Garmininstinct

My new coworker thought my Instinct 2X was a cheap aliexpress watch

2026-06-09T20:51:25+00:00

We got a new coworker on the team, and about a week in she mentioned she had a headache. I checked the barometer on my watch and told her it might be because the air pressure had been dropping over the last 24 hours.

She looked at me and asked, “How can you tell that just by looking at the time?” So I showed her the graph, and she was genuinely shocked that my watch could do that.

Then she admitted she thought it was some cheap AliExpress watch because “the screen looked so dull.” When I showed her the MIP display out in the sunlight, she was completely blown away.

Honestly, I couldn’t even be mad, the whole situation was just hilarious.

submitted by /u/Right_Restaurant3755
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My instinct :)

2026-06-09T21:20:14+00:00

submitted by /u/Medical-Plantain-284
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I must have touched the sun

2026-06-09T15:27:32+00:00

submitted by /u/Things_an_Stuff
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My instinct and the recovery of a lost $500 radio

2026-06-10T01:16:09+00:00

Over the weekend I was on a bush navigation exercise involving around 300 people spread across roughly 10 square kilometres. There was no mobile phone service.
My little group consisted of myself, my daughter, and two of her 14-year-old friends.

I decided to track the hike on my Garmin, partly out of curiosity and partly because if you don’t track it and post it-it didn’t happen.

We were navigating to a series of markers using either grid references or bearing/distance instructions (for example, a grid reference like 8452-2369, or a bearing of 130° for 1200m).

One of our targets was only about 400m from base camp as the crow flies, so naturally we ignored the easier track option and bush-bashed straight through thick scrub.

Somewhere along the way I managed to lose a $500 radio. An impressive achievement given the expense, the noise it made with every one checking in at markers and … it was bright orange.

We circled around like bush turkeys for about an hour, The bush was incredibly thick and I was responsible for the group, so if one girl got separated or hurt we were screwed without any form of communication. We headed back to camp by track , borrowed a radio and reported the loss. Which was the opposite of enjoyable as everyone in the camp would be notified as we were all on the same Chanel.

I knew roughly where I'd lost it, but "roughly" doesn't help much in dense bushland.

It wasn’t until that night I realised I could track my hike.
I was able to get satellite internet access and uploaded my Garmin activity, exported the GPX track and shared it with people who had mapping apps.
An eager group set out the next morning, used my recorded track to retrace our exact route and were back with the radio within 30 minutes.

So yes, it was a little embarrassing to lose it in the first place, but I have to admit I was pretty impressed that my Garmin ended up being the thing that got it back.
Some stats were about 15hrs of hiking with 36km logged.
The battery lasted to 5 days by the end of camp and I had it set to default hr and measurement checks in both hike and normal view.

Photos attached: (edited as I mixed my colors up) route map green dot was base. Green star is marker. White arrow was the easy route yellow arrow- our dumbass route (the girls chose it - I let them lead and the radio is where it was found , a pic of the marker we were looking for and the place where the radio was found. S and a pic of my crew.

What an adventure.

submitted by /u/Camr0k
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Alguien se ha cambiado de Amoled a Solar ?

2026-06-09T15:06:44+00:00

Se arrepintieron después de pasarse a solar ?

submitted by /u/head7radio
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Love the color.

2026-06-09T05:00:02+00:00

submitted by /u/gaia1104
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Amoled or mip

2026-06-09T20:18:40+00:00

Hi guys, i went from the instinct 2x tactical to the instinct 3 tactical mip,

I love these watches but i saw the amoled version for 380euro, tried it but now iam not sure if i should keep it or not, it loooks so good the screen.

the instinct is my work watch iam a metal worker, i never owned an amoled i came from G-shock i love mip but those vibrant colors... of an amoled its just to work whit i dont train whit it, got my fenix saphire for it.

submitted by /u/Medical-Plantain-284
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Sunburst Instinct with different colored strap?

2026-06-09T16:29:25+00:00

Hey guys! Anyone using the sunburst Instinct with a different colored strap? Thanks!

submitted by /u/sszemtelen
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Garmin Instinct 3 solar heart rate sensor

2026-06-08T18:00:04+00:00

I bought the Garmin Instinct 3 Solar a month ago, and I'm realizing that the battery is dying very fast (without activities, the battery only lasts 5 days).

