Garmin adds UK and Switzerland to ECG watch support list
Garmin has just flicked the switch on ECG support in both the United Kingdom and Switzerland. After a long wait, users in those countries can now officially access the feature without needing to spoof their location.
Most big Western markets already have ECG support. Places like the US, Canada, EU countries, and Australia are already on board. But British users were stuck using workarounds like VPNs to trick Garmin into thinking they were somewhere else. Switzerland was in the same boat.
That’s changed. If you live in either country and own a compatible watch, the ECG app should now show up without any extra effort.
This rollout seems to have gone much smoother than what EU users faced earlier in the year. Back in January, Garmin annoyed a lot of people by only enabling ECG for the Fenix 8, even though other models like the Fenix 7 Pro had the exact same hardware. That decision didn’t go down well. After some backlash, Garmin opened things up to all Gen5-compatible watches across the EU.
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With this latest update, they’ve done it right. There’s no sign of that same confusion or selective access this time around.
Which watches actually support ECG?
The short answer is: any Garmin watch with the Elevate Gen5 optical heart rate sensor, provided you’re in a supported country. That includes models like the Fenix 7 Pro, Fenix 8 Pro, Epix Pro, Enduro 3, Tactix 7 AMOLED, Tactix 8 Pro, D2 Mach Pro, Quatix 7 Pro, and the Venu 3.
The Venu 2 Plus is a bit of an odd one. It technically supports ECG, but only in select countries. That’s because it uses an older version of the optical sensor, which doesn’t meet the same standard across all regions. So depending on where you live, you might still be out of luck with that one.
If you’re not sure whether your device is included, it’s best to just check the Garmin website.
No more faking your location
Some users had been getting around the lack of ECG support by using a VPN to spoof their region. That trick has been floating around for a while. But now there’s no need. Garmin has made it official—if your watch has the right hardware, and you’re in the UK or Switzerland, ECG is now available.
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Why on earth would Garmin decide to exclude these countries in the first place?
Someone in a board room said “…but not UK or Switzerland” for a reason. What was it?
It took more time to secure regulatory approval. Those countries are not part of the EU.