WindField User Manual

Setup

Required Garmin Apps

Garmin has two apps that must be installed on your phone. You can get these from the Apple or Google Play stores. ConnectIQ (the lighter blue app icon) is used for installing Garmin apps onto your device. You will find WindField in this app. It is also where you will manage app settings for WindField by clicking on Device, then Apps, Then Datafields, Then WindField.

Garmin Connect is used to pair your Garmin to your phone and IS REQUIRED TO BE RUNNING for WindField to work. Ensure Garmin Connect is running on your phone before your ride. You should see a green dot over the icon of your Garmin device. Garmin Connect not running is the #1 issue for WindField not working. You must have a phone with Garmin Connect for live wind data during your ride.

How To Install

Watch the Video

WindField is a datafield. You add it on your Garmin screen just like speed or distance. It will be under ConnectIQ in the list of available fields.

Understanding the Arrow

The Wind Arrow points in the direction the wind is blowing towards. If the wind is from the North, the arrow points South.

The arrow also accounts for your travel direction. Riding East with wind out of the North, the arrow points to your right.

How to Get Your Registration Code

Once WindField is setup on your screen, your Garmin will generate a unique 5 character code. This normally takes only a few minutes. Tips to help:

  • You must have the Garmin Connect app running on your phone (not ConnectIQ)
  • Your phone must be connected to your Garmin via Bluetooth
  • Go outside for a good GPS signal
  • Start an activity

Not Getting a Code

This is usually due to:

  • Garmin Connect not running
  • Inside a building with poor GPS
  • No activity started

QR Code Registration

On most Edge and watch devices, the registration screen shows a scannable QR code next to your 5-character code, under a "REGISTER" title. A countdown line ("Next check: …s") shows how many seconds remain until WindField automatically checks the server again to see if you've completed registration — no manual refresh needed.

  • Open your phone's camera (or QR scanner) and point it at the field.
  • It opens a mobile checkout page at windfield.app/r/<your code>, already scoped to your specific device model — nothing to type.
  • Choose your subscription level and pay.
  • Within the countdown shown on screen, WindField detects the completed registration automatically. Reboot your Garmin if it doesn't pick it up on the next check.

If you scan the code again after you're already registered, it recognizes your device and shows your (masked) account email instead of charging you again.

On fields too small to fit a QR code, or on devices that don't support drawing one, the screen falls back to showing just the 5-character code as text — use the manual entry method below in that case.

How to Register

Go to www.windfield.app, enter your 5-character registration code, then choose your subscription level. After payment, please reboot your Garmin, go outside and start an activity.

Multiple Devices

Each device is a separate subscription. Garmin does not allow sharing apps across devices. Upgrades are applied automatically for additional devices.

Transfer Subscription To a New Device

Install WindField on your new device and get a registration code. Head to my.windfield.app and transfer the subscription. Strava connections move automatically.

Updating

WindField updates frequently. Check ConnectIQ updates, then sync via Garmin Connect, and reboot your Garmin to install updates.

Application Settings

Use the ConnectIQ app to access settings:

  • Click Device → My Data Fields → WindField → Settings
Device CodeYour Unique 5-character device code. If empty or says "Press Start", start an activity and go outside. This code is permanent to this device.
VersionCurrent version number plus Trial, Free, Standard, or PRO.
Weather SourceChoose from multiple sources. Compare Weather Source tool at my.windfield.app for best location choice.
Speed UnitsChoose KPH, MPH, Beaufort, Knots, or MPS. Temperature units follow Garmin settings.
Update IntervalChoose 5, 10, 15, or 60 minutes. Your device won't go faster than the fastest interval your subscription tier allows (Ultimate/PRO fastest, Free slowest). Longer intervals save data on limited SIMs.
Send Finish Alert?Ultimate customers can send an email to a contact when approaching the finish of a route. Set your recipient at my.windfield.app under Manage Finish Recipient. Use this setting to choose 60, 30, or 15 minutes before finish for the email to be sent.
AlertsChoose how severe weather alerts are delivered: Off, Popup (toast notification), or In Title (alert text appears in the field title, in red).
Weather Source in TitleShows which weather source is currently active in the field title.
AQI Color in TitleTitle text color reflects current Air Quality Index.
Show RadarPRO and Ultimate devices can show live radar images. Images update every 30 min (PRO) or 10 min (Ultimate). Requires larger field and supported devices. Active wildfire markers, sourced from NASA satellite fire detections, are shown on the radar map.
Radar Connected To GarminMoves optional fields down to make room for the radar symbol, if checked.
Show Opt Fld LabelsShows a small label above each optional field identifying what it is. English only for now — other languages are on the way.
Show Opt Fld UnitsShows the unit (e.g. mph, %) alongside each optional field's value.
Mute SoundsMutes all tones WindField plays, including alerts.
Use Gust instead of WindUses gust speed instead of sustained wind speed for the main wind display and calculations.
Adjust WindSpeed in High GustsSmooths displayed wind speed when gusts spike well above sustained wind.
Show ForecastShows the daily forecast icon on the field.
Race Mode: no phone required for 4 hrsPRO and Ultimate on supported Edge devices. Stores a 4 hour wind and temperature forecast on your Edge so WindField keeps working if your phone disconnects. Turns itself off each time the app starts, so switch it on as needed. See Race Mode below.
FIT Field 1 / FIT Field 2Choose up to two values to record into your activity file and view in Garmin Connect. See FIT Fields below.
Font SizeAdjusts optional field text size, from -5 (smallest) to +5 (largest).

