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My Approach Golf Product is Unable to Acquire Satellites

If your Approach® golf device will not find or connect to satellites and is stuck on the "Locating Satellites" message, or you see "GPS Signal is stronger outside, away from trees and tall buildings" for an extended period of time, the steps below may resolve the issue.

  • Ensure the device has a clear view of the sky (no obstructions, buildings, patio covers, or dense foliage).

    • If the device is in a new location it may take longer than usual to acquire GPS signal.

  • Confirm your device has the latest software installed.

  • Sync your device with Garmin Express™ software or the Garmin Golf™ app to update the predictive orbit files which predict where satellites will be in the sky and reduce GPS acquisition time.

    • Some Approach models allow you to check to see if the EPO (Extended Prediction Orbit) or CPE (Connected Predictive Ephemeris) file is current or expired in the About menu of your watch. If your watch is showing your CPE as “Missing” or “Expired”, this can typically be resolved by syncing the device. See “System Settings” in your owner’s manual for how to access the About menu on your device.

  • Perform a restart by powering the unit off and back on (check the owner’s manual for steps on turning off the device).

If the actions above do not correct the issue, a factory reset may help the device connect to satellites. See factory reset instructions below.

NOTE: A factory reset should be done as a last resort. The reset will bring all device settings back to factory defaults, and user data will be deleted. Sync your device before attempting a factory reset. 


Approach Handheld Factory Reset

For Approach handhelds and range finders, select an option below. 

NOTE: A factory reset should be done as a last resort. The reset will bring all device settings back to factory defaults, and user data will be deleted. Sync your device before attempting a factory reset. 


Approach® G3 | Approach® G5 | Approach® G6 | Approach® G7 Handhelds

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Press and hold Green View/Pin Pointer.

  3. Power on device.

  4. Release GreenView/Pin Pointer when you see "Do you want to erase all user data?".

  5. Select Yes.


Approach® G8 Handheld

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Press and hold Green View/Pin Pointer.

  3. Power on device.

  4. Release GreenView/Pin Pointer when you see "Do you want to erase all user data?".

  5. Select Yes.


Approach® G10 | Approach® G12 Handhelds

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Press and hold Back and OK.

  3. Press and hold Power until the Garmin logo appears.

  4. Continue holding Back and OK for 10 seconds.

  5. Release OK.

  6. Wait 5 seconds then release Back.


Approach® G20 Solar Handheld

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Press and hold Back and OK.

  3. Press and hold Power until the Garmin logo appears.

  4. Continue holding Back and OK for 10 seconds.

  5. Release OK.

  6. Wait 5 seconds then release Back.


Approach® G30 Handheld

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Power the device back on.

  3. Wait for text to appear at bottom of display.

  4. Press and hold on the upper left corner of display.

  5. Release display when you see "Do you want to erase all user data?".

  6. Touch Yes.


Approach® G80 Handheld

  1. Touch Up Arrow Icon.

  2. Select Settings.

  3. Select Reset Settings and Data.


Approach® Z80 | Approach® Z82 Range Finders

  1. Power the device off.

  2. Press and hold Up Button and Range Button.

  3. Press and release Power/Down Button.

  4. When light turns purple, release Up Button.

  5. When light turns red, release Range Button.


Approach Watch Factory Reset

For Approach watches, select an option below.


Approach® S1 | Approach® S2 Watches

  1. Power the watch off.

  2. Press and hold Down and Light/Power.

  3. Release both buttons when you see "Clear user data?" .

  4. Select Yes.


Approach® S3 | Approach® S4 | Approach® S5 | Approach® S6 Watches

  1. Power the watch off.

  2. Press and hold Score.

  3. Press Power.

  4. Release all buttons when you see "Clear user data?".

  5. Select Yes.


Approach® S10 | Approach® S12 | Approach® S20 Watches

  1. Power the watch off.

  2. Press and hold Back and OK.

  3. Press and hold Power until the Garmin logo appears.

  4. Continue holding Back and OK for 10 seconds.

  5. Release OK.

  6. Wait 5 seconds to release Back.


Approach® S40 | Approach® S42 Watches

  1. With the watch powered off, hold the button for a second to power it on (a triangle will appear).

  2. After the first vibration occurs, immediately hold the button.

    IMPORTANT: If you wait too long after the vibration to hold the button, the watch will load to the Settings menu on the watch.

  3. Wait for a second vibration and release the button.

  4. Wait for a third vibration and hold the button.

  5. Wait for a fourth vibration and release the button.

  6. Wait for the watch to reset (this can take up to 15 minutes).


Approach® S44 | Approach® S50 Watches

  1. Press and hold the top button.

  2. Touch Settings.

  3. Scroll down and touch System.

  4. Scroll down and touch Reset.

  5. Touch Delete Data and Reset Settings.

  6. Touch the green check mark.


Approach® S60 Watches

  1. Power the watch off.

  2. Press and release Menu.

  3. Press and hold Action and Back after the triangle flashes (about 2-3 seconds after the triangle appears).

  4. Release Action after the first vibration.

  5. Release Back after the second vibration.

  6. Wait for the watch to reset (this can take up to 15 minutes).


Approach® S62 | Approach® S70 - 42mm | Approach® S70 - 47mm Watches

  1. Power the watch off.

  2. Press and release Menu.

  3. Press and hold Action and Back when the triangle appears.

  4. Release Action after the first vibration.

  5. Release Back after the second vibration.

  6. Wait for the watch to reset (this can take up to 15 minutes). 


Approach® X10 | Approach® X40 Watches

  1. Power the watch off by pressing and holding the device key until the screen goes blank.

  2. Power the watch on by pressing the device key.

  3. After one second, press and hold the device key until the watch vibrates.

  4. Quickly tap the screen approximately 10 times until the watch vibrates a second time.

The second vibration will confirm that operation was successful and the watch will now boot up in regular mode. The GIF images below display the process from steps 2-4.

Approach X40 Unprompted Factory Reset

Approach X40 Unprompted Factory Reset Tapping Screen


For resolving inaccurate distances on your Approach or for reporting golf course map errors, see Related.

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