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A mysterious glitch is causing Garmin watches to crash; here's what's happening
- Many Garmin users have reported frequent watch face crashes, showing an “IQ!” logo with an orange exclamation mark.
- The issue seems tied to a bug in Garmin’s Connect IQ platform and could have been triggered by recent firmware updates.
- Garmin has acknowledged the problem and is investigating, but there is no clear timeline for a permanent fix yet.
If you’ve invested in one of Garmin’s feature-packed smartwatches, you likely expected years of smooth sailing. However, over the past few months, many Garmin users have found themselves dealing with a perplexing issue — random crashes that leave their watch faces frozen, displaying an ominous “IQ!” logo with an orange exclamation point.
First reported by Tech-Issues Today, this problem has been quietly plaguing users for months, but reports suggest it’s spreading to even more Garmin models. And it’s not just one or two devices — this bug has been spotted on popular models like the Venu 3, Forerunner 965, Fenix 7, and others.
At the heart of the problem potentially is a glitch in Garmin’s Connect IQ platform, specifically the Storage.setValue() function, which apps and watch faces rely on to save data. When this function acts up, it causes affected watch faces to crash.
The crashes don’t follow a predictable pattern, making them even more frustrating. Some users report their watches failing after receiving notifications, while others experience random interruptions during regular use. Even restarting your smartwatch only offers temporary relief, as the crashes often return, sometimes impacting other watch faces as well.
User reports across Reddit and Garmin forums link the issue to recent firmware updates, including versions 11.16 and 20.29, which seem to have triggered these crashes across multiple models. For developers, the bug has been nothing short of a nightmare. One app creator reported nearly 400,000 crashes in their app since August.
Garmin’s engineers have acknowledged the issue in response to user complaints. However, they have mentioned that consistently reproducing the problem has been a challenge, which is hindering their investigation.
The situation has left Garmin users — and developers — understandably frustrated. For now, patience is the only solution as everyone waits for Garmin to roll out a fix. The company has a good track record of addressing issues like these, so there’s hope that relief is on the horizon.