Garmin Fenix 6 firmware version 19.20

We now have the Fenix 6 firmware update 19.21, that seeks to resolve bugs of the firmware version 19.20. Although firmware version 19.20 continues to be the main stable release for now, the new software for the Fenix 6 devices has been published by Garmin. The Fenix 6 firmware update comes in the beta release and was released as version 19.21 by Garmin on 17th September.

You can read all about the Fenix 6 firmware update 19.21 on this page.

Fenix 6 series watches should be using the latest update 19.20. Garmin has released the firmware update for all the Fenix 6 series watches. The 19.20 firmware upgrade of Fenix 6 series watches supersedes the 19.10 update that was released in the last week of August. Version 19.20 fixes issues that arose after the 19.10 firmware update.

If you wish to read about some common issues that affect the Fenix 6 watches post the firmware update to 19.20, you may read this detailed page.

As of 10th September, 2021, the Garmin Fenix 6 firmware update has been pushed to all the eligible Fenix 6 devices. The firmware update is complete. All Fenix 6 series watches should be running firmware 19.20 now. If for some reason, you are not sure about the update, please connect your Fenix device to the computer. Open Garmin express on your computer. This should automatically pull the latest firmware update 19.20 on your Fenix device. Alternatively, you could use Garmin connect on the paired phone. The latest update will be pushed to your Fenix device from the Garmin connect. Detailed process of updating the fenix 6 devices is given below.

As of 8th September, 2021, the Garmin Fenix 6 firmware update 19.20 has been pushed to 50% of eligible devices. So, the update is going good and has been rolled out to half of the Fenix 6 series watches.

If you wish to download the latest firmware, please use the Garmin Express PC app or the Garmin Connect app.

I will suggest for you to wait for the firmware update to be pushed to your device by Garmin automatically. This should happen in a week's time, at most.

Garmin has also published links from which you can download firmware corresponding to the Fenix 6 device you have.

These files, however, are not suitable for APAC region. So, people coming in from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, India, Japan and other Asian countries should wait for the updates to be sent to their Fenix devices. Many of you would have already received these updates by now, automatically through the Garmin Express or Garmin Connect apps on the computer or the phone respectively. Please do not download these files (mentioned in the links below) for manual update of firmware on Fenix 6 smart watches.

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Where can I download firmware 19.20 for Fenix 6 series watches?

Garmin has published the 19.20 firmware files on its servers, so that Fenix 6 users can download the firmware directly from the Garmin servers. (please please do not download firmware files fom 3rd party website for cause of malicious files and potential risks)

Please ensure that you are downloading the correct beta software for your specific device.

Fenix 6s: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=15166
Fenix 6s Pro: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=15164
Fenix 6: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=15162
Fenix 6 Pro: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=15160
Fenix 6x Pro: https://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=15168

Please do take care of downloading these files on your device. If you have a Fenix 6, download the firmware files corresponding to Fenix 6 device. On a similar note, if you have a Fenix 6X Pro, download the files from the Garmin link that corresponds to Fenix 6X Pro. Do not mix and match the firmware files that are meant for different Fenix 6 series watch.

This Fenix 6 firmware update to 19.20 will push your GPS to version 5.30. So, if the update succeeds, you must see the GPS version 5.30 on your Fenix watch.

We also suggest that you limit yourself to downloading firmware files from the Garmin website. Downloading firmware files from 3rd party sites could lead to unforeseen issues. Possibly, malicious payloads could be added to the firmware files being downloaded from the 3rd party websites.

As of writing this, Garmin has pushed the 19.20 firmware to 20% of eligible devices. If your device has not received the update, you may choose to wait for Garmin to push the files automatically to your watch. If you are unwilling to wait, please use the download links given above to download firmware directly from the Garmin servers.

Once you have completed the upgrade of the operating system to 19.20, you should see the following features or characteristics on your Fenix 6 series watch:

GPS: 5.30
Sensor Hub: 11.01
ANT/BLE/BT (Pro models): 6.11 (BlueTooth Stack)
ANT/BLE (non-Pro models): 3.00 (BlueTooth Stack)
Wi-Fi (Pro models only): 2.60

What has changed in Fenix 19.20 firmware update for Fenix 6 series watches?

There are 6 main features that have been integrated in the Fenix 19.20 firmware update for Fenix 6 series watches.

Adventure race activity tracking comes to Fenix 6 series watches through the 19.20 firmware update.
Garmin has also added sleep tracking widget with sleep score and insights by Firstbeat AnalyticsTM.
Added new workout animations which can be updated with Express or a Wifi sync.
Added the ability to rate the perceived effort and feel of a Run, Bike, or Swim activity. The prompts appear during activity save. Go to [Activity] Settings > Self Evaluation for options.
Added metabolic calories into the total calories reported in the calories data field and recorded in the activity file.
Added setting to enable/disable workout audio prompts.

