Garmin Express Mac - Recent Threads

RE: Apple Silicon Support

Ashley_Drees — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:05:36 GMT

Thanks, that is more or less what i expected - will set up a watcher on the Express Page.

Apple Silicon Support

robd003 — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:55:16 GMT

Garmin, please update Garmin Express and release a NATIVE arm64 release for macOS.

Apple hasn't sold an Intel Mac in *years* and it's beyond embarrassing that zero effort has been put into support Apple users.

Reminder, Apple users have more disposable income than any other type of computer buyer. Do the right thing and put some engineering effort into this growing platform!

Apple Music library on your Garmin watch (Mac/Silicon)

RickyDive — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 20:20:26 GMT

GMM is a Mac app that sends songs, albums and playlists from your Music library to your Garmin over USB, no Garmin Express needed: it is meant for anyone having trouble with Garmin's current macOS app. It creates the folders, checks that every file arrived, avoids duplicates and rebuilds the .m3u8 playlists.

Custom Playlist: build, reorder, save, or edit a playlist already on the watch
Artwork from Apple Music, with optional online lookup and confirmation
Storage bar, counts, safe deletion of tracks
Mini player with AirPlay, Liquid Glass interface, Italian and English

Requirements: Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 26.6 or later, a Garmin watch with music. Tested on the fenix 9 Pro. Formats MP3, M4A, AAC; DRM, cloud-only and Apple Lossless tracks are excluded.

Status: 2.0 Beta 3. Built for Apple Silicon, in Xcode and with the help of Claude (Anthropic). It is independent and not affiliated with Garmin or Apple. The firmware update check is optional and, if enabled, sends the contents of GarminDevice.xml to Garmin.

A question for you: is there any interest in an alternative to Garmin Express for managing music? I'd like to know whether others would find it useful.

If there is enough response, I will open a GitHub channel to properly distribute the package and the setup instructions.

PS: Developed in 10 days.

RE: Apple Silicon Support

4952177 — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 19:07:16 GMT

We are looking for an Arm64 app specifically designed for Macs with M processors not hotchpotch bastardized Intel only applications that rely on Apples Rosetta, for which they quite rightly are pulling support with the next OS28. Pretty cheeky from Garmin.

RE: Apple Silicon Support

PARSA9 — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:46:00 GMT

Javawa,

Who exactly are you to tell Mac users that they have to install emulator software to run Windows software when the actual MacOS *should* work on the Mac properly? It's not whining to expect Garmin to release native, properly functioning MacOS software when they've literally had YEARS to do it. Now they're up against a deadline where their Intel-based apps won't function at all. I've been using Garmin products for 25 years, and they have always been doing this. They need to get their damned act together.

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

6641354 — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 14:20:38 GMT

But it's not working 😞

Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

Pikadorek — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 08:25:21 GMT

I've successfully installed the update. The app opens, syncs whatever there is to sync. And that's enough.

None of the options Music - Apps - Tools - Garmin Connect works!

So still no way to take fresh music with you to run.

Shame for such a multi-million dollar business!!! It's been 18th day since Golden Gate was launched.

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

SloMTBR — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 13:17:56 GMT

The installer has been updated to work with macOS 27

DOWNLOAD FOR MAC®

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

6641354 — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 09:50:03 GMT

Error - Garmin Express requiert un système équipé d'un processeur Intel 64 bits.

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

Justin — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:26:24 GMT

Typical Garmin rubbish software.. It just doesn't connect at all any more.. They must be embarrassed to tell people they create this junk..

RE: Apple Silicon Support

JaVaWa — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:26:43 GMT

[quote userid="2390127" url="~/apps-software/mac-windows-software/f/garmin-express/429822/apple-silicon-support/2070012"]Do you think there might be lawsuit[/quote]

Guess you didn't read the small print...

Anyway, got my new fenix 9 Pro today and connected it to my Mac mini M2Pro. Express found and added the device to the list. Even the big buttons work like they should; didn't have to press them for a longer time. Maybe because I'm using a trackpad instead of a mouse?

Updating maps didn't work as it should, Express crashed while doing that. No problem, fired up VMware Fusion with Windows 11 and finished it there. My advice for the complainers here is to install VMware Fusion (it's free), and stop whining.

So yes, Garmin needs to fix the software, but eventually they will. It's not a showstopper for me, there is a workaround avaliable.

RE: Android File Transfer needs Rosetta - how to get files off device?

JW_Z — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 20:39:34 GMT

I'm currently using Moorage, works for me:

Moorage

Android File Transfer needs Rosetta - how to get files off device?

PubBike — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:28:59 GMT

MacOS users need Android File Transfer to get files off their devices.

Just like Garmin Express, Android File Transfer whilst not developed by Garmin, is an Intel application that needs Rosetta to run on MacOS Silicon computers.

Examples of when this is needed:

- Sending files to support

- Retrieving files that did not upload successfully

At the moment the user experience is poor: needing a 3rd party app that can't coexist with Garmin Express to get files off the device. It would be a whole lot better if the files could be extracted through Garmin Express.

Garmin - what are you doing about a replacement for Android File Transfer when Rosetta is no longer available with MacOS 28?

You now have to hold the buttons on the device page down to get them to work

PubBike — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:32:57 GMT

The buttons on the device page now only work when held down as opposed to all previous releases before 7.29.2 or so where you could just press them once. This change in functionality was not mentioned in the release notes and has caused a considerable amount of confusion.

[mention:f11eac143f2b4c8aa18636152ced6977:e9ed411860ed4f2ba0265705b8793d05] is this intentional, or is it a bug?

