It's a fix! Garmin says its users can safely boot up their devices again after worldwide smartwatch crash

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Garmin claims it's finally solved the problem after two chaotic days and an initial 'fix' that didn't seem to work

Garmin watch
There are more than 60 million Garmin users worldwide (Image credit: Getty Images)

Garmin owners can use their smartwatches again after the tech giant released a fix for the bug that had caused devices to crash worldwide.

Reports of the problem began on Tuesday (January 28), when users trying to access the GPS feature were met by a blue ‘triangle of death’ display.

Others couldn't use their Garmin at all, with devices stuck on the bootup screen.

In response, Garmin advised users to "press and hold the power button until the device turns off, then power it back on, and sync with the Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express," in a statement on its website. But many users reported that this 'fix' wasn't helping.

Now the smartwatch giant has issued a series of official fixes, which can be accessed differently depending on your device, and initial reports are that they are working.

Instinct Series 3 users can access the fix by opening Garmin Express on their computer, restarting their device, and re-registering with Garmin Express.

Forerunner, Vivoactive, and Venu users will have to reboot their devices to factory settings, before using Bluetooth to reconnect to the Garmin Connect app.

The bug caused a wide range of Garmin devices to crash on a global scale.

Out of 65 reader responses, 53 told our sister site Tom’s Guide that they’d experienced GPS issues with their Garmin smartwatch.

Other Garmin devices like the Edge range of cycling computers have also received fixes.

Users with the following smartwatches reported crashes:

Irate Garmin users took to social media to complain about the issue. The video below video, posted to X by user @leonagraham, shows a crash in action.

While these crashes inconvenienced many, for some, they were a major roadblock in training plans. Garmin's top-of-the-range GPS and fitness tracking features are used by athletes worldwide to train for their next challenge, whether it's an ultra-marathon or a daunting mountain ascent.

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Will Symons
Will Symons
Staff Writer

Will Symons developed his love of the outdoors as a student, exploring every inch of Sussex’s South Downs national park and wild swimming off the Brighton seafront. Now a Staff Writer for Advnture, Will previously worked as a freelance journalist and writer, covering everything from cricket to ancient history. Like most Advnture staff, Will’s time is rarely spent indoors, he can often be found hiking, wild swimming or playing cricket.