Related
Options
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Fenix 7X freezing/glitching when using flashlight outdoors in sunlight?

9417105
over 3 years ago

Just checking in to see if anyone else is having this issue or could confirm a possible bug. I've got a Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar that when I try to activate the flashlight outdoors during daytime (double taping the LIGHT button), it doesn't turn on the light and eventually (within 30 seconds or so), the whole watch locks up and requires a hard reboot. Sometimes the reboot isn't enough and the watch becomes stuck on a "FENIX 7X" wait screen indefinitely (at which point I will again hold the LIGHT button for 20 seconds to turn it off, wait some time, then push it to power on).

I think I've isolated the problem to operating the flashlight when the solar panel is being used to charge the device outdoors. Sure, why would I want to use the flashlight when I'm getting enough sunlight to charge the watch? I don't know. I don't think it should lock up like this though. When I restarted it, it also lost all my heartrate data but everything else (sleep, other data bars) were still there, oddly enough.

Anyone else experiencing anything like this? I've also tried navigating to the flashlight menu when outdoors and tapping on the brightness buttons for the white or red LED won't activate the light.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Hi - Yes - sounds like I am having a similar issue. I have had it for a about a week now and been running pretty much everyday. On the last two runs it has frozen halfway through. I tried hard rebooting but it didn't work.

    I have been running in the evening with the LED set to cadence.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Whitey_88

    Interested to know if you figure out how to isolate the issue. I just did a test in the sunlight and it has been working so far, not sure if it needs a certain amount of solar "charge" before it induces the problem.

    I reached out to garmin over the phone and they asked for a video showing the issue, oddly enough, i haven't been able to replicate it yet.

    edit: As in, the problem has been an issue the last couple of days while in outdoor sunlight, ~40-50 degree weather. Today it is in the mid 50F's and haven't experienced it again though out much less.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 9417105

    More of a hunch at the moment.

    I’ve had several runs last week with the LED off - no issues.

    • Friday evening I ran in the evening and switched the LED to Cadence. It was dark, and I had no issues, but I forgot to turn the LED for running off.
    • Every run since then (Sat, Sun, Mon) I have done during daylight and it’s catastrophically crashed. I thought it might be a dud watch, but then I read your post and realized I had the LED still switched on to cadence in the run settings.
    • I’m going to try a run today with the LED off and see how it goes
  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I do have the same exact issue.. now it already disturbing, not only when the solar charging.. but most of the time the problem happened when i try to turn on the flash light, is it hardware issue or softeware issue? 

    sometime 1 time hard reboot is not solving the issue.. I already do the factory reset, 

    if there is some solution please do let us know

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 9417105

    its hard to replicate, @garmin need to take it seriously 

  • +1 over 3 years ago

    UPDATED August 29h, 2022:

    The v9.33 software resolves the issue.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

    This is exactly what I reported in another thread.

    I was outside and tried to use the flashlight to inspect some flight controls of my plane and within 30 odd secs the watch locked up and then every time I hard rebooted it, it stuck on the splash screen. When I got home I plugged it into a PC and the watch booted normally.

    At the time I did not connect the trying to start the flashlight to the watch freezing. 

    I am on V7.35 for several days

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Garmin - Chris

    Hi Chris,

    I have not had the time to test with v7.35 yet. I have sent a video to garmin support email but I will follow up in a PM to you with a link to the video.

    Thanks,

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 9417105

    Following up on myself: I sent a video to garmin a couple of weeks ago when I finally managed to replicate it outdoors. Haven't received any update on progress.

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Hi,

    I guess I had the same issue today with my new Garmin Fenix 7X Solar. I updated to v7.35 yesterday. After a running session I wanted to show the flashlight option to a friend and the watch freezes, I had to press the "Light" button for 10/15 seconds and the watch rebooted.