Update and Learn about Software for the Descent Mk3 Watches

System Software March 2025 Release Notes v19.50

After updating you may be prompted to accept the dive disclaimer again. 

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Fixed potential crash when configuring a graphical compass data field on the dive data screens.

• Fixed dive battery estimates impacted by in-activity always-on display settings.

• Fixed not starting navigation to nearby dive sites in Plan Dive.

• Fixed Auto Zoom and Orientation map settings toggles.

• Fixed blank space appearing at the top of the map while navigating.

System Software March 2025 Release Notes v19.49

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Added Tech Diving Fields: FiO2, Diluent PO2, Raw Ceiling, Gradient Factors, TTS+5, TTS△5, Bailout TTS, Gas Density, GF99, ATR, GCR.

• Added new Pool Apnea activity.

• Added Auto Dive Snooze capability.

• Added Always-On Dive Display mode: Access this setting via Settings > System > Display > In-Dive > Timeout.

• Added Alipay and Weixin Pay applications to the app list.

• Improved the messaging around gauge mode lockouts to be more informative.

• Improved dive precheck to prevent the palm-press shortcut.

• Improved the appearance of the PacePro minimap.

• Improved behavior while scrolling through SubWave message list.

• Fixed the low battery alert so to not trigger while in sleep window.

• Fixed a potential crash saving a Tides location.

• Fixed issue while displaying depth and temperature charts.

• Fixed a potential crash on the Activity Summary page.

• Fix delay in starting and stopping pool apnea activity.

• Fixed the wrong settings appearing for Pool Apnea.

• Fixed the in-dive data fields appearing as options for the Apnea surface screen, when editing the surface screen after editing the in-dive screen.

• Fixed the gas density data field value potentially going to 0.

• Fixed several potential crashes related to the map, data screen editing, and the Garmin Coach glance.

Version 19.34 December 2024 Release

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• [In-Dive Change] Added ability to send and receive additional SubWave messages, with compatible Descent T2.

• [In-Dive Change] Added ability to send and receive SubWave messages direct to/ from another diver (in addition to existing group messages).

• [In-Dive Change] Added ability to respond to a Subwave Message when a message is received

• [In-Dive Change] Improved apnea in-dive data screen layout

• [In-Dive Change] Added display of stopwatch timer to apnea in-dive data screen when active

• Added ability to specify a set of favorite/quick access SubWave messages

• Updated the default End Dive Delay to 5 minutes. This only takes effect if you reset settings.

• The SubWave versions have been incremented to account for the new SubWave features, so you may see a notice on the pre-dive check. Please update your Descent T2 devices and other watches to take advantage of these new features.

• Improved Gauge Dive lockout behavior. Lockout will now occur after spending at least 3 minutes at or below 15ft in a Gauge Dive, rather than after 30 seconds

• Improved stability when pairing multiple tankpods

• Improved SubWave messaging stability and reliability

• Brought in the latest updates from Epix Pro Gen 2 including:

• Added courses and saved locations to device backups.

• Improved heart rate zones to allow setting by BPM.

• Fixed potential shutdown when modifying heart rate zones using Garmin Connect Mobile.

• Fixed potential shutdown on boot.

• Fixed potential increased battery drain after having done an activity with incident detection enabled.

• Fixed issue with trolling motor pairing sequence.

• Fixed issue with maps showing doubly thick lines in some cases.

• Fixed issue causing basecamp to fail to recognize the device.

• Added Garmin Share app.

• Fixed issue causing activity calories and the number of activities to reset to 0 after completing Health Snapshot.

• Fixed issue causing Garmin premade workout animations to be missing.

• Fixed issue causing missing pan/zoom on map during navigation for find my phone.

• Fixed issue causing Outdoor Maps+ downloads to get stuck at 0%.

• Fixed issue that could cause Connect to fail to display which course was used for activity.

• Fixed issue when navigating the watch would the distance to the destination in feet/meters instead of Mi/KM.

• Fixed issue where the golf glance could display a 0 value when using stableford scoring.

• Fixed issue with a missing keyboard switch icon in some languages.

• Fixed issue with strength workouts rounding the weight to the nearest whole number.

• Fixed potential issue with connection of external bluetooth sensors.

• Fixed potential issue with GPS track during snowshoe activities.

• Fixed potential issue with the cursor on the golf map.

• Fixed potential screen distortion on the watch face.

• Fixed potential shutdown after receiving a flag measurement from a Z30.

• Fixed potential Wi-Fi lock up when requesting software.

• Fixed issue causing delay to the flashlight turning on when using a Connect IQ watch face.

• Fixed issue causing loss of elevation data in a multisport activity that started with swimming.

• Fixed issue potentially causing 0 distance for a pool swim activity.

• Fixed issue that could cause sleep to not get recorded.

• Fixed issue where nautical units were not applied to the auto lap setting.

• Fixed issue with incorrect prompt saying FTP was updated.

• Fixed possible shutdown when using Around Me to search the map.

• Fixed potential shutdown when using the Round Trip Routing feature.

• Fixed crash when choosing Pan/Zoom on Apnea map.

• Improved race time predictions.

• Improved auto climb sensitivity in climbing activities.

• Improved map controls.

• Improved messaging for course and location backups when paired to the Explore App.

• Updated translations.

• Misc. bug fixes and improvements.

Version 17.32 September 2024 Release

• Fixed an issue that could cause average SAC rate to be calculated incorrectly in the dive log. This did not impact real-time values in dive.

• Fixed an issue that could cause certain transit cards to show 0 balance.

• Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause the device to freeze up during a Wi-Fi® sync.

Version 17.29 July 2024 Release

In-Dive Changes

• (Mk3i only) Other divers' tanks are now automatically excluded from the SAC rate calculations. Please double-check the "Placement" setting of your transmitters after updating.

