Garmin fixes Garmin Messenger bug in new beta update for smartwatches but battery drain concerns remain
Garmin has moved several of its older smartwatches onto a major new software revision. While the Venu 3, Venu 3S and Vivoactive 5 (curr. $199 on Amazon) have been replaced by newer models, Garmin continues to furnish them with updates every now and again. Ultimately though, the frequency with which the company applies new patches has slowed in recent months.
For instance, Garmin has not issued a new stable update since September when it rolled out heart-rate related bug fixes as v16.05. Quickly replaced by v16.07, both v16.xx updates have now been usurped by v17.01 that Garmin is distributing on its Beta Program. Although the company has not indicated when v17.xx builds will reach stable status, recent behaviour suggests a fresh stable update is not too far away.
In the meantime, Beta 17.01 is said to contain three overarching changes from v16.xx builds. Specifically, Garmin has bundled updated Garmin Connect Mobile translations, which have now reached v2.30. Also, Beta 17.01 should fix a pairing issue with the Garmin Messenger app and a separate problem relating to the EasyCard icon.
Surprisingly, Garmin has not addressed recent concerns about battery life issues across the Venu 3 and Vivoactive since upgrading to v16.xx software. One can download Beta 17.01 on a Venu 3 series or Vivoactive 5 smartwatch by tapping 'Check for Updates' after navigating through Main Menu, Settings, System and Software Update. Please see Garmin's forum post for more details.
