Garmin has started rolling out a fresh beta software update for several of its latest mid-range smartwatches, bringing a handful of useful fixes aimed at improving everyday reliability.
The new release, Beta Version 18.29, is now available for the Garmin Forerunner 70, Forerunner 170, Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, Venu X1, and Vivoactive 6. It follows Beta 18.27, which arrived near the end of August with a longer list of changes and improvements.
This time, the update is smaller, but it still addresses issues that could affect daily use. One of the main fixes targets a problem where alarm quiet starts were not working as expected. With Beta 18.29 installed, alarms should behave more reliably for users who depend on their Garmin watch for wake-ups, reminders, or scheduled alerts.
Garmin also says the update includes multiple fixes for minor issues, although it has not provided detailed notes on every change. These smaller adjustments are typically designed to improve stability, smooth out software behavior, and reduce bugs across supported devices.
Another notable improvement applies to select models with voice alert support. On the Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970, Venu X1, and Forerunner 170 Music, voice alerts should no longer play when the watch is set to silent mode. This should make silent mode more consistent, especially during workouts, meetings, sleep, or other moments when users do not want audio interruptions.
However, this specific voice alert fix does not apply to every device receiving Beta 18.29. Garmin has not included it for the Forerunner 70, Vivoactive 6, or the standard Forerunner 170 model without Wi-Fi connectivity.
For now, the Venu 4 has not received the same Beta 18.29 update and remains on Beta 18.27. It is unclear when Garmin plans to bring a similar update to that model.
While Beta 18.29 is not a major feature-packed release, it should still be a welcome update for Garmin smartwatch owners who value smoother performance and fewer software glitches. Users enrolled in Garmin’s beta program can check for the latest firmware through their watch settings or the Garmin companion app, depending on their device.
