fēnix 7 Series - Recent Threads

Hello, the battery life has dropped significantly. It now drains around 4% per day

webstri — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:14:04 GMT

Hello,

Since I updated my Fenix 7S to software version 27.18, the battery life has dropped significantly. It now drains around 4% per day, even when I’m not using any activity or other features on the watch.

Before this update, the battery would last almost a month. Now, it barely lasts a week.

This issue started immediately after installing software version 27.18. Could you please let me know if this is a known issue and whether there is a solution?

Thank you for your help.

Kind regards,

Moving from Fenix 7 to Fenix 9 - my experience

ThomasN — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 09:55:16 GMT

Hi folks,

I am a long term reader here in the forum with some contributions and I got a lot of valuable input here over the years.
Today I would like to give back something by summarizing my experiences with my Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar from the last months, why I now switched to a Fenix 9 Pro inReach 51mm Amoled and what my experiences with the new watch are.
I hope someone finds it helpful.

My usage profile is 24/7 tracking of the day and sleep, bluetooth always on on the watch but only switching it on on the phone for Garmin Connect sync, Polar H10 and an EBike with Shimano system connected as external sensors and I'm tracking hiking and biking activities with multiband, usually between 8 and 14 hours per week.
The new watch is setup the same, in addition LTE is in auto connect and inReach satellite connection off.
No music, no permanent phone connection for notifications etc.
On my Fenix 7 I ran the Digital For TactixD v2 Beta watchface, the Heart Rate Zones Chart data field from Ronny Winkler, the Elevation |Grade Chart data field from RedRbrt and the Astro Darkness Glance from RoboleoApps. On the Fenix 9 I run the Iron Grit watchface and the Astro Darkness glance, the data fields are not yet available for my model.

I came from a Fenix 6X Sapphire Solar and a Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar to my Fenix 7X Pro Sapphire Solar and I was running SW version 17.28 for a very long time, since this one ran stable for me with no issues at all.
I finally switched to 26.09 because some of my data fields needed it.
My experiences with 26.09 where VERY good.
The only issue I had was regarding elevation calibration via DEM which I knew upfront. My workaround was to start the calibration and once the waiting animation comes, swipe right and accept the value, that worked fine for me.
Otherwise I had no problems at all with this SW version and my watch ran more fluent and more reactive. I could see it especially in the glances list and going in and out of glances that 26.09 was performing better for me than 17.28.
Also battery life was very good for me reaching around 10-14 days with my described usage profile and no abnormal drain.

When I bought a Venu 4 as a present for my mother and saw the Amoled display, I next had to go to a shop and check out the Fenix 8 Amoled in 51mm.
I liked the Amoled and really wanted to switch away from the MIP for different reasons.
I always liked the MIP but found that in shadow areas it was sometimes not optimal and also I got more and more problems with my eye sight and wanted more contrast. I tried to compensate this with the backlight on gesture but always felt like I could need more contrast.
Also the visual appearance of Amoled got me hooked. I liked the Iron Grit watch face, the nice animations, the colorful graphs in the glances, the better map display etc.
However I was a bit sceptical regarding the inverted display in activity data screens, so white font on black background compared to MIP.

I did not switch to a Fenix 8 because in all the videos I found, the Amoled display did not appear bright enough for me in direct sunlight. The MicroLED variant was too expensive, too big and the runtime was crap.
So I stayed with my Fenix 7 which basically did the job and I was hoping for the Fenix 9.

