Garmin releases Voice Command beta update for Fenix 8 and Tactix 8 smartwatches

Garmin has issued a new beta release for users of the Fenix 8 AMOLED, Fenix 8 Solar, Tactix 8 AMOLED and Tactix 8 Solar smartwatches. It arrived shortly after the beta version 15.26 release from late April 2025, which added support for Voice Commands for Applied Ballistics and Flying Apps for the Tactix watches, alongside various bug fixes.

This latest beta update allows users to test an improvement to the Voice Command tool. Thanks to the integrated speaker and microphone, owners of the Fenix 8 and Tactix 8 can access this on-watch voice assistant. It supports a range of commands such as ‘find my phone’, ‘turn on airplane mode’ and ‘increase brightness’.

The Voice Command Files v1.12 release contains 17 files said to cover a range of languages. However, Garmin has yet to explain where customers will benefit from this update. It is worth noting that several users have flagged that their body battery is dropping unexpectedly after they installed either or both beta version 15.26 and Voice Command Files v1.12. Garmin has yet to acknowledge this issue or suggest a resolution.

Voice Command Files v1.12 is now available for all users of the Fenix 8 (47mm AMOLED curr. $984.95 at Amazon) and related smartwatches. If you want to join the Garmin Beta Program, you can sign up via Garmin Connect; you can find out more about the testing program on the company’s support pages.