Optional Fields

Left Fields 1-5 and Right Fields 1-5Up to 10 optional fields can be added. Some fields require PRO or Ultimate subscription.
NoneDisables the field
Activity TimeMoving/timer time during the activity, excluding pauses
Air Quality IndexSourced from Purple Air Network
https://www2.purpleair.com/
https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/
Apparent Wind DirectionUsed to calculate the wind arrow, accounting for your heading
Apparent Wind SpeedWind speed as you actually experience it, combining true wind with your own speed and heading
AscentAmount of climbing during activity
Avg Bike SpeedAverage speed for the activity so far
CadencePedaling cadence from a connected cadence sensor
CaloriesCalories burned so far this activity
Dew PointTemperature air must be cooled to at constant pressure to reach 100% RH
Distance to FinishDisplays distance to destination on route
Distance from StartDistance from start. As the crow flies + 20% for estimate
Elapsed DistanceTotal distance covered since starting the activity
Elapsed TimeTotal time since starting the activity, including any paused time
ElevationCurrent distance above sea level
Feels LikePerceived temperature accounting for humidity, wind, and sun
FTP %Current power as a percentage of your Functional Threshold Power, set on your Garmin user profile (PRO and Ultimate)
Garmin BatteryPercentage of Garmin battery remaining
Garmin PressureBarometric pressure reported by your Garmin, in hPa or inHg. Shows "--" on devices without a barometer
Garmin TemperatureTemperature reported by Garmin. Often higher due to proximity to pavement
Gear IndexCurrent front/rear gear position from a connected electronic shifting sensor (e.g. Di2, eTap) (PRO and Ultimate)
GradePercent grade of any climb
GustsSpeed of wind gusts
HeadingDirection you are heading
Heading (Degrees)Heading in degrees (0–359)
Heart RateCurrent heart rate from a connected sensor
Heart Rate ZoneCurrent heart rate zone (1–5), based on your Garmin user profile
HumidityAmount of water vapor in the air
Last UpdateTime of last WindField update
Lightning DistanceDistance to the nearest detected lightning strike (Ultimate)
Max SpeedFastest bike/walking speed reached this ride
Max Wind This RideStrongest wind encountered this ride
Next Update in SecondsTime in seconds until next update
Ozonehttps://www.epa.gov/ozone-pollution-and-your-patients-health/what-ozone
PM 2.5 Particleshttps://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics
PowerCurrent Power
Power 3sAverage power over last 3 seconds
Power 10sAverage power over last 10 seconds
Rain Chance
Solar IntensityScale 0–100. Supported on solar Garmin devices
SpeedCurrent bike/walking speed
SunriseTime of today's sunrise at your current location
SunsetTime of today's sunset at your current location
Temperature
Time (24 hrs)
Time (am/pm)
Time From StartEstimated time back to start based on average speed
Time to FinishTime remaining until finish based on average speed
Time Until SunsetCountdown to sunset at your current location. Turns orange if your estimated finish time is up to 20 minutes after sunset, or red if more than 20 minutes after sunset. Uses Time from Start or Time to Finish (when a course is active) to estimate your finish time.
UV Indexhttps://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index
VAM 1 minuteAverage ascent velocity, meters per hour (last minute)
VAM 5 minuteAverage ascent velocity, meters per hour (last 5 minutes)
VisibilityHorizontal distance to identify a dark object against the horizon
Watts/kgCurrent power divided by your body weight, from your Garmin user profile
WindChillPerceived temperature below 50°F / 10°C. Accounts for wind speed, direction, and your speed.
WindFactorExpresses wind speed into pure head/tail wind. 10mph headwind = -10, tailwind = +10, crosswind = 0
Wind SpeedNormal wind speed, useful if using "Use Gust instead of Wind" above

Fields above index 50 (FTP %, Gear Index, Lightning Distance, and others) require a PRO or Ultimate subscription; PaymentType and field availability are enforced by your device automatically.

