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every garmin device EXCEPT fenix 5s pairs with tablet?

rinserepeat
over 2 years ago

There is a known problem for years with the bluetooth on the 5 series, especially the 5s but I've now spent the past 3 days trying to get my 5s to pair and there is clearly something wrong

Every other garmin device is communicating with Connect on the tablet including my Vivosmart4 and my speedpod etc.

(and the watch can talk just fine to all ANT+ devices like HRMTri and Stryd etc)

The Fenix 5s is listed in the bluetooth devices on the android list of devices and shows it is connected

However garmin connect stalls out on the first step of adding the device where the bar is like 10% and sits there

Then the watch flashes in and out of the blue garmin logo and the spinner

Can't get any further than that, can't find any hidden debug mode?

I need to see the error message or status hidden for that 10% bar

No I am not going to reformat the watch, that is asinine and Garmin needs to stop insisting on that for every problem, I don't have hours to reconfigure the watch every other month when some other nonsense happens

Is there going to be any further beta beyond 25.00 to maybe try one last attempt at fixing the bluetooth on the Fenix5 series or has garmin given up for profit on newer devices (while they still sell the Fenix5 stock)

  • 0 over 2 years ago
    rinserepeat said:
    The Fenix 5s is listed in the bluetooth devices on the android list of devices and shows it is connected

    It should not. Remove the watch from there, and then try pairing it through Garmin Connect instead, not through Android's BT menu. Also make sure no other devices are connected to the watch simultaneously - for example if you previously already paired the watch with a phone, disable BT on the phone, before pairing the watch with the tablet.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to trux

    What you are saying is wrong. It's hand-waving nonsense, tech woo-woo.

    The vivosmart is listed on the android menu and it works with the connect app just fine.

    And no the watch is is not paired with any other device.

    Fenix5, especially the 5s but other models too, is known to have broken bluetooth and weak radio.

    You will find similar complaints in other threads, garmin tried gaslighting people there wasn't a problem but DC Rainmaker confirmed it and Stryd actually had to change their own radio power and antenna just to deal with the Fenix 5.

    The connect app is also broken in how it handles bluetooth and keeps the debug/error messages hidden.

    It's bad coding technique but that's garmin, TWENTY-FIVE versions and still buggy.

    And I've tried the "remove from android pair list" many times. It's the same behavior, but when the connect app pairs it handles the "secret number" entry itself, which I get that far, it's after that point it fails.

    Remember the app sees the device, it just never fully adds it to the list

    I think this got broken with the 6.91 sensor hub update on the watch. Going to see if I can roll just that part back without the watch resetting/reformatting itself which is single-handedly the most annoying thing Garmin does to users, massive time-suck.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to rinserepeat

    The device will be listed on Android's BT menu once paired through Garmin Connect, but should not be listed as paired if not recognized by GC yet. See it also in the document Garmin Connect App: Pairing Failed Message When Adding a Device | Garmin Customer Support 

    Step 3: Check the Bluetooth Settings on Your Phone
    Confirm the Garmin device is not paired directly to the Bluetooth settings of the phone already. You will need to remove it first and then pair it through the Garmin Connect app. For more help see: How do I Remove a Device From the Garmin Connect App?

    If the v6.91 (or later) sensor hub firmware broke the functionality, no other Fenix 5 owner would be able to pair it. I do not not think it is the case.