Let Your Garmin Switch On Its Flashlight When It Gets Dark

Let your Garmin decide when to switch on the strobe

Running in the dark is all about being seen. Cars, cyclists and other runners need to notice you long before they're close, and a blinking light on your wrist moves with every arm swing, which makes it far easier to spot than a static light.

If your Garmin has a built-in LED flashlight, it can do that for you, and it can decide on its own when it's dark enough to start.

Set it up once

1. Open the Run activity on your watch, but don't start the timer yet
2. Open the activity's menu and go into the Run settings
3. Scroll to Flashlight Strobe
4. Select After Sunset

That's it. You can leave it on for every run: in daylight nothing happens, and once the sun is down the strobe switches on by itself when you start your run. No more fiddling with buttons in the cold with gloves on.

In the same menu you can usually pick how the strobe flashes, such as a steady blink, a pulse or a beacon pattern, and on some watches even one that blinks in time with your running cadence. Pick whatever stands out most without annoying you.

The setting belongs to the activity, so if you also run with a Trail Run or Treadmill profile, set it there too.

Which watches have a flashlight

This only works on watches with a built-in LED flashlight. Right now that's:

• fēnix 7 Pro, 7X Pro, 8, 8 Pro, 9 and 9 Pro
• epix Pro (Gen 2), Enduro 2, 3 and 4
• Forerunner 970
• Venu 4 and Venu X1
• Instinct 2X Solar, 3 and Crossover AMOLED
• tactix 7 and 8, quatix 8, and the Descent Mk3i and X50i
• The Approach S72, the first Approach golf watch with one

Not every size or version in a family has one, so check your exact model. The Garmin Finder can filter on it.

No LED on your watch? You can still turn the screen into a light, and set an alert before sunset so you're never caught out: your Garmin as a flashlight and sunset alerts.

A strobe helps, it doesn't replace a light

A wrist strobe makes you easier to see, but it won't light up the road in front of you, and it sits low on one arm. On dark roads, combine it with reflective clothing and a proper headlamp or chest light.

Find a Garmin with a flashlight →