Garmin Fitness Watch Users Experience Mysterious Outage

Mysterious Blue Triangle Causes Widespread Angst

Garmin fitness watch enthusiasts are notoriously passionate about their tech, so when a mysterious outage affected users of multiple popular models, it’s no surprise that the community is in an uproar. Reports are flooding in of a blue triangle appearing on the display when attempting to start a GPS activity, along with some watches rebooting. The Garmin subreddit is filled with users sharing their experiences and seeking solutions.

Garmin’s Response

Garmin has acknowledged the issue, stating on their System Status page, “We are researching reports of devices displaying a blue triangle when starting a GPS activity. Holding the power button until the unit powers off, then turning it back on may restore functionality temporarily. We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available.” Unfortunately, Garmin has not yet provided a reason for the outage, which affects models such as Fenix, Forerunner, Fenix, Vivoactive, and Venu.

Satellite Pre-Cache Files: A Possible Cause?

Sports tech expert DC Rainmaker has speculated that the issue may be related to satellite pre-cache files, which are updated on the watch every few days. However, if a bad version of the file is delivered, it could cause chaos. Whether this is the root cause of the problem remains to be seen, but users are reporting that the issue seems to be resolving itself.

Impacts for Power Users

For Garmin power users, today’s outage would have been particularly frustrating. For those training for marathons and half marathons, training plans are precise and don’t offer much flexibility. This situation has likely caused a lot of angst for those who plan their week around a long run.

Expert View by Chris Smith,