After looking at the watch, I noticed that the heart rate sensor light on the back never turns off, even if I turn the sensor off.

Can I get some advice?

Note: Pulse Ox is set to manual and Garmin Share is off.

submitted by /u/Better_Level5326
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I’m trying to understand whether this is a lot or a little

2026-06-08T17:43:57+00:00

submitted by /u/HdeH911
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What does this mean - 'key?'

2026-06-08T19:45:33+00:00

Had my Instinct 3 solar for about 2 months, and this has appeared on the bottom of the face. Anyone know what it means?

submitted by /u/StmpnkDon
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Title: Garmin Instinct 2 wrist HR and Pulse Ox randomly stop working — LEDs off, only reset temporarily fixes it

2026-06-09T05:34:42+00:00

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice regarding an issue with my Garmin Instinct 2.

I’ve owned the watch for about 1 year, and before that it had another owner for roughly 1 year, so the watch is around 2 years old in total.

The problem is that from time to time the wrist heart rate sensor completely stops working. When this happens:

The green optical HR LEDs on the back do not light up at all
Wrist heart rate is not recorded
Pulse Ox also does not work
Battery Saver is not enabled
Wrist Heart Rate is set to Auto
The issue appears randomly during the day — I haven’t noticed a clear trigger such as exercise, sleep, charging, water exposure, low battery, or syncing
A normal restart or sometimes a hard reset temporarily fixes the issue
After some time, the sensor stops again

I connected the watch to Garmin Express, synced it, and it says the watch is up to date.

Current software details:

Device: Garmin Instinct 2
Software Version: 17.08
BMX: 14.0.6
Garmin Express shows: “You’re up to date”

The strange thing is that the sensor is not just inaccurate — it seems to completely shut down. When the issue happens, the LEDs are off and Pulse Ox fails as well. After a reset, the sensor comes back temporarily.

So far I have tried / checked:

Restarting the watch
Hard reset / forced restart
Checking that Battery Saver is off
Checking that Wrist HR is set to Auto
Syncing/updating through Garmin Express
Checking the sensor visually when it stops — LEDs are definitely off

My questions:

Has anyone else experienced this on an Instinct 2, especially on software version 17.08?
Could this still be a firmware / sensor hub issue, or does it sound more like a failing optical HR module?
Are there any hidden diagnostics, service menus, reinstall steps, or sensor firmware checks I should try?
Is there any way to force reinstall the sensor hub / WHR firmware through Garmin Express?
At this point, would you consider this a hardware fault and contact Garmin Support?

Any ideas would be appreciated. I’m trying to determine whether this is fixable with software/reset steps or whether the watch is likely developing a hardware issue.

Thanks!

submitted by /u/NeStle992
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Are the products legit? It's for sale. I intend to buy an ultrafit nylon band.

2026-06-09T08:42:41+00:00

submitted by /u/Ynah_mocha
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22mm QuickFit Strap Falling off

2026-06-08T19:33:35+00:00

I got a 22mm quick fit strap for my Instinct 3 45mm ofd of Temu. For the first couple of days it seemed fine, but after that it seemed to come undone if it got caught on something e.g. wearing a bagpack and the bag strap getting caught on the wrist and similar things like that.

I quickly went back to the original strap with the pins as I didnt want any risk.

But what could be the reason. Is the strap size correct?

submitted by /u/kinoomalta
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Was a beautiful day yesterday!

2026-06-07T17:48:16+00:00

submitted by /u/Knifenerdguy
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New to the club

2026-06-07T12:28:42+00:00

Hej! ‘Upgraded’ from a test period from the Fenix 8 Solar and Enduro 3. Love mio, but looks like I love mechanical hands more. Is this the better sportswatch? No. It is the better watch for me? Yes.

submitted by /u/Gans__Solo
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Instinct 3 - is there a list of features sorted by their battery drain?

