Garmin Connect has proven controversial since its launch, but that’s mostly limited to how it locks certain features behind an expensive paywall. But now dissatisfaction has grown as the latest software update has disabled many users’ wearable devices and smartwatches, leaving them unable to sync their progress.
The issue was reported in various ways with updates 5.21 and 5.21.1, and users are expressing their frustration on social media. Posts flood Reddit, for example, as seen Gadgets and wearables. Users are upset about the disruption to their routines and Garmin Connect’s inability to work with their existing devices.
keep writing redditUser Fantastic-Class-8252 explained: “I just updated my app on the iPhone and now it says I don’t have a watch connected to the app!” This was confirmed by other users including PrimaryHuckleberry11 who said: another message that “I updated my iPhone today and I lost all devices in the app.”
By the way, the problems seem to be limited to iOS, and Garmin Connect for Android users reported that their app worked without problems. This suggests that the problem lies in the way the Garmin Connect app interacts with certain elements of iOS and that the latest update has broken this functionality.
We asked Garmin if the issue is known or if Garmin has an estimated timeframe for implementing a fix. We’ll update this story as soon as we hear anything.
What can you do?
Some users posted fixes in the comments of Reddit posts, claiming that they had gotten everything working again.
A user, for example, explain They first had to remove their wearable device from the Garmin Connect web app. They then removed their phone from the list of paired Bluetooth devices in the iOS Settings app. Once this was done, they could add their device to the Garmin Connect app.
For others it was the solution something different. This user suggested opening the Garmin Connect app and then, while searching for connected devices, going to the settings screen of your Garmin watch and going to Connectivity > Phone > Pair Phone.
This should show your watch in the app. You can then set it up as a new device in Garmin Connect.
However, not everyone has had success with these methods. The issue also appears to affect several Garmin wearables, so there’s no guarantee that what works on one product will work on another.
If you are a victim of this problem, the methods mentioned above are worth trying. However, if you still can’t connect your laptop, you may have to wait for a fix to be released that will get everything working properly again.
