Safety and Tracking Features
The safety and tracking features are supplemental features and should not be relied on as a primary method to obtain emergency assistance. The Garmin Connect™ app does not contact emergency services on your behalf.
To use the safety and tracking features, the Forerunner® watch must be connected to the Garmin Connect app using Bluetooth® technology. Your paired phone must be equipped with a data plan and be in an area of network coverage where data is available. You can enter emergency contacts in your Garmin Connect account.
For more information about safety and tracking features, go to www.garmin.com/safety.
- Assistance
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Allows you to send a message with your name, LiveTrack link, and GPS location (if available) to your emergency contacts.
- Incident detection
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When the Forerunner watch detects an incident during certain outdoor activities, the watch sends an automated message, LiveTrack link, and GPS location (if available) to your emergency contacts.
- LiveTrack
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Allows friends and family to follow your races and training activities in real time. You can invite followers using email or social media, allowing them to view your live data on a web page.
- Live Event Sharing
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Allows you to send messages to friends and family during an event, providing real-time updates.NOTE: This feature is available only if your watch is connected to a compatible Android™ phone.
- GroupTrack
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Allows you to keep track of your connections using LiveTrack directly on screen and in real time.
Adding Emergency Contacts
Emergency contact phone numbers are used for the safety and tracking features.
- From the Garmin Connect app, select .
- Select .
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Your emergency contacts receive a notification when you add them as an emergency contact, and can accept or decline your request. If a contact declines, you must choose another emergency contact.
Adding Contacts
You can add up to 50 contacts to the Garmin Connect app. Contact emails can be used with the LiveTrack feature. Three of these contacts can be used as emergency contacts (Adding Emergency Contacts).
- From the Garmin Connect app, select .
- Select Contacts.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
After you add contacts, you must sync your data to apply the changes to your Forerunner device (Manually Syncing Data with Garmin Connect).
Turning Incident Detection On and Off
Incident detection is a supplemental feature available only for certain outdoor activities. Incident detection should not be relied on as a primary method to obtain emergency assistance. The Garmin Connect app does not contact emergency services on your behalf.
Before you can enable incident detection on your watch, you must set up emergency contacts in the Garmin Connect app (Adding Emergency Contacts). Your paired phone must be equipped with a data plan and be in an area of network coverage where data is available. Your emergency contacts must be able to receive emails or text messages (standard text messaging rates may apply).
When an incident is detected by your Forerunner watch and your phone is connected, the Garmin Connect app can send an automated text message and email with your name and GPS location (if available) to your emergency contacts. A message appears on your device and paired phone indicating your contacts will be informed after 15 seconds have elapsed. If assistance is not needed, you can cancel the automated emergency message.
Requesting Assistance
Assistance is a supplemental feature and should not be relied upon as a primary method to obtain emergency assistance. The Garmin Connect app does not contact emergency services on your behalf.
Before you can request assistance, you must set up emergency contacts in the Garmin Connect app (Adding Emergency Contacts). Your paired phone must be equipped with a data plan and be in an area of network coverage where data is available. Your emergency contacts must be able to receive emails or text messages (standard text messaging rates may apply).
Live Event Sharing
Live event sharing allows you to send messages to friends and family during an event, providing real-time updates including cumulative time and last lap time. Before the event, you can customize the list of recipients and the message content in the Garmin Connect app.
Turning On Live Event Sharing
Before you can use live event sharing, you must set up the LiveTrack feature in the Garmin Connect app.
Spectator Messaging
Blocking Spectator Messages
- Go outside, and select a GPS activity on your Forerunner device.
- Select .
Starting a GroupTrack Session
Before you can start a GroupTrack session, you must pair the watch with a compatible phone (Pairing Your Phone).
These instructions are for starting a GroupTrack session with a Forerunner watch. If your connections have other compatible devices, you can see them on the map. The other devices may not be able to display GroupTrack riders on the map.
- On the watch, hold , and select to enable viewing connections on the map screen.
- In the Garmin Connect app, from the settings menu, select .
- Select All Connections or Invite Only and select your connections.
- Select Start LiveTrack.
- On the watch, start an outdoor activity.
- Scroll to the map to view your connections.
Tips for GroupTrack Sessions
The GroupTrack feature allows you to keep track of other connections in your group using LiveTrack directly on the screen. All members of the group must be your connections in your Garmin Connect account.
- Start your activity outside using GPS.
- Pair your Forerunner device with your phone using Bluetooth technology.
- In the Garmin Connect app, select to update the list of connections for your GroupTrack session.
- Make sure all of your connections pair with their phones and start a LiveTrack session in the Garmin Connect app.
- Make sure all your connections are in range (40 km or 25 mi.).
- During a GroupTrack session, scroll to the map to view your connections (Adding a Map to an Activity).
GroupTrack Settings
Hold , and select .
- Visible To
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Allows you to select who can see your GroupTrack session.
- Show on Map
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Enables you to view connections on the map screen during a GroupTrack session.
- Activity Types
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Allows you to select which activity types appear on the map screen during a GroupTrack session.