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Garmin delivers new update to flagship smartwatches with heart rate sensor fix and other improvements

System Software 23.40 can now be downloaded on the Tactix 8 and a few other smartwatches.
ⓘ Garmin
System Software 23.40 can now be downloaded on the Tactix 8 and a few other smartwatches.
Garmin has started rolling out a new stable update to several of its flagship smartwatches. Arriving in the wake of numerous complaints about ongoing software issues, the new update promises to resolve a recent heart rate sensor issue while making other notable improvements, too.
Garmin Smartwatch Wearable Software

Garmin has returned to its last-generation flagship smartwatches with a new update. For context, the company began rolling out System Software 23.39 to the Fenix 8 on September 25.

48 hours later, it delivered the same update to the Fenix 8 Pro. As we discussed at the time, System Software 23.39 was the first 23.xx-based stable update for Pro-branded smartwatches, with Garmin electing against releasing System Software 23.31 to the Fenix 8 Pro or any associated smartwatches.

Now, it has returned with System Software 23.40. At the time of writing, the new update has only officially reached the Fenix 8 and the Tactix 8 (curr. $1,299 on Amazon); the Quatix 8 does not have a dedicated support page where Garmin posts firmware updates.

As a result, the Fenix E and Fenix 8 Pro remain on System Software 23.39 for now. The same is the case for the Enduro 3 too, which Garmin has kept on a different release cadence lately. The company has not suggested when System Software 23.40 will be available to these smartwatches, either.

Seemingly, System Software 23.40 does not contain a fix for a recent display and battery bug that it had promised on October 7 to release 'with the next software update'. Instead, Garmin has focused on resolving a bug that prevented the Fenix 8 family's optical heart rate sensor from working. The full changelog between System Software 23.39 and System Software 23.40 is as follows:

  • Fixes crash when enabling active heart rate broadcasting via GCM.
  • Fixes optical heart rate sensor not working.
  • Fixes other minor issues.
  • Fixes silent mode not muting notifications.

Source(s)

Garmin (1) (2)

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> Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2026 10 > Garmin delivers new update to flagship smartwatches with heart rate sensor fix and other improvements
Alex Alderson, 2026-10-14 (Update: 2026-10-14)