- Phones and tablets
- Smartwatches
Heart rate glance Disabled
Garmin Heart rate glance Disabled: watch shows no heart rate
Risk level
Low
Usually safe to check without specialist tools.
Urgency
Low
Quick answer
The heart rate glance on your Garmin watch says 'Disabled', shows a greyed-out heart with a slash or displays dashes instead of a number. Garmin asks you to check the sensor setting, Battery Saver, the fit on your wrist and a restart.
Safety first
Stop and check this first
- A Garmin watch heart rate is not a diagnosis: Garmin states its wearables are not medical devices. If you worry about your health, speak to a doctor.
- According to the Forerunner 965 manual, a restart may erase data or settings; if you still can, sync first and do not restart blindly.
Safe checks you can perform
- Look at what the heart rate glance displays
- Review the Wrist Heart Rate setting on the watch
- Rule out Battery Saver
- Adjust the fit, clean the sensor and restart if lights stay off
Leave these tasks to a qualified professional
- Do not attempt this professional task: Restart and update the software before blaming the sensor
- Do not attempt this professional task: Re-enable sensor and glance following the model's manual
What a technician must be able to justify
Technician visit
These are the steps they must carry out and show you. Tick them as they work: if steps are skipped, do not accept a part swap.
These are not instructions for opening or handling the equipment yourself. They are the checks that should support a technical conclusion.
Restart and update the software before blaming the sensor
What they doIf the setting is right and no heart rate shows, the watch is restarted and the latest software is installed with Garmin Express.
They must show youthe rear sensor lights on after the restart and the update finishing in Garmin Express.
In writingsteps taken, their result and that no sensor fault is claimed from this display alone.
Re-enable sensor and glance following the model's manual
What they doThe technician checks the glance, the Wrist Heart Rate setting and Battery Saver in that order and leaves the sensor on, with the watch worn, until a number appears.
They must show youthe glance displaying a real heart rate value after the setting is corrected.
In writingwatch model, state of each setting before and after and that the device was not opened.
Before accepting a part or repair
Nothing has been shown yet. Do not accept a part swap based on the code alone.
Follow these steps
Note: Follow the documented order. An error code identifies the affected system, but it does not prove by itself which part has failed.
Look at what the heart rate glance displays
- Who:
- you, wearing the watch.
- How:
- scroll to the heart rate glance; if it says Disabled, select it to see whether it offers to enable the sensor, and on an older watch look for a greyed-out heart with a slash through it.
- Result that matters:
- learn whether the sensor is off, the glance is missing or only dashes appear.
- If the glance offers to enable the sensor and a number appears afterwards:
- already solved.
- If the glance is not in the list:
- enable it using your model's manual and look again.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the glance showing the word Disabled, the grey heart or the dashes.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Review the Wrist Heart Rate setting on the watch
- Who:
- you, in the watch menu.
- How:
- on the Forerunner 965 hold the menu button and open Health & Wellness > Wrist Heart Rate; check that Status is not off (the factory value is Auto) and remember that switching it off also switches off the wrist pulse oximeter.
- Result that matters:
- confirm that the wrist sensor is enabled in the watch.
- If Status was off and after returning to Auto the heart rate appears:
- the switched-off setting explained it.
- If Status was already Auto and still no data appear:
- look at Battery Saver.
- Evidence to keep:
- a screenshot or photo of the Status setting as it stands.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Rule out Battery Saver
- Who:
- you, holding the watch.
- How:
- open Power Manager or Battery Manager in the settings and see whether Battery Saver is active; Garmin says it turns itself off once the watch has charged to at least 80%, or you can switch it off by hand.
- Result that matters:
- see whether the saver mode was keeping the sensor off.
- If after switching it off the sensor measures again:
- Battery Saver was the cause.
- If the saver was already off:
- move to the fit on the wrist and the cleaning.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the Battery Saver state and the battery percentage.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Adjust the fit, clean the sensor and restart if lights stay off
- Who:
- you, with clean water and a soft cloth.
- How:
- wear the watch above the wrist bone, snug but comfortable; rinse the back glass with clean water, dry it well and, if the rear lights stay off while worn, restart the watch as your model's manual describes.
- Result that matters:
- remove a loose fit, lotion residue and a sensor lock-up as reasons.
- If the rear lights come on and a heart rate appears:
- it was fit, dirt or a lock-up.
- If the lights stay off after the restart:
- do not open the watch and note the result for the technician.
- Evidence to keep:
- a photo of the back of the watch with the lights on or off.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Still not solved
If the error persists, stop here. See what the technician must do and show you.
Where this code applies
A code is meaningful only inside the right product and version context.
Primary scope
- System
- Phones and tablets
- Brand
- Garmin
- Product type
- Smartwatches
Known code variants
- Corazón gris con una barra atravesada
- Dashes instead of heart rate
- Disabled
- Disabled en el widget de frecuencia cardíaca
- El reloj Garmin ya no muestra la frecuencia cardíaca
- Garmin watch no longer displaying heart rate
- Greyed-out heart with a slash
- Guiones en lugar de la frecuencia cardíaca
- Heart rate glance Disabled
What it means
Garmin's support page on a watch that no longer displays heart rate, plus the Forerunner 965 manual, explain that newer watches show Disabled in the glance when the sensor is off, and older ones a greyed-out heart with a slash. Other models may differ. Such a display does not prove the sensor is faulty, and a watch reading is never a medical diagnosis.
Warnings and stop conditions
- Mediumsource verified
A Garmin watch heart rate is not a diagnosis: Garmin states its wearables are not medical devices. If you worry about your health, speak to a doctor.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
- Lowsource verified
According to the Forerunner 965 manual, a restart may erase data or settings; if you still can, sync first and do not restart blindly.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Symptoms and causes
Probable causes · in order
- Heart rate sensor switched off in the settingsCommon
Garmin states that on newer watches the glance reads Disabled and selecting it offers to enable the sensor; on older watches you see a greyed-out heart with a slash through it.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
- Battery Saver turned onPossible
Battery Saver on compatible watches turns off features such as the optical heart rate sensor and wrist heart rate recording to stretch use when the charge is low.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
- Heart rate glance missing from the glance listPossible
If the glance is not among those on the watch it has to be enabled first; each model's manual explains how to manage glances before you expect any number to appear.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
- Loose fit or dirty sensor with dashes on screenPossible
With the sensor on and its lights flashing but dashes in the glance, Garmin points to a fit problem and mentions that residue from sunscreen or lotion can block the sensor.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
- Rear sensor lights off while the watch is wornLess common
If the lights on the back do not come on while you wear the watch, Garmin says restarting it will often reset the sensor and restore its normal function.
Evidence: My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information · Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch · Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings · My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Virtual technician
Does Heart rate glance Disabled still appear after these checks?
Answer a few questions to narrow down the likely cause and the safest next action. Guidance only - it never replaces a professional.
Sources and technical references
- 1
My Garmin Watch Is No Longer Displaying Heart Rate Information
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 2
Mi reloj Garmin ya no muestra la información de frecuencia cardíaca
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 3
Garmin Wearable Optical Heart Rate Accuracy Tips
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 4
Consejos Para la Precisión de Frecuencia Cardíaca Óptica en Dispositivos Wearable Garmin
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 5
Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Restarting the Watch
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 6
Forerunner 965 Watch Owner's Manual: Wrist Heart Rate Monitor Settings
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
- 7
My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Garmin · 2026 · official_doc
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