SMARTWATCH firm Garmin is facing a backlash after customers around the world complained their devices were not working, BBC News reported.

Some users reported seeing a blue triangle when they tried to turn on their watch, while others were stuck on its start-up screen.

Garmin’s Fenix 8 smartwatches, which retail for just under $1,200, are some of the devices to have issues, but not all watches are affected by the outage.

The firm told the BBC it was aware of the problem, and suggested users reset their devices — adding it would “provide more information on a permanent fix when available”.

The firm has offered a potential solution to the problem, involving resetting the device and connecting to a Garmin app. But it concedes that this alone

may not solve the problem, and in that case it is advising people to factory reset their device.

According to Garmin’s website, devices affected by the issue include: Approach Watch, Edge Cycling Computers, Epix Watch, Fenix Watch, Forerunner Watch, Instinct Series Watch, Vivoactive 4 and 5, and the Venu 3 and 3S.

The firm has yet to give a reason for the issues, though some experts have speculated it is a result of the device being unable to communicate with GPS properly due to a bad update.

And despite its update to its support page, a lack of communication on social media has landed Garmin in hot water with its users.

Customers have taken to social media to express their frustration at their smartwatches not working properly and what many see as the company’s slow response.

Some people on social media have claimed that even after a factory reset, they are unable to get their smartwatch to function properly.

“Their instructions don’t fix it and Garmin are silent,” one person said in a post on X.

“You should really prioritise your current customers and the ongoing issue with many watches,” said one person, while another called it “unbelievable” that the firm had not yet outlined the cause of the issue.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2025