Garmin users blame 'OK Garmin' wake word for battery drain after September update
Garmin users report battery drain linked to the 'OK Garmin' wake word enabled by a September update; it can be disabled.
The update removed the need to press a button to launch voice activation on those smartwatches. Instead, users say “OK Garmin” and then give a command. Because the watch must continuously listen for the wake word, the feature adds a noticeable load to the battery. TechRadar cited multiple posts on forums and social media from users who saw sizeable decreases in battery life on the latest software.
One poster on the official Garmin forums found that their battery life estimate had dropped from 15 days to nine days, a reduction of 40%. Another user’s estimate was cut in half, from 12 days to six, while a third went from 23 days to 12. For some people, disabling the OK Garmin feature instantly restored the battery estimate to its previous duration.
The Forerunner 970 owner’s manual warns that enabling the “OK Garmin” wake word “reduces battery life,” although Garmin does not say how much of an impact it can have. Some users may not have realized that voice activation for the Garmin assistant is enabled automatically when they update to the latest software, leaving them to wonder why battery life had fallen without any manual change.
To disable the wake word, users need to go to Watch Settings > System > Voice, then disable the OK Garmin feature. TechRadar reported that something else might be causing significant battery drain, but with multiple reports pointing to the OK Garmin feature, disabling it is worth trying for users who value battery life over an always-on voice assistant on their wrist.