Edge 840 UX Regression: Critical Ride-Time Actions Are Actively Blocked

miwamoto

I’ve been a Garmin Edge user for over 10+ years.
Edge 800 → 510 → 520 → now 840.

I’m not new to this ecosystem, and I’m not confused about how Garmin devices are supposed to work.

What frustrates me with the Edge 840 is not bugs, but clear UX regressions in core ride-time behavior.

1. No shortcut to return to the data screen during a ride

On the Edge 800, I could long-press the Back button and instantly return to the data screen — at any time, during a ride.

On the Edge 840, during an active ride, the same action takes me to the Home screen.

The Home screen is, quite literally, the least useful screen while riding.

When I’m moving, I want: Datas, Power, HR, speed etc, Not widgets. Not menus. Not setup.

Removing a direct shortcut back to the data screen is a regression for real-world cycling use.

2. Turning on the backlight during a ride is now obstructive

All previous Edge devices behaved intuitively:

Press the power button → backlight turns on

Or simply touch the screen → backlight turns on

On the Edge 840, tapping the screen during a ride brings up huge on-screen icons that block all data field.

I don’t want to interact with the UI. I just want to see the screen in low light.

This is a basic, safety-related action while riding — especially at dusk, in tunnels, or under trees.

Is Garmin aware that:

critical ride-time actions are now harder than on much older Edge models?

the current UX actively interferes with visibility and focus during rides?

Is there any plan to:

restore a direct shortcut to the data screen during rides?

allow a “backlight only” interaction without UI overlays?

This is not about adding features.
It’s about not breaking what already worked — for more than a decade.

  • 0

    If I want my backlight turned on, I do two short light taps on the screen so that the light is activated and that the the overlay with the the 2 icons immediately disappears.

  • 0 in reply to corboerman

    hahaha, thanks. that works if we not to double tap the places where the icons will show up. 

  • 0 in reply to miwamoto

    You're right, but it helps to tap on the upper part of the screen. And if I do get into the home screen by accident, I double push the physical start/stop button on the lower right side.
    But I agree with you, it should be easier to just light up your screen.

  • 0

    There are many nonsensical elements with Garmin EDGE units... 

    My pet peeves are battery low warnings that do not disappear unless actioned by the user. The entire data screen is covered up by a persistent low battery warning. Try dismissing that while going downhill or while trying navigate where it's not possible to easily get a hand off the bar. It also blocks the radar warning. Why not a small banner at the top or bottom like that leading up to a segment.

    I've gone down entire 9km mountain pass without being able to see any data on my screen because my one pedal power meter went below 25%, which would still provide 17h of battery life. It wasn't safe to take my hands off the handle bar.

    Flipping from one data page to the next, I often look at my page 2 for only a second and go back to 1, as I want to see one particular metric, like a narrow whole width graphic metric that are usually biased for the top of the display in Garmin's layout. And every time I change a page, that stupid pencil at the top right of the page shows for 2 seconds covering up metrics. So I need to take my hand off the bar twice. We don't need to be reminded every single time that the top right button is an option button. 

    And how about garmin optimising the precious little space on smaller units and optimise font size to make things more legible. Plenty room for improvement on the 540 and 840 devices

    Garmin engineers are like many engineers designing products... they usually aren't using their own products to know any better, or another department dismisses good engineering design ideas because that department thinks they better know the customer.

  • 0 in reply to Martin

    All true, thanks for bring these too to our attension. 

    One thing I find hard to accept is that these issues did not exist on older Edge models such as the 800, 520 or 530.

    Those older Edge models lacked advanced features like Road Hazzard, ClimbPro, or real-time power graphs. However, they never interfered with core riding interactions while actually riding.

    I understand why advanced features have been added. They are necessary to remain competitive, especially against fast-moving Chinese brands, and I personally use and enjoy some of them.

    That said, it feels as though a critical quality bar has been lost. There should be explicit QC standards or UX KPIs that ensure core in-ride interactions are protected at all times.

    Edge devices are, first and foremost, tools for people actively riding bikes—not touch-driven interfaces that demand attention mid-ride.
    Any feature, UI change, or interaction that distracts the rider, blocks data visibility, or increases cognitive load during a ride should fail those checks.

    Please treat “not being annoying during a ride” as a non-negotiable requirement, not a secondary trade-off for new features.

  • 0 in reply to miwamoto

    Chasing features and not crushing bugs, thats the landscape of most software products these days. 

    Its unfortunately a profit-forward industry and certainly not a customer forward one, even though both could exist at the same time.

    Apple is going through it's Windows Vista "phase" or "era" with its form over function forward development, chasing new features nobody wanted or needs instead of crushing bugs that in some cases have been there for 5+ years.


    Adobe, OMG, don't get me started with this terrible software company.

    Garmin has no excuse, but there is really not enough competition in the field to really light a fire under their ass... take the Varia for example... 2004 called and it wants its micro-USB back. Plenty of radars on the market but very few, if not only ONE, that comes close to being as good, namely the one from Wahoo. How USB-C hasn't been the standard for years already boggles my mind. 

    Garmin has, like many others, lost focus on its core audience. Rather, presumably, chasing new customers with shiny new things since the COVID fitness craze. Take OLED displays for an example. Garmin has always been known for its battery life in devices, but since they have taken on OLED, that strength has died. New garmin Edge units come with a removable back not because Garmin wants you to service your battery, but because EU regulations forced them to create the option. Where are the batteries for users to buy? Nowhere. We would need to order questionable quality (fire risk) Lithium Ion batteries off some dodgy china source to put into our devices. But "marketing" wants you to believe its being virtuous by providing the option to replace a battery easily... 


  • 0 in reply to Martin

    Understand. however, let's focus today, in making our ride better and safer. So far,

    • Easier return / shortcut to ride data screen.
    • Easier Backlight access.
    • No distract or covering on data page by warnings or icons. 

    These are the items we consider annyoing but, hey garmin, I just want to some sort of UX audit or guidelines in every HW or new features, so that you can keep improving the riding experience of cyclists.