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Why Am I Getting a Memory Full Message on My Garmin Instinct?

If you are receiving a message on your Instinct® watch that shows Memory Full Delete History, the watch has reached its limit for storing saved activity files. You will need to delete some data to make space for an update, or to record more activities. The following steps will clear saved activities to provide the space needed.

Clear Activity History From the Watch

 NOTE: This will delete all saved activities from the watch. It is recommended to sync to your Garmin Connect™ account prior to clearing the activity history.

  1. Hold the MENU button.
  2. Select History.
  3. Select Options.
  4. Select Delete All Activities.
  5. Select Yes.

Additional Steps for Mac Users

If you have previously accessed the internal storage of your Instinct on a Mac computer, you may have a .Trashes file in the Instinct's file structure. This folder is created if items are deleted from an external drive while it is connected to a Mac and the device is ejected without emptying the Trash on the Mac. If there is a .Trashes folder, it will need to be removed to free up space on the watch. 

  1. Plug the watch into a computer. 
  2. Locate the drive for the watch:
    • Mac: Found under Finder.
    • Windows: Found under This PC.
  3. Open the drive for the Instinct.
  4. Open the Garmin folder. 
  5. Delete .Trashes if present. 
    • Empty the Trash if using a Mac. 
  6. Safely eject the Instinct from the computer: 
    • Mac: Drag the drive to the Trash and then unplug the watch. 
    • Windows: Unplug the watch. 
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