Apart from these features, there have been bug fixes and product improvements. Some product improvements include:

Automatically disable Battery Saver when battery sufficiently charged.
Updated workout audio prompts for hundredths distance precision.
Updated Intensity Minutes determinations to align with guidance from CDC.
Improved feedback on stress level readings.
Improved calorie calculations for activities using a power meter.
Improved results for daily Body Battery calculations.
Improved visibility of Climb Pro alert page.
Improved power meter calibration and settings.
Improved layout of target card page. (Only applies to tactix Delta – Solar Edition with Ballistics)
Improved Body Battery estimation when the device is powered off for a long period of time.

How do I update firmware on Fenix 6 series smart watches?

Firmware updates on the Fenix 6 series smart watches can be done through the smart watch. Or, you could also download the firmware update on your computer and let Garmin Express app on the computer to handle the update on the connected Fenix 6 watch. We will review both ways to update the firmware on a Fenix 6 watch.

Before updating the firmware on a Fenix 6 smart watch, we need to ensure that automatic updates are turned on your device. This is the default setting on Fenix 6 series watches. To check if automatic updates are enabled for the smart watch, please see the instructions below:

Hold Menu on the smart watch of Fenix 6 series.
Choose System
You will see an option – Software updates. Toggle the on/off option to enable or disable automatic updates.

We need to make sure that software updates are set for automatic updates.

How to check firmware on Fenix 6 series watch?

As a standard practice, it is a wise thing to note the current firmware version on the Fenix 6 series watch. This should be done before each attempted update.

To know the current firmware version on a Fenix 6 watch, please follow the instructions below:

Hold Menu
Choose System
Choose About

In the About section, you will see the current firmware version installed on the Garmin Fenix 6 series watch. These instructions are applicable to Fenix 6, Fenix 6S, Fenix 6X, Fenix 6X Pro and Fenix 6X Pro Solar watches.

Update firmware on Fenix 6 from the watch itself

Before performing a firmware update, please do make sure that your Fenix 6 series watch has adequate charging. We do not want a situation of the watch shutting off during the middle of the update. Generally the firmware updates are pretty fast and contain a small file of less than 100 Mb size. These firmware updates can sometimes be interchangeably called as system updates.
On a similar note, your mobile phone must have adequate charge. It should also have a good Wi-Fi connection or cellular connection to the Internet. The firmware update file is sent from Garmin servers to the mobile phone.
Garmin connect app on the mobile phone will also be needed for the smooth update of the firmware on Fenix 6 series watch. We need to make sure that the Garmin connect app on the phone works without any errors before initiating the update on the smart watch.
Setup the mobile phone hosting Garmin connect app and pair it with the Garmin Fenix 6 series watch. A good quality pairing is desired for the smooth transition to the latest firmware update.
Launch the Garmin connect app, and check the Garmin icon to see if there is a firmware update that is available for your Fenix 6 series watch. If the Garmin connect app finds a firmware on the Garmin server, it will pull the file or the server will push the firmware file on to the mobile phone.
Now, we need to sync the smart watch with the Garmin connect app. Through the mobile phone, the file will be pushed to the device i.e. the Fenix 6 series watch’s device storage. So, we are effectively using the Internet connection to download the firmware from Garmin to the phone. From thereon, the phone sends the firmware on to the device, for an eventual installation on the Fenix 6 series watch.

In the entire update cycle of Fenix 6 series watches to the latest firmware update, we use an automated approach through the Garmin connect app on the mobile phone to handle the update.

Update Fenix 6 series watch from Garmin Express

The firmware or system update for a Fenix 6 series watch can also be installed using the Garmin Express app on your computer. Most people prefer using the Garmin Express app to perform firmware updates. Map and Golf course updates can only happen through the Garmin express app on the computer. This is because map and golf course update files are massive in size and cannot be transferred seamlessly using a BLE paired connection.

To perform a firmware update on the Fenix 6 series watch, we will use the instructions below:

Install the Garmin express app on your computer.
Use a USB cable and connect your device to the computer.
Using Garmin express, connect to the Garmin website and download the firmware update on your computer. In effect, if the firmware update is available, Garmin express will pull the firmware files on your computer.
From the computer, Garmin express will send the firmware update files to the device. This will complete the update cycle on the Fenix 6 series watch using Garmin express app on the computer.

Summary

Firmware 19.20 on Fenix 6 series watches becomes the latest firmware as of September 2021. You can manually update the watch or let Garmin push the files to your Fenix 6 series watch automatically. Desist downloading update files from 3rd party websites.

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Helen Kurt

Helen Kurt is a geeky nerd who loves to cover the wearables space. She has over 5 years of experience in the smartwatch domain. You can reach her on email at [email protected].