Sync / Connection Troubleshooting Guide

  • The following checklist attempts to cover all possible reasons of failing synchronization. If you encounter connectivity problems, please read it carefully and eliminate one point after the other, not skipping any, even if you think it cannot help. All of the points are listed because they did help other users in the past cases. More tips will be added, if found useful.

Most common way people use for resolving this kind of problems, is uninstalling and reinstalling the application. Sometimes it can help, but often only temporarily, because you usually did not really resolve the true problem. So, although it is also a way how you can try fixing the issue, let us focusing also on other alternatives, and trying to find and eliminate the problem.

  1. A quick fix that works often when the connection gets stuck only occasionally, is toggling Bluetooth off and on, on the phone (swipe down the top status bar to access the BT icon), or (in a more persistent case) forcing the Garmin Connect Mobile app to stop and restarting it.
     
  2. First of all check out whether the latest version of software (firmware) is installed on your watch. If you can successfully connect to the watch with Garmin Express via the USB cable, try whether syncing works at least over the cable, and check also for the latest software update with it. Otherwise, look up the watch software version directly on the device (typically: long-press the Menu button » Settings » About, but it may depend on the watch model), and verify with the support page for your model on Garmin's website whether there is an update available.

  3. The next step to try would be soft reset (typically - holding the Light button for some 20s, until the device shuts down), or powering down and powering up the device. It often fixes weird behavior, especially after firmware updates. Also shut down the GC Mobile app (iOS: swipe it up in the iOS App Switcher; Android: Android Settings » Apps » Connect » Force to Stop), and then restart it. No data, and no settings are being lost, during the soft reset (unlike at the master reset), so no need to worry about doing it.

  4. In the Privacy Settings of your Garmin Connect Web, make sure the options Storage & Processing and Device Upload are enabled

  5. In Device Settings in Garmin Connect Web, verify that the option Activity Tracking is enabled, and also verify whether the option Preferred Activity Tracker is checked in the Device Settings » Activity Tracking.

  6.  reported in this thread that the clearing the cache of the Garmin Connect app helped to fix the problem on his Google Pixel 2 phone. Accessible in Android Settings » Apps » Connect

  7. Check out the Sync Audit on the phone app, and search for any error messages of warnings. You can browse through the history of the audits on the screen GC Mobile Menu » Settings » Device Sync Audit (note the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen to review also previous reports, and not only the last one)

  8. One of relatively frequent reasons for a stalled syncing is a corrupt FIT file, mostly a file of a recent Activity. Open the storage of your Garmin device over the USB cable in a file manager (such as File Explorer in Windows or File Finder in MacOS), and download the un-synced files from the folder //GARMIN/Activity (the date is used for the file names). Try importing those files by dropping them onto the Import page of Garmin Connect Web. In case some of the files triggers errors during the import, delete it from the device, and try repairing and reimporting the file using the Section Remover of  FIT File Tools (without removing anything), or consult the thread How to repair a .fit file?

  9. In some cases, especially with older devices, full storage may cause faulty FIT files and/or sync problems. Clean up regularly the folder /GARMIN/Activity, making sufficient room for new activities. You can also remove unneeded workouts (//GARMIN/Workouts/), courses (//GARMIN/Courses/), and language text files (//GARMIN/TEXT/)

  10. If the sync seems to be working OK (the circle around the watch symbol closes and the green do appears), but data like heart rate, steps, or activities does not appear on the phone,

    then your device might be misaligned with the GC account. Follow the instructions from the thread Troubleshooting guide for (some) data missing after syncing to resolve the issue.

  11. You sould also try turning off completely both your phone and the watch, waiting a moment, and then turning them back on again. Make sure Bluetooth is on, on both sides.

  12. When you go to the Bluetooth details on the phone (swipe down the top and long-tap the BT symbol), is your watch visible? If not, tap Scan up right. If yes, then in wich section? Available or Paired? If it is in the Available section, follow the installation instructions from you user manual and pair the devices.

  13. Try disconnecting all other BT active devices, such as headphones, etc.

  14. If the Garmin device is already paired with another phone (or a tablet, pc, …), remove the pairing.

  15. Check the menu on the BT screen (on the phone), check the Advanced options, and verify all parameters. On some phones there is an option for clearing the Bluetooth cache. If you find it, use it. If you don't, google it up for your phone model, or use the search function on the Android settings screen.

