Set up the epix Pro (Gen 2) by pairing it through Garmin Connect, then tailor its watch face, glance loop, controls and activity screens to the information you actually use. The watch supports both touchscreen and button navigation, and most core changes are available without installing anything.
Start with setup and phone pairing
Hold LIGHT to turn on the watch and follow the on-screen setup. If you want phone-connected features such as notifications and activity syncing, pair through the Garmin Connect app when prompted. Garmin specifies pairing through Connect rather than starting in the phone’s Bluetooth settings. During setup, accept the pairing request on the watch, scan its QR code with your phone, and follow the app’s instructions. Garmin’s epix (Gen 2) Standard/Pro Series Owner’s Manual also says that owners moving from a compatible watch may be able to migrate settings and saved courses.
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If you skipped pairing, hold MENU and select Connectivity > Phone > Pair Phone. After setup, charge the watch and start an activity to get familiar with its basic operation. For notifications, the watch-side route is MENU > Connectivity > Phone > Smart Notifications > Status > On; then choose when notifications should appear and which preferences to use. Notification controls can differ between iPhone and Android.
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Learn the controls before customizing
You can use either the touchscreen or physical buttons. Buttons are useful during exercise or whenever touch input is inconvenient. The touchscreen can be disabled temporarily with a button combination or through System > Touch.
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- Touchscreen: Tap to select and swipe to scroll or go back. Cover the screen with your palm to return to the watch face and dim the display.
- LIGHT: Press to wake or illuminate the display; hold to open Controls. Press twice quickly to turn on the flashlight.
- UP/MENU: Press to scroll; hold to open the menu.
- DOWN: Press to scroll; hold for music controls.
- START/STOP: Select a menu item or open the activity list; during an activity, start or stop recording.
- BACK/LAP: Return to the prior screen or record a lap. Hold to open recently used apps.
Choose a useful watch face
From the watch face, hold MENU and select Watch Face. Use UP or DOWN to preview options. Choose Add New to create a digital or analog face, or select an existing face to apply it or edit its available options. Depending on the face, you can adjust the dial, hands, layout, seconds, displayed data, accent color and data color. Garmin’s watch face settings describe the available controls.
Start with the time and the few data points you check regularly; a face crowded with seldom-used metrics is harder to read. If none of the built-in choices suits you, you can install another face from Connect IQ and then select it on the watch.
Trim and organize the glance loop
From the watch face, press UP or DOWN to move through the glance loop. To customize it, hold MENU and choose Appearance > Glances. You can move or remove items, add glances, and create folders. Glances provide summaries of health, activity, sensor and phone information. Phone-dependent items such as notifications, weather and calendar events require a paired phone.
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Put your most-used shortcuts in Controls
Hold LIGHT to open the Controls menu. To change its shortcuts, go to MENU > Appearance > Controls, where you can add, remove and reorder items. Put frequently used controls near the top so they are quicker to reach.
Set up activity favorites and data screens
Make frequent activities easy to find
The first time you press START to begin an activity, the watch asks you to choose favorites. Favorites appear near the top of the activity list. To change them later, hold MENU and select Activities & Apps.
Make each sport’s data screens easier to use
Open an activity’s settings to show, hide or reorder data screens, change their layouts and fields, and add custom or predefined screens. You can also add a map to an activity’s screen loop. Available fields and settings vary by activity, so an option shown for one sport may not be offered for another. Garmin’s activity and app customization guide covers these options.
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A practical order is to choose your favorite activities, remove data pages you do not use, put your key metric on the first screen, then add a map or other page only when it helps with that sport.
When to use Connect IQ
Connect IQ adds optional watch faces, apps, data fields and music providers. Garmin supports downloading items through the Connect IQ store on a paired phone or on the watch, as well as through a computer and USB cable. To use the phone app for downloads, pair the watch with your phone first. See Garmin’s Connect IQ features guide. The catalog changes over time, and individual third-party items may differ in suitability and quality.
Choose a display mode with battery life in mind
Always-on display makes the screen continuously visible, while wrist gesture lets it wake when you raise your wrist. Garmin’s 2025 manual publishes these smartwatch-mode estimates; they are manufacturer estimates, not independent test results:
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| epix Pro (Gen 2) case size | Wrist gesture | Always-on display |
|---|---|---|
| 42 mm | Up to 10 days | Up to 4 days |
| 47 mm | Up to 16 days | Up to 6 days |
| 51 mm | Up to 31 days | Up to 11 days |
Actual battery life depends on enabled features, including wrist-based heart rate, notifications, GPS, internal sensors and connected sensors. Garmin also notes that always-on display affects battery and display life. These figures are specific to the stated case sizes and display modes; they are not a single battery-life rating for the whole series.
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The watch automatically checks for updates when connected to Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Garmin also documents updates and device management through Garmin Connect on a phone and Garmin Express on a computer. Available software can change, so check the device or app for the current update rather than relying on a fixed version number.
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Before charging or connecting the watch to a computer, clean and dry the contacts and surrounding area to help prevent corrosion. Connect the supplied proprietary charging cable to an appropriate USB-A or USB-C computer port or AC adapter, then disconnect it when the display reaches 100%.
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If you want a different look or need a replacement band, the manual documents replacing QuickFit bands: slide the band latch, remove the band, align the replacement and press it into place, then check that the latch closes over the watch pin. Verify that any band listing explicitly fits your watch’s case size; compatibility should not be assumed across all epix Pro sizes. Optional sensors are only useful for particular activity-data needs, and Garmin notes that not all sensors are supported.
Check the right manual for your model
These instructions are for the epix Pro (Gen 2), covered alongside the epix (Gen 2) Standard Series in Garmin’s manual index. The current index identifies manual version 12, dated August 2025. Garmin’s epix Pro Gen 2 getting-started support page links to setup guidance and relevant manual sections. Menu labels and Connect IQ offerings can change with software updates; do not assume instructions for the original epix generation or another Garmin family are identical.
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