•  Improved the stability and smoothness of the in-dive compass.

New Features

• Added additional details to individual dives within an Apnea session, including a new velocity chart to show how your ascent rate changed through your dive, as well as a detailed heart rate chart.

• Added support for tracking the Apnea discipline for each dive.

• Added ability to preview available SubWave messages while on the surface.

• Added Heart Rate Dynamic Source Switching to select the best heart rate data source (watch or chest HRM) to improve accuracy during running activities.

• Added ability to find a lost phone during an activity with GPS.

• Added Garmin Messenger App.

• Added Indoor Walk activity.

• Added Recovery Advisor as an option in Morning Report and Glances.

• Added Self Evaluation to more activity types.

• Improved access to additional characters on the touch keyboard by adding a press and hold option to some keys.

• Renamed 'Climb' sport to 'Mountaineering.' 

• Added support for Outdoor Maps Plus layer additions.

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue where searching nearby Dive Sites would search the wrong area.

• Fixed an issue that could cause hang time to be overcounted in Apnea dives.

• CIQ bug fixes and improvements.

• Fixed errant warnings about trolling motor. 

• Fixed incorrect battery estimate prior to Expedition activities. 

• Fixed issue causing heart rate charts to not show up on some watch faces. 

• Fixed issue causing Outdoor Maps+ to request data endlessly. 

• Fixed issue causing the cadence flashlight to enable incorrectly when in an activity Resume Later state. 

• Fixed issue where "Lap Discarded" keeps flashing on screen after activity was saved. 

• Fixed issue where the X icon was still showing as Twitter. 

• Fixed issue where Wi-Fi was required to delete an already downloaded Outdoor Maps+ bundle. 

• Fixed issue with auto pause speed picker. 

• Fixed issue with Outdoor Maps+ deleting layers unexpectedly. 

• Fixed issue with ski run count in the Last Sport glance. 

• Fixed issue with the altimeter glance when in large font mode. 

• Fixed possible shutdown inside the Body Battery widget. 

• Fixed potential issue with downloading large music playlists. 

• Fixed potential issue with the weather map overlay. 

• Fixed potential shutdown on Navigate page. 

• Fixed potential shutdown when loading activity history with Auto Lock enabled. 

• Updated translations. 

Version 16.25

In-Dive Changes

• (Mk3i only) Added the Diver-to-Diver distance feature. See our FAQ Setup and Use of the SubWave Diver Distance Feature

New Features

• Added new Moonphase watch face. See Customizing the Watch Face on a Descent Mk3 Dive Watch

• Added automatic activity type detection within multisport activities. See Using the Multisport Activity Profile on a Garmin Watch

• Added Jump Rope activity.

• Added Sleep Coach widget glance. See Sleep Coach Feature on Garmin Watches

• Added support for Male voice audio prompts.

• Added database of 400m running tracks all over the world. See Using the Track Run Profile on My Compatible Garmin Watch

• Added the ability to double-tap the screen in golf green view to mark your current position as the hole location, if you are standing on the green.

Improvements and Bug Fixes

• Improved Descent transmitter pairing process when pairing multiple transmitters

• Added CIQ System7

• Connect IQ bug fixes and improvements.

Descent T2 Transmitter Change Log Version 2.24

• SubWave optimization for Diver-to-Diver Distance measurements

Version 15.62

• (Mk3i only) Added support for diver-to-diver messaging. See our FAQ - Setup and Use of the SubWave Diver to Diver Messaging for more instructions.

  You can now send a variety of preset messages to other Mk2i and Mk3i divers.

  You must both have updated (v2.23) Descent T2 Transceivers and be paired to each other to be able to send and receive messages.

• (Mk3i only) Added support for the Diver Assistance hotkey.

  While in a dive, hold the light button until prompted. When released, the watch will periodically send out a "Help Me" message and (on 51mm devices) will strobe the flashlight.

  To end Diver Assistance mode, hold the light button again until prompted.

  Like messaging, this requires an updated (v2.23) Descent T2 transceiver with a placement of "My Tank".

• Added support for quick flashlight control

  Double-tapping the light button will now open a quick control to change between red, white, and strobe while in-dive. The control will dismiss automatically after a few seconds.

• Fixed an issue that could prevent updating to the latest Dive Sites database. If your dive sites have disappeared, please reconnect to Express to download them again.

• Other bug fixes and improvements.

Descent T2 Transmitter Version 2.23

• Added support for Diver to Diver Messaging

• SubWave improvements and bug fixes

Version 15.56

• Updated translations.

• Fixed instability when using the graphical compass field on a custom dive page.

• Various bug fixes and stability improvements

Version 15.55

• (Mk3i Only) Added support for public tank names, with supported Descent T2 software (2.05 or later).

  • The name you assign to a transmitter is now visible to other divers when they pair, to make it easier to pair to the correct devices. 

  • When connected to another diver's transmitter, you can instead set a personal nickname for that transmitter.

  • This isn't currently available for Descent T1, so they will continue to show the Device ID (numbers), as will Descent T2 devices with older software.

• Added a link to nearby dive sites from within the Plan Dive app.

• Improved the default in-dive shortcuts. Hold START+DOWN will be set to Set Compass Heading when you update, unless it's already set to something else.

• Improved the accuracy of the battery estimates.

• (Mk3i Only) Improved how transmitter units are stored. Rather than PSI/Bar being set per-transmitter, there is now one setting for all transmitters available under Dive Setup > Advanced > Units.

• (Mk3i Only) Improved the transmitter menu to show if an update can't be applied due to low battery.

• Fixed several issues related to migrating settings from a Descent Mk2-family device. If you've restored settings from your Mk2 already, please try again after updating.

• Fixed several small usability issues and generally improved stability.