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| The Venu 4 features a built-in LED flashlight, unlike many of Garmin's other sports-focused smartwatches. |
If you’re a proud owner of Garmin’s sleek Venu 4 smartwatch, a new software update is now available in beta. However, this latest release highlights a curious and growing disparity between Garmin’s fitness-focused models and its popular lifestyle watch.
While the recently launched Fenix 8 series and its peers are swimming in over 80 new tweaks and features in their latest beta, and the Forerunner 570/970 models received a robust package of about three dozen improvements, the Venu 4's update is notably more modest.
Released just this September, the Venu 4 has seen a slower update cadence, with Beta Version 16.11 marking only its fourth beta iteration. Interestingly, it shares a build number with the much fuller Forerunner updates but includes only a handful of the changes.
So, what’s actually new for Venu 4 users who choose to install the beta?
What’s Inside Garmin Venu 4 Beta 16.11?
The update from Software Version 15.33 brings a small collection of refinements, centered on new “glances” (Garmin’s term for quick-view widgets) and a useful activity management tool. Here’s the breakdown of the official changelog:
- Three New Glances: The update adds dedicated widgets for tracking your favorite sports teams, monitoring detailed battery life and performance, and logging your weight trends.
- Activity Trim Function: A practical fix for a common frustration. If you forget to stop the timer after finishing a course or activity, you can now trim the recorded data to end precisely at the course’s finish point.
- Audio Prompts Update: The firmware for audio prompts has been bumped to version 2.07, though Garmin’s notes lack specific details on what this improves.
- Training Guidance Tweaks: The watch’s training advice will now consider your recent diving activities, ensuring recovery and load recommendations are more accurate.
A Tale of Two Update Tracks
The contrast in update volume is hard to ignore. It suggests Garmin’s development focus is currently heavily weighted toward its premium outdoor and serious running watches. The Venu 4, positioned as a top-tier health and wellness smartwatch with its vibrant AMOLED display and comprehensive health sensors, appears to be on a slower, more incremental update path.
For Venu 4 users, the new glances are a welcome addition for personalization, and the activity trim feature is a genuinely useful quality-of-life improvement. Yet, the update lacks the depth of new features, sport modes, or performance metrics seen in parallel updates for other lines.
Want to try the beta? You can find the official announcement and installation instructions on the Garmin Beta Program forums: Venu 4 Beta - 16.11. Remember, beta software can be unstable, so it’s not recommended for your primary device if you rely on it for critical health or fitness tracking.
The Bottom Line
Garmin’s Venu 4 Beta 16.11 is a minor but positive step forward, adding convenient tracking options and fixing a common user pain point. However, it also underscores that not all Garmin watches are updated equally. For now, Venu 4 owners may need to temper expectations for massive feature drops, focusing instead on steady refinements to the already-impressive core experience.
The Garmin Venu 4 is available now. You can check the latest pricing and see its features on Amazon.