Less than a week has passed since the Fenix 7 series and its peers became eligible to download Beta Version 17.16, the fifth 17.1 build that Garmin has released so far. For reference, Beta Version 17.16 was slated to feature improved external heart rate monitor management. Additionally, Garmin bundled a few other bug fixes for issues that were seemingly present in Beta Version 17.14.
Beta Version 17.16 was not without bugs itself though, as is often the case with beta updates. Although Garmin has not acknowledged this directly, the new Beta Version 17.17 focuses mainly on addressing outstanding issues that shipped within Beta Version 17.16. Specifically, the company mentions the following big fixes in its official changelog:
- Fixed issue causing Outdoor Maps+ to request data endlessly.
- Fixed issues with new heart rate dynamic source switch setting.
- Fixes and improvements for Find My Phone.
Moreover, Beta Version 17.17 is said to improve the 'messenger onboarding flow'. However, Garmin has not outlined what changes it has made in this regard. Please note, Beta Version 17.17 is only available on non-Pro smartwatches for now. Typically, this restriction only lasts a few days, though. Please see Garmin's forum post for more installation details.