There's a huge update available for your Garmin watch – here's how to get it

By Cat Ellis
published

Garmin Instinct 2 and Instinct 2 Crossover watches are getting a bundle of new features and bug fixes

Woman checking sports watch during run
(Image credit: Getty)

Garmin has launched a new update for certain watches that adds several new features and fixes a bundle of bugs. The software for Garmin Instinct 2 and Instinct 2 Crossover adds an obstacle course activity for events like Tough Mudder, and resolves issues related to running, swimming, and strength training.

Beta software version 12.09 improves the calculation of calories burned during swimming activities, and solves an issue where the watch wouldn't display the distance of track runs in meters. It also corrects a problem where the 'edit reps' option could fail to appear during strength workouts, as well as a bug that failed to log your location when you landed a catch.

If you are broadcasting your heart rate from your watch to another device (such as an Edge cycle computer or Virb camera), you should no longer see abnormal high heart rate alerts. If you own a Instinct 2 Tactical, Garmin has also resolved a bug where heart rate may be broadcast in stealth mode (which should disable all wireless communications).

If you own a Garmin Instinct Crossover, the new beta software will fix an issue that could stop you seeing calendar details in your daily morning report, and one that could cause the location data field to appear in the wrong place.

Get the update

Garmin has recently changed the way alpha and beta software installations work. Earlier this month, it announced that alpha software would be renamed 'early beta', and owners of Wi-Fi enabled watches would no longer have to plug their devices into their computer to install it. Instead, they can check for early beta software on their watch, and download and install it wirelessly.

However, this new system is still a work in progress, and beta software version 12.09 for Instinct 2 and Instinct Crossover watches has to be installed the old fashioned way. To get the update, download the appropriate software from your watch from Garmin's forums (there are separate options for the Instinct 2, Instinct 2S, and Instinct Crossover) then follow the instructions in the readme.txt file.

Cat Ellis
Cat Ellis
Editor

Cat is the editor of Advnture, She’s been a journalist for 15 years, and was fitness and wellbeing editor on TechRadar before joining the Advnture team in 2022. She’s a UK Athletics qualified run leader, and in her spare time enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the roads and trails (the muddier, the better), usually wearing at least two sports watches.