Garmin Fenix 6 Firmware 20.50 – Updated 14.02.22

by

Garmin released a new firmware release version 20.60 in April 2022. This software update follows up on the firmware version 20.50 You can read more about the firmware version 20.60 on this page. If you wish to continue with firmware 20.50, please read the instructions below.

Garmin released a new public release version of the firmware for Fenix devices. The latest public release version is 20.50. This firmware update should be considered as the main firmware or stable release after the Fenix firmware 20.30. Firmware 20.30 was released for the first time on 13th January.

Garmin Fenix firmware 20.50 started getting rolled out on 14th February 2022. It is being rolled out to the eligible devices in a phased manner, and you could wait for the firmware update to hit your device in normal chronological order or sequence. However, if you so desire, you can push the firmware update to your Garmin Fenix manually. The process of manually updating the firmware on the Garmin Fenix devices remains unchanged across multiple firmware version updates. We list the details of the firmware update process for 20.50 below.

Do bear in mind, the firmware update 20.50 for Garmin Fenix devices should not be manually downloaded or applied on the devices that are registered in the APAC region. APAC based users of the Fenix devices should wait for the update to be made available through update notifications on the Garmin Express or Garmin Connect.

We look at the process of manual updates of the firmware on Fenix 6 devices. But, before doing so, we look at the things that have changed between firmware 20.30 to 20.50 on the Garmin Fenix 6 devices.

Update – 21st March 2022:

Stalled Fenix 6 watch after firmware update to 20.50

Some early adopters of Garmin Fenix 6 firmware version 20.50 seem to be experiencing issues with the watch post update. The watch behaves strangely. In some cases, it may print random numbers on the watch screen. For others, it may print battery backup days in all the fields on the screen. Upon restarting the watch, it comes back with the same screen. You lose the watch screen and it appears that the Fenix 6 device seems to be unable to boot up completely.

Some users believe that this is on account of memory corruption on the Fenix 6 after the firmware update to version 20.50. It is early days though. Garmin support is looking into the issue. At this point, we are aware of at least 3 users who have shared their experiences of a stalled Fenix 6 watch after an update to version 20.50. Unfortunately, some users are out of warranty on the Fenix 6 devices.

Hopefully, Garmin should be able to address the issue and send in replacements to the users who have been affected by a (likely) firmware-related issue. We will post an update once Garmin shares feedback on these incidents.

What has changed between firmware 20.30 and 20.50 on Garmin Fenix 6 devices?

Garmin has listed incremental improvements of firmware 20.50 over the January month’s 20.30 firmware update. Some of these changes are bug fixes from the firmware 20.30, and others are feature updates on the Fenix 6 devices.

The following bugs have been resolved in the firmware 20.50 for Garmin Fenix 6 devices:

  • Fixed an issue on non-music devices that could cause a disruption of various metrics after being plugged into a computer.
  • Fixed an intermittent issue where the device would freeze when starting a round of golf.
  • Fixed issue that could cause altitude graph to flatline.
  • Fixed issue that would cause device shutdown when editing HIIT data fields.
  • Fixed issue where the device would create empty golf scorecards.
  • Fixed issue where the activity timer could be enabled on the Map-App.

The following improvements have been made to Fenix 6 devices:

  • The update process of the firmware on Fenix 6 devices has changed. The user can defer the installation of Fenix 6 firmware update, rather than being forced an automatic firmware update upon download of the firmware files..
  • Altitude calibration on the Fenix 6 devices has been having a fair share of problems since the last few firmware updates. The nightly altitude calibration on the Fenix 6 devices has been improved. It may premature to call it a permanent fix. It would be preferable to wait for the feedback about altitude calibration from the Fenix 6 device owners.

What are the essential characteristics of the Garmin Fenix 6 firmware 20.50?

Upon firmware update on Garmin Fenix 6 to version 20.50, your Fenix 6 device should run:

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

There has been some confusion around the ANT version 6.11 and version 6.15 on Fenix 6 Pro model smartwatches. ANT was updated to version 6.15 in the beta firmware 20.42. However, the public release firmware update 20.50, keeps the ANT/BLE/BT version at 6.11. If you had already updated the firmware to 20.42, you can choose to keep the ANT at 6.15. If you are updating directly from firmware 20.30 to 20.50, you will continue to remain at ANT/BLE/BT version 6.11.

