Garmin Forerunner F23 Error Code Fix Guide

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What This Error Means

F23 on a Garmin Forerunner basically means: firmware crash / corrupt system data.

In plain terms: the watch hits bad software or a broken file and chokes instead of starting clean.

  • Screen may flash F23, freeze, or loop on the Garmin logo.
  • Watch may reboot over and over when you try to start or save an activity.
  • Common after a firmware update, a new Connect IQ watch face/app, or a hard battery drain.
  • Usually a software/file problem, not instantly a dead main board.

Official Fix

This is the playbook Garmin wants you to run: restart, update, then reset.

  • 1. Soft reset the watch. Hold the Light/Power button for 15–20 seconds until it shuts off, then press it again to power back on.
  • 2. Give it a real charge. Put it on the charger until at least 50% battery. Low voltage while booting can trigger weird errors.
  • 3. Update the firmware.
    • Plug into a PC/Mac with a good USB cable.
    • Open Garmin Express and let it detect the watch.
    • Install any pending software/firmware update and safely eject.
  • 4. Remove new watch faces/apps the official way. In Garmin Connect / Garmin Express, uninstall any recent Connect IQ watch face, data field, or app you added right before F23 started.
  • 5. Factory reset (the nuclear button). On the watch, go: Menu > Settings > System > Reset > Delete Data and Reset Settings (wording varies by model). This wipes unsynced activities and custom settings, so sync first if you can.
  • 6. If F23 still comes back after a clean reset and update: Official answer is: stop here and contact Garmin Support for repair or replacement options.

The Technician’s Trick

When the official routine doesn’t cut it, this is the inside move techs use to clear stubborn F23 loops.

  • 1. Force USB/storage mode. Power the watch off. Plug it into a computer with a solid USB data cable. If it keeps rebooting, keep it on the charger and try a few times until it shows up on the computer as a drive named GARMIN.
  • 2. Clean up the file system. On the computer, open the GARMIN drive, then the GARMIN folder. Delete the newest file in the Activities folder and everything inside the NewFiles folder. Those are usually where corrupt FIT files live.
  • 3. Strip out Connect IQ troublemakers. Still in the GARMIN folder, open APPS, WIDGETS, and WATCHFACE (if your model has them) and delete any third‑party stuff you installed before F23 started. You can reinstall clean versions later.
  • 4. Eject and hard reboot. Safely eject the GARMIN drive from the computer. Then hold the Power/Light button 15–20 seconds to fully kill it, release, and power it back on.
  • 5. Test it bare. Let it boot with no extra apps/faces. Start and save a short activity. If there’s no F23 now, the issue was bad files or a sketchy Connect IQ add‑on.
  • 6. Add apps back slowly. Reinstall watch faces/apps one by one. When F23 returns right after a specific one, that’s your culprit—ditch it for good.
  • 7. Still looping F23 on a totally clean setup? Then you’re likely looking at failing flash memory or a bad main board. That’s not a kitchen‑table repair; you’re into Garmin service or replacement territory.

Is It Worth Fixing? (The Financial Verdict)

  • ✅ Fix: F23 started after a new app/face or recent update, the watch still charges, and a reset/cleanup makes it boot sometimes.
  • ⚠️ Debatable: Older Forerunner, battery already weak, out of warranty, and F23 only clears for a short time before coming back.
  • ❌ Replace: Watch won’t be detected by any PC, won’t charge with known‑good cables, or has water/impact damage along with F23.

Parts You Might Need

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See also

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