So here we are, I switched to a Fenix 9 Pro inReach 51mm Amoled recently and I can say I love it! The Fenix 7 is already sold.
I love the slightly bigger display in the 9 Pro. The complete appearance of the watch, I have it in silver titanium with the orange strap is much nicer with the slimmer border around the display. The increased display size migth not be much but I can see the difference.
The increased contrast is great for my eyes, I can see everything better than with my Fenix 7 with MIP display. I did a few hikes and bike rides in direct sunlight and must say that I have perfect readability in all situations! Garmin claims that the display in the Pro variant has 3000 nits and for me that's definitely bright enough.
Also I love the colorful Amoled display, all the anmimations, the higher resolution and compared to my Fenix 7 the thinner fonts in the activities which are easier to read.
I love the full titanium casing since this watch finally looks nice! It's not only a workhorse but it looks nice and elegant and I missed this when I switched from my Citizen chronographs to a Fenix 6X some years ago. The weight is completely ok for me. It's a little heavier but I don't really feel it.
I like the buttons! They feel perfect and they work flawlessly.
There are no changes to me in any data tracking. No issues with HR, HRV, Sleep, Stress, GPS accuracy etc. No deviations in behavior from my previous watch, all the data collection just continues without any noticable differences.
I love being able to use my inReach plan with this watch. I have an inReach mini 2 and will continue to use it when it's critical since it has the better satellite coverage, but I love to have the possibility in the watch as well and also LTE.
I also like the green flashlight since this gives more contrast than the red light which I used often so it's a great addition for me.

Issues I found so far with the new watch are minor and I'll list them for you. The bugs I reported to Garmin already.

The datafields I used are not yet available for the new model. I knew that will happen, it will just take some time but be aware if you switch.
The HR diagram data field sometimes switches back to grey, in my case when I changed the data page settings of the activity while the activity was running. After a few minutes it switched back to the HR zone colors.
The HR diagram datafield on my Fenix 7 displayed 15 minutes on the horizontal axis in narrow (half screen width) places and 30 minutes in wide (full screen width) places. On the Fenix 9 the wide field just stretches the diagram and does not show more data.
The arrow on the sunrise / sunset glance map does not rotate with the compass. It seems your viewing direction is only fetched on initial call then not updated.
The watch does not fetch weather data over builtin LTE for the morning report.
An issue I already had with 26.09 on my Fenix 7 was that the update rate of the grade data field was increased and the data got completely unusable. On constant uphill sections during hikes I had grade fluctuations up to 8-14% which is crazy. Fenix 9 is the same.

So all in all I am very happy that I switched to the new watch since it improved in all areas I wanted and I have almost no issues so far.
The UI is very fluent and reactive for me, maybe also since I use a builtin watchface. I can tell that the Digital for TactixD v2 Beta watchface on my Fenix 7 had a significant impact on performance which I did not have with other watchfaces, so this is something to allways keep in mind. I didn't see the same impact with other Connect IQ 3rd party watchfaces, so this can't be said in general for all of them, but it seems to depend on the implementation of the individual watchface.

So that became a long text with a lot of details but I hope I can help someone with my experiences being in the same situation to decide for a switch :-)

Best regards,
Thomas

fenix 7 sapphire solar - morning assistant tells me body battery is +137 since midnight

9227485 — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 06:24:55 GMT

FW v27.18

Morning report today shows a body battery raise of +137 since midnight which is kinda obviously a bug.

Sleep tracking always starts at 06:00 – fēnix 7 Pro Solar, software 28.27 Beta

2558042 — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 20:13:19 GMT

Hello,

I am experiencing a very consistent issue with sleep tracking on my fēnix 7 Pro Solar, currently running software version 28.27 (Beta).

The issue started on Monday, September 1st, 2026.

My Sleep Schedule is set from 01:00 to 06:00.

Since September 1st, Garmin Connect has consistently shown my sleep as starting at or immediately after 06:00, regardless of when I actually went to sleep.

For example, the recorded sleep start time may be:

06:01
06:02
06:03

but I have never seen the recorded sleep start before 06:00.

This has happened virtually every night since September 1st.

Expected behavior

The watch should detect and record my actual sleep period, including sleep occurring before 06:00.

Actual behavior

Garmin Connect's Sleep view consistently starts my recorded sleep at approximately 06:00, with only a few minutes of variation.

The fact that the start time is always immediately after 06:00, which is exactly the end of my configured Sleep Schedule, makes me suspect that there may be a problem related to the Sleep Schedule or to the way sleep detection is handled in software version 28.27 Beta.

