Many Garmin watch users are experiencing issues where their devices freeze and display a flashing blue triangle when attempting to initiate GPS-based activities like running or cycling. This problem seems to be quite common, impacting well-known models such as the Forerunner 255, 955 Solar, and the newer Venu 3.
A Reddit thread discussing this issue has quickly gained over 350 upvotes and more than 550 comments in just a few hours. Garmin has recognized the problem on its support page, featuring a prominent red banner advising users to restart their devices as a temporary solution. However, many users report that this fix hasn’t been effective.
The timing of these reports suggests that a recent software update may have caused the issue. Numerous users noted that the problem began after syncing their watches or starting a GPS activity, with complaints pouring in from around the globe simultaneously.
Some Reddit users mentioned attempting factory resets, only to have the glitch reappear shortly after. One user humorously compared the triangle to a “squid games abduction” prompt, while another lamented the potential loss of a 300-day step streak.
One Redditor has proposed a possible workaround that involves deleting a specific system file related to recent updates. This method requires some technical skills, but if you’re eager to resolve the issue, you can check out their detailed guide below: (P.S. I haven’t tested this, so proceed with caution.)
HERE IS WHAT IS HAPPENING AND HOW TO FIX:
Garmin pushed (and keeps pushing) broken update to one of the watch subsystems (GPE.bin). Once you sync the watch (no matter if phone/wifi/garmin epxress), the file gets pushed to Garmin/RemoteSW, and installed on restart, activity start, or some time trigger, which will cause the device to boot loop. This is basically a Crowdstrike 2.0.
IF YOUR DEVICE IS ALREADY BOOTLOOPING:
Here is how to factory reset – I added the steps that were not obvious to me:
Power off the watch. This can be done by holding the Light button (top left) for up to 30 seconds. ENSURE THE WATCH IS ACTUALLY REALLY OFF, NOT JUST BOOT LOOPING.
Press and hold Back (the bottom right button) and Start/Stop (the top right button).
Press Light briefly to power the watch on while holding the Back and Start/Stop buttons – ONLY PRESS LIGHT BRIEFLY, TO TURN ON THE WATCH, DO NOT CONTINUE HOLDING LIGHT (holding the light/power button for 10+ seconds will force restart the watch, which will interrupt this procedure).
After the first beep, release Start/Stop (so now you only continue holding the Lap button).
After the second beep, release the remaining Lap button. The reset is successful if the watch powers up and goes through the initial setup steps.
Note that you then need to remove 955 from phone bluetooth settings, and from the Conect app before connecting it again. This will not delete your cloud backups (if you use them).AFTER THE FACTORY RESET:
Set up the watch without connecting to phone or wifi. Only sync with a computer through USB cable and Garmin Express, but you need to make sure you remove the broken update file before disconnecting the watch. It is also possible to restore the previous watch backup this way (Garmin Express → Tools & Content →Utilities → Backup, pick backup, let it sync, and again, remove the GPE.bin before unplugging).
Syncing through phone or wifi always downloads the broken update!
Turn off the phone sync (or watch bluetooth at all)
If you want to sync, sync through Garmin Express on a computer, but before unplugging, you need to delete the update file:
Quit (kill) Garmin Express
Open OpenMTP (or Android File Transfer) and display the device content
Delete all files (GPE.bin) in Garmin/RemoteSW/
Only then it is safe to unplug the watch
Thanks to Standa Bures for discovering this!
Some people have cautioned against syncing devices until Garmin addresses the issue, likening it to the IT troubles Crowdstrike faced last year. Although Garmin’s support team is currently “researching” the matter, they haven’t provided any timeline for a resolution.
In the meantime, the guidance is straightforward: If your watch is functioning, steer clear of initiating GPS activities. If it’s already non-functional, just hang in there for further updates.
