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Setting Up Voice Assistant on Your Garmin Watch

Use the voice assistant feature on compatible Garmin® watches via your paired smartphone to make calls, text, ask questions, and control smart home devices.

Voice Assistant Topics:

What Watch Models Have the Phone Voice Assistant Feature?

The following watches have Voice Assistant or Phone Assistant:

  • D2® Air X10

  • fēnix® 8 - AMOLED Edition | fēnix® 8 - Solar Edition 

  • Forerunner® 570

  • Forerunner® 970

  • tactix® 8 - AMOLED | tactix® 8 - Solar

  • Venu® 2 Plus

  • Venu® 3 | Venu® 3S

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What Phone Models Are Compatible to Use This Feature?

Most popular phones are compatible. (For a list of known incompatible models see: garmin.com/voicefunctionality.)

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What Voice Assistant Types are Supported?

Garmin watches will support the following voice assistants:

  • Bixby® voice assistant

  • Google Assistant™ virtual personal assistant

  • Siri® voice recognition software

Using another native or third-party voice assistant may not work properly with your watch.

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Smartphone Voice Assistant Optimization

For optimal voice assistant use on your watch, choose your phone's assistant below:

Bixby® Voice Assistant

To improve Bixby communication with your Garmin watch, adjust these Samsung phone settings. Instructions can vary; contact Samsung for assistance.

  • Set Bixby as the default assistant app.

  • Enable Bixby on your lock screen.

  • Add your Garmin watch as a Trusted Device for Smart Lock (optional).

Setting Bixby as the Default App:

  1. Search for Default Apps in the phone settings.

  2. Select Choose default apps under Apps.

  3. Select Digital assistant app.

  4. Select Device assistance app.

  5. Select Bixby Voice.

Enabling Bixby on Lock Screen:

  1. Open the Bixby app.

  2. Open the Settings menu.

  3. Toggle "Use While Phone Locked" to on.

Google Assistant™ Virtual Personal Assistant

To improve Google Assistant communication with your Garmin watch, adjust these Android phone settings. Instructions can vary; contact your phone manufacturer for assistance.

Switched your Samsung phone to Google Assistant, but the watch still uses Bixby? Follow these steps:

  1. Open your Phone's Settings App.

  2. Search for Bixby Apps or Bixby Voice.

  3. Select Bixby Apps or Bixby Voice.

  4. Select Set as default.

  5. Select Clear defaults.

Activate the watch's voice assistant again. On your phone's prompt, select Google Assistant.

Siri® Voice Recognition Software

To optimize Siri communication via your watch, ensure these iPhone settings are configured:

  • Enable Siri on your smartphone.

  • Allow Siri When Locked.

  • Allow Siri access to the iPhone lock screen.

To Enable Siri and Allow Siri When Locked:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

  2. Select Siri.

  3. Toggle Allow Siri When Locked to on:

     image of Siri Settings on iPhone

To Allow Siri Access to the iPhone Lock Screen:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

  2. Select Face ID & Passcode or Touch ID & Passcode.

  3. Enter iPhone passcode.

  4. Toggle Siri on under Allow Access When Locked as shown below:

    Face ID and Passcode Settings on iPhone

For more information see:

Change Siri settings on iPhone

Control access to information on the iPhone Lock Screen

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Volume Control

To adjust the volume for your Garmin watch Voice Assistant feature, review the following:

  1. Activate the Voice Assistant on your compatible device.

  2. Wait for the Voice Assistant icon to listen to your command voice assistant icon to appear and give a command.

  3. When your Garmin device communicates, tap the screen to view the Volume Controls volume icon for voice assistant.

  4. The top volume icon will increase volume while the bottom volume icon with decrease volume.

Use cab also use your phone's volume buttons during Voice Assistant feedback to adjust its specific volume.

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How to Disable Voice Assistance

If Voice Assistance is a default shortcut on your watch, remove it from the shortcut key to disable its alert. See the FAQ for steps to change shortcuts: Setting up the Right Middle Shortcut Button.

The fēnix 8 and tactix 8 series watches do not come with a default shortcut option for the Phone Assistant, though one can be enabled through your watch settings. Search your owner's manual for "Shortcuts" to find steps on customizing the shortcut keys.

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How is Phone Assistant Different from Voice Command?

Some watch models feature Voice Command. For phone tasks (calls, texts), use the watch's Phone Assistant. For watch tasks (viewing widgets, starting an activity), use Voice Command. Be aware that overlapping commands like "start timer" will run on the phone via Phone Assistant and on the watch via Voice Command. To learn more about Voice Command, see Using Garmin Voice Command on Your Watch.

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How to Use Voice Functionality on Your Venu 2 Plus, Venu 3 or D2 Air X10 Watch

How to Use Voice Functionality on Your fēnix 8 Watch

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