Garmin's Instinct smartwatches receive new update

The Instinct 3 watches are getting an update. (image source: Garmin)

Garmin is currently rolling out a new beta version for the Instinct 3 series, which fixes a number of bugs and, compared to the last stable version, introduces new features.

Silvio Werner (translated by Jacob Fisher), Published 11/18/2025 🇩🇪

Wearable Software

Garmin's Instinct 3 series is getting a new software update. Included models are the Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar, Instinct E, Instinct 3 Tactical Solar and AMOLED, and Instinct Crossover AMOLED. Software version 12.21 is still in beta, meaning users should expect to encounter some bugs even if the update is intended to fix certain bugs.

The changelog lists two changes compared to the previous version, which itself is a beta version, namely version 12.19. Translation errors, wherein several activity names were not translated correctly, have been fixed. Secondly, dog tracking has been improved. Garmin's dog tracking devices are not necessarily aimed at the typical dog owner, but also at hunters, for example.

Compared to the last stable software version (10.36 or 11.11), there are also several more extensive changes. Users of the beta versions will benefit from the health status and the display of changes in important vital parameters. Depending on the specific model, there are new data fields and minor adjustments or improvements to the interface. Runtime may also be increased as a result of a bug fix that previously caused increased power consumption.

Source(s)

Garmin

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Editor of the original article: Silvio Werner - Senior Tech Writer - 15794 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017

I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.

contact me via: silvio39191, LinkedIn

Translator: Jacob Fisher - Translator - 2537 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022

Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.

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