Garmin watch faces and apps can now change their look with skins or themes which switch a watch face’s colours, fonts, and artwork. This comes from new developer features Garmin released on 20 October 2026, which also let 3rd party apps use three things your device can already do. Until now, these apps couldn’t access the speaker and microphone, the new Fenix 9 satellite modes, or LTE on the Fenix 8, Fenix 9, and MARQ 3. Now they can.
The exclusive insight comes from Reader @Crisp, who writes Connect IQ apps. Garmin’s own notes mention the audio change but say nothing about LTE.
Themes and skins
Developers can now send new artwork and fonts to an app after the fact, so one watch face can offer a set of looks and a developer can add more later without you updating anything. It works on Edge as well, so a data field on your Edge could be reskinned the same way.
Apps that talk, and LTE that does something
That could mean saving a spoken note mid-ride, reading a message aloud, or a coaching app talking you through an interval in its own voice. In an unlikely coincidence, Garmin launched the Edge 1060 the day before, with a microphone as its headline addition.
LTE is the change that would alter how you train, if it turns out to mean what it looks like. Today, an LTE Garmin uses its cellular connection for LiveTrack, assistance and incident detection and very little else. If apps can switch LTE on and send data over it, a Fenix 9 or a MARQ Gen 3 could pull a TrainingPeaks workout, fetch live weather or carry messages on a long run with no phone in your pocket.
One word of caution here. The new controls might only let an app check whether LTE is already running before using a service Garmin already allows.
Apps also get the Fenix 9 satellite modes, so a third-party running or cycling app can use the same GPS settings the watch offers in its own menus. Apps can also exchange more with websites, which fits Garmin’s purchase of TrainingPeaks and the workout syncing that came with it.
What apps still cannot do
Three things stay off limits.
- Apps cannot use “Okay, Garmin” voice commands,
- cannot read the course or route you have loaded, and
- cannot change how often GPS takes a position.
Developers have had a rough few weeks, with store approval delays running into weeks and third-party apps losing access to Garmin data. New capability counts for less when an app then waits a month to reach the store. The full list of changes is on Garmin’s Connect IQ developer site, and everything else is on the Garmin hub.
Quick answers
Will my Garmin watch get themes?
Themes depend on developers building them. Garmin lets watch faces and apps load new artwork and fonts after installation, which is what a theme needs.
Which Garmin devices get the new LTE controls?
Fenix 8, Fenix 9 and MARQ Gen 3, the three Garmin devices with LTE hardware. No Edge cycling computer has LTE, including Edge 1060.
Can Garmin apps use LTE for data now?
Not confirmed. The new toolkit includes the controls, and Garmin has not said what they allow.
When did Garmin release the new toolkit?
Connect IQ SDK 9.3.0 arrived on 20 October 2026, matching the software already on devices.
Last Updated on 21 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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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. See the gear tfk uses. ID
