Why a free Garmin watch face suddenly asks for payment
You installed a watch face months ago, it was free, and one day after an update the watch tells you it needs to be purchased. Nothing is broken and it isn’t a scam — here is what changed in the Connect IQ Store, how to keep the free version you already have, and what a purchase actually gives you.
What changed
Until 2024 every watch face in the Connect IQ Store was free, and developers who wanted to charge had to bolt on their own unlock codes and PayPal pages. In August 2024 Garmin added built-in purchases to the store — a one-time payment through the Connect IQ app, tied to your Garmin account. Since then a developer can set a price on a face that used to be free. Garmin pulls the listing for a fresh review, and once it is approved the new version requires a purchase before it runs.
That is why the message appears “suddenly”: the face on your wrist didn’t change — the update you installed did.
How to keep the free version you already have
- Don’t update that face. The version already installed on your watch keeps working exactly as before. A price change never reaches into your watch and switches a face off — only an update does.
- Turn off automatic updates in the Connect IQ app (its settings, under updates). Otherwise the app may install the paid version for you overnight. You can still update everything else by hand from each app’s page.
- Be careful with resets and new watches. A factory reset, a reinstall or moving to a new Garmin pulls the current store version — the paid one. The free build only lives on the watch it’s already on.
If you already updated
- A purchase is one-time and account-wide. You pay once in the Connect IQ app and the face works on every Garmin on your account, now and in the future — no per-watch buying.
- There is a 48-hour refund. Garmin refunds Connect IQ purchases within 48 hours, no questions asked — open the purchase in the Connect IQ app and choose Report a problem.
- Or pick another free face. There are plenty — our best free Garmin watch faces are the full versions, no unlock codes, and every face on this site runs live in your browser before you install it.
“Trial expired” is a different thing
Garmin’s own purchase system has no trial — a paid face simply asks you to buy it. A “trial expired” banner drawn on the dial itself comes from the developer’s own unlock scheme, usually with a code you buy on an outside site. That is allowed, but it is not Garmin’s system and Garmin support can’t refund it. When in doubt, look for the price on the face’s store page: Garmin’s purchases are shown there.
Why developers do this
A watch face is a small program that has to be rebuilt for every new watch, screen size and firmware — the fēnix 9 alone added three new screen tiers this year. Most Connect IQ faces are made by one or two people, and a few dollars once is what keeps them maintained. Our own position: WatchFaceKit is two people; some of our faces are free and some are paid, and a paid face is always a single one-time purchase — never a subscription. The price is shown on the face’s page here and in the store, so there are no surprises on the wrist.
Free face asking for payment — FAQ
Is it a scam?
No. If the purchase is offered inside the Connect IQ app with a price on the store page, it is Garmin’s own system and the payment goes through Garmin. Be more careful with codes sold on outside websites.
Can I keep using the free version?
Yes, as long as you don’t update that face. Turn off automatic updates in the Connect IQ app so it doesn’t update itself.
Do I have to buy it again for a second watch?
No. Connect IQ purchases are tied to your Garmin account, so one purchase covers every compatible watch you own now or later.
Can I get my money back?
Yes, within 48 hours of purchase, through Report a problem on the purchase in the Connect IQ app.