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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 2572376

    "...you have to reboot the watch." (If you can Joy)Today my watch refused to boot. I had total of 6 attempts. I got tired and thought I won't spend my time on trying to reboot this thing...After a while, 30-45 minutes, for the 7th attempt the booting happened. Although 7 is the number that brings me luck, but 77 as well...Sorry Garmin but this is nonsense.

    dobyoubhave anything to share with the community?

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I have exactly the same issues. And why i need flashlight at daytime? As paramedic i use the flashlight for eye pupil check.  
    When will garmin solve this problem??

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Matthijs

    Please contact  and ask for your name to be added to the support ticket. The more names, the more traction the issue will have.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to ArionK

    UPDATED June 17th, 2022:

    We believe we have identified the cause of why the flashlight is freezing the watch. Our engineering team will fix the issue with a software update in Q3 2022.

    A workaround has been found. If your watch freezes turning on your flashlight while your watch is solar charging, place your watch in a drawer for 3-5 minutes in total darkness. Your watch should recover from the freezing event and will avoid either a hard reset or full reset.

    If you would like to been added to the tracking case for the issue, please highlight my name and send me a Private Message. Thank you!

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    My workaround when it froze was to put the watch somewhere dark and cool for a few minutes, I think that will cut the solar, and then it will come back to normal.

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

    I had the same issue this morning, F7x 7.35

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

    Garmin Netherlands said it’s a hardware problem. I need to send the watch to garmin and i will receive a new one. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    Just to exclude a defective watch: have i only to turn on the led light on, no matter if red or white, while the watch is exposed to sunlight?

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Matthijs

    It would be nice to have a harmonized answer from Garmin. I was told by Garmin Canada/USA that it is likely a software issue and at this point a replacement was not an option.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to renton82

    I dont know if the issue appears with red light and I am not willing to try again as it seems to be hard on the watch.

    Set the flashlight on white light. Go out on a sunny day so that the solar charging works, and double hit the light button. The flashlight will not activate and the watch will instantly become unusable. The only way out is to hard reboot the watch.