The Garmin Forerunner 165 has earned a reputation as an incredibly dependable and budget-friendly smartwatch tailored specifically for runners who want precise tracking without being overwhelmed by excessive, complex features. Sitting comfortably just below the more premium Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 265 models, this device boasts a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen and delivers all the essential tracking capabilities, including GPS tracking, heart rate monitoring, sleep analysis, stress evaluation, and support for highly structured exercise routines. While it excludes some premium features like integrated topographic mapping or solar-powered charging, its value proposition remains exceptionally strong. Even though the manufacturer has introduced the newer Forerunner 170, the older model continues to be a massive favorite among fitness enthusiasts, retailing for around $249.99 at Best Buy. However, many users are not using this device to its full capabilities. Implementing a few smart adjustments can significantly elevate the overall tracking experience.
How to Activate and Customize the Screen Flashlight Feature
Unlike some of the high-end adventure smartwatches in the lineup, this specific model does not feature a dedicated physical LED flashlight built into the watch casing. However, it offers a highly effective alternative that turns the bright AMOLED screen into a temporary light source. By default, this option is not instantly accessible in the quick settings, but it can be manually added in a few seconds. To do this, press and hold the physical UP button to enter the Controls menu, then locate and add the "Flashlight" option as a customizable tile. Once enabled, the screen will shine in a bright white light. To prevent blinding brightness during night runs, users can utilize a lesser-known trick. By pressing the physical DOWN button, the light cycles into a soft red light mode. This red illumination is far gentler on human eyes in complete darkness, preserving night vision and offering a subtle way to read physical maps or find dropped keys.
Optimize Your Controls Menu to Mimic Dedicated Hotkeys
Advanced smartwatches like the Forerunner 265 allow users to assign custom physical button shortcuts to launch specific services, such as contactless payments through Garmin Pay or the flashlight. Unfortunately, this model lacks native hardware hotkey customization. To work around this limitation, users can strategically organize their Controls menu instead. By restructuring the layout of this menu, the most essential tools can be positioned at the absolute top of the list. Placing functions like the screen flashlight, Do Not Disturb mode, and music playback controls at the very beginning ensures they are always just a single swipe or button press away during an active workout. This simple organizational technique eliminates the need to scroll through a long list of icons while trying to maintain a running pace.
Enable Breadcrumb Navigation for Mapless Route Tracking
One of the major compromises of selecting this budget-friendly running watch is the absence of full, detailed on-screen maps. While the screen cannot display surrounding streets, local landmarks, or topography, the device still has the capacity to guide runners along a pre-planned path. This is achieved through a feature known as breadcrumb navigation. By creating or finding a running route in the Garmin Connect mobile app and sending it directly to the watch, users can see a simplified visual outline of their path. As long as the workout is active, the watch displays a clear line representing the course, keeping runners on track even without underlying street maps.
Build Distinct Workout Profiles for Different Types of Runs
Adjusting active data screens before changing from a casual recovery jog to a high-intensity track session can be incredibly tedious. A much more efficient approach is to generate entirely separate, custom duplicate profiles for different running activities. Instead of constantly editing a single profile, users can maintain multiple distinct run-tracking options simultaneously. Keeping data screens clean and focused is highly recommended. For the majority of workouts, displaying pace, current heart rate, and cadence on the primary screen is more than enough. Secondary details such as elevation gain, calories burned, and total lap counts are better suited for a backup screen that can be reviewed during rest periods. Customizing these profiles is straightforward and can be completed directly on the watch or through the smartphone app. Within the mobile application, navigate using the following steps
- Open the app, select Activities & Apps, and then tap on Run.
- Access Data Screens and select the layout you wish to modify.
- Tap Layout to select the exact number of active data fields (ranging from 1 to 4) shown on the interface.
- Choose Data Fields to assign the specific metrics (such as average pace, physical distance, or current heart rate zone) to each field.
Delay Your Syncing Process to Achieve Better GPS Accuracy on Strava
A frequent source of frustration for runners is the synchronization process between tracking platforms, which can sometimes result in distorted data. Many fitness enthusiasts are accustomed to opening their sync apps the moment their workout ends. However, rushing this process often leads to errors. Allowing the mobile application about two to three minutes to completely process the activity file before letting it sync with external platforms like Strava is highly beneficial. During this brief window, the system performs critical data-smoothing operations, refines GPS coordinates, and matches running segments. Transferring the data too quickly can result in strange speed spikes or missed segment achievements that cannot be easily corrected afterward. Taking a short pause ensures the uploaded workout is represented with the highest possible level of accuracy.
