Garmin Fenix 6 Firmware Update 19.20 - Issues

Garmin Fenix 6 users who wish to update to the latest firmware should be aware that Garmin has published the firmware version 20 for the Fenix 6 devices in November 2021. You can read more about the latest version of firmware version 20 for Fenix 6 devices on this page.

Garmin has now released the firmware update version 19.74 for the fenix 6 devices. This update was released on 13th October, 2021. You may read more about the firmware update 19.74 for fenix 6 devices on the fenix 19.74 firmware page.

Garmin completed the Fenix 6 device firmware update to 19.20 in the first week of September. All Fenix devices would have received the latest 19.20 firmware update from Garmin. The latest firmware update introduces new features, such as adding intensity minutes. It also upgrades the GPS to version 5.30. Aside from that, it appears that the software driving the Fenix 6 watch has also been tweaked in the way it works.

Here, we will look at some issues reported by Fenix 6 users after they updated the firmware on Fenix 6 watches to 19.20 firmware. These issues did not pre-exist the Fenix 6 firmware update to 19.20. So, it would appear that these issues have risen after the firmware update on the Fenix 6 devices completed. These issues seem to affect a decent number of Fenix 6 users. Perhaps, you may want to check if you experience the same issues on your Fenix 6 device after the 19.20 firmware update.

Fall in Body Battery score

Body battery score reflects your health. Generally, you would charge your body battery score after resting and sleeping. Prior to the 19.20 firmware update on Fenix 6 devices, most users would see the body battery score go up after a sound night’s sleep. Post the 19.20 firmware update, the body battery score has taken a big hit. Some users have reported a fall of up to 30 points on the body battery score. For someone who was at 86 body battery level prior to the 19.20 firmware update, the new body battery score reading is in low 50s. That is almost a fall of 30 points from the pre-firmware update days.

On a similar note, charging the body battery with a sound night sleep does not seem to increase the body battery scores.

Garmin has yet to confirm the status of the body battery scores. There seems to be an emerging thought that suggests a change in the way Garmin calculates body battery scores. The tweaks in the software seem to have been incorporated to make the body battery scores more practical and realistic. This thought or explanation and a confirmation needs to come from Garmin. Could this be a bug? Possibly, this could also be a bug in the 19.20 firmware of Fenix 6 devices. For now, it does seem that the method of calculation of body battery scores and building the charge levels on the battery have changed.

We await a confirmation on the cause of lower body battery scores on the Fenix 6 watches. If we hear anything from Garmin, we will definitely post an update here.

Rise in Fitness age

Another user gripe is the change in the fitness age post the firmware update on Fenix 6 to 19.20. Prior to the 19.20 firmware update, the fitness age for a user was reported as 32. Post the firmware update, this fitness age changed to 55. Clearly, there seems to have been a revision of the method of calculating the fitness age of Fenix 6 users. For a Fenix 6X Pro Solar Titanium user, the fitness age changed from 20 to 39.

However, it appears that the revised fitness age seems to be more appropriate and is closer to the user’s actual age. Prior to the firmware update to 19.20, the fitness age was calculated on the basis of VO2 max. This resulted in highly depressed readings of age. A user of 56 years would show up as 32 years old. The volumetric indicator for the fitness age of Fenix 6 users did not lead to the right fitness age scores.

Post the 19.20 firmware update, the fitness age calculation algorithm has changed. It now depends on 3 different facts that would give a more reliable reading of your fitness age. The 3 factors that will decide your fitness age are mentioned below:

Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) – your body’s metabolism rate comes into play in calculating the fitness age.
Heart’s resting heart rate or beats per minute is added as a criteria for calculating the fitness age
and the type of vigorous activity undertaken. So, people undertaking activities would have a lower fitness age.

It appears that the fitness age algorithm has improved since the new firmware update 19.20 happened on Fenix devices. It is bewildering to think about the discrepancy in the fitness age scores from the pre-firmware 19.20 days.

Garmin Express and Garmin Connect fail to sync data with Fenix 6 watch

This is one of the most common issues that Fenix 6 device owners may experience after the firmware updates to 19.20. This is on account of changes in the data protection rules, and may specifically affect users from the European countries. If you are unable to sync your device with Garmin Express or Garmin Connect, please follow the steps below to change the data protection settings on your Garmin Fenix 6 device:

Go to the settings menu
Choose profile
Under the data settings, check if the option of ‘uploading data’ is enabled. If it is disabled, do change the setting to enable the data upload on the device.

This should restore the sync between Garmin Express and your device; and, also the sync between Garmin connect app and your Fenix 6 device.

Missing Komoot app after firmware update 19.20

Some Fenix 6 device users have complained that the Komoot app is missing from the device after the firmware update to 19.20. Is Komoot app not supported by Fenix 6 devices? No, the Komoot app is supported by Fenix 6 devices, and there is no cause of unwarranted concern.

However, if you are missing the Komoot app, please re-install it. To re-install it, use Garmin Express on your computer. Download the app using Garmin Express on your computer. Connect your Garmin fenix 6 device with the computer. A sync between Garmin Express and the device will ensure that the Komoot app is available on the fenix 6 device.

Faster Battery Drain

Many Fenix 6 device owners have complained of faster battery drain after the firmware update on Fenix 6 device. This issue is being reported by many users. All such users agree that the faster battery drain is happening after the firmware on Fenix 6 device was updated to 19.20 firmware. The battery drain could be as high as 25-30% over a single day. You will run out of battery in 3 days. This is much lower than the normal battery drain that provides a battery life of 7 days on full battery charge of a Fenix 6 device.

One of the resolutions that worked for faster battery drain is to update the Garmin connect app on your phone to the latest version. If you have an iPhone, please update the Garmin connect app on the phone to the version 4.47.0.27. Once the Garmin connect app has been updated, restart the phone and the Fenix 6 device. Track the battery drain after the upgrade of Garmin connect app.

Unconfirmed opinions suggest that the Garmin connect app seems to be connecting to the device more frequently after the firmware update to 19.20. Doing the upgrade on Garmin connect app brings normalcy to the communication between the Garmin connect app and the fenix 6 device.

Summary

Overall, the Fenix 6 firmware update of 19.20 has improved the product’s software. Minor glitches can be expected with the extent of full update on the Fenix 6 devices. As the issues get uncovered by different users, the resolution is also being shared. For now, it appears that the Fenix 6’s 19.20 update has been successful for most Fenix 6 device owners.

If you wish to know more about the firmware update process on Fenix 6 watch, read the detailed process to update firmware on your Fenix 6 watch to the latest Garmin firmware update 19.20.

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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]