Garmin locks year-in-review behind subscription paywall, users react angrily

The 2025 Garmin Connect Report is here, offering insights into the fitness and health trends of Garmin users around the globe. A new feature is Garmin Rundown, a personalized year-in-review available in the Garmin Connect smartphone app. This report displays information such as total steps taken, calories burned, average sleep score and most frequently performed activity.

The catch is that Garmin Rundown is only available via an active Garmin Connect+ subscription. The subscription costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year and includes a range of additional features, including a performance dashboard with customizable statistics, AI-powered fitness tips, and access to exclusive fitness badges that can be used when sharing workout results on social media. Unsurprisingly, the fact that such a simple feature as Garmin Rundown is now only available via a subscription is causing frustration among Garmin users.

On Reddit, users are expressing not only annoyance but also incomprehension, since such year-end reviews from companies such as Spotify are usually used to generate free advertising, as users readily share these reviews on social media. In making this move, Garmin is also signaling that even minor feature updates will only be available with a subscription in the future. Anyone planning to buy an expensive smartwatch like the Fenix ​​8 Pro should therefore factor in the cost of the Garmin Connect+ subscription before making the purchase.