Garmin: New major update release adds over ten new features to multiple smartwatches

A few hours ago, several Garmin owners noticed that the company had begun pushing the first truly new stable update for the Fenix E and Fenix 8 in months. For the time being, Garmin has not offered any explanation why the update was being pushed without warning. Instead, it has pushed ahead by announcing its release on its official forums.

As expected, the new stable update has arrived as System Software 21.25. The culmination of months of beta development, System Software 21.25 replaces System Software 20.29 for those who have refrained from enrolling on Garmin's Beta Program. At the time of writing, the company claims to have offered the new update to around 20% of eligible smartwatches. This percentage should increase rapidly within the next 24 to 48 hours, though.

System Software 21.25 introduces a dozen fresh features, including four new glances alone. Not only that, but Garmin claims to have resolved half a dozen noteworthy bugs with 'other minor bugs' mentioned too. On top of that, System Software contains updated training guidance that considers recent dives.

Currently, Garmin has not posted an equivalent changelog for the Tactix 8 (curr. $1,299 on Amazon). However, we suspect that the company will do so within the next few hours. Potentially, Tactix 8 smartwatch owners have already started receiving System Software 21.25, though. The full changelog between System Software 20.29 is as follows:

• Adds a glance for tracking your favourite sports teams.
• Adds a glance that tracks battery life details and performance.
• Adds a glance that tracks your weight.
• Adds a glance to track how daily behaviours affect certain health metrics.
• Adds additional alarm sounds.
• Adds an activity to record multiple sports in a row.
• Adds colour filters to the watch settings.
• Adds insights to the sleep glance for your ideal bedtime and wake time.
• Adds smart notifications to the stage menu to allow notifications to be delayed until after the activity.
• Adds training plans that focus on timed workouts, cardio workouts, and optional strength workouts.
• Adds voice alerts to the watch settings.
• Adds voice alerts when using a compatible radar device.
• Fixes an issue that could cause a blank screen to appear after accessing the music player during an activity.
• Fixes an issue that could cause partial failures when using Wi-Fi for uploads.
• Fixes an issue that could cause the device to reset when loading a course for indoor cycling.
• Fixes an issue where the wrong Garmin Coach cycling workout could be loaded when selecting to do the workout.
• Fixes Backcountry Ski post activity summary not showing max Speed or mileage.
• Fixes not being able to acquire GPS in CIQ apps. (Fenix 8 Pro only)
• Fixes other minor bugs.
• Improves pace to be more responsive.
• Saves changes to structured repeats for the next interval workout.
• Updates translations.
• Updates your training guidance with consideration to recent dives.