Garmin warns of HRM connection issues on Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro after recent update

Last week marked the introduction of System Software 20.16 for the Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro (curr. $549.99 on Amazon) as the first major stable software for the pair in months. Incidentally, the rollout of System Software 20.16 coincided with the expansion of ECG support for the Epix 2 Pro and Fenix 7 Pro across Europe and the UK.

It seems that System Software 20.16 shipped with various bugs too, which Garmin is now working through on Beta Program. To that end, the company has issued Beta Version 20.19, which it reports has now reached all eligible Enduro 2, Epix 2, Fenix 7, Quatix 7 and Marq Gen 2 smartwatches. In a short changelog, Garmin reports that the new update should fix crashes that occur not only in jump rope activities but also 'during long activities'.

Additionally, the company claims to be currently investigating an issue that prevents external sensors like heart rate monitors (HRMs) from auto-connecting when an activity is selected and then started. According to beta participants, this bug shipped with System Software 20.16 and persists with Beta Version 20.19. As a result, there is every chance that the latter is replaced by more beta updates before a follow-up to System Software 20.16 arrives. Please see Garmin's dedicated bug report page for more details.