How to reset a Garmin watch

Key Takeaways

• A reset may be necessary if your watch is frozen.
• You must erase your data before giving your watch to someone else.
• Garmin offers many types and methods to reset your watch.

Resetting your Garmin watch may be useful in a few situations. Maybe you've upgraded your device and are selling or giving away your old Garmin watch. Or maybe you just want to reset the settings back to the default settings. It is also possible that your watch is frozen or unresponsive, and a hard reset is required to get it back to working order. Regardless of what you think, Garmin offers several reset options suitable for each of the situations just mentioned.

How to reset your Garmin watch settings

Restore your watch to its original settings

To reset your watch to its default settings, you'll want to perform the following reset. This process will reset the watch to its original settings. It will also delete certain information, such as your user profile, personal records, metrics, and other data.

1. Make sure your watch is off.
2. Press and hold Back (usually the bottom right button).
3. Turn on the watch while still holding Back.
4. Release Back and”Reset default settings?” message appears on the screen.
5. Select Yes. The reset is successful if the watch is solid and goes through the initial setup steps.
6. After a successful reset, place the watch outside with a clear view of the sky for at least 20 minutes to receive satellite data.

How to hard reset your Garmin watch

Repair of frozen clocks

If your watch is completely frozen or has lost communication with your smartphone, Garmin recommends a hard reset. Fortunately, a hard reset will not delete any of your user data.

1. Hold the Power button (usually at the top left). You may need to hold it for up to 30 seconds.
2. If the watch face is blank, release Power.
3. Press Power to turn the clock back on.

How to delete data and reset settings on a Garmin watch

The best way to give a watch to someone new

If you want to start over with your Garmin or give it to someone else, you'll want to wipe all data and reset the settings. This type of reset will erase all settings, your user profile, records, activity history, Connect IQ content, and other data. It is actually a completely clean slide.

1. Hold on The menu (usually the middle left button).
2. Scroll to and select The program.
3. Scroll to and select Reset.
4. Scroll to and select Delete the data and reset the settings.
5. Select Yes. The reset is successful if the watch is solid and goes through the initial setup steps.
6. After a successful reset, place the watch outside with a clear view of the sky for at least 20 minutes to receive satellite data.

How to Hard Reset your Garmin watch

Reset using buttons only

If you need to clear settings and data without going into the menus, you still have another option to reset your Garmin watch. Make sure you read the steps below carefully before starting the reset process.

1. Turn off the clock. This can be done by holding the The light button (top left) for up to 30 seconds.
2. Press and hold Back (lower right button) again Start/Stop (top right button).
3. Press The light to turn on the watch while holding down the Back again Start/Stop buttons.
4. After the first beep, release Start/Stop.
5. After the second beep, release the remaining buttons. The reset is successful if the watch is solid and passes the initial setup steps.
6. After a successful reset, place the watch outside with a clear view of the sky for at least 20 minutes to receive satellite data.

FAQ

Q: When should you reset your Garmin watch?

Garmin recommends avoiding resets unless necessary. If your watch is frozen or unresponsive, a reset may be necessary to restore its functionality. If your watch does not receive a satellite signal, you should try to reset it. Or, if your watch is in the wrong language, a reset may be the only way to fix it. Finally, if you are transferring your watch to someone else, a reset to wipe all your data will be beneficial.