Garmin improves smartwatch battery life in new update

Garmin has released software version 6.17 for the new Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches. These running wearables were launched in late May 2025. This is the first stable update for the watches, which Garmin has labelled a hotfix.

Software version 6.17 is said to enhance the battery life "on watch face" for the Forerunner 970 and the larger 47 mm variant of the Forerunner 570 (curr. $549.99 at Amazon). Unfortunately, Garmin has not indicated the scale of the improvement. As a reminder, the Forerunner 970 is said to last for up to 15 days, while the Forerunner 570 47 mm is expected to run for up to 11 days between charges.

For those who purchased one of these new Forerunner smartwatches in Japan, there is an update for translations. The final note in the change log is somewhat cryptic, stating that there are "changes to support manufacturing". The software release does not appear to bring bug fixes for issues which have been flagged by users in the Garmin forum. These include touch-related issues on the Forerunner 570 and a rebooting problem on the Forerunner 970 linked to Google Assistant, maps and other features.

According to Garmin, software version 6.17 is now available for all users of the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches. To download the update, go to Menu > System > Software Update > Check For Updates.