FIT Fields — Exporting Data to Garmin Connect

WindField can record up to two of its values into your activity file, so they appear as graphs in Garmin Connect after you sync the ride.

Setting It Up

  1. In the Connect IQ app, open WindField → Settings (see Application Settings).
  2. Choose a value for FIT Field 1 and / or FIT Field 2.
  3. Start a new activity. Your selections are loaded when the activity starts, so if you change them mid-ride, they take effect on the next activity.
  4. Finish and save the activity, then sync your Garmin. The recorded fields show up as extra charts on the activity page in Garmin Connect.

Fields You Can Record

WindWind Speed, Wind Direction, Gusts, Apparent Wind Speed, Apparent Wind Direction, WindFactor
WeatherHumidity, Rain Chance, Dew Point, WindChill
Grade / AscentGrade, Ascent
Air Quality / SolarAir Quality Index, Ozone, PM 2.5 Particles, Solar Intensity, UV Index
ZonesHeart Rate Zone, FTP %

Ride Insight Alerts & Forecasts

Ultimate subscribers get a set of automatic, real-time insights on top of the core wind data — no settings to configure, they just work once you start an activity:

Start of Ride ForecastA toast summarizing wind, temperature, and rain trend for your next 6 hours, shown automatically when you begin an activity
Minutecast Rain BarA short-term rain forecast bar shown on supported Edge devices
Ride Insight AlertsReal-time toast notifications when rain starts or stops, when a severe weather warning becomes active for your location, or when wildfire smoke is detected nearby

These insights use the same phone/Bluetooth/GPS connection as the rest of WindField, so the Setup requirements above (Garmin Connect running, phone signal) apply here too.

Finish Alert

Ultimate customers can send an email to a friend or loved one by setting Send Finish Alert above and a contact email at my.windfield.app under “Manage Finish Recipient”. The email is sent automatically when you are the set number of minutes from the destination. A confirmation email is also sent to you. Note you must have phone signal and be using a route and windfield for this to work.

Race Mode

Race Mode keeps WindField showing wind and temperature when your phone is not with you. It is available to PRO and Ultimate subscribers (and during the trial) on the Edge 540, 550, 840, 850, 1040, 1050, 1060, Explore 2, and MTB.

Turning It On

  • In the Garmin ConnectIQ app: Device → My Data Fields → WindField → Settings → Race Mode: no phone required for 4 hrs.
  • Or on the Edge itself, in the WindField Settings menu, toggle Race Mode.
  • Race Mode is a per-ride choice: it switches itself off every time the app starts, so turn it on as needed.

How It Works

  1. While your phone is connected, WindField works exactly as normal. Each successful update also stores an hour-by-hour forecast of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature for the next 4 hours on your Edge.
  2. The bike icon represents status. A flashing black bike means Race Mode is on but no forecast has been stored yet. Once the forecast arrives, the bike turns steady green and a “Race Mode Ready” message appears (on devices that show notifications). Wait for the green bike before leaving your phone behind.
  3. If your phone disconnects, WindField shows the stored forecast for the current hour instead of live data — wind speed, direction, and temperature — and moves to the next hour’s values as the ride goes on. The green bike stays on the field while you are seeing stored values.
  4. When your phone reconnects, live data takes over again and the stored forecast is refreshed on every update.
  5. When the stored forecast runs out (about 4 hours after the last update), Race Mode turns itself off and WindField goes back to its normal behavior with no phone.

    6. Good To Know

    • The values are a forecast for where you were at your last update, not a measurement, so Race Mode works best for loops and events in one area.
    • Only wind speed, direction, and temperature are stored. Radar, rain forecasts, alerts, and anything else that needs live data still need your phone.
    • Start with your phone connected for a couple of minutes first so the forecast is stored before you head out.

    Connecting to Strava

    PRO and Ultimate subscribers can have weather data uploaded to Strava. Log in at my.windfield.app then Connect to Strava.

