A Connect IQ developer says third-party apps on the Fenix 9 Pro lose GPS in more than half of sessions, with recording stopping after about 14 seconds. The issue affects only Connect IQ apps that record their own activities. Garmin‘s built-in sports profiles are unaffected, and I used the Fenix 9 Pro for a month without experiencing it.
What happens to GPS on Fenix 9 Pro
The developer posting as Michael on Garmin’s developer forum says his company runs one of the larger apps on the Connect IQ store. The app tracks activities by combining accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS data. He has not named it.
He says that on the Pro models of Fenix 9, more than half of the sessions recorded in Connect IQ apps lose GPS. The fault follows the same pattern every time: GPS recording stops after about 14 seconds. He describes the problem as unresolved and says it has brought complaints and negative reviews for his app.
Most owners will never see it
The fault appears only when a Connect IQ app records activity instead of a standard Garmin sports profile such as Run or Bike. I used a Fenix 9 Pro for a month with Garmin’s own profiles and didn’t experience it.
Garmin’s own profiles are a separate matter. The Fenix 9 Pro scored 79% in my standard 10-mile GPS test, compared with 92% for the Forerunner 970. Results for every watch I’ve tested are in my GPS accuracy hub.
The developer is anonymous, and his app is unnamed, so his session figures cannot be checked. Jim_m_58, a long-standing Connect IQ developer whose apps have passed 100,000 downloads, has offered some support. He disputed that the wider problems in the post are common, but he also said other developers are waiting for a GPS fix on the Fenix 9.
What Fenix 9 Pro owners can do?
- If you rely on a Connect IQ app to record runs or rides, check the developer’s support page or store listing for a known Fenix 9 Pro issue.
- Record with a standard Garmin profile when the GPS track matters, for example in a race.
- Install firmware updates as they arrive, because developers say they are waiting on Garmin for the fix.
- Report the fault to both the app developer and Garmin support.
The full hardware details are on the Fenix 9 Pro specifications page.
Forerunner 170 gyroscope is missing for apps
The same developer filed a bug report in August showing that Forerunner 170 and Forerunner 170 Music do not make their gyroscope available to Connect IQ apps, even though Garmin lists a gyroscope in the specifications. Accelerometer data reaches apps at 100 Hz, but gyroscope data never arrives, both on real watches and in Garmin’s simulator.
The gyroscope is one of the sensors that separates the Forerunner 170 from the cheaper Forerunner 70 in Garmin’s entry-level Forerunner range, so owners who bought the 170 for gyroscope-based apps are the ones caught out.
Garmin has acknowledged the fault. A member of the Connect IQ team replied that it was “an oversight in the device configuration” and that an upcoming firmware release for both watches will fix it. Until then, apps that need the gyroscope will install on the Forerunner 170 but will not work properly.
Fenix 9 Pro was already at 94 bugs
The Connect IQ GPS fault adds to the 94 Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro bugs I counted after the watches’ first month on sale. It isn’t on that list, which already included crashes during navigation, gaps in recorded activities, battery drain, missed pool lengths and Pace Pro failures. By 26 September, Garmin had fixed seven of them in a single software update, and none of the fixes covered the activity crashes. Fenix 8 launched with a similar list in 2024.
The developer’s main request is that Garmin checks GPS and the gyroscope work for Connect IQ apps before a watch ships. That request and the bug list describe the same problem. Basic testing should catch faults before they reach owners, on Fenix 9 Pro and Forerunner 170 alike. I track the fixes as they arrive in the weekly Fix Files.
The developer’s wider complaint
Most of his posts complain about developing for Garmin. The developer says his app rates 4.8 stars on Apple’s App Store but struggles to stay above 3.5 on Garmin’s. Garmin owners make up about 30% of his users and about 90% of his support load, and he says a new Garmin problem appears roughly every other week.
- He says that on some watches, a 100 Hz sensor delivers samples in bursts, about 100 within a few milliseconds, then nothing for the rest of the second, instead of one sample every 10 ms.
- He says some faults affect only certain model units, gives the Fenix 6 as an example, and suspects different hardware batches or suppliers.
- He says Garmin’s first-line support tells users the app is at fault about nine times in ten.
He asks Garmin to add basic GPS and gyroscope checks for Connect IQ apps to its testing across more than 150 watch models, and he has offered a test app for the purpose.
Two other developers agreed with him. ejdevries said the getPowerZones method added in SDK 9.1 cannot be tested in the simulator and fails on some devices it should support, and that SDK 9.2 in June did not fix it. Another developer described apps that run cleanly in the simulator but open to a black screen on the watch. jim_m_58 replied that a four-month gap between SDK releases is normal and that differences between the simulator and real watches are part of the Connect IQ learning curve.
Quick answers
Does Fenix 9 Pro have a GPS problem?
Only in some Connect IQ apps, according to one developer, who says GPS stops recording after about 14 seconds in more than half of sessions. Garmin’s built-in sports profiles are unaffected.
Does the Forerunner 170 gyroscope work with Connect IQ apps?
Not yet. Garmin has acknowledged that the gyroscope was left out of the Connect IQ device configuration and says a firmware update for Forerunner 170 and 170 Music will fix it.
When will Garmin fix the Fenix 9 Pro GPS fault?
Garmin has not given a date. Other developers say they are also waiting for a fix.
Last Updated on 8 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
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On the bike
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Home and indoor training
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- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
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Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
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- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
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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
