Garmin 6 Sapphire stuck in reboot loop.

My Garmin 6 Sapphire is stuck trying to start up.

I turn it on and I see the triangle symbol for ~20 seconds, then it shows some sort of cog wheel loading symbol for 2-3 seconds, then it goes to a screen saying Garmin and a copyright notice for a final 2-3 seconds. Then it just goes back to the triangle symbol again and the whole cycle repeats continuously.

if I hold the power button down for ~15 seconds I can power it down whilst it’s doing all this, but when it starts, it just kicks off the whole cycle again.

I've tried holding the back button down as it starts up and instead of going to the copyright page, it goes to a menu page for ~1 second asking if I want to go back to the default settings, but then it dies and goes back to the triangle screen and starts cycling through the boot sequence before I can do anything useful.

I didn’t do anything to trigger this, I just glanced at my wrist over lunch and noticed it was on the triangle screen and cycling through the boot sequence. I have tried charging it for a few hours and that hasn’t made any difference.

Any suggestions or is my Fenix effectively bricked?

I suspect I won’t be able to take it back to Runner’s Need for a replacement given that the U.K. is currently on Coronavirus lock down. Are Garmin even fixing/replacing watches at the moment?

Only has my Fenix for 6-7 months.

Thanks, Phil.

  • Try connecting it to Garmin Express and synching. The presence of a gear wheel suggests there might be an update that has not properly taken. When did you last charge it?

  • Any update ? Are you still stuck in loop ?

  • Given the timing it's likely got 8.10 update not installing correctly, the file might be corrupt.   You 'should' be able to factory reset it since it at least powers on - 

    Performing a Master Reset

    1. Ensure watch is powered off2
    2. Press and hold Back/Lap
    3. Power on watch while continuing to hold Back/Lap
    4. Release Back/Lap button once "Clear user data?"message appears
    5. Select Yes

    The reset is successful if the watch finishes powering up and goes through initial setup. Try the steps again if initial setup does not appear. Following the reset, place the watch outside with a clear view of the sky for a minimum of 20 minutes to acquire satellite data.

    If the master reset does not work, another method to reset the watch can be tried. Select the heading below for steps on the secondary reset.  

    Secondary Master Reset

    1. Ensure the watch is powered off2
    2. Press and hold the Down, Start, and Back buttons
    3. Power the watch on while holding these buttons
    4. After the first beep release the Start button
    5. After the second beep release the remaining buttons

    The watch should now be reset.

  • As CuriousConstruction mentioned it sounds like the update file on your watch may be corrupt which is causing the boot loop. If the master reset does not resolve the issue with your watch then you will want to contact Garmin UK Product Support. They should be able to get you a replacement watch.

  • after  installing new beta 9.98 fenix 6pro go to boot loop and endless loading maps..

    nothing above works.

    any help to get the watch connect as disc in pc?

    regards