GPS in the status bar of a Garmin watch: what does it mean?
On a Garmin it is the GPS status: flashing while searching for satellites, solid once found; the status bar turns green when GPS is ready.
What Garmin says
- Garmin — GPS status. For outdoor activities the status bar turns green when GPS is ready. A flashing icon means the watch is still searching for a signal; a solid icon means the signal was found.
Source: Garmin Forerunner 265 Series Owner’s Manual: GPS Status and Status Icons (checked 2026-09-29)
- What it looks like
- The three letters GPS, shown in the status bar when you start an outdoor activity.
- Shown by
- Garmin
Icons to compare
Sources
Each meaning above is taken from the watch maker’s own guide, fetched and read on the date shown. The drawing is ours; the real icon on your watch may be drawn a little differently and can change with software updates.
- Garmin — Garmin Forerunner 265 Series Owner’s Manual: GPS Status and Status Icons. Covers: Forerunner 265 series; the same page is in the Forerunner 165, 965 and 970 and fēnix 7 and 9 manuals; manual version 9, June 2025. Checked 2026-09-29.