Key Takeaways
1. Garmin has released an interim update (System Software 9.21) for Instinct 3 and Instinct E smartwatches.
2. The previous update (System Software 9.20) included enhancements for Rucking activities and sleep tracking.
3. System Software 9.20 had a bug that caused activity crashes with GPS, which has now been fixed in 9.21.
4. Approximately 20% of Instinct E and Instinct 3 users have received the notification for the new update.
5. Users can manually check for updates by navigating to Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates.
Garmin has completed the development of an interim update for the AMOLED and Solar versions of the Instinct 3, along with the more budget-friendly Instinct E, which currently retails for $249.99 on Amazon. To summarize, the company introduced System Software 9.20 a few weeks back, featuring enhancements for Rucking activities and improvements in sleep tracking, among other tweaks. Following this, they included these updates in their May 2025 Feature Updates, which are being offered on various new smartwatches.
Update Details
It turns out that System Software 9.20 had a bug, which Garmin quickly resolved with Beta Version 9.21. Now, the firm has moved this update to its stable software channel, and it is being distributed worldwide as System Software 9.21. As it is, System Software 9.20 should fix an issue that caused activity crashes when GPS was being used.
Download Information
As of now, Garmin indicates that approximately 20% of Instinct E and Instinct 3 smartwatches have already received a notification to download the latest update. If you haven’t seen this notification, you can manually check for System Software 9.21 by going to Menu, then System, then Software Update, and finally tapping ‘Check for Updates’. For more details, you can refer to Garmin’s forum posts.
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