  16. Try removing the pairing of the watch from phone's BT devices, and re-pairing it from the phone's BT page (unlike what Garmin's User Manual suggests). If it does not help, remove the pairing again and try initializing the pairing from the watch, just like the User Manual tells. Sounds a bit foolish, but there are many users whom it helped.

  17. Verify all application permissions in Android Settings » Apps » Connect » Permissions. Check also other sections of the application page in the system settings. The manufacturer of the phone may have added additional parameters. Check all for any susceptible limitations. The Permissions are also accessible from Garmin Connect menu » Settings » Phone Permissions, they should be all turned on

  18. Try some troubleshooting guides from Garmin Support:
  19. Check the following troubleshooting guide for HUAWEI (should work for Honor and other clones too). It may apply to your phone perhaps too:
  20. Another tip for HUAWEI, although for notifications, may perhaps help for certain phones and syncing too:
  21. And yet more tips for HUAWEI owners: https://thedroidguy.com/fix-huawei-p30-bluetooth-connection-problems-bluetooth-not-working-1104602

  22. Another HUAWEI owner reports that disabled GPS location service caused troubles with the GC synchronization 

  23. If you skipped the previous points, thinking it did not concern you, check out (on your phone) battery saving parameters, mobile data permissions or saving settings, and lock screen settings - all of them can hinder the communication in some cases (for example disabling the Bluetooth communication at low power, blocking web access when on mobile data, blocking the Garmin Connect background process when the screen is locked,...).

  24. On some phones (namely reported on several SAMSUNG models), you may need to reset the network settings, typically under Settings » General management » Reset » Reset network settingsPlease note you'll loose all network settings for wi-fi and Bluetooth a will have to re-do them. (source)

  25. Samsung Galaxy S21 / S201 Ultra phone owners report a lot of problems with BT disconnections in general (not only with Garmin products). The phones seem to suffer from conflicts between the WiFi and BT. Try turning the phone's WiFi off to see whether it is your case too. If it helps, then try using a 5GHz WiFi instead of 2.4 GHz. Report the issue to the Samsung Support. (source 1, source 2)

  26. Google Pixel (and many other Android brands) cope with BT connectivity problems because of the battery optimizing feature called DOZE. Read more on the topic, and on the way to disable it:
  27. Google Pixel owners report serious BT problems with some OS versions, telling an update to v13 fixed it (at the time of writing v13 was in the beta phase). Otherwise, turning off the WiFi on the phone, allows using BT correctly. See the threads Does Garmin Connect work with Android 12? and Instinct 2 (Solar) constantly disconnecting and connecting till phone restart (Pixel 6 Pro) for more details.

  28. Enabling the new "Gabeldorsche Bluetooth stack" option in the developer options of the phone fixed the BT connectivity problems too, on some phones at several users.

  29. App Overlays (i.e. Skype, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, etc. use them) may pose a problem on some models of phones, as reported in this thread. Read the thread if you do not know what App Overlays are, or when you want to learn how to disable them.

  30. Check the changelog of the last OS update of your phone, or contact their support to find out which of the changes of their software could have led to this outcome.

  31. If nothing helps and you know the previous version of Garmin Connect Mobile worked all right, consider installing an older version  from an APK archive. There are several unofficial APK archives available on the web (for example here). Use on own risk - there is no guarantee from Google or from Garmin that those files were not modified by a 3rd party (though I have only positive experience with the mentioned website)  

  32. And of course, if nothing of the above helps, and you did not do it yet, then contact your local Product Support - they may be able to give you additional hints, or may be able to analyze the logs on your device, and find the culprit.

Happy Syncing!

Top Replies

All Replies

  • Tx. Problem is i cannot sync via PC. Vivofit4 does not have a cable. Can only sync to mobile

  • Have reset everything andcreinstalled all and sundry. Still not syncing. I am past fed up with Garmin andcthis device to say the least.

  • Did I really pay so much money for my Garmin watch to go through all these troubleshooting ? Everything worked alright until Garmin had the big problem with the servers few weeks ago. I am really annoyed. I will not recommend Garmin to anyone. 

  • Did I really pay so much money for my Garmin watch to go through all these troubleshooting ?

    The troubleshooting guide is a collection of friendly tips of other users of this forum. Nobody forces you to use it. You are free to use the tips, or totally ignore them, contacting the Garmin Support instead, or dumping the device, if you prefer.

  • Thank you Trux for your kind advices, one of them solved the problem with my Vivoactive. What I meant is that Garmin should fix the problems with their products and it should not be so complicated for the users. I wish Garmin would pay you for doing their job... Cheers! 

