Managing the backlight on your Garmin Forerunner 255 allows you to conserve battery life and customize your viewing experience. While there isn't a single "off" switch that completely disables the backlight functionality, you can effectively turn it off or significantly reduce its usage by adjusting brightness levels and controlling when it activates.
Accessing Backlight Settings
To begin customizing your backlight, follow these simple steps to navigate to the system settings:
- Hold the UP button on your watch to access the main menu.
- Scroll down and select "System", then choose "Backlight".
Customizing Backlight Behavior
Within the Backlight settings, you can configure how the backlight behaves in different scenarios:
- During Activity: Adjust settings specifically for when you are tracking an activity (e.g., running, cycling).
- General Use: Configure settings for all other times when you are not actively tracking an activity.
After selecting either "During Activity" or "General Use," you will find the following options to manage the backlight:
- Brightness:
- Select "Brightness" to set the illumination level of your screen. To effectively "turn off" the backlight or make it imperceptible, set this to its lowest possible level (e.g., 5% or 0% if available on your device model). This is the primary way to minimize or eliminate screen illumination.
- Keys:
- Select "Keys" to control whether the screen lights up when you press any physical buttons on your watch. To prevent the backlight from turning on with button presses, disable this option.
- Alerts:
- Select "Alerts" to determine if the backlight activates when you receive notifications or alerts (e.g., smart notifications, activity alerts). To stop the backlight from turning on for alerts, disable this option. You will still receive the alert, but the screen will not illuminate automatically.
Optimizing Backlight for Your Needs
By understanding and adjusting these settings, you can tailor your watch's backlight to suit your preferences and extend battery life. For example, reducing brightness and disabling backlight activation for keys and alerts during general use can significantly improve battery performance.
| Setting | Purpose | How to Effectively Turn Off/Reduce |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness | Controls the intensity of the screen illumination. | Set to the lowest level (e.g., 5% or 0%) for both "During Activity" and "General Use" to minimize or eliminate screen light. |
| Keys | Determines if the backlight activates when physical buttons are pressed. | Disable this option in "During Activity" and/or "General Use" to prevent the screen from lighting up with button presses. |
| Alerts | Controls whether the backlight turns on for notifications or system alerts. | Disable this option in "During Activity" and/or "General Use" to prevent the screen from lighting up automatically when alerts occur. |
| During Activity | Configures backlight behavior specifically while recording an activity. | Adjust brightness and disable "Keys" or "Alerts" backlight activation for battery saving during workouts, especially for long activities. |
| General Use | Configures backlight behavior for all other times (when not in an activity). | Adjust brightness and disable "Keys" or "Alerts" backlight activation for daily use to conserve battery when you don't need constant screen illumination. |
For more detailed information on your device's settings and features, refer to the official Garmin Support resources.