I am not sure whether the problem originates from the watch's sleep detection itself or from how the data is subsequently processed/displayed in Garmin Connect, since I am observing the issue in the Garmin Connect Sleep view.

Device information

Device: fēnix 7 Pro Solar
Software: 28.27 Beta
Sleep Schedule: 01:00 – 06:00
Issue first observed: September 1st, 2026
Issue: Sleep recording consistently begins at approximately 06:00

Has anyone else experienced the same behavior, particularly with a Sleep Schedule ending at 06:00 or while running software 28.27 Beta?

I would also appreciate confirmation from Garmin as to whether this is a known issue with the current Beta firmware.

Thank you.

Fenix 7 reboots during cycling activity after update 27.18 – activity remains paused

McBudde — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:14:38 GMT

Fenix 7 – software 27.18

Since updating to software version 27.18, my Fenix 7 has repeatedly crashed/rebooted during cycling activities.

The sequence is always similar:

Start cycling activity normally.
HRM 600, Favero Assioma power meter and Shimano Di2 are connected.
During the ride, the watch suddenly stops recording.
The watch reboots automatically.
After rebooting, the cycling activity is still present but shows “Paused”.
I can continue the activity manually.

This did not happen before updating to 27.18.

Sensors connected:
– Garmin HRM 600
– Favero Assioma
– Shimano Di2

Device: Garmin fēnix 7
Software: 27.18

Could Garmin please investigate whether this is a known issue with 27.18, particularly involving the HRM 600 or multiple connected sensors?

I can provide activity files, crash logs or other diagnostic information if required. But someone would have to explain to me exactly which file I need to create, how to create it, and then how to get it onto my Mac so that I can forward it.

Time to move from 17.28 to 27.18 ?

3026192 — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 05:43:36 GMT

Hi,

I'm still on version 17.28 and wondering if it's time to update .

Heart rate not working on indoor bike

P_Johnson — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 13:00:17 GMT

Hello,

i download the latest update yesterday and went to use my indoor bike and and the activity isn’t showing or recording my heart rate from my Fenix 7 watch. Please can you look into this as I need it for workouts. Obviously I’m very upset downloading yesterdays latest update as I can’t use my watt bike anymore without this and cannot record my date. I’ve turned my watch on and off and deleted the activity and tried it again and it still doesn’t work. It works and displays when not on an activity. Yesterday the watch crashed on me (old previous problem) when doing a walking activity and lost data! Please can you sort this out as soon as possible as the watch was very expensive and i can’t use it as it doesn’t record my heart rate

F7Pro FW 27.18 Only download not installing

szakalq — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:48:24 GMT

Found and downloaded new firmware 27.18, but nothing happens, it doesn't install. Checked on the watch and in Garmin Express.

Fenix 7 – Virtual Run stuck on Ready to Pair – RSC advertised but unavailable

5047467 — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 20:40:21 GMT

Hello,

I am experiencing a problem with Virtual Run on my Garmin Fenix 7, currently running software version 27.18.

Virtual Run stays on “Ready to Pair”. Heart rate connects and is transmitted correctly, but running speed / pace and cadence are no longer available.

I have reproduced the issue on both:

a Windows PC
a smartphone

So this does not appear to be specific to one receiving device or application.

I also performed some Bluetooth LE diagnostics to understand what is happening.

When the Fenix 7 is on the normal watch face, the Running Speed and Cadence service is not advertised.

As soon as I open Virtual Run and the watch displays “Ready to Pair”, the Fenix 7 correctly advertises both:

Heart Rate Service: 0x180D
Running Speed and Cadence Service (RSC): 0x1814

The same RSC 0x1814 service continues to be advertised when Virtual Run is started.

However, as soon as a Bluetooth GATT connection is established, only the Heart Rate service 0x180D is actually available. The RSC 0x1814 service disappears / returns zero available GATT services.

This has been reproduced several times.