    Setup preferences for what to post, from wind speed to 3-day AI-powered forecast.

    Updating WindField

    WindField gets updates fairly often. You’ll be alerted to major updates with an “Update Available” message in the title of WindField.
    1. Make sure your Garmin is turned on.
    2. Make sure Garmin Connect is running on your phone.
    3. Open the Garmin ConnectIQ app on your phone.
    4. Click Device in the bottom right of ConnectIQ.
    5. Look for the Updates link. WindField should be listed as either Update Queued or Update Available. If it says Update Available, click it so that it changes to Update Queued.
    6. Next, open the Garmin Connect app and sync your device. Then simply reboot your Garmin.
    The new version should now be installed. If not, repeat the process. In some cases, you’ll see Install Queued. That just means you need to open the Garmin Connect app and sync your device. It then helps to reboot the Garmin.

    Troubleshooting

    Error Codes While Using

    The following icons will show in the bottom right corner:

    • No Bluetooth No Bluetooth connection
    • No Signal No mobile phone signal
    • No GPS No GPS signal
    • Reminder to Start Reminder to hit start
    • Wait Wait 5 Minutes

    In some cases, you will get error codes instead of WindSpeed:

    • 99 - Version out of date
    • 98 - WindField not registered

    Not Working

    • Ensure Garmin Connect shows green dot
    • Go outside, start activity, wait 10 minutes
    • Uninstall/reinstall if needed
    • Unpair/re-pair Garmin
    • Reinstall via Garmin Express

    Uninstall and Reinstall

    Registration/device code remains the same. Steps:

    • Garmin ON
    • Garmin Connect running
    • ConnectIQ > Device > Data Fields > WindField > Uninstall
    • Sync via Garmin Connect
    • Reboot Garmin
    • Reinstall

    Un-pair and Re-pair Garmin/Phone

    Uninstall and Reinstall using Garmin Express

    In rare cases, WindField may not work until 30 minutes or an hour into the ride. To fix this, use Garmin Express on a computer to uninstall and reinstall WindField

    Sending Logs

    • Plug Garmin into PC
    • Navigate to Garmin / Apps / Logs
    • Email files to help@windfield.app
    • Rename if needed
    • To generate additional logs: Copy .prg filenames from Garmin / Apps / Media, create .txt files in Logs, disconnect, do activity, then send TXT files

    Changelog

    15.2.0 — November 2026

    • Added Race Mode (PRO and Ultimate, Edge 540/550/840/850/1040/1050/1060, Explore 2, and MTB): WindField stores a 4 hour wind and temperature forecast while your phone is connected and keeps showing it if your phone drops out. See Race Mode
    • The Time Until Sunset field becomes Time Until Sunrise once the sun is down

    15.1.1 – 15.1.4 — October 2026

    • Added support for the Edge 1060, Approach S72 (43mm and 47mm), Enduro 4, and MARQ 3
    • More reliable update timing: the next update is now scheduled from when the last one actually ran
    • The finish-after-dark warning and sunset coloring now only appear within 2 hours of sunset, and the ETA is shown as a clock time
    • The minutecast rain bar now only appears on taller fields where it fits
    • Kept the wind text and arrow clear of the right-hand fields on half-width Edge x50 layouts
    • Fixed your language setting not being sent with weather requests

    15.1.0 — September 2026

    • Radar now appears sooner after switching to a data screen that can show it, instead of waiting for the next scheduled update
    • Added a "Diag" optional field for troubleshooting data fields that stop updating, with a decoder at windfield.app/diag

    15.0.5 — September 2026

    • Fixed Wind Speed and Gusts always recording in km/h in the FIT file, regardless of your device's units
    • Fixed Distance/Time from Start freezing when GPS signal briefly drops out
    • Optional Field and Weather Source changes now take effect immediately instead of waiting for the next update
    • Light rain now shows up on the minutecast forecast bar instead of appearing empty
    • Fixed a stale "signal OK" icon lingering after a background update failed
    • Added support for Fenix 9 Pro and Fenix 9 Pro Solar

    15.0.4 — August 2026

    • Added support for the Fenix 9 family (43mm, 47mm, 51mm, and Pro 51mm)

    15.0.3 — August 2026

    • Fixed a crash on Edge 1050 when changing which field is shown on a data page (recent firmware only)

