Garmin and iPhone

Robin

Robin

Well-Known Member
Those who use a Garmin…

I have my watch and bike computer synced via Bluetooth and Garmin Connect on my new iPhone.

In the past my rides/runs would automatically sync when I was done. Now I have to open Garmin Connect and manually sync.

Also I don’t get notifications even though it’s turned on the device.

Right now my watch is not connected to my phone/no Bluetooth symbol showing on my watch.

Does the Garmin window need to be open on my phone?

Any idea? I tried looking on Garmin troubleshooting but that was useless.
 
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I've had this happen with my Android phone and the only way I could fix it was deleting it from both the phone and Garmin Connect and then re-adding it. Basically start over. :mad:
 
I haven’t been able to make it work since switching to iPhone. It’ll say it’s connected and sometimes I see texts on the Garmin but it won’t upload rides anymore.
 
90-95% of the time mine does the needful automagically.
D seems to be the total opposite.

There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why. Good luck, and remember blue bubbles rule.
 
I expect you have already tried this, but FWIW I had a problem this week with my Fenix6 not uploading a ride to Garmin Connect on my iPhone SE. Powering the phone off & back on fixed it.
 
I’ve had this happen a lot with my watch and iPhone, restarting both usually corrects it. Some of my problems are probably me letting the phone memory get too full. It’s been much better since I cleared out some stuff.

The hydration tracker is what gets stuck/ goes goofy on mine all the time, has a mind of its own. You can sync it a dozen times and it still has a reading from a day or two before. It’s nice when it works but that’s maybe three times a week.
 
I just need to make sure the Garmin Connect app is open in the background.

Edge 830/15Pro, fwiw.
 
MadisonDan said:
I just need to make sure the Garmin Connect app is open in the background.

Edge 830/15Pro, fwiw.
Click to expand...
I always forget and close everything…just a habit. Will try this..UPDATE - TRIED NO LUCK.

I have rebooted everything. Also considering removing and reinstalling everything.
 
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Apple has been battling the Bluetooth stds people for years.

I get the same thing with my forerunner.
BT shows connected, but the ride doesn't upload unless I launch Connect.
Go to Garmin Connect in settings and check that background refresh is turned on.
Leave Garmin app open ?

I haven't experimented - if I open the app and don't ask for it to sync, I wonder if it will?
and I could swear it occasionally does it by itself.....
 
Mine won’t sync unless Connect is open. It can be in the background, but it needs to be opened. I thought that’s just the way it is…
 
jShort said:
Mine won’t sync unless Connect is open. It can be in the background, but it needs to be opened. I thought that’s just the way it is…
Click to expand...

must be an iphone thing bc my android just syncs, i opened the connect app last night for the first time this year (well first time since the most recent major app update) although my wife has been having problems with her garmin watch band thing that she likes lately (something about the alarm feature built in, im not 100% sure)
 
I've had constant problems. I would make multiple attempts to manually sync, open app, connect, don't connect, don't open app. Then one day it started to work, without even opening the app. Currently the Garmin app is just in the cloud as I'd have to re-download it buy with my 830, sometimes it auto uploads in the park lot or when I get home and it connects to WIFI. I only know this because of the Strava notification on my phone.

So I don't know if my 830 uploads to Strava and then it syncs to Garmin via Strava or if once it hits Wi-Fi it just handles itself? I dunno, but I'm sure talking about it, my next ride will be jacked up.
 
jShort said:
Mine won’t sync unless Connect is open. It can be in the background, but it needs to be opened. I thought that’s just the way it is…
Click to expand...
agreed.

I switch from my FitBit Versa 3 to a Garmin Vivoactive 4s last June due to FitBit issue on their backend no longer properly syncing to Strava. Ive used a Garmin edge since 2010 and always have had to either keep the Garmin app open in the background, or once my ride is done I open the app.

I use the watch 24 x 7 to record all non cycling activity especially all my walks, and typically once the activity on the watch is saved and i have the app open in the background it connects and syncs. For my rides, I leave the BT setting on the Garmin edge off until my ride is over. then I enable BT on the Garmin edge and ensure the Garmin connect app is open and it syncs.

Sometimes I have to reboot the garmin while leaving BT enabled to get the ride to sync, but thats because the 810 is older. The 520 I have syncs much quicker.

So my suggestion is:

1. Go into Garmin connect and under Devices, pick each one and click on the 3 dots top left and select "Remove Device"
2. remove the devices from iPhone BT under Settings>Bluetooth-> Forget device
3. restart iphone
4. add device to iphone under Bluetooth settings
5. Open Garmin connect - follow steps to re-add devices once at a time

In general leave GC app open in the background instead of swipe up and closing it. You can the watch thing out on a short walk that includes any GPS activity. If you see it doesnt connect and sync just make sure you have the app open each time or just open it once your activity is saved to the device (watch or Edge)

Hope this helps!
 
jShort said:
Mine won’t sync unless Connect is open. It can be in the background, but it needs to be opened. I thought that’s just the way it is…
Click to expand...

Mine works without Connect open even in the background. I just checked all my open apps and confirmed it’s not running and probably hasn’t been for a while. My ride last week uploaded without issue magically on its own.
 
Robin said:
I always forget and close everything…just a habit. Will try this..UPDATE - TRIED NO LUCK.

I have rebooted everything. Also considering removing and reinstalling everything.
Click to expand...
Chiming in to say that 90% of the time it will automatically upload but I do need to have the GARMIN app open on my phone prior to initiating activity. Sometimes there is a delay (like bad signal) and it will upload later/when I return home. I have a Fenix 6S.
 
I'll also throw this one out - if the device is wifi capable, and it connects to a known network, it will circumvent the phone.
No need for the connect app.

iphone will not let the device connect to its hot spot without toggling the hotspot off and back on - it is a security problem to go around broadcasting the SSID.
and iPhone will not let non-apple devices just connect (funny thing here is they initiate with a Bluetooth connection/beacon)
 
Patrick said:
I'll also throw this one out - if the device is wifi capable, and it connects to a known network, it will circumvent the phone.
No need for the connect app.
Click to expand...

came here to say this, the wifi capable devices sync directly with garmin when they see a known wifi network
 
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