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Fenix 6 Series - 20.86 Public Beta

Julianna_ODQA
over 3 years ago

Hello Fenix 6 customers,

Our next beta version for the Fenix 6 series is now available! 

Please email the Garmin Outdoor Quality Team if you find issues in software after installing this update: [email protected]

If you’ve participated in the Fenix 6 Beta Program previously, you’ll notice a few changes from how we have managed this in the past. And further down the line, we’ll have some additional improvements to the Beta Program (more on that later!) Notably, this forum post is now the primary resource for reading the change log notes – they are not available on another webpage. (There will be more options for viewing change logs after we implement the additional improvements to our beta program.)

The links to download the software update are listed below. Select the link specific to your watch model. Please note that your computer will download a .zip file when you open this link. This zip contains the software update, as well as a folder with the file necessary for backdating software, and instructions for this process if you choose to do so. Remember, backdating software will reset all settings.

Use these links to download the zip for your watch to update to version 20.86:

Change Log for version 20.86 (changes since 20.85):

  • Added prompt to reboot if GPS is unresponsive.
  • Fixed an issue that could prevent device from booting up properly.
  • Added a new tip to notify the user that the Wrist Heart Rate Sensor is disabled. This tip will be displayed whenever accessing a heartrate-related glance while the wrist heartrate sensor is turned off on the device.
  • Updated name of the Endurance Horseback activity to be Horseback.
  • Fixed Run/Walk detection algorithm to properly calculate running & walking times.
  • Fixed an intermittent issue where the device would report inaccurate activity distance data.
  • Fixed intermittent shutdowns that would occur in the Strength activity.

Instructions for updating software:

  1. Download the .zip specific to your computer, using the links above.
  2. Connect the watch to your computer.
  3. Copy the included gupdate.gcd file (from the System_x.xx folder) to the Primary\Garmin folder on your watch.
  4. If there is a Sensor Hub_v*** folder, place the gupXXXX.gcd file into the \GARMIN\REMOTESW folder of the device. Please note, not all Beta releases will include an update.
  5. If there is a ANT_BT_BLE_v*** folder, place the gupXXXX.gcd file into the \GARMIN\REMOTESW folder of the device. Please note, not all Beta releases will include an update.
  6. Disconnect the watch from the computer and it will prompt you to update software.

After updating, your watch will be running the following software versions. These can be confirmed on the Menu – System – About pages. New versions are indicated in red.

System Software: 20.86

GPS: 5.30
Sensor Hub: 18.00 *If you have been participating in the Beta Program, you may already have this sw
ANT/BLE/BT (Pro models): 6.15 *If you have been participating in the Beta Program, you may already have this sw
ANT/BLE (non-Pro models): 3.01
Wi-Fi (Pro models only): 2.60

Please note, the beta updates released on these forums are not compatible for APAC region devices.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to LostEchoes

    Thanks for your feedback. I will try reinstall all files related to 20.86 as see if that does the trick.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Frankysour
    Frankysour said:
    it is really not understandable that the level of quality of the sleep tracking of these watches is... This one!

    Too be fair, Garmin are beta testing this new sleep algorithm, it's not a mass rollout yet. And they do, like the previous 19.20 batteries drain issues I was logging for weeks when they enabled enhanced logging on my watch, do again actually appear interested in solving it.

    Last night sleep appears to be pretty much OK - so I'd say nightly is generally OK, albeit with a trend that seems to show wake up time maybe 20 minutes after actual. I think low HR post activity dips are triggering false positives during the day - I don't think that will be hard to filter out, assuming that daytime sleep logging isn't intentional.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968

    Last night my 6X started my sleep more than four hours after I went to bed. My Oura Ring has the correct start time. End time agrees within a single minute. As I have a dialogue open with the beta team I've reported this. Usually it is OK. No idea why last night went so wrong.

    .  

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to eezytiger

    That looks broken, but in a different way to me.

    For what is worth, here is last's night sleep from Coros and then Garmin - light sleep and awake time (when I got up to feed the cat) match really closely.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968
    5135968 said:
    Too be fair, Garmin are beta testing this new sleep algorithm

    Touché!

    Admin you are right, here, though Garmin sleep tracking has never really been the best (probably also considering their products are more oriented to the "being active" rather then "being sleeping" Smiley )  it's actually very good that they are putting a lot of effort and interest in improving it.

    5135968 said:
    here is last's night sleep from Coros

    There is no rem tracking in the Coros? That as I have read around is the difficult bit, i guess Garmin are trying to nail the rem part but at the moment it's tricky...

    I'm still convinced they are relying too much on the detection of the HRV parameter, which surely could be the right one to look at in theory, but not easy detected with the current sensors.

    I wonder... This is maybe better with the elevate 3.0 sensor (if that's the right name Smiley I mean the latest generation Fenix 7 sensor)

    Since you make such an interesting study case with your repeatable after activity waking naps, ask them to land you a Fenix 7 for additional testing!

    Would appreciate if with the occasion you also ask one for me LOL 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Frankysour
    Frankysour said:
    There is no rem tracking in the Coros? That as I have read around is the difficult bit, i guess Garmin are trying to nail the rem part but at the moment it's tricky...

    No, it doesn't attempt it - I'd much rather have 'honest' metrics rather than them try to fake it. BTW if you look at my false sleeps and @eezytiger post above, you will see -- in REM as the common factor when sleep seems to go wrong.

    So if I was Garmin, I'd start looking there....

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    So here is something strange (maybe a bug?) I have noticed after upgrading to 20.86.
    I create a custom strength workout on Garmin Connect Web and I'm using my android GC app to send it to my Fenix 6s.
    Have a look at the images. You can clearly see that on the web version of Garmin Connect, the muscle map is correct. However, when the said workout is sent and viewed on the watch, the muscle map is ...incomplete. Some muscles are not highlighted (colored) at all. 

    Has anyone else noticed this ?  I mean I do remember that bug with earlier FW where all the muscles were grey (with no color at all) on the watch. But I think that was fixed (no?). Now with 20.86 this is problematic. 

    https://postimg.cc/gallery/HMbrDTz

       

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to LostEchoes

    Not tried at my side, but do not hesitate to do a feedback to Beta team, your explanation/information should easily reproduce this behaviour !

    https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-6-series/291968/garmin-how-to-beta-team-report

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to socorsu

    Yeah I've just sent them everything with that form. Thanks. Let's hope they will look at this.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    A few people have said their Training Data on the watch doesn't match up in Garmin Connect. I paid attention to this today before my morning run - my side, for what its worth, everything is as expected

    Garmin Daily Suggested Workout

    After run on watch.

    In GC

    Detail