Several Garmin Fenix 8 Pro smartwatch users have reported crashes and audio playback issues when connecting Bluetooth headphones, with multiple accounts posted on the company’s online forum. The problem reportedly occurs while playing music, audiobooks, or podcasts through apps such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer.
According to users, the issue may cause the Fenix 8 Pro to freeze or reboot when skipping tracks or even during normal playback. The bug appears to affect various Bluetooth headphone models, including the Shokz Open Move, Suunto Wing, and Soundcore AeroFit Pro, across firmware versions ranging from 18.51 (stable) to 20.15 (beta).
One customer wrote that “the latest beta update version 20.18 seems to have fixed the issue,” though the comment has not yet been verified by other users or acknowledged officially by Garmin. The company has not confirmed when the corresponding stable firmware update will be made widely available.
A Garmin forum representative, posting under the name “Garmin – SP,” urged affected users to upvote the discussion thread and said the team will “reach out directly to gather additional information.” The representative also advised syncing the device using Garmin Express software on a computer to ensure all data transfers correctly from the watch.
The Fenix 8 Pro, launched earlier this year, is among Garmin’s flagship multisport watches, known for advanced tracking and offline playback capabilities. Bluetooth-related issues have been reported intermittently by users of the Fenix series in previous software versions, though most were resolved through subsequent firmware patches.
Garmin has not yet issued an official statement regarding the cause of the crash or the expected timeline for a fix, but forum discussions indicate the company is actively collecting feedback from affected users.
Source: Garmin Forum, Gadgets & Wearables