Garmin Vívoactive 4 Troubleshooting

You cannot control the device using the touch screen.

While a bit obvious, dust, dirt, or any other foreign objects can reduce the ability of your device to respond to touch. Consider trying the following:

1. Remove the screen protector if you have one.
2. Wipe thoroughly.
3. Using a microfiber cloth, dry the surface.
4. Replace the screen protector if needed.

If your screen is visibly broken, or if your device is still unresponsive after following the above steps, the screen may need to be replaced. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's screen.

The watch's battery is dying quickly.

If the charging cable and/or adapter is not functioning properly, then the watch may not be charging properly. You can do the following:

1. Try using a different charging cable.
2. If the charging cable does not work, try using a different adapter.

The device retrieving excess notifications through your phone can reduce battery life. To review and filter the notifications displayed on your watch, consider the following instructions:

• IOS
  1. Select the settings application.
  2. Navigate to the notifications center.
  3. Scroll to the Vivoactive section.
  4. Choose only the items you wish to be displayed through the watch and turn off the rest.
• Android
  1. Open the Garmin Connect mobile app.
  2. Open the settings tab.
  3. Choose only the items you wish to be displayed through the watch and turn off the rest.

Pay attention to when your screen is on. If your watch's display is staying on for prolonged periods of time when you are not using it, then that might be the reason for your battery draining quickly. If that's the case, try the following steps:

1. First, start by restarting the device. This simple step may fix the issue.
2. If that does not work, check your display timeout settings. This determines how long your watch's screen will stay on when it is not in use. Do the following steps:
   • On your Vivoactive 4, go to the Settings menu.
   • Select Display.
   • Find the Display Timeout or Auto Sleep option.
   • Set your desired timeout duration or choose the Auto Sleep feature, which will automatically put your display to sleep when not in use.
3. If that does not work, ensure you are running the latest software update on your Vivoactive 4. To check for available software updates, do the following:
   • Connect your watch to a Wi-Fi network or pair it with your phone via Bluetooth.
   • Open the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone, navigate to the Devices tab, and select your Vivoactive 4.
   • If an update is available, you will see it. Follow the prompts you will see on your screen the download and install it.
4. If none of the above fixes the display issue, you can try a factory reset. However, keep in mind that a factory reset will erase all data on your device.

If your battery is simply going bad, it may be time for a replacement. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's battery.

If your sensor is malfunctioning, that could lead to battery drain. Check if your recent health metrics have been accurate. If not, it might be time to replace your sensor. The sensor is connected to the housing. See "Heart Rate Monitor is Inaccurate" below.

User is completely unable to power on the watch.

Ensure that the device is not dead, otherwise charge it. Try plugging in the device and waiting about thirty minutes.

The charging cable and/or adapter you are using to charge your watch may not be working properly. Try the following steps:

1. If the device has not charged, check the contacts on the cable and watch. Try cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol with a small cloth in small amounts.
2. Try using a different charging cable.
3. If the charging cable does not work, try using a different adapter.

If the device has failed to charge so far, you may have a fault battery. This would require a full battery replacement. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's battery.

If the watch has still not been powered or displayed after any of the above options, then the motherboard may need replacing. This is a last resort, make sure to try all of the other troubleshooting options first. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's motherboard.

The wristband does not fit securely to the watch.

It's possible that the slots the wristband straps fit into are dirty and need to be cleaned. To clean the slots, follow these steps:

1. Disconnect the wrist straps from the watch using the insertion pins on the back.
2. Inside the tabs of the watch, pick out any major particles and submerge the watch and the wrist straps in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.
3. Set to dry for 10 minutes and return the wrist straps to the watch.

The pins the wrist straps use to insert themselves into the watch may be damaged. To check if this is the case, do the following:

1. Disconnect the wrist straps from the watch using the insertion pins on the back.
2. Check the insertion pins. If they are bent or broken, you’ll have to replace the wristband. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's wristbands.

If the watch isn’t dirty and the wrist straps are in working condition, it’s likely that the watch housing has been damaged. This will require a full housing replacement. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's housing.

The heart rate the user is seeing is wrong.

A poor fitting watch will have trouble reading your heart rate accurately. To adjust the watch, do the following:

1. Strap the watch securely to your wrist. The wristbands should fit around your wrist comfortably (Not too tight, not too loose).
2. The sensor will emit two green lights underneath the watch when placed correctly on your wrist.

If the sensor is damaged, it will be unable to read your heart rate accurately. If you don’t see green lights under the watch while you’re wearing it, the sensor may be broken. Flip the watch on its back and check to see if the inner black circle has cracks or scratches on it. Damaged optics can cause bad readings. Replacing the sensor will require a full housing replacement. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's housing.

The watch's buttons will not work.

Dirt or debris from daily usage could be locking the button in place. Try the following steps:

Using a thin needle-like device, attempt to clean around the housing of the button.

1. Get yourself a thin needle-like device, any thin solid structure will work as long as it fits in between the housing of your device and the buttons.
2. Gently place the tool in between the buttons and circle around the button applying enough pressure to clean.

If the button is still unresponsive after, you may soak the watch in Luke-warm water for around 10 minutes.

1. Set up a bowl with Luke-warm fresh water, place the watch inside the bowl and submerse in the water. DO NOT use any chemicals to clean your watch as you may damage it.
2. Let the watch soak for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the watch after your 10 minutes is up and rinse under a low-pressure faucet.
4. DO NOT turn the watch on. Please allow your device to sit and air dry until no moisture remains before attempting to use it.

If you are unable to utilize the buttons on your Vívoactive 4 device after following the above guides, you may need to replace them. Please follow the steps in our guide to replace the Vivoactive 4's buttons.