Garmin fixed many bugs in Vivoactive 6 and Venu 4 watches. What does the new update bring?

Owners of Garmin Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6 watches should take note. After several weeks of beta testing, the manufacturer has started distributing the stable software update labeled 17.33, which arrived approximately two months after the previous version 16.37. It has already reached 50% of users, and if the new update hasn’t downloaded automatically yet, you can trigger it manually via Settings.

The update brings a total of 24 changes, with the vast majority being bug fixes. Some of them are common to both models, while several items are reserved exclusively for Venu 4. Let’s take a look at what specifically is changing.

New features for both models

• With a Garmin Golf subscription, premium features are added, such as green contour data, improved CourseView maps, and PlaysLike distance data
• Support for Approach CT1 sensors for automatic shot tracking on the golf course
• Faster response when starting a timer
• The keyboard layout menu can now be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen
• Updated translations (GCM Translations 3.90)

End of spontaneous restarts

If your watch occasionally restarted out of nowhere, one of four specific bugs might have been responsible. Update 17.33 should fix them. Garmin has fixed restarts in these situations:

• When recording a sports activity
• When viewing the evening report
• When adding apps via Garmin Connect Mobile
• When using WhatsApp on a paired iPhone

Fixes in sports modes

• Pool swim workouts no longer advance through active steps without user interaction
• Vibrations for swim start time are now working again
• Automatic track detection has been disabled for trail running
• Back and down buttons now function correctly during indoor climbing and bouldering
• Pause countdown tones during strength workouts no longer sound out of sync
• Strength workout personal records now correctly sync with the Garmin Connect app
• Upcoming race event is now displayed on the watch again
• Gear wear tracking progress after an activity now includes the just-completed workout
• Fixed battery life estimates when switching power modes during activities
• Activity files now upload to Garmin Connect without errors

Small improvements that please

• The Weather app finally updates immediately upon opening
• The sunrise and sunset data field on the watch face now updates again
• Watches with a large number of saved activities should no longer occasionally freeze
• Fixed a number of minor bugs that Garmin does not specify further

What’s new only for Venu 4

The more expensive and feature-rich Venu 4 receives six exclusive adjustments compared to the Vivoactive 6. The most noticeable is the silent mode. The remaining items are again fixes:

• Added silent mode with quick access via control loop or button shortcut
• Fixed incorrect touch screen behavior after ECG measurement
• Incoming calls can now be answered directly from the watch again
• Garmin Coach workouts reliably sync to the device
• Voice commands, music, or voice notes can no longer be opened during an active call
• Excessive battery drain after using the phone assistant or answering a call has been stopped

One catch: the restart bug returns for some users

Although the update promises an end to restarts, a complaint has already appeared on the official Garmin forum from one user whose watch got stuck in a so-called bootloop (constantly restarting itself) after installing the update. Whether this is an isolated case or a more widespread bug is not yet clear.

Has update 17.33 already arrived on your Garmin devices?

Sources: Garmin (1, 2, 3)