Garmin CIRQA Update – Significant New Version and Fixes
I don’t normally write about firmware bug fixes, but this one is worth an article. Garmin’s changelog for CIRQA firmware 3.20 is eighteen listed changes, roughly split between fixes and additions. The rollout is at 20%, so it will take about a week to reach every sensor.
Four of the fixes map directly onto issues already catalogued on this site’s running bug list.
Enhancements
- Button behaviour is now customisable: single press or hold to start an activity. I particularly like the press-and-hold option. It feels more natural to me and matches what I’d sometimes do by accident anyway on the single physical button that sets CIRQA apart from every screenless rival in this category.
- Treadmill recalibration when a distance of 1.5km / 1 mile or more is manually entered. This directly addresses the reported pattern of treadmill distance drifting further off with repeated use, and may also help with the outdoor GPS-off distance miscalibration reported separately.
- Rep counting edits are now allowed in Garmin Connect Mobile. This closes out the single-source but detailed report that reps and weights couldn’t be amended after a CIRQA-recorded strength session, regardless of the Auto Rep Counting setting.
- Rep counting is disabled in Upper Arm mode. A sensible call if the motion patterns needed for accurate rep detection don’t hold up away from the wrist.
- GPS is now forced on when Auto Start LiveTrack triggers.
- Low battery and critical low battery thresholds adjusted to 10% and 5% respectively.
- First-time alarm setup now explains how to snooze versus dismiss. A direct response to user confusion over the same snooze behaviour addressed by the Smart Wake fix above.
- Battery Manager moved into the System menu, with an updated battery UI in Garmin Connect Mobile.
- Unused unit settings removed: swim total, pressure, and vertical speed, none of which apply to a device with no swim tracking, altimeter or barometer.
- Default auto lap distance now updates automatically when unit settings change.
- A broadcast prompt has been added for device control, alongside support for entering pairing mode during BLE heart rate broadcasting to establish a connection.
Bug fixes
- Bedtime approaching notifications now fire at the correct time. This is the most likely fix for the Sleep Coach notifications reported firing in the middle of the day rather than close to bedtime.
- Low battery notifications now appear during an activity. Previously, the warning could be missed entirely if it triggered mid-workout.
- Adaptive coaching workouts can now start on Android. A platform-specific bug that didn’t affect iOS users.
- Smart Wake alarm no longer produces unexpected vibrations. This looks like the fix for the pattern where users mistook snooze-related buzzing for a random fault, since a short press only snoozes the alarm rather than dismissing it.
- A crash when pressing the lap option during a Row activity is resolved.
- Minor app UI and device LED bugs are fixed. Garmin doesn’t specify which, so this may or may not cover the app-heading display issue reported by a single user shortly after launch.
None of this touches the accuracy findings from the full review; wrist-worn CIRQA’s specific weak points in open water swimming and running intervals aren’t bug-list items; they’re a sensor-and-motion characteristic. But four genuine community-reported bugs are addressed, the alarm situation gets both a fix and a clearer explanation, and the button now works the way I’d naturally use it.
Garmin CIRQA Smart Band
Screenless health and fitness band (no subscription required)
+other retailersLast Updated on 3 September 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro — I’ve just bought one.
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — A small keyring adapter you can use anywhere. Essential when away. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Wahoo. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.
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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. ID
