Garmin Smartwatches Get Full WhatsApp Support - But Only on Latest Models

Garmin has announced that Meta has added a new WhatsApp to the Connect IQ store. Please note that the app is only available on selected smartwatches. Specifically, the list of compatible smartwatches is as follows: D2 Air X15 Enduro 3 Fenix E Fenix 8 Fenix 8 Solar Fenix 8 Pro Quatix 8 Quatix 8 Pro Forerunner 570 Forerunner 970 Tactix 8 Venu 4 Venu X1 Vivoactive 6

Garmin's latest WhatsApp app brings full messaging functionality to compatible smartwatches, but the feature comes with significant hardware limitations.

What's New

The WhatsApp app for Garmin smartwatches offers several key features that bring messaging functionality directly to your wrist:

• View up to 10 recent messages without checking your phone
• Send emojis and reactions to messages
• Reply using Garmin's built-in keyboard
• Decline incoming calls (but cannot answer them)
• Works with both Android and iOS paired devices

The app pulls data from your paired smartphone, meaning it requires a Bluetooth connection to function. If your smartwatch and phone go out of range, the WhatsApp functionality stops working.

Compatibility Limitations

Here's where things get complicated. The WhatsApp app is only available on a very specific subset of Garmin's 2024-2025 smartwatch lineup:

Fully Compatible Models:

• D2 Air X15
• Enduro 3
• Fenix E
• Fenix 8 / Fenix 8 Solar / Fenix 8 Pro
• Quatix 8 / Quatix 8 Pro
• Forerunner 570
• Forerunner 970
• Tactix 8
• Venu 4 / Venu X1
• Vivoactive 6

Notably Excluded:

• Enduro 2 (last year's flagship)
• Entire Fenix 7 generation
• Forerunner 165 (despite still being sold)
• Enduro 3 (confusingly listed as incompatible)
• Instinct 3 series
• Instinct E
• Instinct Crossover AMOLED

This selective compatibility suggests the app requires specific hardware capabilities found only in Garmin's newest models, though the company hasn't detailed exactly what those requirements are.

How It Compares

The feature set is somewhat limited compared to what you might expect from a full WhatsApp experience. Voice dictation isn't mentioned, which means typing replies on a small watch screen will be the primary input method. The inability to answer calls is also a notable restriction.

However, the ability to view and react to messages without pulling out your phone is a significant convenience upgrade for compatible users. This puts Garmin more in line with Apple Watch and Wear OS devices that have had similar messaging capabilities for years.

Who It's For

This update is primarily for owners of Garmin's latest high-end smartwatches from 2024-2025. If you own one of the compatible models listed above, you can now download the WhatsApp app from the Connect IQ store and start using it immediately.

For everyone else - particularly owners of popular models like the Fenix 7 or Forerunner 165 - this feature remains unavailable, highlighting the rapid pace of obsolescence in the smartwatch market.

The WhatsApp app can be downloaded now from the Connect IQ store for compatible devices.

Source: Garmin

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About the Author: Alex Alderson - Senior Tech Writer - 14448 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2018

Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.

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News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2026 03 > Multiple Garmin smartwatches get full WhatsApp support with new release

Alex Alderson, 2026-03-17 (Update: 2026-03-17)