Garmin releases major new update for latest mid-range smartwatches packed with over 30 improvements
Garmin has now delivered the promised updates for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 that the company described yesterday in its August 2025 Feature Update. To recap, it outlined 18 new features would be reaching many of its recent smartwatches, including the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 (curr. $749.99 on Amazon).
Now, Garmin has packaged all these and more into Software Version 12.70, which it claims has already been offered to around 20% of Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 owners. For context, Software Version 12.70 should mark the end of Garmin's recent beta development cycle, during which it offered four v12.xx builds to Beta Program participants.
Software Version 12.70 jumps a few revisions from Beta Version 12.64, though. As a result, there could be a few improvements that Garmin has not beta tested beforehand. Regardless, it seems that Software Version 12.70 brings over 30 changes to both smartwatches, including five new features and a whole host of bug fixes. Moreover, the new update introduces new refinements specific to each smartwatch too. The full list of changes associated with Software Version 12.70 are as follows:
Forerunner 570 & Forerunner 970 shared changelog
- Adds a bedtime recommendation to evening report.
- Adds a stocks widget.
- Adds new recap messages to the evening report.
- Adds the calculator app.
- Adds track run daily suggested workouts.
- Fixes a potential issue with measuring optical heart rate.
- Fixes an issue that caused a display glitch on some watch faces when the seconds ring reached zero.
- Fixes an issue that could cause breathing variations to fail to show for some nights.
- Fixes an issue that could cause display artifacts when swiping down to dismiss a full-screen notification.
- Fixes an issue that could cause the device to stay muted when adjusting the volume during a call or when using the phone assistant.
- Fixes an issue that could cause the display to appear corrupted.
- Fixes an issue that could cause timing gates to fail to load for unpinned activities.
- Fixes an issue that could result in a spike on the elevation chart.
- Fixes an issue where editing settings for the do not disturb mode could also impact those settings when do not disturb is not enabled.
- Fixes an issue where the phone assistant could fail to respond after receiving a notification.
- Fixes an issue with AutoShot failing to detect shots during a golf activity.
- Fixes an issue with CIQ data fields sometimes failing to save.
- Fixes various issues that could cause the device to reboot.
- Fixes various minor issues related to evening report.
- Fixes various other minor issues.
- Improves breathing variations graph to display data more clearly.
- Improves some instances where the UI could appear to be sluggish.
- Improves the timing of the battery saver prompt.
- Supports a gentle, early alarm, up to 30 minutes, based on your sleep quality.
- Supports an automatic rest timer in strength activities.
- Supports creating custom focus modes.
- Supports playing spectator messages over the speaker.
- Supports starting a race from the morning report.
- Supports the voice notes app.
- Supports viewing timing gate auto laps aggregated by 5 km on Garmin Connect.
- Updates personal records to use elapsed time.
- Updates translations.
Forerunner 570 specific
- Enables additional motorsports activities.
- Supports power guide for cycling activities.
Forerunner 970 specific
- Adds a watch face data field for running tolerance.
- Fixes an issue that could cause a route recalculation to fail while navigating.
- Fixes an issue where selecting the expedition activity caused phone assistant and voice command to be disabled.
- Supports playing spectator messages over the speaker.
