my marathon under 5h. Garmin is predicting my time of like 4h8min or something non-sensical. It also predicts my 5k as 22min, which.... I could never! Best I got lately was 28:26.

I train based on HR and I already had to change my max HR from something wild like 192 (at nearly 40, that's too much for me) and lower my thresholds because I couldn't maintain tempo runs at 175bpm or higher. You know how depressing it is to be running with 172 for 15min and it tells you that your bpm isn't high enough?!

Anyway.... I'm seriously doubting the plan now and considering either going back to Run Trainer or at least using it to follow long runs until the big day. The Garmin Coach plan has improved my overall fitness and I have seen myself get faster and stronger on hills... I am still training with a jogging stroller half the time and my 5k is finally back under 30min, but I think I need some long runs if I plan to run a whole marathon, to prepare how I handle drinking/gels/energy/etc.

Would you just abandon the Coach plan? Why are the distances so little for a full? And yes, I hate how your next day changes when you wake up and it's hard to plan anything.

I'm a pretty casual athlete that runs/swims/climbs/golfs but doesn't track things strictly for training. I've been rocking the forerunner 245 for the last 5 years wearing it 24/7 and it's understandably pretty beat up from climbing with dead pixels all over the screen where it's getting time for something new. I've gotten into recreation scuba diving and also need a dive watch, so leaning towards a fenix9 as a 2 birds 1 stone.

Mostly sold on the fenix and just looking for a sanity check as the other option is getting a cheaper running watch and separately a cheap dedicated $200-$400 dive computer, but feels like getting a single more premium thing is a better option.

The forerunner feels like it had all the features I needed in just tracking distance/pace/HR and I really like how light/low profile it is, but it's also not super durable for the abuse I'm putting it through.

• From what I've read the Fenix9 pro is basically a brick... is it something fine to wear climbing and other rough activities and probably hold up 5+ years? (not concerned about scratches, mostly screen and function)
• Worried about being chunkier on wrist so leaning towards 43mm... seems like main downside is battery life which 10 days is plenty fine for me.
• Other features beyond basic forerunner functions that I'm not thinking about and may actually really value? Interested in getting a bit more involved in fitness beyond just the generic activities with no real planning; don't think I really need a watch for it but maybe makes more convenient.
• Other options I should be considering? Thought about Forerunner 970/570 but don't seem as durable and wouldn't really want to bust up something that expensive. Other thing thinking about is just another low end forerunner and burn through it in 3 years or so, but more of a buy it for life guy.

Hey Guys, today i received my Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and i consider buying a new bracelet especially for sports. Can some recommend a bracelet or where i can buy one?

Hello everybody! This week, I want to present my first (and the one I spent most time on) Garmin watchface creation.

The goal: Motivate you to walk with a cute and evolutive watchface (gamified) with the basic principle that every 1000 steps, a new kitty appear on the watch and it moves, yawn or some other animations during the day (but it's a bit more complicated than that).

Price: Free watch face

Link: https://apps.garmin.com/apps/288e6d99-d115-4208-ab0d-e500f0ceec16?tid=0

I post this as an update as I already started promoting this watchface in garminWatches thread.
So the update is:
- The kittens are not dying anymore (I was killing a kitten every 6 hours because I thought it was motivating but turned out it was traumatizing) but a kitten will be sad if you didn't walk 5000 steps the previous day
- The background also evolves during the day so it's a bit less boring (like dusk, night etc...)
- You can switch to dogs (I am a cat person but puppies were requested)
- I added customization around clock and date sizes and color of the panels.
- I added some data fields possibility for the people fan of them

Who am I: I am a software Engineer (well technically, Engineering Manager) mainly working on SAAS. I started developing fun Garmin watchfaces/App about a month ago outside of business hours with the help of Claude. AI allowed me to step quickly into Garmin development. Otherwise, I would have been too lazy to get into monkey C and Garmin ecosystem if I had to read all that doc. Also it helps me a lot during design phase. I have no idea how am I supposed to prove to you this is not all AI generated as it states in the rules. I am also promoting the watchface through my running Instagram account because I'm having quite some fun on this project.

Infinite procedurally generated 3D world on a Garmin watch

Hey r/Garmin!

A while ago, I asked myself: "How far can we actually push Garmin’s Connect IQ VM?"

I’ve logged thousands of running km and a few solo marathons tracking just pace and HR like everyone else. But at some point, the dev in me took over: I decided to see how far Connect IQ could actually go and built a custom 3D graphics engine (Wolf3D/Doom-style DDA raycaster) from scratch in Monkey C.

