The Venu 2 Plus—Garmin’s sleek AMOLED hybrid—has had a series of firmware updates that bring exciting additions, health optimizations, and annoying little gremlins. Let’s unpack the latest changes, what worked well, and what still trips users up.
🎮 Gaming Mode & Sports Profiles (Beta 15.10 / 15.12 / 15.20)
Back in mid‑2023, Garmin rolled out Beta 15.12 (following 15.10 and earlier 15.08), which introduced the Gaming activity—a cheeky feature that tracks your heart rate and stress while you’re gaming on PC, streaming data via Connect IQ. On the same update, Garmin also restored Tennis and Pickleball profiles and promised improved battery preservation to prolong your device’s lifespan.
Beta 15.20 followed quickly, pushing another Sensor Hub update (v25.80) and more battery-saving features across the Venu 2 lineup .
💡 Core Health & UI Improvements
In early 2022, Garmin pushed a solid update (v10–15) that:
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Added sports like Jump Rope, and court/paddle sports
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Enabled resting heart rate sync across devices
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Improved sleep detection, with restlessness scoring
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Enhanced incident detection usability
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Introduced Voice Assistant controls: volume slider, stable pause/resume of music during calls or assistant use—cleanup for ringing and ending calls.
These refinements made Venu 2 Plus feel tighter, sleeker, and more intuitive.
🔋 Battery Woes: Recurring Drain Problems
Despite Garmin’s battery-first messaging, complaints persist. Users on v9.17 and v16–17 firmware report severe drain—watch going from 100 % to 80 % within 24 h, or lasting just 2–3 days instead of 6–7.
Some folks fixed it by disabling Physio TrueUp or turning off the calling feature, then pairing again . Others performed a factory reset, which temporarily restored battery life—for instance, a Venu 2 Plus went from 3 days back to nearly 2 weeks post-reset . But many report the drain returning after subsequent updates .
Garmin acknowledges the issues—notes on forums reference firmware 10.18 adding fixes to curb battery drain—but real-world sufferers still struggle.
📶 Connectivity & Sensor Upgrades
Earlier builds saw improvements to Wi‑Fi stability, music pause/resume during voice assistant use, and better sensor behavior.
A specific Sensor Hub refresh (15.20) promises smarter sensor handling and longevity—though Garmin hasn’t disclosed details beyond numerical version bump.
✅ Should You Update?
Yes, if you want:
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Gaming activity, Tennis & Pickleball profiles
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Smoother sleep/rest and health tracking
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Better incident detection prompts
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Voice Assistant improvements
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Overall UI polish
Maybe wait, if:
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You're facing battery drain (watch lasts 2‑3 days)
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You depend on call functionality or Wi‑Fi stability
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You prefer reliable day-to-day use over new features
🛠️ Tips for Safer Updating
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Charge ≥ 50 % before updating.
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Disable Physio TrueUp via Settings → System → Physio.
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Turn off calling feature in Bluetooth settings to prevent drain.
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If battery issues persist, try a factory reset—backup first!.
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Perform a post-update reboot and monitor battery for 2–3 days.
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If drain persists, consider reporting to Garmin support or rolling back if possible.
🧭 Final Verdict
The Venu 2 Plus continues to grow stronger: sleek new sports modes, better health/sleep insights, voice-calling polish, and the quirky Gaming feature all add real value. On the flip side, battery issues after updates are more than just fleeting glitches—they’ve become a persistent pain point.
If you're a casual user who doesn’t mind tweaking settings and rebooting occasionally, go ahead and update—it sharpens the experience. But if full-day battery life and stable connectivity are essential (for workouts, travel, or medical tracking), it may be worth waiting for Garmin’s next firmware fix or performing resets after upgrading.
🎯 TL;DR Table
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Gaming, Tennis, Pickleball | ✅ Added via Beta 15.x |
| Battery Optimization | ⚠️ Mixed results; many still reporting drain |
| Health & Sleep Sensing | ✅ Improved rest HR sync, sleep, incident detection |
| Voice & Music Handling | ✅ Fixes for pause/resume, volume slider |
| Sensor Hub v25.80 | ✅ Surface upgrade; details vague |
⚡️Bottom line: The Venu 2 Plus is evolving and improving—but don’t update without checking battery health afterward. Carefully disable a couple of features, reboot, and keep an eye on performance. And if Garmin’s waterworks keep draining your watch—factory reset or reach out to support.