How to manually update Fenix 6 firmware to 20.50?

Manually updating the firmware on Fenix 6 devices is pretty straightforward. You need to download the firmware files from the Garmin servers and apply the firmware update by connecting the Fenix device to the computer.

The firmware files for Fenix 6 version 20.50 are published through the product pages on the Garmin website. We discuss each device and the associated firmware files below.

Fenix 6 and Fenix 6 Solar Firmware 20.50 update – Installation instructions

1. To install the firmware on the Fenix 6 or Fenix 6 Solar device, you need to download the Fenix firmware version 20.50 through the following pages on your computer.

2. Once you have downloaded the files, extract the files in a temporary folder on your computer.

3. From the extracted files, you need to copy the system files onto the Garmin installation folder on your computer. We are assuming that you have already installed Garmin Express on your computer and the Garmin folder structure exists on the computer.

4. On the /GARMIN/ folder on your computer, copy the file gupdate.gcd from the SystemUpdate_2050 folder. This file is 6814 KB in size.

5. From the extracted files, look for a folder SensorHubUpdate_1101 and copy the file GUP3295.GCD on the /GARMIN/REMOTESW/ folder. The file name 3295.GCD is of 355 KB size.

6. From the extracted folder, look for a directory or folder named GPSUpdate_530. Copy the file 006B310701.GCD to the /GARMIN/REMOTESW/ folder.

Copying these 3 files will complete the update on your computer to version 20.50. Connect your Garmin device to the computer and let the new firmware sync with the device. Once the sync is completed, the Fenix 6 or Fenix 6 Solar watch has been successfully updated to the firmware version 20.50.

Rollback from firmware 20.50 to 20.30 on Fenix 6 or Fenix 6 Solar

If you run into any unforeseen issues during or after the firmware update on Fenix 6 or Fenix 6 Solar to version 20.50, you can revert to the last stable release version of the firmware 20.30. To revert from firmware 20.50 to firmware 20.30, you will need to replace the gupdate.gcd file on the /GARMIN/ folder with the GUPDATE.GCD file that is under the extracted folder /SystemBackDate_2030/. The firmware file for version 20.30 is 6754 KB in size. The firmware file for version 20.50 is 6814 KB. So, replacing the GUPDATE.GCD file will take your Fenix 6 or Fenix 6 Solar to version 20.30.

Fenix-6-smartwatch-standard

Update Firmware 20.50 on Fenix 6S and Fenix 6S Solar

1. You will need to download the firmware files in zip format from the following page:

Download firmware 20.50 for Fenix 6S and Fenix 6S Solar

The firmware file is 14.80 MB in size.

2. On your computer, extract the zip file in a temporary folder. You will get 4 folders after the zip file is extracted to a temporary folder.

3. Copy the gupdate.gcd file from the /SystemUpdate_2050 folder and place it in the GARMIN folder on your computer. The gupdate.gcd file for version 20.50 has a size of 6766 KB.

4. In the extracted folder, look for a folder SensorHubUpdate_1101 and copy the file GUP3294.GCD to the folder /GARMIN/REMOTESW/ directory on your computer. GUP3294.GCD file has a size of 355 KB.

5. In the extracted folder, look for a folder GPSUpdate_530. Copy the file 006B310701.GCD to the /GARMIN/REMOTESW/ folder on your computer.

This completes the process of firmware update on Fenix 6S and Fenix 6S Solar to version 20.50 on your computer. You will need to connect the Fenix 6S or Fenix 6S Solar device to your computer for pushing the firmware update to the watch.

Rollback firmware 20.50 to 20.30 on Fenix 6S or Fenix 6S Solar

If you run into any issues on the new firmware version 20.50, you can rollback to the previous stable release firmware version 20.30. To rollback the firmware on your Fenix 6S or Fenix 6S Solar, you will need to replace the gupdate.gcd file under /GARMIN/ folder on the computer. It needs to be replaced with gupdate.gcd file from the SystemBackdata_2030.

