Polar 2026 Feature Update: Trend Graphs, Custom Button and 80% Charge Limit

Polar has released its Q3 2026 feature update (firmware 6.0.18) for six watches: Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 Pro, Grit X2, Ignite 3 and Street X. The headline additions are seven-day trend graphs on the watch, a configurable Custom button, full sport-profile settings on the watch and an optional (80 per cent) charge limit. The update went live on 30 September 2026 and installs through the Flow app on a phone or FlowSync on a computer.

The release is welcome after a quiet year. Street X is Polar’s only new watch of 2026, and the Flow mobile app overhaul Polar announced in 2025 still hasn’t arrived. Flow 7.37.0, released two days earlier, adds two-week trend graphs to the app’s Diary view, but it is an incremental update rather than the rebuilt app. New hardware is on the way. Until it arrives, this update gives current owners several features that change day-to-day use, and it follows the Polar OS 5 update released in January.

Which watches get which features

Most features reach all six watches. Street X and Ignite 3 lack the ECG sensor, so they miss the ECG graph, and Ignite 3 keeps its LIGHT button.

Trend graphs for sleep, recovery and training

The watches now show a week of data for Polar’s main recovery metrics, so you can see whether a low overnight HRV reading is a one-off or part of a pattern without opening the Flow app. During a hard training block, the Nightly Recharge graph shows at a glance whether recovery is holding up or sliding.

• Sleep and recovery: seven-day graphs for Nightly Recharge, ANS charge, Sleep charge, nightly heart rate, nightly heart rate variability, nightly breathing rate and sleep duration.
• Running Index: your seven most recent results appear in the Weekly summary view.
• Weight: your seven most recent measurements appear in the Daily activity view.
• ECG: your seven most recent test results appear in the ECG test history view, on the watches with Polar’s Elixir sensor.

Running Index is Polar’s running-fitness estimate, and a seven-result graph makes it easier to see whether a training block is moving your aerobic fitness in the right direction. For how overnight metrics compare across brands, see the recovery tracker hub.

The Custom button

The LIGHT button is now the Custom button on every model except Ignite 3. By default, it still switches the backlight on and off, but you can assign one function in time mode and a different function for each sport during training. Options include taking a lap, showing the time of day, jumping to a training display, the flashlight, an ECG test on watches with ECG, and a breathing exercise. A triathlete can therefore set one shortcut for the swim, another for the bike and a third for the run. Polar lists every option in the Custom button section of the Vantage V3 user manual.

Sport settings on the watch

Important settings for each sport profile are now available directly on the watch, including training sounds, automatic pause, automatic lap, satellite mode, GPS recording rate and the Custom button. You can reach Sport settings from the main Settings menu, in pre-training mode, or while a session is paused. You can change a profile at the start line or mid-session without reaching for your phone.

The menus have been reorganised to suit the change. They use updated colours and smoother transition animations; some settings that previously sat under Settings in pre-training mode have moved into Sport settings, and Timers is now available directly from pre-training mode.

An 80 per cent charge limit

You can now stop the watch charging at 80 per cent to extend the battery’s lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries wear faster when held at full charge, so the setting helps most if you leave the watch on the charger overnight or for long periods. The trade-off is less time between charges, because each charge stops at 80 per cent. Turn it on under Settings > General settings > Battery > Charge limit 80%. Switch it off the night before a long race so you start with a full battery.

For how Polar compares with other watches on runtime, see the sports watch battery life hub.

Optical heart rate changes

Polar says the updated algorithm reduces occasional drops in optical heart rate readings during training, sleep and daily wear, and improves accuracy across different skin characteristics. All the watches except Ignite 3 also get a fix for false “Couldn’t find cadence and speed sensors” alerts, which will please cyclists who pair a speed or cadence sensor.

Watch faces and quick weight input

The digital watch face gains more background styles on every model except Street X.

Weight input is now in the quick settings menu, which opens when you swipe down from the top of the display in time view. You can also set a reminder to update your weight under Physical settings. Polar uses your weight in its calorie calculations, so keeping it current makes those figures more accurate.

Polar lists the changes for each watch in its product update notes, starting with the Vantage V3 6.0.18 release note. The full hardware specification for the flagship is on the Vantage V3 spec page.

Take out

This is a good update from Polar, and I’d like to see more like it soon. The trend graphs are the pick of the release. A week of HRV, sleep and Nightly Recharge data on the wrist shows whether a bad night is a blip or a pattern, without opening the app. The Custom button and on-watch sport settings mean fewer trips to the phone. The 80 per cent charge limit trades some battery life per charge for a battery that lasts more years, which suits anyone who rarely needs a full charge.

Owners of Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 Pro and Grit X2 get everything. Ignite 3 owners get the least, with no Custom button.

The new features still sit within Polar’s somewhat dated menu structure, even with the refreshed colours and animations. That said, if you want simplicity and ease of use, Polar fits the bill nicely.

The bigger gaps remain. The rebuilt Flow app announced in 2025 hasn’t shipped, and new hardware is still to come. If you’re buying now, a £349 Vantage M3 gets every feature in this update for £170 less than the V3.

Quick answers

Which Polar watches get the 6.0.18 update?
Polar released firmware 6.0.18 on 30 September 2026 for Vantage V3, Vantage M3, Grit X2 Pro, Grit X2, Ignite 3 and Street X. Pacer, Pacer Pro and older models are not included.

How do I turn on the 80 per cent charge limit on a Polar watch?
Update to firmware 6.0.18, then go to Settings, General settings, Battery and turn on Charge limit 80%.

Does Polar Ignite 3 get the Custom button?
No. Ignite 3 gets the trend graphs, sport settings on the watch, the charge limit, and the new watch face backgrounds, but its release notes do not include the Custom button.

Last Updated on 30 September 2026 by the5krunner

the5krunner

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