    15.0.2 — August 2026

    • Fixed a crash on Edge 1030 Plus related to optional field labels
    • Optional field labels now show on more screen layouts (2-field and 3-field data screens), not just full-screen
    • Fixed a rare crash tied to GPS heading data when the wind-projection feature is enabled
    • Corrected mistranslated text across ~30 languages, most notably "Heading" showing as "Title" in the Settings menu and field label

    15.0.0 — August 2026

    • Added ride insight alerts: real time notifications for rain starting or stopping, active severe weather warnings, and wildfire smoke (Ultimate subscribers)
    • Added a start of ride forecast summary showing the wind, temperature, and rain trend for your next 6 hours
    • Added a minutecast rain forecast bar on supported Edge devices
    • Added a QR code registration screen for faster setup on new devices
    • Added field labels: small labels above each data field (english only until i get translations)
    • Added FTP %, Max Wind, and Gear Index optional fields
    • Mute Sounds option: toggle to mute all app sounds
    • Weather data now arrives faster at the start of your ride on newer Edge and watch models
    • Added active wildfire markers to the radar map, sourced from NASA satellite fire detections
    • Fixed radar sometimes not appearing after restarting the app or starting a new ride

    14.5.3 — July 2026

    • Testing new QR code registration for Edge x50 devices ahead of a wider rollout

    14.5.2 — June 2026

    • Small bug fixes

    14.5.1 — June 2026

    • Small bug fix affecting GPS 67 and possibly other devices

    14.5.0 — May 2026

    • Added Garmin Pressure optional field — displays barometric pressure in hPa or inHg, shows "--" on devices without a barometer
    • Released WF Pollen+ — a new standalone app showing real-time tree, grass, and weed pollen index values plus active in-season plants for your ride location (Ultimate subscribers)

    14.4.1 — April 2026

    • Fixed WindFactor calculation

    14.4.0 — April 2026

    • Added Sunrise and Sunset optional fields
    • Added Time Until Sunset optional field with color warning — orange if estimated finish is up to 20 minutes after sunset, red if more than 20 minutes after sunset
    • Fixed out-of-memory crash on Fenix devices when radar is enabled

    14.3.3 — April 2026

    • Small bug fixes

    14.3.1 — March 2026

    • Removed placeholder options on some subscription levels

    14.3.0 — March 2026

    • Added Calories optional field
    • Bug fixes on watches and improved layout for the Fenix 5x

    14.2.5 — March 2026

    • Various small bug fixes

    14.2.4 — February 2026

    • Faster startup times

    14.2.3 — February 2026

    • Added translations for additional languages
    • A couple of small bug fixes

    14.2.1 / 14.2.2 — February 2026

    • New configurable FIT fields — select any 2 fields to export to Garmin Connect (WindFactor is planned for removal in a future release now that this replaces it)
    • Arrow size increased on Edge 1040

    14.2.0 — February 2026

    • Added Air Density, Normalized Power, TSS, and FTP optional fields
    • Expanded FIT file recording with new field types and improved precision
    • Fixed WindChill calculation

    14.1.5 — January 2026

    • Bug fix for Edge 1030, Edge 830, and older devices

    14.1.3 / 14.1.4 — January 2026

    • Re-enabled the option to hide the forecast (Show Forecast off)
    • A few layout tweaks

    14.1.0 — December 2025

    • Added Recommended weather source option
    • Fixed WindFactor and WindChill calculations
    • Improved effective wind speed calculations
    • Faster data loading on startup for free and standard devices

    14.0.0 — November 2025

    • Complete UI redesign with support for all device types including Edge 850 and full watch layouts
    • Added VAM optional fields — 1-minute and 5-minute vertical ascent speed
    • Added finish alert — Ultimate subscribers can send an email to a contact when approaching the end of a route
    • Added average power optional field
    • High and low memory architecture split for better performance across all devices

    13.4.0 — August 2025

    • New device support with improved layouts for Edge 1050, 1040, and 1030
    • Internal architecture refactor for high and low memory devices

    13.2.0 — June 2025

    • Radar display improvements

    13.1.0 — April 2025

    • Stability improvements

    13.0.0 — November 2024

    • On-screen zoom controls for radar
    • Lightning distance optional field and configurable alert
    • Added Garmin device temperature optional field
    • Added Cadence optional field
    • New settings menu

    12.1.0 — June 2024

    • Device compatibility and layout improvements

    12.0.0 — January 2024

    • Radar overhaul
    • Added snow as a precipitation type
    • New device support

    1.0.0 - 11.0.0

    • Lost to the sands of time

    Credits

    Some of the ride alert icons in WindField are provided by Icons8.