Garmin smartwatches gain installable features like live star maps

Garmin smartwatches offer a broad feature set out of the box, depending on the model. The Garmin Fenix series (on Amazon), for instance, supports on-wrist maps and navigation. A key component of the Garmin ecosystem is third-party software. The Garmin Connect IQ Store now hosts a vast selection of such applications. Garmin has recently highlighted three additional watch faces that further extend functionality, although some of them have been available for some time.

Data Lover is technically a watch face rather than a conventional app, but it delivers extensive data at a glance, including sun exposure metrics, weather information, and various statistics. Its full capabilities depend on the specific device in use. Face It enables users to create fully personalised watch faces from their own photos. Beyond selecting images, users can adjust layouts and choose which data—such as step count or battery status—is displayed. Stargazer, while also categorised as a watch face, stands out with features uncommon for this category. It visualises the real-time positions of the sun, planets, and the 300 brightest stars based on the user’s location. The free version offers only limited customisation.