Tests already performed:

watch restarted
Bluetooth pairing removed and recreated
tested with Windows and smartphone
Garmin Fenix 7 software 27.18
confirmed that RSC 0x1814 is present in the BLE advertising packets while Virtual Run is waiting for pairing
confirmed that Heart Rate continues to work
confirmed that RSC cannot be accessed once the connection is established

This looks very similar to the recent Epix Gen 2 report “Virtual run stuck on waiting to pair”, where HR is transmitted but Virtual Run remains stuck on Ready to Pair.

Could Garmin please confirm whether this is a known issue or regression affecting Virtual Run / RSC broadcasting on software 27.18?

I can provide Bluetooth diagnostic logs if required.

Thank you.

PacePro showing the wrong indication in Miles under some circumstances

Enric666 — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 17:29:11 GMT

*NOTE*: While this is annoying, the impact is pretty low. I just want to report it and I don't really care it if is resolved. If it is, perfect, if not, I don't mind.

*ISSUE* : I created a PacePro plan on a given course. As I wanted a limited number of splits I first tried using miles instead of KM, but later used the altitude training option in KM and set it to the minimum possible of splits (6).

While in the race, the splits were displayed correctly, except that instead of displaying "Split" and the sequential number (for instance Split 4) it showed "Mile X" instead (actually "Mijl X" as my device is in Dutch.

I was fortunately aware of this being an error as I can measure in miles as well as in kilometres. But it still felt a tad weird.

I wanted to send the GPX and the FIT document, but there is no option for inserting these and I do not have Onedrive.

I hope it helps.

Garmin Running Coach only working on watch - Garmin Connect always suggests the benchmark run

9856718 — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 15:39:32 GMT

Hi Garmin,

I have seen this topic already in some threads but none of the solutions mentioned worked for me so far, so please Help!

I started the garmin coach and completed the benchmark run. In the connect app / coach calendar a green tick appeared and the run was also listed with benchmark run, but since then, the app still suggests me to do the benchmark run every day. I repeated the benchmark run, I renamed it and I also created a random training with the sync loop (as described in one thread) but really nothing works.

On my watch, I have the nominal running suggestions but it would be nice to also have it in the app.

27.18 Navigation Crash

9184881 — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 04:09:58 GMT

I've just experienced an interesting failure when attempting to use navigation in 27.18.

I was attempting to create a route to a POI whilst in a run activity which also had Spotify playing. The route calculation sat on 0% for over a minute and then the watch rebooted.

During reboot, the watch showed that it was loading maps for about another minute and then re-entered the activity with the route successfully loaded.

I intentionally then ran past a turn that I was supposed to make on that route and the watch attempted to reroute, but then came back with a message telling me that there were no routable roads in that area. There are as I was in an inner suburban location in a major Australia city at that time.

This seems to mirror other people's experiences with navigation crashes prior to 27.18, and my instinct is that it's relating to the maps rather than the firmware. I recently updated the Australian maps and for the first time started seeing the "no routable roads" error, prior to 27.18 - an error that I've never seen before.

This is probably a question for Garmin rather than anyone else in the forums, but have Garmin changed their map provider recently, or changed the way that they are defining routing on a lot of their maps?

Fenix 7x software 27.18 stab

Dmytro — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 15:25:05 GMT

There is a problem with the music control function; the no key does not work, only for searching headphones.

I need music control, but when I connect headphones to my phone

When the question arises whether to connect headphones or not, the "No" button doesn't work, and I have to restart the watch.

Fenix 7x sapphire solar

Heart rate zones updates

runny — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 07:22:23 GMT

Hi all!

My max HR changed automatically in my today's workout from 172 to 174 so I checked the new zones (specifically for run) but z5 is still 163 to 172, till when max HR was 172.

If I check the zones in % max HR, z5 is 94 to 99% instead of 100%.

It seems that if max HR change, the % of zones will change to adhere to the new BPM's ?? Is there anything I am doing wrong?

I use a fenix 7x pro solar but I manage hr zones through Garmin Connect on iphone.

Thank you

runny

Slow charging on 27.18 Fenix 7 pro. Enyone else?

