Your Garmin can record workouts without satellites by switching the activity’s GPS setting to Off, which also cuts battery drain and removes route maps.
Sometimes you want your Garmin to log time, heart rate, and effort, minus the dotted line on a map. Maybe you’re running on a treadmill. Maybe you’re walking close to home and don’t want a stored route. Or maybe your battery’s limping and you’d rather keep the watch alive than chase a satellite lock.
Garmin watches don’t use one single “GPS master switch” across every model. Instead, most let you turn GPS off per activity. That’s great, since you can keep GPS for outdoor runs and shut it off for indoor sessions.
This article shows you the clean way to disable GPS, plus a few backup methods when menus look different on your watch. You’ll also see what changes after you switch GPS off, so you don’t get surprised mid-workout.
What Changes When GPS Is Off
With GPS off, your watch won’t record a route map, and it won’t use satellites to measure pace and distance. That means distance can still appear, but it will come from other sources like step count, wrist motion, foot pods, bike sensors, or a treadmill calibration.
Some activities won’t even offer distance without GPS unless you pair a sensor. Others will still show distance, but it may drift if your stride length estimate is off. If you care about precise outdoor pace, keep GPS on for that session.
On the upside, GPS off often makes starts faster. No “Acquiring” screen. No waiting. You hit start and go.
How To Turn Off GPS On Garmin Watch For Any Activity
On many Garmin watches, GPS is controlled inside the activity profile. You pick an activity (Run, Walk, Bike, Hike), then you set its GPS option to Off. Garmin documents this flow in its device manuals, where the GPS menu includes an Off option for the selected activity. Changing the GPS setting
Step-By-Step On Most Recent Models
- Hold the menu button (often labeled UP/MENU), or long-press the touchscreen menu control on touch models.
- Open Activities & Apps.
- Select the activity you want to change (like Walk).
- Open that activity’s Settings.
- Select GPS.
- Choose Off.
- Start that activity like normal. GPS will stay off for that activity until you change it back.
If you only want GPS off once, flip it to Off, do your session, then set it back to your usual choice after you’re done. It’s a small habit, but it prevents that “Why didn’t my run map?” moment later.
Where The GPS Option Usually Lives
Garmin’s menu names vary by line, but the pattern stays similar:
- Activity list → pick an activity → Settings → GPS
- On some watches: activity list → pick an activity → Options → GPS
- On a few: System settings also exist, yet the activity setting still wins for tracking sessions
Once you find it one time, it’ll feel obvious on your next activity.
Touchscreen Shortcut You Might See
Some touchscreen models show a settings icon on the activity start screen. Tap that icon, then hunt for GPS. If you see satellite choices like “GPS Only” or “All Systems,” you’re already in the right spot. Select Off.
Pick The Right “No-GPS” Approach For Your Situation
Turning GPS off inside an activity is the cleanest option. Still, there are times when you want a faster switch, or you want to stop all radio features at once. The table below shows several ways people disable location tracking on Garmin watches, plus what each method changes.
| Where You Change It | What It Does | When It Fits Best |
|---|---|---|
| Activity Settings → GPS → Off | Disables satellites for that activity only; other activities stay unchanged | Indoor workouts, short walks, “no map” sessions |
| Create Or Use An Indoor Activity | Uses sensors and calibration instead of satellites | Treadmill runs, indoor track, gym cardio |
| Use A Non-GPS Profile (Cardio, Strength, Yoga) | Tracks time, heart rate, training load metrics without route data | Sessions where distance and pace don’t matter |
| Battery Saver Mode | Can shut off multiple features at once and may affect GPS use | Low battery days, travel days, long stretches off-charger |
| Airplane Mode | Turns off wireless radios; availability varies by model and settings | You want fewer connections while still using basic tracking |
| Disable Satellite Use Only For One Sport | Keeps GPS for outdoor run, turns it off for walk (or the reverse) | Mixed week: outdoor training + indoor sessions |
| Use An External Sensor For Distance | Replaces GPS distance with foot pod, bike sensor, treadmill calibration | You still want distance data without location storage |
| Leave GPS On But Switch To A Lower-Power Satellite Mode | Still records a route, but changes satellite behavior and battery use | You need a map, yet want longer battery life |
Most people only need the first row. The rest are handy when you want one tap to calm the watch down.
Model-Specific Notes That Save Time
Garmin’s product lines share DNA, yet button names and menu labels vary. Here are the spots that usually trip people up.
Forerunner Series
Forerunner watches tend to put GPS under each activity. Start with the activity list, press and hold UP, then open the activity settings. If you’re changing Run, change Run. If you’re changing Walk, change Walk.
Fēnix And Epix Series
Fēnix and Epix models offer lots of satellite modes. That’s nice, but it also means the GPS menu can look long. Keep scrolling until you see Off, then select it. After that, back out and start your activity.
Venu And Vívoactive Series
On many Venu and Vívoactive watches, you can reach activity options from the activity start screen. If you see a small settings icon, tap it, then look for GPS. If you don’t see it, go through the menu path: Activities & Apps → activity → settings → GPS.
Instinct Series
Instinct models use a rugged button layout. You’ll often press and hold MENU, then go into activity settings. If you can’t find GPS at first, start an activity and open its options from the pre-start screen.