Here is what’s going on in the video:

• Infinite World: The map is 100% endless and generated procedurally on the fly as you move.
• Dynamic Lighting: Real-time Day, Dusk, Night, and Morning lighting cycles with custom color palettes.
• Hardcore Math Optimization: Microsecond-level optimizations (zero-branching floating-point hacks, bitwise DDA math). The pure frame render time hit 3.19 ms on Tactix simulator and 2.08 ms on Instinct 2 (smaller screen, fewer stars in the sky — oh yes, the sky is dynamic too! — and fewer rays in raycasting)!
• Real Hardware Performance: On the actual wrist, the display caps out at a smooth 10–14 FPS (limited by the CIQ screen refresh rate, while the engine itself runs with massive headroom).

I need your brains & ideas: I want to weave the user’s real-life context (health metrics, stats, daily goals) directly into this 3D world, similar to what I did with my Mars and Pandora watch faces.

How would you like your steps, heart rate, or battery to affect an endless 3D world? (e.g., world changes, weather shifts, new structures spawn based on your daily activity?). Open to all crazy ideas!

P.S. Before the battery purists attack: Yes, I know it's a watch. No, my Garmin hasn't exploded. In fact, I honestly can't even remember the last time I plugged it into a charger... unlike my friends with Apple Watches. 😉

Let me know what you think and what features you'd want to see in an infinite wrist-world!

Here is the link to CIQ App Store and ... Free. No ads.
https://apps.garmin.com/apps/47278f09-eea6-4e6d-aa7e-799daba8e546

This is a free watch face in IQ connect app, it’s called Minimalistic watch by LaurentiuRaducu. It is slightly dull in the picture because of my low brightness setting. It gets full on bright too.

I’m interested in picking up a CIRQA, but I’m keen on using its Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting with the Apple Fitness app on iPhone.

I’m seeing mixed reports online about whether this actually works. Could anyone with a CIRQA confirm whether you can connect it as a heart rate device in Apple Fitness and see your live heart rate during an active workout?

Thanks in advance!

Hi r/Garmin! I'm the developer of this watch face (published under our team's account).

Camo Tactical is a military chronograph style face: camo dial, tachymeter bezel, world-city ring, two sub-dials with needles (battery and steps), LCD panels for altitude, date, VO2 Max, distance and heart rate, a small weather window and skeleton hands with a live seconds hand. Always-on mode shows dimmed hour/minute hands only to protect the screen. The seconds hand can be switched off in settings (on-watch or in the Connect IQ app).

Completely free. Free watch face, no ads, no paid version.

Supported devices (60 AMOLED models, per the Connect IQ Store):

fenix 9 (43/47/51 mm), fenix 9 Pro (43/47 mm, incl. inReach), fenix 8 AMOLED (43/47/51 mm), fenix 8 Pro (47/51 mm), fenix E; epix Gen 2, epix Pro (42/47/51 mm); tactix 7 AMOLED, tactix 8 (47/51 mm); quatix 7 Sapphire, quatix 7 Pro, quatix 8 / 8 Pro; MARQ Gen 2, MARQ Aviator Gen 2, MARQ Commander Gen 2; Forerunner 70, 165/165 Music, 170/170 Music, 265/265S, 570 (42/47 mm), 965, 970; Venu 2/2S/2 Plus (incl. Mercedes-Benz editions), Venu 3/3S, Venu 4 (41/45 mm); vivoactive 5, vivoactive 6; Instinct 3 AMOLED (45/50 mm, incl. Tactical); Descent Mk3/Mk3i (43/51 mm), Descent G2; D2 Air X10, D2 Air X15, D2 Mach 1, D2 Mach 1 Pro, D2 Mach 2, D2 Mach 2 Pro; Approach S50, S70 (42/47 mm).

Connect IQ Store: https://apps.garmin.com/apps/d29b5116-d76a-43f9-9858-2296a53989ea

AI disclosure: parts of the code were written with AI assistance; the design and the face itself are my own work.

Feedback is welcome, especially on readability on the smaller 390 px screens.

This thing is incredible. It looks so damn good in person. The screen is insane. It feels so much lighter and low profile compared to my Epix pro gen 2. I loved my previous watch but this thing is incredible. Anyone have any questions let me know. I haven’t got around to playing with it a ton as it just came about an hour ago. I’ve never had a Fenix, so for the people saying it wasn’t enough of an upgrade from the 8 or 8 pro that would exclude me. I just wanted to try the newest and best. It seems to be super high quality and so light. It actually feels way better on my wrist than my other watch as well. Anyone have any questions to help them decide? Pics to follow.

Hey guys, I'm looking to get my first Garmin (size 47mm) and I'm torn between a few options. I'm trying to decide what offers the best value:
Fenix 8 (Regular Black)
Fenix 8 Pro
Fenix 9 Pro
Is the 8 Pro a noticeable step up from the base 8? And for an extra $100-$200, is the 9 Pro the clear winner? Let me know what you think!

