28/06/2026
🎯 Shot Clock v2.0 is here—and with it, the biggest beta program in the app’s history.
Over the past few months I’ve been undertaking a major rewrite of the underlying Shot Clock codebase. While many of those changes aren’t immediately visible, they’ve created the foundation for a new generation of features that simply weren’t possible before.
Today isn’t really about Version 2.
It’s about inviting the Shot Clock community to help shape what comes next.
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What’s New in Version 2
While much of the work has gone into the foundations, Version 2 also includes a number of improvements to the core application:
✅ Smoother Time Slice display — now updating five times per second, making it easier to judge the remaining time at a glance.
✅ Touchscreen Lock — prevent accidental screen touches during training or competition.
✅ Improved Activity Recording — better lap support and more accurate Garmin activity data.
✅ More Reliable Double-Tap Detection — improvements throughout the interface make interaction quicker and more consistent.
🌍 Expanded Global Access — a new OTA activation mechanism allows us to support shooters in regions where Garmin Connect IQ purchases aren’t currently available.
Behind the scenes, there has also been a significant architectural rewrite that provides the foundation for everything that follows.
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🚀 Introducing the Shot Clock Beta Program
The features below are currently available through the Shot Clock Trial and are still under active development.
Nothing has been locked down yet. This is your opportunity to influence how these features evolve before they’re released more broadly. If you’ve ever wanted to help shape the future of Shot Clock, I’d love to hear your ideas.
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📋 Notes — Your Notes, Your Way
Notes are completely free-form and can be used for anything you want to keep close at hand during training or competition.
Create, organise and reorder your notes using the new Shot Clock Portal, then synchronise them directly to your watch. Five selectable font sizes make them comfortable to read, whether you’re wearing glasses or not.
Whether it’s stage procedures, equipment reminders, target orders or something completely different, your notes are available exactly when you need them.
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🎯 DOPE Cards
DOPE Cards have been designed specifically for shooters who need quick access to their sight settings during a stage.
Rather than replacing the timer, the DOPE Card view works alongside it. A compact timer, complete with the familiar Time Slice display, remains visible while you browse cards showing distance, elevation and windage.
Cards can be organised by distance or arranged to match the order of stages in a competition. Switch between the full-screen timer and the DOPE Card view at any time while the timer is running, and even start or stop the timer directly from the DOPE Card screen—including using the normal wrist gesture to start the timer.
The goal was simple:
Keep your sight settings available without interrupting the timer.
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💻 Shot Clock Portal
The new Shot Clock Portal is the home for all of Shot Clock’s new capabilities.
Create and manage timing sequences, Notes and DOPE Cards through a purpose-built browser interface, then synchronise everything directly to your watch.
The Portal introduces real-time sequence validation together with a Plain English Sequence Guide. At any time you can click the Info button to see an easy-to-understand explanation of exactly what your timing sequence will do before transferring it to your watch.
To make the experience as seamless as possible, Shot Clock can automatically launch the Portal on your phone whenever it’s needed, so you’re ready to start editing with a single tap.
The Portal complements the watch—it doesn’t replace it.
Build and organise your timing sequences at home using the Portal, where you benefit from plain English explanations, validation and a much richer editing experience. Then, when you’re standing on the firing line and have that inevitable “Oh no… I forgot to…” moment, the watch still provides immediate access to all of the settings you might need to adjust before the timer starts—without needing a computer or an internet connection.
Timing sequences can still be created and edited through the Garmin Connect IQ app whenever that workflow suits you better. The Portal is required for Notes and DOPE Cards and provides the richest experience for creating and managing timing sequences.
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Device Compatibility
The new Notes, DOPE Cards and Shot Clock Portal features rely on Garmin’s newer vector font technology and are therefore available only on compatible devices.
Supported devices include:
Approach S70 • D2 Mach 1 • Descent Mk3 • Enduro 3 • Epix Gen 2 / Epix Pro Gen 2 • Fenix 7 Series • Fenix 8 Series • Fenix E • Forerunner 165 • 170 • 265 • 570 • 955 • 965 • 970 • MARQ Gen 2 • Venu 3 • Venu 3S • Venu 4 • Venu X1 • Vivoactive 6
If your watch isn’t listed (including the Fenix 6 series), you’ll continue to receive all of the core Shot Clock timing features and Version 2 improvements. Unfortunately, Garmin’s older hardware doesn’t support the vector font technology required for Notes and DOPE Cards.
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Interested in Joining the Beta?
I’ve deliberately chosen to release these new capabilities through the Shot Clock Trial first.
Quite simply, I don’t want to risk disrupting anyone’s competition preparation. Many Shot Clock users are heading to major competitions over the coming months, including the WA1500 European Championships. By keeping these new features in the Trial for now, existing users can continue relying on the current production release while volunteers help test the next generation of Shot Clock.
The Trial can be installed alongside your existing licensed version, so there’s no need to replace your current installation.
Once you’ve registered your interest, I’ll enable the beta features remotely using the new OTA update mechanism. If you’ve previously used the Trial and it has expired, I’ll happily reinstate it so you can continue evaluating the new features.
I’m not just looking for bug reports—I’m looking for ideas.
How could these features work better?
What’s missing?
How would you use them in training or competition?
Your feedback will directly influence where Shot Clock goes from here.
To request beta access:
1. Download and install the Shot Clock Trial from the Garmin Connect IQ Store.
2. Open Shot Clock → Menu → About and note your Watch UID.
3. Email [email protected] with:
* Your Watch UID
* Your Garmin watch model
* The shooting disciplines you participate in
* How you currently use Shot Clock
* Why you’d like to join the beta
I’ll then enable the beta features remotely using the new OTA update mechanism. If your Trial has already expired, I’ll reinstate it so you can continue evaluating the new features.
Thank you to everyone who has supported Shot Clock over the years. Many of the ideas in this release have come directly from conversations with shooters around the world, and I’m genuinely excited to continue building the next chapter of Shot Clock together.