Lily And Smaller Lifestyle Models
Some smaller models rely more on the phone for GPS in certain modes, while still offering activity settings. If the watch doesn’t show a full satellite menu, you may see choices tied to the phone connection. In that case, picking a non-GPS activity is often the simplest way to avoid route storage.
Battery Saver And Airplane Mode Tips
If your goal is battery life, GPS is only one piece. Your watch can also be draining power through Bluetooth syncing, backlight, and other features. Battery Saver is the “slam the brakes” option on many models.
Garmin notes that Battery Saver can change multiple settings and affect features beyond workouts, and it provides steps to disable Battery Saver if it gets stuck on. My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver
Battery Saver can be handy when you want the watch to last until you reach a charger. It can also be confusing if you forget it’s on and your watch stops behaving like usual. If your screen looks different, or syncing stops, check Battery Saver first.
Airplane Mode is another quick switch. On some Garmins it mainly targets wireless radios. People use it to quiet notifications and reduce connections. It may not always act like a “GPS off” switch for activity tracking, so treat it as a bonus tool, not the main fix.
How To Confirm GPS Is Off Before You Start
You don’t want to finish a run and learn the watch stored a route after all. Here are quick checks that work on many models.
Check The Pre-Start Screen
When GPS is on, many activities show a satellite icon and a “GPS” status line, often with a waiting state while it looks for a signal. When GPS is off, that line may disappear, or it may show a different icon set with no satellite status.
Check Activity Settings One More Time
If you’re unsure, open the activity’s settings again and confirm GPS still reads Off. Garmin watches tend to remember what you last set.
Do A Short Test Recording
Start the activity, wait ten seconds, then stop and save. Open the saved activity on the watch or in Garmin Connect. If there’s no map, GPS was off. If you see a map, flip the setting back and repeat with a quick test.
What To Do If Your Watch Still Records A Map
If GPS still appears in your recorded activity, one of these is usually happening: you changed GPS for a different activity, you changed a data screen instead of GPS, or the watch has an extra setting like “Use With Phone” that you didn’t switch off.
This checklist helps you pin it down fast.
| What You See | Likely Reason | Fix That Works |
|---|---|---|
| Map still shows after you set GPS off | You changed the wrong activity profile | Change GPS off inside the exact activity you started |
| GPS “Acquiring” appears on the start screen | GPS is still enabled for that activity | Activity settings → GPS → Off, then back out and reopen the activity |
| Distance looks off on an indoor run | GPS is off, but calibration is weak | Use treadmill calibration, or pair a foot pod for consistent distance |
| No distance at all during a walk | That activity relies on GPS for distance | Switch to an indoor-style profile or pair a sensor that provides distance |
| Watch acts “limited” after you changed settings | Battery Saver is enabled | Turn Battery Saver off, then confirm GPS setting inside your activity |
| GPS option is missing in the menu | Menu layout differs by model or activity type | Open the activity, then open options from the pre-start screen and look for GPS |
| GPS turns back on later without you doing it | Software update reset activity defaults | Recheck activity GPS setting after updates; save a “no-GPS” activity copy if your watch allows it |
| You want no stored routes across all outdoor sports | Several activities still have GPS enabled | Turn GPS off one activity at a time: Run, Walk, Bike, Hike, and any custom profiles |
Make A Dedicated “No-GPS” Activity So You Don’t Keep Flipping Settings
If you turn GPS off and on all the time, it gets old. A cleaner setup is to keep two versions of the same activity: one for outdoors with GPS on, one for indoors or route-free sessions with GPS off.
Option A: Copy An Activity (If Your Watch Allows It)
- Open your activity list.
- Select the activity you use most (like Walk).
- Look for an option like Copy or Add.
- Rename the copy to something clear, like Walk (No GPS).
- Set GPS to Off inside that copied activity.
Not every watch offers activity copies on-device. If yours doesn’t, keep reading.
Option B: Use A Built-In Indoor Variant
Many Garmin watches already include indoor versions of popular workouts. Treadmill and Indoor Track are common. These usually skip GPS by design, so you get tracking without a route map.
Option C: Pick A Non-GPS Training Profile
If you mainly care about time and heart rate, choose Cardio, Strength, or Yoga. These are built for sessions where a route doesn’t matter. You still get a clean training log, minus the map.
Safety And Common Sense For Outdoor Sessions
Turning off GPS is fine for lots of workouts. Still, be aware of what you’re giving up outdoors. If you’re exploring new streets, training by pace, or sharing live location features, GPS off may not match what you want that day.
A simple habit helps: before you start an outdoor activity, glance at the start screen for a satellite status. If you see no satellite line and you wanted one, stop and switch GPS back on.
Reset Back To Normal GPS After You’re Done
After a no-GPS workout, set your outdoor activities back to your usual satellite mode. Do it right away while it’s fresh in your head. Two taps now beats a confused “Where’s my map?” later.
If you use a dedicated “No GPS” activity, you won’t need to flip anything. You just pick the right profile and go.
References & Sources
- Garmin.“Changing the GPS Setting.”Shows the activity-based path to the GPS menu and the Off option that disables GPS for a selected activity.
- Garmin Customer Support.“My Watch Is Stuck in Battery Saver.”Explains how Battery Saver affects watch features and provides steps to turn Battery Saver off when it changes behavior.