Your Garmin watch might get a great new feature today

Man using Garmin Forerunner 945 watch
(Image credit: Garmin)

Garmin is rolling out a new beta program for owners of Forerunner watches, which will let you receive software updates early.

As Gadgets and Wearables reports, the beta program was opened up to owners of Garmin Fenix, Epix, and Enduro watches last week, and is now also opening up to Forerunner 245, 745, and 945 owners who want to be the first to try new software tools and features. Sadly owners of last year's Forerunner 55 aren't included yet, but we wouldn't be surprised if Garmin extends the program to other devices during the coming weeks.

Garmin (which makes some of the best GPS watches) has always made beta software available if you want to tinker with the latest update before is official launch, but until now it was a fairly cumbersome process. Each update had to be downloaded manually via the company's official forums, which was a hassle.

How to sign up

Provided your Garmin watch is only registered to one account, the new program will let you sign up once and receive all future beta software updates automatically.

If you own one of the supported watches, just open the Garmin Connect Dashboard in your web browser, click the 'Devices' icon at the top right and select your watch, then click 'Join beta program'. You can leave the program at any time the same way.

Joining the Garmin beta program

You can join the beta program through the Garmin Connect Dashboard in your web browser (Image credit: Future)

If you can't see the option yet, don't worry; Garmin is rolling out the program gradually, and it's still in testing. 

Bear in mind that beta software always comes with the risk of bugs, and there's a chance that it might not work as you'd expect it to. However, Garmin has explained that the software downloaded to your watch automatically is very close to completion, and if you're struggling to wait for the long-awaited Garmin Forerunner 955, joining the program might help satisfy your craving for something new.

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.