Garmin is kicking off a fresh beta software cycle for its premium Venu X1 smartwatch, delivering a sizable wave of refinements after a long quiet stretch. It’s the first major beta rollout for the Venu X1 in more than four months, and it arrives shortly after a recent stable update that focused on cleaning up bugs from earlier firmware.
The new release, Beta version 17.19, is aimed squarely at improving everyday usability and smoothing out a handful of activity-specific problems that Venu X1 owners have been dealing with. One of the most noticeable fixes targets calling: Garmin says it has resolved an issue that could stop users from accepting an incoming call on the watch in certain situations. If you rely on your smartwatch for quick call handling, this is the kind of quality-of-life improvement you’ll appreciate immediately.
Fitness and outdoor users also get attention in this update. Garmin has addressed a problem where the back and down buttons might not work properly during indoor climbing and bouldering activities. There’s also a fix related to mapping, where the popularity map layer could fail to appear after routing was disabled—an annoyance for anyone who uses Garmin’s navigation features to plan or review routes.
Beyond those highlights, Beta 17.19 includes a long list of tweaks designed to make the Venu X1 feel faster and more reliable. Garmin says the timer starts more responsively, and multiple issues that could cause the device to reset have been corrected. Trail runners may notice a change as well, since the watch will no longer attempt automatic track detection during trail run activities.
Swimmers get a targeted fix too: the “send off time” vibration during swim workouts has been corrected, helping ensure interval training cues are delivered the way they should be. Garmin also adjusted call behavior so the mute setting only carries over for the current phone call, rather than persisting beyond it.
Another addition expands sensor compatibility by adding support for Approach CT1 club sensors. There’s also a useful LiveTrack enhancement: it can now be enabled automatically depending on the activity type, making it easier to share location data during specific workouts without having to toggle the feature every time.
It’s worth noting this beta update isn’t being pushed automatically. If you’re a Venu X1 owner enrolled in the beta program and want the new software, you’ll need to request it directly on the watch by going to the Main menu, then Settings, System, Software, and selecting “Check for Updates.”
Here’s everything Garmin lists as included in Beta 17.19 for the Venu X1:
– Adds support for Approach CT1 club sensors
– Allows LiveTrack to be enabled automatically on a per activity type basis
– Improves responsiveness when starting the timer
– Fixes various issues that could cause the device to reset
– Prevents automatic track detection during trail run activities
– Fixes send off time not vibrating during swim workouts
– Fixes a possible issue where the back and down key would not work for indoor climb and bouldering activities
– Fixes an issue that could result in not being able to accept an incoming call on the watch
– Updates mute setting to only persist for the current phone call
– Fixes popularity map layer not showing when routing is turned off
– Fixes other minor bugs
– GCM Translations – 3.80
For Venu X1 owners who want improved stability, smoother workout controls, and better call handling, this beta update looks like a meaningful step forward—especially after months without a major beta release.