The firmware file for version 20.30 is of size 6706 KB. The firmware file for Fenix 6S and Fenix 6S Solar is worth 6766 KB. Once you have rolled back the firmware to version 20.30, you can verify the same through file size. Once the firmware has been rolled back on the computer, you will need to connect to the Fenix 6s or Fenix 6S Solar device to complete the process of rollback of the firmware.

Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar – Firmware update 20.50

The firmware update file for the Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6X Pro is 28.07 MB in size. We list the steps involved in manually updating the firmware on the Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar devices.

1. Download the firmware 20.50 for Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar from the following link. The update file is a zip archive.

Download firmware 20.50 for Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar

2. Extract the files and folders of the zip archive to a temporary folder location on the computer. You should get four folders upon extraction of the zip archive.

3. From the SystemUpdate_2050 folder, copy the GUPDATE.GCD file to the /GARMIN/ folder on your computer. The GUPDATE.GCD file for Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar is 13255 KB in size.

4. From the SensorHubUpdate_1101 folder, copy the GUP3295.GCD file to the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder on the computer.

5. From the GPSUpdate_530, copy the file 006B310701.GCD to the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\.

6. Once you have copied these 3 files to the GARMIN folders on the computer, the firmware update process is complete on the computer. You will need to connect the Garmin device to the computer for pushing the firmware update to the smartwatch.

Rollback firmware 20.50 to 20.30 on Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar

If you run into any issues on the Fenix 6 Pro and Fenix 6 Pro Solar after updating the firmware to version 20.50, you can rollback the firmware to version 20.30. To rollback the firmware to version 20.30, you need to copy the file GUPDATE.GCD from SystemBackdate_2030 to the /GARMIN/ folder. This will overwrite the GUPDATE.GCD file of version 20.50 with version 20.30. The firmware on your computer will revert to firmware version 20.30. You will need to connect the Fenix 6 device to the computer for reverting the firmware to version 20.30.

Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6S Pro Solar – Firmware Update to 20.50

The firmware on Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6S Pro Solar has been updated to version 20.50 by Garmin. This update is available for manual download from the Garmin servers. We list the detailed steps that you need to take for updating the firmware on Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6S Pro Solar to version 20.50.

1. Download the firmware 20.50 from the following link. The size of the zip archive is 27.78 MB.

Download Garmin firmware 20.50 for Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6S Pro Solar

Once you have downloaded the zip archive, you can extract the firmware files in a temporary folder on the computer. You should have extracted four folders on the computer. And, we need to copy three files from the extracted folders to the /GARMIN/ folders on your computer.

2. From the /SystemUpdate_2050 folder, copy the GUPDATE.GCD file onto the /GARMIN/ folder on your computer. We are assuming that you have already installed Garmin Express on your computer. The GUPDATE.GCD file on the firmware version 20.50 is 13117 KB in size.

3. Copy the file GUP3294.GCD from SensorHubUpdate_1101 folder to the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder on your computer.

4. Copy the file 006B310701.GCD from the GPSUpdate530 folder from the extracted zip folder to \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder on your computer.

Once you have copied these three files from the extracted zip archive, the update process to firmware version 20.50 gets completed on the computer. You will need to connect the Fenix 6S Pro and Fenix 6S Pro Solar devices to your computer for getting this firmware from the computer.

Rollback firmware from 20.50 to 20.30 on Fenix 6S Pro or Fenix 6S Pro Solar

For situations that require you to rollback the firmware on Fenix 6 devices, you can move from firmware 20.50 to 20.30 by pushing the firmware file of version 20.30 on the computer and the connected Fenix device.

To rollback the firmware on Fenix 6S Pro or Fenix 6S Pro Solar to version 20.30, please copy the file GUPDATE.GCD from the SystemBackdata_2030 folder and put that in the \GARMIN\ folder on your computer. This should replace the existing firmware file GUPDATE.GCD on the computer. Once the firmware has been rolled back on the computer, you can connect the Fenix 6S Pro or Fenix 6S Pro Solar for reverting the firmware from version 20.50 to version 20.30.

