Garmin smartwatch gets battery drain bug fix in new update

A new beta update, version 15.05, appears to be rolling out to the Garmin vivoactive 6 smartwatch. It follows the release of stable software version 12.74, which brought a Wi-Fi download related bug fix to these users.

A series of user reports in the Garmin forum indicated that beta version 15.05 is rolling out to the vivoactive 6. However, it has yet to be officially announced by the brand. In one forum post, a user of this smartwatch suggests that this latest update brings three changes. The first allows users to access their Morning Report or Evening Report summaries through the watch’s Notification Center.

The second is a new gesture control for the vivoactive 6. Users can now exit a smart notification by placing their palm over the screen. Finally, this beta update is said to resolve an issue with the battery, which was draining faster than expected in some cases.

It is unclear when Garmin will officially acknowledge the beta version 15.05 update for the vivoactive 6 smartwatch (curr. $299.99 at Amazon). Users will be able to download the update by going to Menu > Settings > System > Software Update. A similar beta update for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches was released earlier in September 2025.