NilsIvarSaetran — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 11:34:43 GMT

Not fully charged after 5 hours.......

Recurring unexplained battery drain – occurs since delivery, no trigger, smart features disabled

JonnySure — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:21:47 GMT

Hello everyone,

I'm experiencing the exact same issue described in this thread: Sudden Battery Drain at Fenix 7 Saphire Solar — my watch has had this problem since the day I received it. It happens irregularly, with no identifiable trigger, and cannot be reproduced through any specific action.

Smartwatch features are almost entirely disabled on my device:

Pulse Ox: off
Wi-Fi: off
Bluetooth: off most of the time
Firmware: always kept up to date

Despite this minimal configuration, the battery occasionally drains from several days of estimated life down to empty within just a few hours.

Summary of prior research (from the linked thread):
Multiple users across the fēnix 7 series (7, 7 Pro, 7S Pro, 7X Pro, Tactix 7 Amoled) have reported identical behavior across firmware versions 25.11 through 27.18 (last version it happend to me), regardless of which features are active — including on brand-new devices. Garmin support has been unable to reproduce the issue during individual troubleshooting sessions with logging enabled, and no official firmware fix has been confirmed. Factory resets do not resolve it long-term. The only workaround reported by several users is powering the watch off and back on, ideally after each charge cycle — this appears to temporarily prevent recurrence for some, but is not a real fix.

My question:
After one of these drain events, I currently have no diagnostic logs available — by the time I notice the watch has died, whatever caused it seems to no longer be captured. What is the best way to capture logs at the moment the drain happensrather than after the fact?

Specifically:

Is there a way to enable persistent/extended diagnostic logging in advance, so it survives a full battery drain and reboot?
Does Garmin support have a specific log-collection procedure for this issue that I could run proactively (rather than waiting for it to happen during an active support session)?
Would providing SN/device info via private channel to Garmin support speed this up, given the pattern already documented across many users in the linked thread?

Any guidance on properly capturing logs before or during the next occurrence would be greatly appreciated — I'd like to contribute to root-causing this rather than just resetting the device again.

Thanks in advance.

Fenix 7/Tactix 7 Pro and Non-Pro System Software 27.18

Garmin-Jimmy — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 19:36:00 GMT

Hello Garmin users,

We started the rollout of Software Version 27.18, currently we are at 50% with this rollout, and we will increase the % as time goes by.

Changelog:

Fixed an issue where using navigation features would cause device shutdowns.
Fixed an issue where No Wi-fi devices did not have access to music controls.
Fixed an issue where the device would not permit pairing with the HRM sensor on an open connection.
Fixed an issue where the display would revert out of Sleep Mode at the improper time.
Fixed an issue where weather data would sometimes not update.
Fixed an issue where the color scheme would sometimes invert during an activity.
Fixed an issue where the Fish Interval timer would not reset after logging a fish.
Fixed an issue where the Find My Phone Feature would sometimes not have sound after completing an activity.

Fenix 7x Sapphire Solar just received 27.18 and not in Beta

schurms — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:43:06 GMT

Hi. My Fenix 7x Sapphire Solar just updated to 27.18 from 26.09 and I am not in the Beta program. I thought 27.18 was just released for beta. Is this correct?

ETE highly inaccurate in Hiking activity

3400046 — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:36:58 GMT

I am currently walking a multi day hike and have this loaded as a course on my F7X SS with course points for each day. I am then running a Hike activity each day with GPS only location. I have noticed that the ETE next course point is very inaccurate, seeming to assume 12km/h speed to next way point regardless of the actual speed for the day. The GPS track is accurate and this happens whether I pause the activity and resume, or not. See images. Is this a big or am I doing something wrong?

Fenix 7 battery

4493059 — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 06:15:37 GMT

Ever since the 26.09 update my watch had recently, my battery has decreased and it went from 18 days fully charged to 9.
I have the Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar, and yes I have gone through ALL of the settings changes you need to make as well as the charge and reboot method which didn't work for me.

