Which Watches Have the Flashlight?

The built-in flashlight isn’t exclusive to the Fenix 8. It’s available across Garmin’s lineup:

Fenix series:

  • Fenix 7X (first ever, January 2022)
  • Fenix 7X Pro / 7X Pro Sapphire Solar
  • Fenix 7S Pro / 7S Pro Sapphire Solar
  • Fenix 7 Pro / 7 Pro Sapphire Solar
  • Fenix 8 (all sizes and variants — 43mm, 47mm, 51mm, AMOLED and Solar)

Epix series:

  • Epix Pro Gen 2 (42mm, 47mm, 51mm — all variants)

Enduro series:

  • Enduro 2
  • Enduro 3

Instinct series:

  • Instinct 2X Solar
  • Instinct 3 (45mm and 50mm — Solar and AMOLED)

Tactix series:

  • Tactix 7 Standard / Pro / AMOLED
  • Tactix 8 AMOLED

Forerunner:

  • Forerunner 970 (first Forerunner with a flashlight)

Venu:

  • Venu 4
  • Venu X1

The settings described in this guide are largely identical across all models — with minor menu path differences. Note: Tactix watches use a green LED instead of red (for compatibility with night-vision tactical equipment).

The built-in flashlight is one of the Fenix 8’s most underrated features. Most people just tap it on and off without realizing there’s a full set of options hiding underneath. Here’s everything you need to know.

How to Turn It On

Two ways:

Shortcut: Double-press the LIGHT button (upper left) — this is the default.

From the menu: LIGHT → Flashlight.

Brightness Levels

The flashlight supports variable brightness from 1% to 100%. Adjust with UP/DOWN buttons while it’s on.

  • 1–10% — enough to read your watch screen in the dark
  • 25–50% — trail running with partial lighting
  • 100% — full darkness, looking for something

Colors — The Feature Most People Miss

You can change the flashlight color:

White — default, brightest, most useful.

Red — preserves night vision. When your eyes have adapted to darkness, white light resets that adaptation instantly. Red doesn’t. Useful for trail runs, stargazing, camping.

Amber — middle ground. Easier on the eyes than white, stronger than red.

To change: while the flashlight is on, press MENU → Flashlight Color.

Strobe Patterns

A flashing mode designed for visibility, not illumination. Access: from the flashlight screen, long-press UP/MENU.

Several patterns to choose from:

  • Blink — basic flash
  • Pulse — soft, rhythmic pulse
  • Blitz — fast, intense flash
  • Beacon — steady single pulse
  • Custom — choose your own pattern, speed, and color

Distress Pattern — Know This Exists

A feature worth knowing about: the flashlight can flash in an SOS distress pattern and display your emergency contact information (configured in Garmin Connect).

Access: same strobe menu → Distress Pattern.

Note: Contact info only appears if you’ve set up an emergency contact in the app. Not available on all models.

Battery Impact

At 100% brightness with GPS active, it draws significantly more power. A one-hour night run with the flashlight at 50% will use roughly 15–20% more battery compared to running without it.

Recommendation: Use a dedicated headlamp for long night runs, and save the watch flashlight for emergencies and short situations.

Setting Up the Shortcut

The most convenient way to access the flashlight is via the LIGHT button. You can configure what happens on a short press vs. long press:

Settings → System → Backlight → Keys & Alerts → LED Flashlight

Here you’ll set whether pressing LIGHT activates backlight only, flashlight only, or both.

Activity Strobe

One of the most useful features for road runners — the flashlight can strobe automatically during your activity without you having to keep it on continuously.

Setup: Settings → Activities & Apps → [activity] → Activity Settings → Flashlight Strobe

Two settings:

Status — when it activates:

  • Off
  • After Sunset — starts at sunset, continues until 30 minutes after sunrise
  • On — always active

Mode — which pattern:

  • Blink, Pulse, Beacon, Blitz — same as manual strobe
  • Cadence — the flashlight pulses in sync with your running cadence

Auto-Activation After Sunset

The Fenix 8 knows when the sun sets — and you can put that to work.

Setup: Settings → System → Backlight → Keys & Alerts → Auto Flashlight

Here you can configure the flashlight or strobe to activate automatically after sunset during an activity. So if you start a run in the afternoon and it stretches into the evening, the strobe kicks in on its own without you having to remember.

This works in combination with GPS data to calculate the precise sunset time for your location.

Bottom Line

The Fenix 8 flashlight is easy to overlook but worth knowing. The red color mode alone is worth the 60 seconds it takes to set up — next time you’re running a trail in the dark, you’ll understand why.