Fenix 6X Pro and Fenix 6X Pro Solar – Firmware update from 20.30 to 20.50

The firmware on Fenix 6X Pro and Fenix 6X Pro Solar devices can be updated manually using the following approach.

1. Download the firmware update for Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar from the Garmin servers. The firmware can be downloaded from the following page. The download file is a zip archive.

Download firmware version 20.50 for Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar

The firmware file has a size of 29.57 MB.

2. Upon extracting the firmware from the zip archive, you would get four folders. These folders contain the firmware files in an organized way. We need to copy three files from these folders to complete the update process.

3. From the \SystemUpdate_2050\ folder, copy the GUPDATE.GCD file to \GARMIN\ folder on your computer. The GUPDATE.GCD file for firmware version 20.50 is a little under 14 MB in size.

4. From the SensorHubUpdate_1101 folder, copy the GUP3296.GCD file onto the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder.

5. From the GPSUpdate530 folder, copy the file 006B310701.GCD to the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder on your computer.

Once you have uploaded these three files on the computer, the firmware update for Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar completed on your computer. You will need to connect the Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar watch to your computer so that the firmware can be pushed from the computer to the smartwatch.

Rollback firmware 20.50 to 20.30 on Garmin Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar

The firmware 20.50 can be downgraded to firmware 20.30 on Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar. To downgrade the firmware on the Fenix 6 device, copy the file GUPDATE.GCD from the SystemBackdata_2030 to the \GARMIN\ folder on your computer. Allow the new GUPDATE.GCD file to replace the existing GUPDATE.GCD file on the computer.

Once the firmware has reverted from 20.50 to 20.30 on your computer, you can connect the Fenix 6X Pro or Fenix 6X Pro Solar watch to the computer. This will help in reverting the firmware on the smartwatch to version 20.30.

Update Summary for version 20.50

The firmware update on Garmin Fenix to version 20.50 involves the following three steps:

  • GUPDATE.GCD file to be copied from the new firmware folder to \GARMIN\ folder on your computer.
  • GUPXXXX.GCD file to be updated on the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder with the latest firmware file.
  • 006XXXXXXX.GCD file to be updated on the \GARMIN\REMOTESW\ folder with the latest firmware file.

Firmware Update using Garmin Connect App

As and when the firmware update becomes available for your device, we can use the Garmin Connect app to update the Fenix 6 device. For the Garmin Connect app to work, we need you to:

  • pair the Fenix 6 watch with a smartphone
  • install the Garmin Connect app on the paired smartphone.
  • Create a Garmin Connect app account to register yourself.

When the firmware update is available, the Garmin Connect app will download it and push it from the mobile to the Fenix 6 device. This update process is straightforward as it does not require you to perform any manual installation of the firmware.

Firmware Update using Garmin Express software

Garmin Express software can be installed on your computer. It becomes a pivot point for all software or firmware installation on the Fenix 6 devices. To update the firmware through Garmin Express, we will follow the instructions below:

  • Garmin Express software on the computer will check for periodic updates from the Garmin website.
  • When the update is made available, the Garmin Express software will download it on the computer.
  • Connect the Fenix 6 device with a USB cable to the computer.
  • Garmin Express will push the update to the Fenix 6 device.

This method of updating the firmware on a Fenix 6 watch does not require much manual intervention, except perhaps connecting the Fenix 6 watch to the computer using a USB cable.

You could choose to wait for the software to be made available for the Fenix 6 device. Use Garmin Express or Garmin Connect to get the update and push it to the Fenix 6 watch.

Summary

Stable release 20.50 for Fenix 6 devices seeks to resolve bugs reported in the firmware version 20.30. It also brings in improvements to the device update process. You can choose to deploy the update manually using the steps enshrined in this document. Or, you could prefer to wait for the update to be sent on your device by Garmin.

You may also like to read the following content related to Garmin Fenix smartwatches:

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Helen Kurt - Contributor on TECHEPAGES.COM. Reach me on email.

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].