Garmin Beta Update Tackles Infamous Bluetooth Woes for Instinct 3 Smartwatches

By Alex Rivera, Tech Correspondent | July 1, 2025

If you’ve been battling erratic Bluetooth disconnections on your Garmin Instinct 3 series smartwatch, relief is finally here. Garmin has rolled out a highly anticipated beta update (v9.25) targeting the connectivity headaches that plagued users for months—a fix many are calling "long overdue."

The update, released quietly to Garmin’s Beta Program members last night, addresses core instability in the watch’s Bluetooth handshake protocol. Early testers confirm it resolves:

Random disconnections during calls or music streaming
Sync failures with Garmin Connect mobile app
"Ghost unpairing" episodes requiring daily re-pairing

One beta tester, Priya M., shared: "After the update, my watch held connection through a 10K run, Spotify playback, and two calls—something impossible last week."

Getting the Fix

The update is available over-the-air (OTA) for enrolled Beta Program users. Navigate to Settings > Software Update on your Instinct 3 device. Garmin stresses this is still a beta build, advising casual users to wait for the stable release in late July.

🔧 Full beta release notes and feedback submission:
Garmin Forums: Beta Version 9.25

Why It Matters

Bluetooth reliability is critical for Garmin’s rugged outdoors lineup. The Instinct 3 relies on seamless phone pairing for GPS waypoints, emergency alerts, and sensor data—failures during hikes or workouts sparked frustration across forums. This patch signals Garmin’s aggressive pivot to software refinement after hardware-focused launches earlier this year.

Where to Find the Watch

The Instinct 3 series remains a top seller for adventurers, praised for solar charging and military-grade durability. If you’re new to Garmin’s ecosystem:
Check availability on Amazon

The Road Ahead

Beta testers will monitor battery impact and GPS sync stability over the next week. If v9.25 performs well, expect a rapid public rollout. For now, affected users have reason to celebrate—or as one Redditor posted: "My watch finally remembers my phone exists. Small miracles!"

Got Instinct 3 beta experiences? Share them with our team at tips@techpulse.com.