Garmin’s older Forerunner watches just got a free upgrade - here’s what’s new in the latest update

Proud owner of a Garmin Forerunner watch? Well, if it's an older model, it's about to get a bit smarter.

While the spotlight’s been on Garmin's new and shiny models of late, like the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8, Notebookcheck reports the brand has rolled out a fresh software update for a handful of its older Forerunner smartwatches. And it's not just a minor tweak - it brings some surprisingly useful fixes for runners and gym-goers alike.

The update, known as Software Version 25.04, is now live for the Forerunner models 165, 255, 265, 955 and 965. If you’ve got one of those watches strapped to your wrist, it means better heart rate tracking, fewer bugs and a couple of quality-of-life fixes that’ll make training feel less glitchy.

What’s new in software version 25.04

The headline change in the fresh update is an improvement to wrist-based heart rate tracking. Garmin says this will cut down those moments when your watch thinks you’re running like Usain Bolt when you’re really just jogging round the block. For anyone who’s had oddly sky-high readings in the middle of a workout, this is a small but welcome upgrade.

Beyond that, there are fixes that’ll make Garmin’s Run Coach plans work more smoothly. Strength workouts, which sometimes didn’t register as complete, should now properly log. The update also clears up an odd bug where your Primary Race glance could display a secondary race instead.

Another thing to note is that while most of the eligible watches get the same set of tweaks, the Forerunner 165 misses out on the fix for Power Save Timeout in multisport profiles. Everyone else - from the 255 to 965 - should have had that fixed.

How to get it

If your watch hasn’t already pinged you regarding the update, you can get your mitts on Software Version 25.04 manually. Simply head into Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates on your watch and it should appear.

While the update is by no means a flashy overhaul - Garmin hasn’t suddenly reinvented the interface or dropped new training features, for example - it’s still a worthwhile fix for some potentially annoying bugs.

It's also a reminder of why Garmin continues to keep a hold of its loyal following. The brand has a habit of quietly keeping its older kit alive long after launch, with older watches continuously getting meaningful updates, which is more than can be said for most other tech companies out there.