See various other threads where this has been pointed out:

[mention:7b83e9a970cb4d9f91bac60cb794f76c:46448885d0e64133bbfbf0cd7b0fd6f7:label=Garmin%20Express%207.29.3.0%20on%20macOS%2027%20%E2%80%94%20Garmin%20Connect%20and%20Tools%20%26amp%3B%20Content%20buttons%20still%20do%20nothing]

https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software/mac-windows-software/f/garmin-express/429822/apple-silicon-support#pifragment-1303=24

[mention:70eee44b7df24504bbc4e91ac6f664cc:46448885d0e64133bbfbf0cd7b0fd6f7]

etc.

I thought I'd do a top level question so that people don't have to read the various threads.

Also, sorry I couldn't find the original thread where the person found this out. If you reply I'll credit you here.

Garmin Express 7.29.3.0 on macOS 27 — Garmin Connect and Tools & Content buttons still do nothing

8017306 — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:44:48 GMT

Certainly. For the forum, we have more room than the email form, so I would include enough detail to make the report useful to Garmin engineers and recognizable to other affected users.

Suggested title:

Garmin Express 7.29.3.0 on macOS 27 — Garmin Connect and Tools & Content buttons do nothing

Post:

I am experiencing a Garmin Express UI problem on macOS 27 with Garmin Express 7.29.3.0 and a Garmin Instinct.

Garmin Express itself is functional in several respects: it recognizes the Instinct, I can sign into my Garmin account, and synchronization completes successfully. Activities uploaded by Express appear normally in Garmin Connect when I open Garmin Connect directly in a browser.

However, the Garmin Connect and Tools & Content buttons in Garmin Express do nothing when clicked. There is no error message and no visible response.

I have done the following troubleshooting:

Changed the default browser from Firefox to Chrome — no effect.

Tested open https://connect.garmin.com/ in Terminal. This correctly opens Garmin Connect in Firefox, so macOS URL/default-browser handling works.

Completely uninstalled Garmin Express, including its preferences, Application Support files, and caches.

Restarted the Mac and downloaded and installed a fresh copy of Garmin Express 7.29.3.0.

Signed in again and synced the Instinct successfully. The same buttons remain nonfunctional immediately after the clean installation.

I also examined the macOS unified log while reproducing the problem. At approximately the time of the button action, Garmin Express repeatedly generates the following CoreUI error/fault:

CoreUI: -[CUICatalog initWithName:fromBundle:error:] unable to find a bundle 'NSBundle </Applications/Garmin Express.app> (loaded)' with identifier 'com.garmin.renu.client'

I checked the installed application and confirmed that both its Info.plist and code signature identify it as com.garmin.renu.client (TeamIdentifier=72ES32VZUA).

Network communication appears normal, and Garmin Express Service successfully completes HTTPS requests. The watch continues to sync correctly.

Because Tools & Content is also nonfunctional, this does not appear to be simply a browser-launching problem. A complete clean reinstall also did not resolve it.

I understand that other users have reported nonresponsive Garmin Express buttons after moving to macOS 27. I am posting this as a new report because the problem is still present with Garmin Express 7.29.3.0.

I have already submitted this issue to Garmin Product Support through the email form. I can provide Garmin Express logs and the relevant macOS unified-log output if Garmin staff would find them useful.

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3.0 on macOS 27 — Garmin Connect and Tools & Content buttons still do nothing

Icchan84 — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:17:28 GMT

Thanks, Jirka! Your tip works, but it still is a bug. A simple click or tap should work on the button. Hopefully the devs fix this soon.

RE: Apple Silicon Support

AMCarter3 — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 14:11:02 GMT

So everyone knows, this issue affects more than Garmin watches. It also affects boaters who use Garmin navigation equipment and have to rely on Garmin Express to update topographical charts in their chartplotters. That makes it a big safety concern. Imagine IF some boater had a serious accident due to inaccurate navigation info on their chartplotter screen due to inability to download topo file updates. Do you think there might be lawsuit.... GARMIN, ARE YOU LISTENING?

RE: Apple Silicon Support

wcadkins — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:13:58 GMT

I tried it and also can confirm. Which, while good, is almost more annoying because something this easy should have been identified by their QA and put into support/release notes, dramatically reducing everyone’s annoyance.

RE: Apple Silicon Support

Vhond — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 10:36:57 GMT

You're not the only one. Many people who have MacOS move to another watch manufacturer due to the inability to install Garmin Express on M based computers without Rossetta...

RE: Garmin Express on MacBook M5

SloMTBR — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 14:32:51 GMT

The 7.29.3 update with the installer fix has been released.

Garmin Express on MacBook M5

Twodogs — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 07:37:45 GMT

Garmin Express doesn’t seem compatible with my MacBook aM5 Pro. Is there a way to install? I am wanting to buy Garmin Topo Australia maps but no point if I can’t install them to the Fenix 9 Pro.

I have Garmin Express (Intel) on my MAC not finding my Garmin devices.

Imperatrice — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:40:00 GMT

I have Garmin Express (Intel) on my MAC - believe thats the reason why it is not picking up my Fenix 8? how do i upgrade or change that?

RE: I have Garmin Express (Intel) on my MAC not finding my Garmin devices.

Garmin - PW — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 14:21:58 GMT

You will want to ensure you are running the latest version of Garmin Express for Mac (v. 7.29.3) and can download this version here: Garmin - Express

RE: Garmin Express 7.29.3 update

Roby — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:41:58 GMT

Thanks, Philip! I tried it, and the alternative solution works perfectly. Thanks again for your help! 👍🏻

RE: Garmin Express on MacBook M5

6404605 — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:13:15 GMT

可以把这段代码复制一下吗，你发的图片我无法复制