Garmin releases smartwatch update with new voice feature

A new Garmin stable update has arrived for the Fenix 8 and some related smartwatches. System software 23.39 was recently announced on the brand’s official forum. It follows on from the 23.31 stable release, which arrived earlier in September 2026.

Garmin is now pushing changes seen with recent beta updates - versions 23.34 and 23.28 - to the Fenix 8. Firstly, these watches now support voice commands with the wake phrase “OK Garmin”. The company has fixed a bug which could cause the wearables to shut down unexpectedly during a HIIT activity.

There are also two Spotify related bug fixes. One of these tackles an issue where songs could skip when Fenix 8 smartwatch users were listening to Spotify via Bluetooth headphones. A second bug fix aims to ensure that the device will not shut down when a user attempts to switch between Spotify playlists.

The Garmin system software 23.39 update has currently been pushed to around 20% of users, with the company yet to announce an estimated rollout completion date. It is worth noting that Garmin system software version 23.39 is only available for the Fenix 8 (curr. $799.99 at Amazon) and Fenix E smartwatches. It is unclear when a similar update could be rolled out to the Fenix 8 Pro wearables. Users of these Garmin devices are also waiting for the beta version 24.xx testing cycle to begin.