Garmin Fenix DND – The Clamour to Return to Classic Notifications
Garmin silent over reverting the change.
Garmin fans with the latest Connect app (Android, v5.18, 8 October 2025) are up in arms over a change to Do Not Disturb (DND) settings affecting popular watches like the Fenix 6 Sapphire, Fenix 7s Solar, and Fenix 7 Solar. Previously, these watches vibrated discreetly for notifications even when phones were silenced on DND—perfect for staying alerted in a meeting without the more visible and audible distraction from a smartphone.
Garmin’s latest change makes watches mirror the phone’s DND, entirely silencing vibrations and screen alerts for messages, leaving owners frustrated about losing a much-loved and much-needed behaviour. In Garmin’s defence, the company is copying or respecting the phone’s behaviour!
What’s Changed?
The new setup aligns the watch’s behaviour with the phone’s DND mode, scrapping the independence it previously had to be the primary arbiter of alerting its wearer. For many, this (very) annoyingly disrupts daily work routines, such as when waiting for an urgent message during a meeting.
Affected Watches
The issue hits Fenix 6 Sapphire, Fenix 7s Solar, Fenix 7 Solar, Forerunner 255, and Forerunner 745, paired with phones like Google Pixel 6a, 8 Pro, 9, 9A, and Samsung S25 (Android 16). Other Garmin and Android models are likely affected.
Owner Outcry
Garmin owners are vocal in significant numbers on the company’s forum over the issue and their disappointment with it.
One Fenix owner highlighted further inconsistent behaviour: a CGM app still triggers vibrations, but messages don’t, and calls only sometimes buzz.
This is another issue flagged by Garmin customers as a “dealbreaker”.
What’s the Fix?
Should there even be a fix? What do you think? Is it enough to have a slider making the DND mode dependent/independent of the Android smartphone’s native mode,
GARMIN WORKAROUND CONFIRMED: Downgrade to v5.17.2.
Garmin fans are watching closely for updates—will the company listen and bring back the classic notification control?
Thanks to: Tobias Meier for the heads up on the story.
Last Updated on 26 January 2026 by the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors.
Isen’t it all watches?
I’m one of the affected guys in the garmin forums.
I have the Fenix 8, and stopped getting notifications.
Removed 5.18, and vent back to 5.17.2 a week ago to get my notifications back.
hi
yes i assume so but the evidence i found was only for the watches listed and the android versions listed.
I have a Fenix 5x and I have the same issue. I’m not happy about the change but I can understand the company making the change.
I have the issue with a Vivoactive 5 and a Pixel 7.
To answer the question: Yes, there should be a fix.
My understanding is that this is the way it works for an iPhone user, and maybe Garmin thought it should be the same for everyone (without actually taking into account what the user base thinks). I hated the change enough to have downgraded to 5.17.2. I’ll see what other say when a update happens to the app before I update again.
The watch has a DND option that can be turned on anytime it’s needed. I want the phone to be quiet and the watch to vibrate.
Personally, I’ve always hated that if I go to bed before my regular DND time, setting my phone to DND did not stop my watch getting notifications.
I never expected to have to also set the watch DND to be on, and I don’t even know if the watch has the same ability as my Android phone to turn DND on until the next set period, or if I’d have to go in to change the DND period on the watch, then change it back the next morning.
So, for me, this is how it should have always worked, and I don’t get the uproar. If you just want notifications on your watch, put your phone on silent, no?
For me this is an issue, as I need to have my kids and closest family to go through DND as favorite contacts if anything happens.
Now, with DND enabled on 5.18 I dont get anything even when they need to reach me.
So for now I reverted to 5.17.2.
I set my focus mode to sleep if I go to bed earlier then my regular sleep timer, and everyting is fine.
Instead of this, garmin could fix the issue with watch vibrating like crazy when it’s not in the wrist! Chat would be a great improvement. Cheapest Huawei watches had this from dat one.
Instead of this, garmin could fix the issue with watch vibrating like crazy when it’s not on the wrist! That would be a great improvement. Cheapest Huawei watches had this from day one.
The behaviour is the same with Apple iPhone and Gamrin Connect 5.18
Honestly, i found it normal that smartwatch features are aligned with smartphone, because the watch is the extension of the phone.
But if more user prefer the old behaviour why not.
Inacceptable!
At least they should make it optional in the settings. Easy fix.
This is even more stupid than AMOLED screens.