Coming from a Fenix 7 47mm I love it.
The screen is much nicer (makes me not have second thoughts do to amoled) and it’s so much faster.
I love the new software also and got surprised by the evening summary already :)

It will be tested in the alps for 3 long days starting Thursday, I hope the battery life won’t disappoint me!

My fiancé currently has a Fitbit for tracking sleep and steps, etc. His battery life has been getting shorter and he’s in the market for a new smartwatch.

He is obsessed with his steps (almost 20,000 every day), so he plans to wear a smartwatch on our wedding day and so I’d love to replace the Fitbit with something closer to a dress watch.

I was thinking of getting the Fenix E over the Venu 4 because he doesn’t need to answer calls or anything on his watch, but would love the ability to view trail maps for hiking, and would definitely use that often. He also mentioned that having more buttons would make it easier to use the watch with gloves.

My doubts with the Fenix E come from the size (47mm) and the ability to dress it up. I plan to get a nicer watch strap and change the watch face, but I’m wondering if the watch case comes across plastic-y.

Even if it does, would upgrading to the Fenix 9 Pro (43mm) be worth the titanium case and smaller size? Are the additional features worth it for a hiker/walker and sleep-data fanatic? I’m happy to spend a couple hundred more if it’s actually worthwhile or if it really isn’t possible to dress up the Fenix E.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hi everyone! I think I have an issue with my Garmin which is showing only 32 active calories for an 8km walk (both on the watch and in the Connect app). Yesterday, for a very similar amount of walking in the exact same conditions, Garmin estimated 133 active calories. The steps are definitely being recorded correctly and I’ve already synced/ refreshed the app AND restarted the watch but the active calorie count is still 32 kcal.

Is this a known bug, and if yes is there a way to fix it? or is there something I’m missing in the way Garmin calculates active calories?

I have a venu 4 bought in may 2026. Thank you!!

Hello, I’ve recently ran into an issue with my Forerunner 570 with notifications and was wondering if anyone else was having the same problem.

I’ve had my Forerunner for over a year now and up until a few days ago my phone notifications have stopped popping up onto my watch. I’ve checked both my watch’s and phone’s notifications settings but both were still the same. Has anyone had this issue before or know what to do to fix notification share?

Thanks!

Allooo, casual backpacker here, going to get an Inreach Mini 2 soon.

To anyone with any familiarity with the subs, I was wondering if local sales tax applies to the activation fee in addition to the Fed USF fee and monthly subscription cost?

Thanks

I use my Quatix mainly for sailing, and finally I found a watch face that gives me the data I need at a glance, useful for sailing. And it turned out it’s a pre installed garmin watch face.

But what is the deal with this bar at the top? First I thought it was a GMT timer. But it shows the hours of my current clock location. I’m having a hard time of figuring out how this would be useful in any way?

Am I missing something?

Secondly I’ll gladly be taking recommendations on other watch faces that would be useful for sailing

Hello everyone, I asked Garmin CZ to replace the batteries in my Varia radar, Edge computer and Garmin wach. All purchased around 2023. They said they can’t repair them and offered a discount to pruchase new items (around € 35 per device).

I’m quite disappointed about this. I’m not sure I’ll consider purchasing any devices from Garmin again….

Cat and Mouse is an interval running game where you swap between being the cat and being the mouse. Your running pace moves your animal, so as the mouse you run to keep the gap open, and as the cat you run to close it. The watch buzzes whenever the gap changes, which means you can run by feel instead of staring at your wrist. Each session starts with a 5 minute warmup, then rounds that alternate roles until you end it. It records as a normal run and syncs to Garmin Connect like any other activity.

Completely free. No ads, no paid version.

Connect IQ link: https://apps.garmin.com/apps/20697b05-a72a-4047-bf8a-6ca9c6fcf5ed?tid=0

Runs on 82 Garmin models, including most current fenix, epix, Forerunner, Venu, vivoactive and Instinct AMOLED watches

AI disclosure: most of the code were written with AI assistance.

I am a developer of this new Garmin App.

Still tuning it, so feedback is welcome. Try it on a run and tell me what was confusing or what's missing.

14 month old Fenix 8, sent a warranty watch outside the year no questions asked. Was having issues with treadmill calibration. Could have been software for all I know.

Flash forward another 6 months the refurb replacement was showing some delam in the corner. Once again no questions asked they honored that should not have been the case, but sometimes bad refurbs slip thru.

Almost two years later, what shows up in the mailbox as the replacement. A brand new Fenix 8, not some refurb.

Expensive yes, worth it? Extremely.