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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 in reply to Garmin - Chris

    I experienced this today. I walked into a dark basement after being outside in sunlight and tried to activate the flashlight so I could see. The flashlight did not come on and the watch froze and rebooted. It took about 10 minutes to reboot and when I checked it had lost most of the heart rate data for the day. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Yes, I have had this exact problem. It came back once after a few hour, but most time I have to hard reset the watch (three button hard reset). The hold the light button for 20 seconds is not enough to recover. It is a pain since it seems to happen when on a long hike and I need the watch. Most of the time I found the issue is when I accidently turn on the LED flash light by double hitting the light button thinking it is the menu button. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I'm having exactly the same issue on a 7X Sapphire Solar watch - damn annoying. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 2779415

    When it happened to me and did not reboot I rebooted it in the dark, that worked first try. But I don't now if that is repeatable.

     

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Here in the Netherlands Garmin told me it’s a hardware problem. I received a new fenix 7x and no flashlight issues anymore. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Matthijs

    the information shared by Matthijs above on the handling of the same problem by  Garmin Netherlands is different compared to what we were shared with here on the forum. I believe many of us are waiting for the final resolution of the freezing/glitching when using flashlight when solar registers certain level of LUX. I'd be happy if you shares with us Garmin's position. Thx.

    P.S. While writing this message I tried to test the flashlight on my watch and guess what...my watch become freezed then rebooted and stayed with the booting image with backlight on and nothing happened. I had to long press light button for force shut down.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to ArionK

    For what it's worth: I am in Canada and I got my watch replaced. The Garmin agent confirmed it's hardware related and told me that only a small batch of watches was affected. Since I got the new watch, I can confirm that I never encountered the issue again (at the same time I have not tried to purposely replicate it). Living my usual life has not triggered the issue yet, while with the old one I would trigger the glitch it at least once a week.

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

    Many people have confirmed it's a hardware issue. Can I have my watch replaced ASAP, please?

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Tyler

    Please see the last update at the top of each page.

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

    Interestingly I have just loaded software 8.37 given the watch a hard reset and at the moment while the battery is nearly full, the fault appears to have corrected itself    Thumbsup