As the Forerunner 955 approaches its second anniversary, Garmin has released a significant update for the smartwatch, which is currently available through the Garmin Beta Program. The expectation is that this beta update will transition into a stable version soon, encompassing all the improvements made during the 18.xx beta development cycle.
With the introduction of Beta Version 18.20, the Forerunner 955 receives its latest set of updates. This version is considered a Release Candidate build, suggesting that unless any critical issues are uncovered, these updates will be made available to all Forerunner 955 users as part of the stable firmware version 18.20. Prior updates such as Beta Versions 18.12 and 18.15 will also be included in the final public release.
The upcoming official release is expected to bring an assortment of enhancements that address stability and user experience:
– Improved optical heart rate performance in cold weather conditions.
– Automatic activity detection transitions for multisport profiles.
– A new database of 400-meter running tracks worldwide.
– Addition of a Jump Rope activity profile.
– Implementation of Lap Undo.
– A Sleep Coach glance feature.
– Several fixes related to backlight brightness and gesture settings.
– Resolutions to crashes and freezes triggered by notification and weather updates.
– Faster updates for notifications displayed on the watch face.
– Remembering set weights for strength workout profiles.
– Corrections to text clipping on the activity summary page.
– Adjustments to touchscreen settings during sleep mode.
– Fixes for text truncation in map navigation data fields.
– Resolved issues with various sport profile settings and UI bugs.
– Enhanced headset compatibility.
– Improved turn point course navigation.
Garmin asserts that Beta Version 18.20 has already been distributed to 50% of Forerunner 955 units participating in their Beta Program. It may take several days for the update to be widely available, but users can manually initiate the update process by navigating through the Main menu to Settings, System, Software Update, and opting to ‘Check For Updates.’ More details are provided on the Garmin forum.
Garmin anticipates rolling out these updates and fixes to enhance the user experience for all Forerunner 955 owners in the near future, reinforcing its commitment to support older smartwatch models with fresh software improvements. Users and enthusiasts are encouraged to share information about the update as every referral enhances community knowledge and support for these devices.
