Amazfit Adds FTMS Rowing and Manual Swim Rest Tracking to Eight Watches

Amazfit has pushed a significant firmware update to eight of its watches, bringing FTMS rowing machine connectivity, manual swim rest tracking, an Always Locked touchscreen mode, and Athlete Defaults. The update includes direct support for the Concept2 RowErg, one of the most widely used rowing ergometers in CrossFit boxes and Hyrox training facilities worldwide. This is a concrete feature push, not a vague roadmap promise.

FTMS Rowing and Concept2 RowErg Connectivity

FTMS stands for Fitness Machine Training Protocol, a Bluetooth standard that lets a watch pull live data directly from compatible cardio machines: pace, stroke rate, power, distance. On a Concept2 RowErg, this means your Amazfit receives strokes per minute and split times straight from the machine's PM5 monitor, no manual entry needed. Garmin watches have supported FTMS on compatible machines for a while, including the Fenix 8 and Forerunner 965, so Amazfit is catching up rather than leading. Coros watches have been slower here, with FTMS support limited to select models. For Hyrox athletes who row as part of training blocks, having accurate machine data sync to their wrist log is genuinely useful for tracking load over time.

The Concept2 RowErg connection works over Bluetooth Low Energy, and the PM5 monitor broadcasts FTMS data natively. Your watch reads stroke rate, calories, and elapsed distance without you touching anything after pairing. That said, heart rate during rowing is still captured via the wrist optical PPG sensor, which uses light to measure blood volume changes in the skin. This is worth keeping in mind: wrist optical HR during rowing is notoriously inconsistent because of wrist flexion and grip tension. A chest strap using electrical impulse detection (ECG-based) will always give you cleaner data on the erg.

Manual Swim Rest Tracking

The manual swim rest tracking addition is aimed at pool swimmers who follow structured sets with defined rest intervals. Previously, Amazfit watches would either auto-detect rests or require you to navigate menus mid-session. The new manual mode lets you control rest periods yourself, which matters when you're doing 10 x 100m on 1:45 and the auto-detect keeps miscounting your wall turns as rest. Garmin's swim algorithm is still the benchmark here, with the Forerunner 965 and Fenix 8 handling complex sets and irregular rest periods more reliably than most competitors. Polar's Vantage V3 also handles pool swim tracking well. Amazfit's manual option is a pragmatic fix rather than an algorithmic solution, but it works for athletes who want control. If you've tested Amazfit's swim accuracy in real conditions, our [Balance 3 swimming accuracy breakdown](/en/articles/amazfit-balance-3-cycling-and-swimming-accuracy-real-world-test-2026-07-28) has concrete lap count and HR data.

Always Locked Touchscreen and Athlete Defaults

The Always Locked touchscreen mode disables touch input entirely during an activity, relying solely on physical buttons. This is useful for open water swimming, rowing, and muddy trail runs where accidental screen taps can pause or end a session. Garmin and Coros both offer this, and it's a feature that serious athletes expect. The Amazfit implementation sounds straightforward. Athlete Defaults let you pre-configure sport profiles so your preferred settings load automatically when you start an activity, saving time when you're standing at the pool in January at 5:30am and don't want to scroll through menus. Our [Amazfit Balance 3 full review covering Hyrox mode and GPS performance](/en/articles/amazfit-balance-3-review-hyrox-mode-gps-and-heart-rate-tested-2026-08-07) gives context on how these features sit within the broader watch experience.

What's missing here is clarity on which eight watches receive this update. Amazfit has a wide product range spanning budget to mid-tier, and features often roll out unevenly. If you own an older T-Rex or a Bip model, you need to check your firmware update screen directly. There's also no mention of FTMS support for treadmills or bikes in this update, which would broaden the usefulness considerably for indoor training blocks. The manual swim rest tracking is a workaround, not a fix. Garmin's auto-detection in 2026 is genuinely better, and if pool swimming is your primary sport, the Forerunner 965 at around 600 USD is still the more capable tool.

This update makes Amazfit watches more competitive for Hyrox athletes and indoor rowers specifically. If you train regularly on a Concept2 and want wrist-based workout logging without carrying a phone, this is a meaningful addition at a price point well below Garmin. The Balance 3 sits around 300 USD. For pure swim performance tracking, Garmin remains ahead. For the cross-training athlete who rows, hits the gym, and wants solid GPS running data without paying Fenix money, Amazfit just got a bit harder to ignore.