Garmin has rolled out Public Beta Version 13.60 for the Forerunner 245, Forerunner 745, and Forerunner 945 smartwatches to address a battery-level reporting bug that arose in the previous update. This error caused the devices to display incorrect battery levels, often overstating the remaining charge.
Although users reported sudden and dramatic drops in battery readings, the underlying battery performance appeared unaffected, with no increased rate of power drain. The new beta aims to provide more accurate battery information and improve user confidence in battery monitoring.
The earlier Beta Version 13.40, released in early October, initially focused on resolving issues with inReach Messenger and Strength Activity features. Shortly after installing this update, however, some users noticed inaccurate battery readings. For instance, one Forerunner 945 user described a sudden 90% drop in charge over 12 hours, followed by a spontaneous jump to 80% upon charging.
These irregularities concerned users, especially given the Forerunner 945’s advertised battery life of up to two weeks in smartwatch mode, leading Garmin to prioritize a fix in the latest beta.
A Garmin representative announced on the company’s forum that Beta Version 13.60 is currently accessible to around 20% of users of the affected models. While Garmin hasn’t specified an exact timeframe for the full rollout, this staged release will allow for early user feedback to ensure the update functions as expected. Partial rollouts like this are common practice to detect any further issues before a complete release to all users.
To access Beta Version 13.60, users can manually check if the update is available by going to the Main menu, selecting Settings, then System, and finally, Software Update, where they can select “Check For Updates.” This option allows those interested to get the fix sooner rather than waiting for an automatic rollout. This update should improve reliability for Forerunner owners, as battery level readings will more accurately reflect real-time usage, providing a more consistent experience.
