Getting notifications set up on your Garmin Venu Square smartwatch is easy and allows you to view alerts for calls, texts, social media, and more right on your wrist. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to get notifications working on your Venu Square.
Prerequisites
Before you can start using notifications on your Venu Square, there are a few prerequisites:
- Your Venu Square must be paired with a compatible smartphone via Bluetooth. See Garmin’s list of compatible devices.
- The Garmin Connect app must be installed on your smartphone (available for Android and iOS).
- Notifications must be enabled on your smartphone for the apps you want alerts from.
- Your Venu Square must have the latest software/firmware updates installed. You can check for and install updates in the Garmin Connect app.
Set Up Notifications in Garmin Connect App
Once your Venu Square is paired with your phone, you can enable notifications in the Garmin Connect app:
- Open the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone.
- Tap the icon in the top left corner to open the side menu.
- Select Garmin Devices.
- Select your Venu Square device.
- Tap Notifications.
- Toggle on Notifications.
This will enable basic call, text, and calendar alerts to your Venu Square. You can customize which specific app notifications you want to receive in the next step.
Customize App Notifications
To pick and choose which connected smartphone apps you want to get notifications from on your Venu Square watch:
- In the Garmin Connect app, select the Notifications option for your Venu Square.
- Select Notification Settings.
- Here you will see a list of apps on your smartphone. Tap on an app to toggle notifications on or off, customize alert types (calls, texts, etc.), and set quiet hours when you don’t want notifications.
- Repeat for each app to customize alerts. Make sure to tap Save when done.
Some common apps that can be enabled for Garmin watch notifications include:
- Phone calls
- Text messages
- Calendar
Manage Notifications on the Venu Square
When you get an alert on your Garmin Venu Square watch, you’ll see an icon at the top of the screen indicating the app sending the notification. Swipe down from the top to view the full notification. Some actions you can take include:
- Read full notification – Tap the alert to expand it on the screen.
- Open notification on phone – Select the option to open the relevant app on your connected smartphone.
- Clear notification – Swipe the alert left or right to dismiss and clear it from your Venu Square.
- Clear all notifications – Scroll down and tap Clear All to dismiss all outstanding alerts on your watch.
Additionally, you can manage notifications right on your Venu Square watch:
- From the watch face, hold the Up button to open the controls menu.
- Tap to open the Notifications option.
- Here you can toggle notification types on or off, as well as enable/disable Quiet Hours when you don’t want alerts.
Notification Settings on Your Garmin Venu Square
For deeper customization of how notifications display and behave on your Venu Square, dig into the notification settings:
- Hold the Up button from the watch face to open the controls menu.
- Scroll down and select Settings > Notifications and Alerts.
- Options here include:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Status | Turn notifications on or off. |
| Quiet hours | Set times when notifications are suppressed. |
| Privacy mode | Hide message content or disable alerts during activities. |
| Timeouts | Set how long alerts remain on the screen. |
| Alert types | Enable/disable specific notification types like calls, texts, social media. |
Take some time to dial these in so notifications work for you. Keep in mind settings like privacy mode to suppress alerts when you don’t want to be disturbed during a workout.
Quick Replies (Android Only)
If you have an Android phone, you can send quick canned text replies directly from your Garmin Venu Square when receiving compatible notifications. Here’s how to set it up:
- In Garmin Connect, go to Settings > Notifications.
- Select Manage Replies.
- Choose your default quick replies or create custom ones.
- On your watch, select the Text Reply option after receiving a compatible alert.
Unfortunately quick replies are not available for iOS users at this time due to Apple’s limitations. But Android users can take advantage of this handy feature to respond to texts and messages right from their wrist.
Do Not Disturb Mode
The Venu Square watch has a Do Not Disturb mode that will suppress all notifications and alerts. Enable it when you don’t want to be bothered:
- Swipe down from the top of the watch face to view settings quick toggles.
- Tap the Do Not Disturb icon to enable it. Tap again to disable.
This is quicker than adjusting Quiet Hours in the notification settings. Toggle Do Not Disturb on for a movie or meeting, then turn it off again when you’re ready for notifications.
Notifications During Activities
To minimize distractions, your Venu Square will not display notifications when actively tracking a sport or activity. You can change this under privacy settings:
- Hold Up to open the controls menu.
- Select Settings > Privacy > Activity Tracking.
- Change Notify During Activity to On to allow notifications even when tracking activities.
I recommend keeping notifications off during activities so you can focus on your workout. You can always view any missed alerts after you complete the activity tracking.
Troubleshooting Tips
If notifications aren’t showing up on your Garmin Venu Square, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Make sure notifications are enabled in the Garmin Connect app for your Venu Square.
- Check that app alerts are also enabled at the source (e.g. notification settings on your paired smartphone).
- Force quit and restart both the Garmin Connect app and affected smartphone apps.
- On the watch, try disabling and re-enabling notifications from the controls menu.
- Ensure your Venu Square has the latest firmware from Garmin to resolve any bugs.
- As a last resort, unpair and re-pair your watch with your phone in Garmin Connect.
Customizing Which Apps Notify You
By default, your Garmin Venu Square will display notifications from all installed apps on your smartphone. You can customize which apps send alerts:
- In Garmin Connect, go to your device settings.
- Tap Notifications.
- Select Notification Settings.
- Here you can enable/disable notifications app-by-app.
I recommend disabling notifications from apps you check infrequently to minimize clutter on your Venu Square. Only enable alerts from your most important apps like texts, calls, email, and social media.
Notification Limitations
While Garmin’s smartwatches display notifications from your paired phone, keep in mind some limitations:
- Alerts may be delayed a few seconds from your phone.
- Not all apps or message types are supported.
- You may not be able to expand or view full message contents.
- Actions are limited – you can’t reply to many types of alerts.
Due to technical constraints between your watch and phone, notifications aren’t perfect. Expect the essentials like calls, texts, and social media alerts. But don’t count on your Venu Square to replicate every phone alert or allow full interaction.
Conclusion
Notifications on your Garmin Venu Square smartwatch help you stay on top of important updates without constantly checking your phone. Use the Garmin Connect app settings to enable alerts, customize notifications for individual apps, set quiet hours, and manage reply options.
The right notification settings allow you to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed. Toggle notifications on or off right from your wrist to easily control when alerts come through. With some customization in Garmin Connect, you’ll be able to receive important notifications from select apps while minimizing distractions.
Your Venu Square has all the tools you need to keep calls, texts, calendar events, emails, social networks, and more just a glance away. Stay connected to what matters most without diving into your smartphone at every buzz or ding.
So customize your notifications, tweak the settings until they feel just right, and enjoy having key alerts delivered right to your wrist so you can go about your day uninterrupted. Just another way Garmin’s smartwatches enhance your daily life by putting technology to good use.