Garmin Smartwatch Users Can Now Make Calls and Send Texts Through WhatsApp
If you own a Garmin smartwatch, you can now send texts and make calls via WhatsApp. Garmin announced on Tuesday that WhatsApp is now available for free download from its Connect IQ store. The Meta-owned app will be available for select Garmin Fenix, Forerunner, Venus and Vívoactive smartwatches. This integration makes WhatsApp the only third-party messaging app available on Garmin smartwatches.
Garmin is one of CNET’s leading makers of fitness trackers among runners and for sleep tracking. CNET recently tested a group of smartwatches to see which is the most accurate, and the Garmin Venu 4 earned the top honor for elite-level heart rate tracking on Android phones.
“By bringing a global messaging brand like WhatsApp to select Garmin smartwatches, we’re giving customers another meaningful way to stay connected — whether they’re training, exploring or simply on the move,” Susan Lyman, Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing, said in a statement.
Garmin smartwatch users will be able to read and respond to messages with the built-in keyboard on their watch screens, view incoming calls and accept or decline them, and view their chat history up to 10 messages.
The Kansas-based company uses end-to-end encryption to protect messages shared through the device.