  • trux,

    Thanks for the extensive information to solve the sync issue. However, I've given up. My Fexix 6 Pro, bought december 2019, worked ok in synchronizing till last Tuesday. Since then sync via the mobile app does not work anymore.

    Step 1 -> via cable using Garmin Express works. No improvement.in sync using bluetooth or wifi.

    Step 2 -> see screen shots

    See below, for the red ones:

    GCM iOS SYNC REPORT

    Sync Identifier: EAB6A381-5BC7-4F2B-8C82-690BF1BB8F72
    Date/Time: 2020-01-12 13:51:23 +0000
    GCM Software Version: 4.26.0.20
    Garmin Device Software Version: 5.00
    Garmin Device Model: fenix 6 Pro
    Garmin Device Unit ID: 3318413996
    Connect Account: adridb

    UPLOAD CONFIG

    File Type URL
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_57 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_28 /upload-service/upload
    ErrorShutdownReports/shutdown/upload
    FIT_TYPE_41 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_35 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_4 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_58 /upload-service/upload
    GPSData /upload-service/upload
    GOLF_SCORECARD /gcs-golfcommunity/api/scorecard
    FIT_TYPE_44 /upload-service/upload/metrics
    FIT_TYPE_38 /gcs-golfcommunity/api/scorecard/fit
    FIT_TYPE_52 /user-behavior-log/fit/upload
    FitnessHistory /upload-service/upload
    BLELogs /era2-intake/uploadDeviceLog
    FIT_TYPE_49 /upload-service/upload/wellness
    FIT_TYPE_9 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_32 /upload-service/upload/wellness
    IQErrorReports /ciq-appstore-era/uploads

    UPLOAD DEVICE FILE TYPES

    File Type
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_49
    FIT_TYPE_38
    FIT_TYPE_35
    FIT_TYPE_32
    FIT_TYPE_44
    FIT_TYPE_4
    FIT_TYPE_41
    ErrorShutdownReports
    IQErrorReports
    FIT_TYPE_58

    UPLOADS

    File Type Filename Size (bytes) Status
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_4 1-3318413996ble-FIT_TYPE_4-3290-11-947764530 281745 Error
    FIT_TYPE_35 (null)102 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_32 (null)3585 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_32 (null)709 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_32 (null)6180 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_44 (null)590 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_49 (null)1051 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_49 (null)229 Cancelled
    FIT_TYPE_49 (null)1126 Cancelled

    DOWNLOAD DEVICE FILE TYPES

    File Type
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOWNLOADS

    File Type Download ID Size (bytes)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ERROR DETAILS

    Error Domain=GCMSyncErrorDomain Code=1 "Serverfout" UserInfo={SyncErrorReason=File UL: Upload failed for url connectapi.garmin.com/.../upload, NSLocalizedDescription=Serverfout, NSUnderlyingError=0x28040e790 {Error Domain=com.garmin.obn.query.ErrorDomain Code=11 "(null)"}}

    Step 3 -> deleted activities in Garmin Connect webbrowser which were sync via Gamin Connect and then used File Explorer in Windows and imported the unsynced files from the folder //GARMIN/Activity to Garmin Connect webbrowser using the import functionality. No improvement.in sync using bluetooth or wifi.

    And:

    GCM iOS SYNC REPORT

    Sync Identifier: C4E63551-38CE-4BA6-A267-869D194C2F06
    Date/Time: 2020-02-06 12:28:29 +0000
    GCM Software Version: 4.27.0.33
    Garmin Device Software Version: 6.00
    Garmin Device Model: fenix 6 Pro
    Garmin Device Unit ID: 3318413996
    Connect Account: adridb

    UPLOAD CONFIG

    File Type URL
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_57 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_28 /upload-service/upload
    ErrorShutdownReports/shutdown/upload
    FIT_TYPE_41 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_35 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_4 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_58 /upload-service/upload
    GPSData /upload-service/upload
    GOLF_SCORECARD /gcs-golfcommunity/api/scorecard
    FIT_TYPE_44 /upload-service/upload/metrics
    FIT_TYPE_38 /gcs-golfcommunity/api/scorecard/fit
    FIT_TYPE_52 /user-behavior-log/fit/upload
    FitnessHistory /upload-service/upload
    BLELogs /era2-intake/uploadDeviceLog
    FIT_TYPE_49 /upload-service/upload/wellness
    FIT_TYPE_9 /upload-service/upload
    FIT_TYPE_32 /upload-service/upload/wellness
    IQErrorReports /ciq-appstore-era/uploads