2026-06-08T03:14:54+00:00

Has Garmin or any third party created a list of features for the Instinct 3 that are sorted by their TYPICAL battery drain? This would help users decide which features they really want turned on.

For example, I have heart rate always on, but pulse oxygen never on. Or, I have bluetooth connection to phone always on.

I know such a list would have to make assumptions for some features, and those can be listed. Maybe Bluetooth power draw is affected by range from phone. And for sure, GPS power draw is affected by what kind of GNSS mode or quality of view to the sky.

submitted by /u/residentalien2
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Infinite power

2026-06-07T08:24:12+00:00

Sunny South Africa gives you infinite battery power with the Solar Instinct 3

submitted by /u/Dapper_Bother5851
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My new Instinct 3 Solar (50mm)

2026-06-06T23:04:06+00:00

I just got my new Instinct 3 solar, I went with 50mm, after sporting the same Apple Watch for the past 7 years.
Went for my first long walk and I have to say only decreasing 3% of my battery over 15 miles is amazing. A few weeks ago I did the same and the Apple watch died before I finished my walk.
I’m still getting used to all the features and options, but so far am loving it. I’m currently using the Instinct Pro watch face, but am definitely interested if anybody has suggestions. I am an avid hiker, cyclist, and walker (currently training for a Rim to Rim at the Grand Canyon later this summer).

submitted by /u/Background-Treat5137
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Sensitive skin to Garmin strap

2026-06-07T02:20:41+00:00

I’ve been wearing the Instinct for over two months and my wrist seems to be allergic to Garmin’s strap from the start. I hoped it would go away if I wore it for a while but it’s still there. I had a similar issue with a Fitbit a couple of years ago but never had this problem with Apple watches or any other non-smart watches I’ve worn. I’m wondering if anyone else has a similar problem and how they dealt with it.

submitted by /u/ProfessionalRefuse92
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Honest answer to how long does the battery last insint 3 solar 45mm or 50mm.

2026-06-07T15:52:41+00:00

A bit of background, I have got Garmin Feniex 6pro Solar and it lasts about 21 day in smart mode, which I feel like is not much. I mainly use it to track running, cycling and occasional hiking here and there.

In paper the Instinct 3 solar (not amoled) has a better battery life than my Feniex. I want honest reviews for battery life of Instinct 3 solar (45mm or 50mm), by people who have been using it.

So, yeah your honest review of its battery life, ideally:

1) Smart mode

2) Using it to track fitness and hiking stuffs

3) Is the solar charging efficient or just a gimmick (for uk).

4) Or should i go cheaper for 2 solar ( I do not need the flashlight)

submitted by /u/PixelatedPotatoo
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Switched from the 2x and…

2026-06-06T18:05:25+00:00

I’m not sure I like it. My 2x would always connect to gps even in my house. This one won’t connect if I’m around a few trees…. Not sure if this is a bad device or what but it’s super annoying.

Battery life obviously sucks (9days because I prefer AOD) I knew that and am ok with it.
Everything else about the watch I’m enjoying. Just not sure if I need to send it in or return it ?

submitted by /u/Knifenerdguy
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Instinct 2x

2026-06-06T13:35:39+00:00

Recently bought a 2nd hand instinct 2x solar as my first Garmin. Really enjoying it - curious to get opinions on size vs my wrist (50mm watch)

submitted by /u/Ok_Extreme_2459
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Garmin Golf and the Instinct 2 and 3

2026-06-06T20:43:38+00:00

So I played golf using my 2 to track strokes and such. I thought it was quite handy and easier to use than a score card. Whenever I'd hit a ball it would count the stroke for me and when I putted out it somehow knew and immediately asked me to confirm my score.

Today was my first round with my instinct 3 using Garmin golf. Looked like the same app, but it would not pick up my contact with the ball, and when I finished the hole I'd have to get a good 25 yards away from the green before it would ask me to score the hole. And I couldn't figure out how to force it to do it early.

I don't know if this is a downgrade or if I just didn't set something up properly. Any thoughts?

submitted by /u/mrcheevus
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Where can i see when was the i3s was charged?

2026-06-06T16:57:04+00:00

submitted by /u/Exciting-Sock7565
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