[Garmin Firmware ChangeLog]: What's New in 29.05 | Forerunner 165/255/265/955/965

Overview

Garmin has posted Software Version 29.05 for the Forerunner 165, Forerunner 255, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 955, and Forerunner 965 families. The release is a stable firmware rollout, and each official announcement currently lists the update at 50% phased rollout.

All five Garmin posts use the same short changelog. The named fixes focus on Garmin Connect behavior: strength personal records syncing to Garmin Connect, and heart-rate or power data fields configured from Garmin Connect Mobile.

Official announcements:

Update Details

Device	Version	Channel	Rollout
Forerunner 165 Series	29.05	Stable	50% phased rollout
Forerunner 255 Series	29.05	Stable	50% phased rollout
Forerunner 265 Series	29.05	Stable	50% phased rollout
Forerunner 955 Series	29.05	Stable	50% phased rollout
Forerunner 965 Series	29.05	Stable	50% phased rollout

Garmin says users can manually check for the update from the watch:

Open Menu.
Go to System.
Select Software Update.
Choose Check For Updates.

Because this is a phased rollout, your watch may not see version 29.05 immediately even if another Forerunner owner already has it.

Garmin Forerunner 29.05 Changelog

Garmin's public notes for these five Forerunner models list the same changes:

Fixes strength personal-record syncing to Garmin Connect.
Fixes configuration of heart-rate and power fields from Garmin Connect Mobile.
Includes additional bug fixes and improvements.

This is not a feature-heavy release. It is a targeted stable update for people who rely on Garmin Connect Mobile to manage training data fields and who expect strength workout records to stay consistent between the watch and Garmin Connect.

What the Two Named Fixes Mean

Strength Personal Records

The strength personal-record fix is about syncing those records to Garmin Connect. It does not mean Garmin changed rep counting, exercise detection, strength workout structure, or the way the watch records the activity file.

If strength personal records have looked different on your watch and in Garmin Connect, version 29.05 is worth installing once it appears for your model. After the update, record a normal strength workout and compare the personal-record data on both sides.

Heart-Rate and Power Fields

The second named fix affects heart-rate and power data fields configured from Garmin Connect Mobile. In practice, this should make phone-side activity-profile changes more dependable after syncing back to the watch.

This does not imply a heart-rate sensor accuracy change or a new running-power algorithm. It is a configuration and sync fix: the fields you choose in Garmin Connect Mobile should be more likely to appear correctly on the device.

How 29.05 Compares With Recent Forerunner Updates

Version 28.05 was a broader stable update for these watches, with fixes around race events, Garmin Run Coach, Garmin Connect uploads, Schwinn pairing, workout previews, and distance interval audio prompts. Version 29.05 is narrower.

Our previous 28.05 coverage:

Garmin also tested similar Garmin Connect fixes in the recent beta branch. The important difference here is that these 29.05 posts are stable-release announcements, not Public Beta announcements, so regular users can receive them through the normal software update flow once their device is included in the rollout wave.

Should You Install Forerunner 29.05?

Install 29.05 if either named issue affects your normal training workflow. Strength personal-record syncing and data-field configuration are easy to overlook until they break, but both can create friction if you use the watch as your main training log.

If your Forerunner is working normally and version 29.05 has not appeared yet, there is no reason to force anything unusual. Wait for the phased rollout, sync the watch, keep enough battery available, and install through the normal software update menu.

Before updating, it is still worth syncing recent activities to Garmin Connect. That gives you a clean backup point before the watch restarts and applies the new firmware.

Conclusion

Garmin Forerunner Software Version 29.05 is a modest but useful stable update for the Forerunner 165, 255, 265, 955, and 965. The release is currently listed at 50% rollout and focuses on Garmin Connect reliability: strength personal-record sync plus heart-rate and power field configuration from Garmin Connect Mobile.

For most runners, this is not a headline feature update. It is still worth installing once available, especially if Garmin Connect data consistency matters to your training workflow.