Common problems with Garmin Forerunner 245

Garmin Forerunner 245 is one of Garmin’s most promoted models on Amazon. There are, however, some problems associated with it; let’s examine some of them and their fixes.

Gamin not Syncing

Usually, Garmin Forerunner 245 smartwatch shows a green dot to signify a connection with your phone or other devices. When this notification fails to appear, here’s what to do.

Firstly, check your pairing mode.

Open your tracker’s settings menu, select Bluetooth, and select Pair mobile device.

Toggle the Bluetooth button on your smartphone, turn it on and off and try synchronization again.
Remove and re-add your Garmin Forerunner 245 to your Garmin Connect account. Launch the Garmin Connect app > tap the three-line Menu button > Garmin Forerunner 345 > remove. To re-add your device, use the same steps but select Add Device instead.

Also, give Connect permission to run in the background. To do this, select Settings on your Garmin Connect app > Phone Permissions and turn the tab on or tap Manage Permissions to enable them.

Uninstall and reinstall the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone.

Open the phone’s Settings > Apps menu > Garmin Connect > uninstall. Then head to Google Play, redownload the Garmin Connect app, and install it again. Log in to your Garmin Connect account again and retry the sync process.

Restart both devices, that is, your smartphone and your Garmin Forerunner 245 tracker.
Update Garmin software. Open Settings > System > Software Update.

If the process proves difficult on your smartphone, connect your Garmin device to a PC or Mac and manually update it. To do this, install Garmin Express on your computer and connect your device to it using a USB cable.

Make sure you allow location access. Android users also need to allow Files and Media access (also called Storage.)
If you use a new phone, ensure your Garmin device is not connected to the previous one. If it is, remove the device from Garmin Connect and the phone’s Bluetooth settings.
Check that your Garmin is not in power save mode.

Tap Menu> Power Manager > Battery Saver > Off on your Garmin device. You can also select Activity Settings on your Forerunner 245 > Power Save Timeout and select Extended instead of Normal.

Ensure your phone’s battery savings features are turned off.
If your Garmin Forerunner 245 is connected to more than one mobile device, turn one of the devices off or turn off Bluetooth on one of them and retry synchronization.

Garmin isn’t displaying notifications

Here is what to do when your tracker doesn’t show notifications

Recheck your Bluetooth connection, confirm that it’s on.
Check if notification is enabled on the Connect app. On your Android or ioS device, open Settings > Apps > Garmin Connect > Notifications. Tap on Allow Notifications if it is deactivated.
Ensure your DND mode is off. Turn it off if it’s not.
Also, confirm that your desired notifications are enabled in the notification widget. Open Garmin Connect, select the Menu button > Settings > Notifications > App Notifications. You will see the list of apps allowed to send you notifications, then toggle the buttons to enable or disable notifications from the outlined apps.

If you own a Huawei model, you may need to set Garmin Connect to run in the background to enable notifications. To do this, launch your phone’s Settings, select Battery, and tap App Launch. Toggle Garmin Connect to manage manually.

Check your Sleep Time settings on your Garmin Forerunner 245, ensure the time is set correctly, as this could prevent alerts and notifications from getting to your device. The Sleep Time feature is designed to prevent alerts from disrupting your supposed sleep time.

Garmin battery drains fast

Here is a quick fix to this:

Put off the GPS setting.

Head to System > Sensors > select GPS on your Garmin Forerunner 245. Toggle off systems you don’t use.

Deactivate some notifications. Open the Garmin Connect app on your phone and toggle off the apps you don’t need.
Reduce the device’s brightness, length of the timeout, gesture controls, and other display features. To do this, launch Settings on your Garmin fitness tracker, select System, and tap Backlight to adjust the backlight settings on your device.
Change or turn off pulse oximeter tracking mode.

Open the Settings Menu on your device, select wrist, Path Heart Rate > Pulse Ox > Tracking Mode. Turn it off or change it to During sleep. Doing this will help to extend your battery life.

Turn off Bluetooth or WiFi.

When not in use, deactivate Bluetooth or WiFi connections, and they contribute reasonably to your tracker’s battery life.

To do this, open the controls menu, select the Bluetooth or WiFi icon and toggle it off.

Garmin GPS issues

Try the following fixes if your Garmin Forerunner 245 takes longer to pick signals.

Verify the GPS simulator is turned off. Open settings > Navigation > select GPS Simulator and turn it off. GPS simulator prevents your device from receiving signals.
Ensure you’re in an open area with no trees and clustered buildings, as these could delay signals.
Sync your Garmin to Garmin Connect. This would prompt the device to scan for available satellites and speed up the GPS signal acquisition.
Update your device to the latest software version.
Remain stationary for a few minutes.
Turn on your GLONASS feature. Open the System feature on your Garmin Forerunner 245, select Sensors > GPS. Toggle on the switch for GLONASS and recheck GPS.

Garmin Forerunner 245 Power issues

If your Garmin device won’t switch on, here is the hack to use:

Firstly, ensure that your tracker device is fully charged; plug it into a power source.
Check the charging points; ensure they are not damaged or corroded. Try cleaning them with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl).
Check the fuse in the power cable; your device should receive at least 12 volts, else it will not turn on.
Confirm that your power cable is not damaged.
Update your device software.
Try force rebooting your Garmin device.

Plug your device into a power source by long-pressing the power button for about 15-60 seconds until the display lights up.

Make sure the watch is not frozen or locked up. Press and hold the power button (left button) for 30 seconds. If your device beeps with a screen flash, release the power button and try turning the watch on again. Do this while it’s plugged into a power source.

VO2 Max issues

VO2 max is a prominent feature on the Garmin Forerunner 245. To solve V02 max issues on Garmin devices, do the following;

First, ensure your User Profile is updated with the necessary information, including birth year, height, weight, and power zone settings. Garmin uses these to calculate VO2 max value more accurately.
However, note the following criteria to get a Garmin VO2 max estimate:

Running, walking, and trail running must last for at least 10 minutes.
Cycling must last for at least 20 minutes without any halting.
You must record the activity outside with GPS connected.
Heart rate must be elevated to at least 70% of your maximum for at least 10 minutes

Complete the Heart Rate Zones setup if you have not done so.

To do this, open Settings on your Garmin device > User Profile and select Heart Rate. Wait for a few days for your VO2 max estimate to display in Garmin Connect.

Garmin Pay isn’t working

Garmin Pay is a wireless payment system that comes with most Garmin devices. With Garmin Pay, users can pay for goods or services without using a card.

How to fix Garmin Pay issues:

First, note that you cannot add a card to your Garmin Pay Wallet if your internet connection is faulty.
Check your Android version. It should be 6.0 Marshmallow or higher. This is the minimum device requirement for Garmin Pay.
Check if Garmin Pay is supported in your country and by your bank. See Garmin’s list of the supported banks.

Garmin band issues

Fix:

If your band gets damaged within 30 days of purchase, return the device for a refund or replacement.
Alternatively, you can purchase another Garmin Forerunner band on Amazon or the device store.

Conclusion

Tech gadgets usually have issues from time to time, and Garmin Forerunner 245 fitness tracker is not an exception. Note that these problems are not peculiar to Garmin alone; they could also occur with other smartwatch models.