Garmin ECG – Cleared in EU and Australia (January 2025)

Garmin confirms its ECG App now works in Australia and the European Union (EU) as of 15 January 2025. This cutting-edge feature, compatible with select Garmin smartwatches such as the Venu 3 Series and Fenix 8 Series, enables users to record their detailed heart rhythm and check for signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), providing a new layer of health monitoring.

Q: Why Now?

A: Regulatory approval was required in the EU and Australia even though it had already been granted in the USA

Q: Wasn’t there a workaround anyway?

A: Yes, it was previously possible to trick the Garmin ecosystem into thinking you were normally in the US, and hence, the ECG feature was activated

The remainder of this article looks at the history behind Garmin and ECG, lists the supported geographies and models, and explains how to use the feature with a few troubleshooting tips.

A Milestone in Garmin’s Health Monitoring Journey

The ECG App is a milestone for Garmin as it is the company’s first genuinely medical-grade feature, albeit available in the USA since January 2023! This functionality is crucial for detecting early signs of AFib, an often sporadic condition that may go unnoticed during routine medical examinations.

During the early stages of AFib, it’s common for symptoms to be infrequent, making it difficult to detect in a clinical setting. With the ECG App, customers can conveniently take an ECG recording when they want and optionally create a report of their results to share with their doctor later. [D Bartell, Garmin]

Will other regions, products and software will be covered?

Note that Western European countries outside the EU and EEA are excluded, which means the UK and Switzerland.

Garmin has confirmed its intention to expand the feature to additional regions and products as regulatory approvals are secured.

Note that your Garmin watch must have the latest 5th generation ELEVATE optical heart rate sensor (May 2023) to have the required hardware and to take an ECG reading. Thus, buyers of Garmin’s latest Instinct 3/Instinct E series will never get this feature.

Currently supported products include Fenix 8, Enduro 3, D2 Mach 1 Pro, Epix Pro (Gen 2), Fenix 7 Pro, Quatix 7 Pro, Tactix 7 – AMOLED, Venu 2 Plus, Venu 3 and Venu 3s. Note you must run public software, not beta software.

Likely future products that will also support ECG include: D2 Mach 2, Quatix 8, forerunner 975 (perhaps not Forerunner 275), Fenix 8 Pro, Fenix 8 microLED, Venu SQ3, Venu 3 Plus/4, and Descent MK4i.

A Brief History of Garmin ECG

Garmin’s foray into ECG-enabled devices began in the United States in early 2023. The Venu 2 Plus was the first Garmin smartwatch to feature the ECG App, marking the company’s first medical-grade health-tracking feature. This launch positioned Garmin alongside other wearable manufacturers, incorporating ECG functionality into their products to meet increasing consumer demand for proactive health tools.

The feature debuted exclusively in the US primarily for commercial reasons – the USA being Garmin’s largest single market. A rigorous and time-consuming clearance process from the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which approved the app for detecting AFib. to undertake such a process simultaneously in multiple geographies presented practical difficulties.

With subsequent regulatory authorizations in other regions, Garmin is now bringing this feature to a broader audience, further solidifying its reputation as a health and fitness technology leader – though still one that trails some of its competitors.

The Future of Garmin’s ECG

With the addition of the European Union and Australia to the regions supporting the ECG App, Garmin continues to grow its wearable health technology competencies. By enabling users to monitor their heart health conveniently and share detailed reports with healthcare professionals, Garmin empowers individuals to take control of their well-being.

The company will improve its ECG-compatible product portfolio and regional availability. However, regional approval relies on the jurisdiction in question.

The current Elevate 5 sensor requires a manual (or active) reading. Perhaps a newer generation of sensors would support passive detection in the background – as, for example, found on Apple Watch.

How the ECG App Works

When using the ECG App, the smartwatch’s sensors record the electrical signals controlling the heart’s rhythm. In just 30 seconds, users can take a manual reading to view their heart rhythm results directly on the watch. Results can also be synced with the Garmin Connect app on their smartphone to access historical data and create detailed reports for healthcare providers.

To access the ECG App, users must update the latest versions of the Garmin Connect app and their smartwatch software.