Garmin CIRQA: new screenless device evidence in Garmin Connect

Garmin’s Connect app has received an update that clearly points to a new product without a screen, as reported by Gadgets & Wearables in the latest public version of Garmin Connect. CIRQA is not named anywhere in it. But what Garmin has added to the app is the clearest sign yet that a new category of hardware is tantalisingly close.

the5krunner has been tracking the CIRQA story since a product page briefly appeared on Garmin’s own website in January, and through the trademark filing that followed in February. This update adds something the coverage to date has lacked: evidence of Connect being readied to deal with a new type of wearable – an advanced, screenless band.

screenlessDeviceCapable, LimitedUI and what they mean

The new additions to Garmin Connect 5.25 are listed below, exactly as they appear in the code.

• • screenlessDeviceCapable integer default 0
  • isScreenlessCapable
  • SCREENLESS_DEVICE_CAPABLE
  • LimitedUI handler started for device
  • Unhandled LimitedUI service request for device
  • setLimitedUIService

The first three are ways of expressing the same thing, i.e. that Garmin Connect now records whether a paired device has a screen. The default value of zero means every existing Garmin product is treated as screen-equipped until a newly paired device tells the app otherwise. Setting that value to a fixed default suggests Garmin intends to track the attribute across all devices in a user’s account, rather than treat it as a single exception.

The final three lines describe what the app does next.

They set up a dedicated background service that starts when needed, handles incoming requests, and lets the phone control or adjust it. This goes beyond simple data syncing. It prepares the phone to actively guide sessions, provide feedback, and serve as the primary interface for screenless devices.

Sounds Familiar?

This pattern already exists in Connect Plus. Subscribers can already record strength workouts using only the phone as the screen and controller, paired with an HRM 600 chest strap. The phone handles everything for that kind of screenless sensor.

The new code in version 5.25 formalises and expands this existing approach to support more dedicated screenless devices like CIRQA.

Commercially, this fits perfectly. A screenless device offers no display or watch faces. Its main value is the recovery, readiness, stress and sleep analysis Garmin provides. That analysis is already the core of Connect+. The subscription becomes the main product, not just an add-on.

Version 5.25 further strengthens this by adding discount codes for Connect Plus users to purchase Garmin hardware. It creates a clear loop: the subscription delivers the key insights the device needs and helps customers buy the hardware itself. Garmin is building a complete commercial model that a product like CIRQA would fit into directly.

 

What the CIRQA timeline already tells us

In January 2026, a product page for a CIRQA Smart Band briefly appeared on Garmin’s own website. It referenced two sizes, several colour options and a mid-2026 shipping window. In February, Garmin filed a United States trademark application, number 99670310, for the CIRQA name. The wording is specific. It covers wearable devices that measure physiological data, bio-signals and bodily behaviour, alongside metrics tied to stress recovery, alertness and performance. There is no mention of workout tracking or step counting. That description places CIRQA in the recovery wearable category, alongside Whoop and the Oura Ring, rather than as a replacement for a Fenix or a Forerunner.

On the first quarter 2026 earnings call, Garmin management used the phrase “new categories” and named Fitness as the fastest growing segment, up 42 per cent year on year. That language fits a product that does not belong to the existing watch or cycling computer lines.

This site has argued before that CIRQA and the Garmin Muscle Battery trademark are almost certainly separate products. The screenless additions in Connect 5.25 do not change that view. They do reinforce that at least one of the two is designed to work without a conventional screen.

What the APK does and does not tell us

Garmin Connect 5.25 does not confirm CIRQA. The new code contains no product codename, no model number and no pairing screen. The term screenless could describe a recovery band, an audio device, a body-worn sensor, or a companion accessory. The code does not separate one from another. CIRQA remains the strongest public candidate, given the trademark wording and the January leak, but the link is still a matter of inference.

An app teardown also reflects work in progress. Some code reaches a public release, and some does not. What this update confirms is that Garmin Connect now provides dedicated support for a device without a screen, and that this support is more complete than in earlier versions of the app.

The launch window this site has tracked since the early 2026 leaks remains May to June 2026. With the recovery wearable market drawing fresh competition, the commercial case for Garmin to act before summer is clear.

Version 5.25 also adds discount code logic for Connect Plus subscribers and new guided breathwork session files. Those additions sit outside the screenless story and are covered separately.

---

Garmin CIRQA FAQ

What is Garmin CIRQA?

Garmin CIRQA is an unannounced wearable expected to focus on recovery and readiness rather than workout tracking. It first came to light on a product page that briefly appeared on Garmin’s website in January 2026, followed by a trademark filing in February. Coverage to date points to a screenless or minimally screened band positioned against Whoop and Oura Ring.

Does the Garmin Connect 5.25 APK confirm CIRQA?

No. The update contains no reference to CIRQA by name, no model number and no images. It confirms that Garmin Connect is being prepared to support a device without a screen. CIRQA is the most likely candidate for that device, but the connection rests on inference rather than direct evidence.

What does screenlessDeviceCapable mean?

screenlessDeviceCapable is a value in Garmin Connect 5.25 that records whether a paired device has a screen. Its default setting is zero, which means existing Garmin products are treated as having a screen unless the product reports otherwise. It is one of six new lines of code that together prepare the app to handle hardware without a conventional display.

When will Garmin CIRQA be released?

Garmin has not confirmed a release date. The January product page leak pointed to a mid 2026 shipping window, and the trademark and software signals seen since are consistent with a launch between May and June 2026. A trademark application does not fix a release date, and Garmin can launch hardware while the filing is still in process.

Will Garmin CIRQA need a subscription?

This is unconfirmed. Garmin Connect Plus already places some screenless workflows, such as phone-based strength workout recording with a chest strap, behind a paid tier. That precedent suggests CIRQA could carry a subscription layer, or at least rely on Connect Plus for part of its functionality. Garmin has said nothing official on the point.

Is Garmin CIRQA a Whoop competitor?

The trademark wording suggests so. It describes a device focused on stress recovery, alertness and performance, with no mention of workout tracking. That positioning matches dedicated recovery wearables such as Whoop and, to a degree, the Oura Ring, rather than a conventional Garmin watch.

Can Garmin Connect record a workout without a watch?

Yes, in a limited form. Garmin Connect Plus subscribers can record strength workouts using the phone as the interface and a compatible chest strap, such as the HRM 600, for the data. This existing feature is the closest working example of the phone-first, screenless arrangement that the 5.25 code appears to formalise.

Last Updated on 20 May 2026 by the5krunner