WiFi Not Connecting

To add to JelmarBlauw's helpful post, I found a work-around that allowed me to connect my 645M to a Wi-Fi network using the Connect app (iphone).  This was necessary because the Express App appears not to support the 645M (at least the Windows version does not).

1. First, don't try to connect to the wireless network directly from your watch

2. Instead using the Garmin Connect mobile app installed on your smart phone navigate to More > Garmin Devices > Select your device (This assumes it's already connected to the app.  If not you'll need to connect your device to the app) > General > Wi-Fi Networks.  NOTE: These instruction are for iPhone app. Hopefully the Android app is similar.

3. If there are any Saved Networks I suggest you select them, then select Forget Network.  You could try Update Password or Test Network Connection but I'd suggest starting with a clean slate

4. With no pre-existing networks listed, click the Add a Network button

5. A list of Wi-Fi networks will appear.  Now (and this is important) make sure you select a 2.4 GHz network and not a 5 GHz network. I was unable to connect to a 5 GHz network.

6. Enter your network password and connect.

Following the steps above I was able to successfully connect my device to Wi-Fi after encountering the Connection Failed Error Code 0800" message.

In the connect app it doesn't show any wifi available. It never has. I think it may be a software issue with garmin express and the connect app. Especially if the connect app can't even detect my home wifi that are clearly broadcast and is recognized by all the apps on my phone 

Hello, I have tried the steps above and they DO work AS LONG AS I try to set up the Wi-Fi network manually through the Garmin Connect mobile app AND then connect Garmin to my PC: on the mobile app, it will tell me that the Wi-Fi connection failed, BUT when I launch Garmin Express on the PC, it easily recognizes the Wi-Fi I've set up (at least, it shows the Wi-Fi with a green sign). Through the PC I've managed to up-date some widgets and sync basic activity.

What is NOT working is that, as soon as I remove the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music from the PC connection, and, for instance, I try to update my Spotify playlists (which can be done ONLY through the watch app, as far as I'm concerned), it asks for Wi-fi Network connection / password update and the problems start ALL OVER AGAIN!

One thing that would help me A LOT would be if the Spotify app could be up-dated through the PC - in this way, I'd be able to plug my watch on the PC and sort things out. So far, the Garmin Express App just allows me to up-date music downloads from my PC folders - but WHO HAS DOWNLOADED MUSIC in 2020, for God's sake?!

Coming back to the main issue, which is Wi-Fi connection, I really wish someone could find a solution, because it does recognizes some networks (my neighbors', for instance) and it just keeps ignoring and rejecting the ones I want to plug in with. So, it looks like the watch itself has serious limitations with regard to Wi-Fi connection and this is a BIG CONCERN: it looks like a hardware flaw and it was so expensive I don't expect to be buying a newer version anytime in the next 3 years or so! 

I have a 645 music and it wont detect any Wifi network in the house not even the neighbours. I have restored watch to factory without luck.

Same issue. Just opened my brand new VA3 Music and it will not detect my wifi (which is compatible 2.4GHz WPA2 and SSID Broadcast enabled) and it will not connect to the wifi manually either. Have been trying for hours and hours...

• Have installed and uninstalled apps.
• Have reset the watch.
• Have tried via Garmin Connect on mobile and Garmin Express on laptop
• "Searching for wifi networks" > "No wifi networks found"

What a terrible and disappointing experience. Not really sure what to do, but will likely return it. The only reason I bought this watch is because I want to listen to my spotify playlists without the mobile phone during workouts - without wifi the songs won't download onto the watch.

Shouldn't this stuff work out of the box? I can't believe Garmin has released such an inconsistent and dodgy product whose main marketing feature (THE MUSIC part) is faulty.  If anyone has a fix please share. Was so excited, now some real sadness here.

Exactly the same issue and the same feeling over here:

Michelle Dude said:

What a terrible and disappointing experience. Not really sure what to do, but will likely return it. The only reason I bought this watch is because I want to listen to my spotify playlists without the mobile phone during workouts - without wifi the songs won't download onto the watch.

In my case everything worked almost perfectly for about a month, then yesterday it stopped detecting wifi networks. The saddest part is that, while trying to fix the issue I made a hard reset, and that deleted the couple Spotify playlists I've managed to load on to the watch the few weeks it worked.

What a horrible experience with a +US$300 product.

Charging the watch while connecting to the wifi did the trick for me.