Forerunner 945 Wrist HR doesn’t work when connected to Trainer after 5.0 update

I have exactly the same issue and it appeared about a week ago (I am on Zwift every day as I am self-isolating so observe it quite closely). It used to give heart rate reading but then the "Trainer setting" appeared and heart rate disappeared. As well, the new trainer screen doesn't seem to allow for customisation. Looks like a buggy, premature release?! 

I've just done a session on my Vortex 2 Smart without any problems following setting up a watch after resetting it. However, I did not connect the 'Trainer'. As in the past I connected my HRM-Dual (ANT+), speed and cadence sensors on my bike, and Power from the Vortex. In Rouvy I connected the HRM-Dual (Bluetooth), Power, and Spd/Cadence from the trainer. That all worked so it's a start point.

Bear in mind that when you invoke the Smart Trainer you are using the watch to control the trainer hence the options so I would assume you cannot use Zwift/Rouvy.

Quick check of understanding too. When you use the Smart trainer settings you choose to use the watch to control the trainer independent of Zwift/Rouvy. In other words you can't connect to Zwift AND use the Smart Trainer settings from the watch as that would be like having two controllers fighting over the one trainer.

DCRainmaker's got a pretty good rundown of the process that makes it apparent that you use either the watch OR Zwift/Rouvy to control the trainer - www.dcrainmaker.com/.../garmin-shows-off-smart-trainer-integration-on-fenix-6-forerunner-945.html

"At any rate, I’m honestly not convinced there’s that many people using their wearables to control their smart trainers in 2020 (or beyond). I think the number of people executing trainer workouts from wearables (and even bike computers) is diminishing as training app platforms get better and better at what they do."

I think you are correct. It's the "Trainer" setting that does not work correctly, and as you pointed out, there seems little use in it if you are using 3rd party software like Zwift. 

So as of early Sep 2020, when you connect to the new Garmin "Trainer" feature, your heart rate is not transmitted or very sporadically. This might be since I didn't set "transmit heartrate = ON" for all time, rather than the standard setting "Transmit heart rate for exercises". Maybe Garmin technicians simply forgot to add the heart rate transmission in the new Trainer-mode? Anyway.

I just tested by switching/disconnecting Trainer mode and simply using Tacs Neo sensors for indoor bike setting. After having connected the wrist heart rate to Tacs software (go to Tacs app and use Setting to connect your heart rate), my heart rate is now showing up on Zwift as well. This was probably a 3-5hours search over weeks to finally figure it out.

Note to Garmin: I am using Garmin 945, Tacs Neo I and wanted to use the wrist Heart Rate in Zwift (a lot of races require heart rate monitoring for fairness reasons). I am surprised how poorly this setup is documented or working assuming that a lot of the (Tri)community would be using exactly this combination. I was even close to de-dust my heart monitor chest belt for this purpose but finally managed to do it without. Simply don't use "Trainer mode" until Garmin properly fixed it.

Yes, yes, yes!!!! This is my exact problem and I couldn’t figure out why. I didn’t realise it was the trainer that was the issue. Has anyone or have garmin found a solution?? 

SImply put if you have Zwift/Rouvy or whatever, you do not use any of the Trainer Settings. You do not connect to the trainer using the Trainer Settings. You ignore them because if you want to use Zwift/Rouvy you end up with a battle between the watch wanting to control the trainer and the Zwift/ROuvy wanting to control the trainer.

From my earlier post:

philipshambrook said:

I've just done a session on my Vortex 2 Smart without any problems following setting up a watch after resetting it. However, I did not connect the 'Trainer'. As in the past I connected my HRM-Dual (ANT+), speed and cadence sensors on my bike, and Power from the Vortex. In Rouvy I connected the HRM-Dual (Bluetooth), Power, and Spd/Cadence from the trainer. That all worked so it's a start point.

+1 on this.

I have the same issue and it's quite annoying. I like this feature and would prefer controlling my trainer with the watch whenever I'm doing a workout where an app doesn't add any value and/or just using the watch is less hassle. I hope it's a temporary bug and that it'l get fixed soon.

Yep...Tacx NEO 2T.  As soon as you connect to the trainer it loses HR.  This was working just fine prior to adding the 5.0 features that control a trainer.  If you want your session to upload to garmin connect then you have to connect the watch to the trainer which automatically loses HR on the watch.  You can literally see HR turn to --- when it connects.

Really stupid garmin.

I did post in the F6 forum that I tried this as follows:

Removed all connections to the Tacx Vortex Smart 2 and disconnected separate speed and cadence sensors fitted on the bike. Then connected Trainer and speed/cadence from the trainer. Tried with and without WHR and it worked both times.

I'll check with the 945 in a day or so to see if there is a difference.

Certainly worth contacting Garmin Support as clearly there appears to be an issue that is affecting some but not others.

Can anyone confirm if the new beta solves this issue?

Also experiencing this problem. Followed this thread and hoping for a fix because this is quite a big issue for me.