From lost phones to jet lag: Garmin Forerunner update 19.09 explored

Garmin’s latest update for Forerunner 965, 955, 265 and 255 watches tackles jet lag, adds messaging capabilities, and offers a handy “Find My Phone” feature for outdoor adventurers. The company’s Beta Version 19.09 is currently in the initial phase of its rollout, marking the start of the Q2 update cycle for these Forerunners.

Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets

This software builds on the foundation laid by an earlier beta release for the Fenix 7 and Epix 2 series, which introduced some of the same features. However, an interesting addition in this release is the Jet Lag Adviser, a tool previously made available on only a few other Garmin models.

Key features of the update

• Jet Lag Advisor: Get personalized recommendations and strategies from your Garmin watch to mitigate jet lag effects. By inputting your travel itinerary, the Jet Lag Advisor suggests light exposure schedules, sleep timing, and even exercise routines to help your body adjust more quickly to your new time zone. You can read more about the feature on this link.
• Garmin Messenger app: Stay connected on adventures with the addition of the Garmin Messenger app. Send and receive messages (with an active cellular connection or WiFi) directly from your watch using your smartphone’s data connection.
• Find a lost phone: Enhancing safety and convenience, users can now navigate back to the point where their phone lost connection during an activity, using GPS.
• Enhanced heart rate accuracy: The update improves heart rate accuracy during running activities with dynamic HR source switching. Your watch now intelligently selects the best data source (watch sensor or chest strap) for the most reliable readings.
• Miscellaneous fixes: The update also addresses several issues, including the “Lock On Road” setting not being honored, intermittent crashes in music control, persistent notification vibration for incoming calls, and inconsistencies in activity profile ordering between Garmin Connect and the device.

How to Enroll and Update

Users can enroll in the Garmin Beta Software Program to access the update. This is an early Beta so you will need to manually initiate the download. This is done by navigating on your watch to: Main menu > Settings > System > Software Update > Check For Updates.

Here’s the full change-log for the 965 (source Garmin):

• Adds the Jet Lag Adviser glance.
• Adds support for the Garmin Messenger app with a glance and app.
• During an activity, use GPS to navigate to the point where a phone lost connection.
• Adds heart rate dynamic source switching to select the best heart rate data source (watch or chest HRM) to improve accuracy during running activities.
• Fixes “Lock On Road” setting not being honored.
• Fixes intermittent crash in music control.
• Fixes persistent notification vibration for incoming calls.
• Fixes inconsistent activity profile ordering between Connect and device.

The change-log for the other Forerunners is pretty much the same. Here’s a link to the 255 change-log on Garmin’s website.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!