The Garmin VivoActive 3 is a smartwatch that is equipped with GPS and a wrist-based heart rate monitor. It is primarily designed for an active lifestyle and is good for fitness tracking, running, and as a smartwatch.
This watch is a fine-looking fitness-focused smartwatch with a lot of features and long battery life that keeps you going for days. Each edition of the watch is well-equipped to track your activity.
It also helps to improve your productive life with the innovative technology built in. The Garmin VivoActive 3 is a GPS fitness-focused smartwatch with many activity-tracking features.
However, many users need to be fully familiar with all the features of the Garmin VivoActive watch. If you also belong to that category, then you arrived at the correct destination.
In this article, we will provide a brief about the Garmin smart VivoActive 3 watch. Just have a look at the following sections to get familiar with the VivoActive smartwatch.
What are the Features of Garmin VivoActive 3?
Garmin VivoActive 3 is a great fitness-focused smartwatch. It has also debuted with other fitness trackers like sleep tracking, body oxygen measurement, and fall detection. It also has numerous other features, here are some of them.
- 15 preloaded sports modes.
- Garmin VivoActive 3 watch is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
- Up to 7 days long battery life.
- 1.2-inch transflective memory-in-pixel display.
- Bright display that makes easy to read notifications outdoors and touchscreen.
- You can download different faces, widgets, data fields, and apps from the Garmin Connect IQ Store.
- Time/date, GPS time sync, auto daylight saving, alarm, timer, and stopwatch.
- You can reject call/text responses with preset texts. This feature is only for Android.
- It allows you to sync data from your watch to the Garmin Connect community.
- It keeps you always connected, so you always attend important dates.
Activity Tracking Features of Garmin VivoActive 3
As mentioned above, it has an activity tracking feature that records your daily activity. Below are some activity-tracking features of the Garmin smartwatch.
- Safety and tracking features mean you can invite others to join in your training goals.
- Gym and fitness include cardio and strength. Also, available gym profiles like stability, cardio, elliptic, rowing, stair stepping, and yoga.
- Training, planning, and analysis through which you can download training plans, activity history on watch, GPS speed and distance.
- It is also ideal for creating custom activity profiles and advanced workouts.
- Golfing features consist of Garmin auto shot, digital scorecard, yardage, and round timer.
- Outdoor recreational qualities include back-to-start, total descent/ascent, and open outdoor recreational profiles such as skiing, snowboarding, stand-up paddle boarding, and rowing.
- Swim tracking features include pool swim metrics, stroke classification detection, necessary rest timer, and time/distance alerts.
Easy Steps for How to Update Garmin VivoActive 3
Keeping the device up-to-date is necessary so that they have the latest bug fixes and security enhancements. Updating the device helps to improve its function and operations.
So, you need to ensure the Garmin VivoActive 3 is updated to its latest version. If it is not, you need to update it to its latest version. Here is how to update the Garmin smartwatch.
- First, unlock the device, then press and hold the touchscreen.
- After that, a setting menu will appear, and from there choose System.
- Next, scroll down to the bottom and choose the Software Update option.
- Then your watch will download the software.
- Once the update gets downloaded completely, restart your watch so that update can take place.
- Cycling features that record time/distance cautions, consistent with Varia, speed, and rhythm detector, and available cycling profiles.
Steps to Update Garmin VivoActive 3 through Garmin Express
You can also update your smartwatch through Garmin Express. Go through the following instructions.
- First download the Garmin Express Software, then connect the watch to your computer with the USB cable.
- Then open the software and choose your watch. If for the first time, see – Adding and Removing Devices in Garmin Express.
- Now the Garmin Express program will display the available updates. From there, choose Install.
- Once installed, disconnect your device from the computer. Now watch will ask if you want to Install it Now or Tonight.
- If you won’t receive any prompt or if you choose the Install Tonight option, then you can still access the update from the system menu.
- To access the update, visit Settings and choose the System option.
- After that, choose Software Update and then Update available. Once installed successfully, it is ready to use.
Troubleshooting Some Common Issues with Garmin VivoActive 3
Just like with other devices encountering problems with the Garmin VivoActive 3 is very expected. Fitness trackers and smartwatches are subjected to a lot of abuse on a daily basis.
Although Garmin makes some excellent smartwatches and fitness trackers, all those products are not immune to these issues. Below is a list of some common errors and how to fix those errors.
1. Not Syncing Issue
Garmin VivoActive 3 syncs with Android smartphones over Bluetooth. But sometimes the connection gets affected by several factors. As a result, you might not be able to sync your Garmin info with your smartphone. The following are some resolutions to fix the not syncing problem.
- Ensure the Garmin Connect app is installed on your phone, and the Bluetooth is connected to your phone.
- Put your watch in pairing mode and head to your Garmin device settings, then click on Bluetooth and pair your mobile device.
- To fix this, try to switch your Bluetooth on and off. It looks simple but is often a remedy for most minor issues.
- You can also try to power cycle your Garmin device by switching it on. If this does not work, then reinstall the Connect app on your phone.
- Also, check that the Garmin device has the latest software installed.
2. Notification Issues
The next most common issue users encounter is unable to get notifications from time to time. If you also belong to this category, then you need to tweak a few settings on your phone and Garmin.
For this problem, first, you need to check whether Connect has notification access. To check, visit Settings and choose Apps. After that, choose Garmin Connect and choose Notification.
Next, check the Allow Notification toggle. But if UI is presented differently on your phone. Then search for Notification on your phone settings page. Also, ensure that you haven’t enabled the Do Not Disturb mode and is set to Off on your phone.
Also, check if the Sleep Time settings are correct on your Garmin VivoActive 3. This feature prevents device notifications and alerts from disrupting sleep. And it could disable all notifications if the time is not set correctly.
3. Heart Rate Tracking Problem
Many users have reported having a few issues with the Garmin VivoActive 3 heart rating feature. So to fix this, try to hard restart your devices and app.
Besides this, log into Garmin Connect on the web to check whether the problem persists. If not, the problem is most likely to be with the app on your phone.
You can usually remedy inaccurate heart rate readings, just by adjusting the watch fit on your arm. If still, your heart rate strap fails to broadcast your heart rate, try to remove it and repair it to your watch.
4. GPS Problem
Another most common error that users encounter with their Garmin VivoActive 3 is GPS problem. Watches with GPS connectivity can often take some minutes to lock on to the satellite.
The amount of time it will take to connect depends on your location and other factors. Below are a few ways to remedy the issue.
- Try to sync your Garmin. Syncing to connect should prompt the device to scan for available satellites and speed up the GPS’s signal.
- Start the activity in an open area, that is outdoors devoid of trees and buildings. The lack of physical activity interference should help your wearable acquire a GPS signal quicker.
- Also, double-check the software version of the device. Be sure to update it, if it is not updated to its latest version of software.
- If you still get the issues then you must reset Garmin Watch to work it properly.
5. Garmin Pay Issue
Garmin pay issue is one of the problems that users encounter with their VivoActive 3. This is a wireless payment system that is compatible with Garmin devices.
Although it is a convenient way, it may also encounter a few problems. To avoid such a problem, check if Garmin pay is supported in your country and by your bank as well.
The service works well with Mastercard and Visa cards. It only seems to be working, only if your back supports it. You need to connect to the Mobile data or WiFi, to avoid such problems.
Sum up
Certainly, the above step-by-step guide will make you familiar with the features of the Garmin VivoActive 3. In this guide, you will get to know well-known features, common issues that users encounter with Garmin VivoActive 3, and their resolutions as well.
Simply follow the above steps as given to fix the common problems you encounter with your smartwatch.