    UPLOAD DEVICE FILE TYPES

    File Type
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_49
    FIT_TYPE_38
    FIT_TYPE_35
    FIT_TYPE_32
    FIT_TYPE_44
    FIT_TYPE_4
    FIT_TYPE_41
    ErrorShutdownReports
    IQErrorReports
    FIT_TYPE_58

    UPLOADS

    File Type Filename Size (bytes) Status
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    FIT_TYPE_32 1-3318413996ble-FIT_TYPE_32-3290-83-949926510 656 Error
    FIT_TYPE_49 (null)202 Cancelled

    DOWNLOAD DEVICE FILE TYPES

    File Type
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOWNLOADS

    File Type Download ID Size (bytes)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    ERROR DETAILS

    Error Domain=GCMSyncErrorDomain Code=1 "Serverfout" UserInfo={SyncErrorReason=File UL: Upload failed for url connectapi.garmin.com/.../wellness, NSLocalizedDescription=Serverfout, NSUnderlyingError=0x28146cf60 {Error Domain=NSURLErrorDomain Code=-1005 "De netwerkverbinding is verbroken." UserInfo={_kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=53, NSUnderlyingError=0x281461050 {Error Domain=kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork Code=-1005 "(null)" UserInfo={NSErrorPeerAddressKey=<CFData 0x2838112c0 [0x1cca2b840]>{length = 16, capacity = 16, bytes = 0x100201bb681187c00000000000000000}, _kCFStreamErrorCodeKey=53, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1}}, _NSURLErrorFailingURLSessionTaskErrorKey=LocalDataTask <1B94C7FB-7C5B-4229-BA8E-701626B0E95A>.<1>, _NSURLErrorRelatedURLSessionTaskErrorKey=(
    "LocalDataTask <1B94C7FB-7C5B-4229-BA8E-701626B0E95A>.<1>"
    ), NSLocalizedDescription=De netwerkverbinding is verbroken., NSErrorFailingURLStringKey=connectapi.garmin.com/.../wellness, NSErrorFailingURLKey=connectapi.garmin.com/.../wellness, _kCFStreamErrorDomainKey=1}}}

    Step 4 -> In some cases, especially with older devices, full storage may cause faulty FIT files and/or sync problems. Given my Fenix is from december 2019 I rule this out. How can I check?

    Step 5 -> Not applicable

    Step 6 -> did this, no solution, not syncing.

    Step 7 ->  did this, no solution, not syncing.

    Step 8 -> did this, no solution, not syncing

    Step 9  -> Not applicable

    Step 10 -> I got an Apple iPhone. Did not try this solution

    From her I did not try.

    I deleted the app from my iPhone and re-installed it. I did a factory reset of my watch..Both did not work.

    As already said: I give up!

  • Step 2 -> see attached screen shots

    Looks like you forgot to attach the screenshots. What about the resting tips 3 to 23? Did you try all of them?

  • trux

    I'm a fan of Garmin. I use it for more than 12 years. But this is really so frustrating.

    It took me more than 3 hours without a solution.

    I think I will bring my watch back to the shop were I bought it and ask them to replace it by a new one.

  • Hi,

    Im really frustrated- I tried to do all the points above, which I understood, but nothing worked 

    I can synchronize my fenix 6s, but from 18 August 5pm to 19 August 5pm all my steps are missing. 

    This is very disappointing for me because I was at Day 665 yesterday and with the missing steps I start at Day 1 again.

    Is there any further  possibility to get the Data back?

    Kind regards 

    Petra

  • from 18 August 5pm to 19 August 5pm all my steps are missing

    This is an unrelated issue. Have a look at the thread Steps missing from outage period addressing your problem.

    I think I will bring my watch back to the shop were I bought it and ask them to replace it by a new one.

    You can certainly do that, but it is uncertain whether it helps. Could be a problem on the phone, or with the data.

    The Sync Audit shows network errors (look it up around the text "De netwerkverbinding is verbroken."), so I'd try to resolve that first.

    And then, there seem to be more problems - for example there is also an error at the FIT file FIT_TYPE_4-3290-11-947764530. I am not sure what FIT_TYPE_4 is, but I believe it is a Workout, so you can try removing any workouts you recently added in Garmin Connect. 

    If nothing helps send the Sync Audit to the Support and ask them for assistance.