I looked online and saw it's a common problem with this version, and it sugggested me to go back to 25.11 or 17.28.
However - I have no clue how to do that, and Im kinda worried that it will fix the battery life but these versions had their own bugs and problems that will be worse.
Did someone here make the change and can help out a little bit?

can Garmin consider a "Firstbeat Metrics" sub-forum and get a developer to answer questions sometimes?

RinseRepeat — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 12:12:10 GMT

A couple years ago Garmin changed how Firstbeat metrics work across their models for vo2max and "performance condition"

They've never ever explained what they changed or why but multiple people have reported this across several watches

Before the change "performance condition" was directly tied to vo2max, now there is no longer any relationship

"performance condition" seems to be for entertainment purposes only now

(it used to be every full run at +2 PC = +1 vo2max)

for the past couple of years now vo2max will remain almost the same daily, for weeks, increasing internally by just +0.001 or so per day

then every 2-3 months BOOM there is a massive vo2max surge over a window for about 3-5 days and then back to the +0.001

it has no relationship to my running, the same distance, the same average heartrate

past couple days my running is weak recovery runs without any special decrease in heartrate, same heat and humidity

and yet by the time this surge will be over in a day or two there will be almost a full +1 vo2max surge

then back to +0.001 per day for months

oh and all this is with HRM-Pro-Plus, not wrist optical, there are no dropouts in HR or HRV

btw the vo2max is probably accurate, it's just SUPER WEIRD how it is calculated in bursts with only one window for change every few months

Pro solar can't finish restarting

5160694 — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 16:49:25 GMT

Dear Garmin's users,

My english might be quite bad, sorry.

Since 3 days, each time I shut off manually my fenix 7 pro solar and restart it manually (start button), the watch does not manage to turn on.

The fenix 7 logo keeps moving but never stops.

If I reboot with the two right buttons, I manage to turn the watch on.

I have already tried to update.

Nothing change.

Garmin support did not propose a solution to me.

Please help with some files to change, delete or files (no blue triangle in my situation).

Regards

Fenix 7s solar sapphire model daily suggestions strength train is blank when i press do workout. It doesnt load. I need help.

iLoveMuscles — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:34:55 GMT

Fenix 7s solar sapphire model daily suggestions strength train is blank when i press do workout. It doesnt load. I need help.

Running plan 3 times a week - possible?

RunSlow — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:55:52 GMT

Hi,

I started running in March and started with garmin coach plan to run a 10K in August.

That is now finished and I want to keep running, with my watch keeps giving me suggestions without any particular goal, other that get better and without a stop date.

Problem is, that I'm only able to run Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. How should I set up the watch to give me suggestion on these days, and that I'm able to see the suggested runs in the calendar? Not only daily suggested runs?

I lookes through, but can only find garmin coach plans, that last like 12 weeks, or that I have to run minimum 5 days a week.

If I have to set a goal, I can set a goal to run a faster 10k next August.

MY INTENSITY MINUTES HAVE REDUCED SIGNIIFICANTLY

2786884 — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:18:38 GMT

My Garmin Fenix 7recently has significantly reduced counting my intensity minutes. This has been going on for 2 weeks I reckon. The minutes is would typically get from a run and or a walk are significantly less. My average intensity minutes and exercise typically per week average 300 at least. I exercise a great deal. This week I have 193 intensity. I have done a 2.2. mile run (22 intensity, avg bpm 130) same run in July I got (62 intensity avg bpm 132), 220mins of exercise this week minutes exercise. Long walk with now a 20lb weight vest which I purchased this week. Hardly any vigorous exercise being counted at all.

Today I did a 47 minute hill walk with that vest on my heart rate avg was 112bpm. I did 2.76 mile and I got 22 mins intensity. I pride my self on getting exercise and ensuring i get a great mix of walking, cycling and running. I have 2 years of doing this 200 intensity minutes as a minimum. I am on SW26.09 Any ideas folks. As you can see it take it quite seriously.

Any advice on whether Garmin can support me too?