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Tutorial: How to solve Sync and Pairing issues with Garmin Connect!

Former Member over 8 years ago

I've encountered pairing issue when I first bought my Vivoactive HR in August 2016 and recently, it happened again after I realised my Vivoactive HR stopped syncing to Garmin Connect Mobile (GCM) on my iPhone 7 Plus as the last synced showed "Last Sync: 12 December 2016 and time".

What I had done:
1. Tried many times to sync but failed.
2. Shutdown both iPhone and Vivoactive HR, restarted and tried syncing again, failed.
3. Deleted Bluetooth pairing in iPhone before syncing, failed.
4. Uninstalled GCM, reinstalled, logged in, tried syncing again, failed.
5. Tried with my OnePlus 2, same syncing and pairing issues
6. Note that even though syncing and pairing failed, notifications from my iPhone was able to sync to my Vivoactive HR, and in iPhone Bluetooth Settings, it showed my Vivoactive HR was connected to my iPhone.
7. Submitted a report of Problem using GCM app yesterday.

This morning, I uninstalled GCM from my OnePlus 2, reinstalled, and tried again. This time round, after pairing started, it showed "Setting up device...". When I clicked on "Show Details", it showed the following :

A. Authenticated
B. Connected xxxxx
C. Checked device registration
D. Requesting device identification file failed

I decided to reset my Vivoactive HR. Steps below:
A. Connected Vivoactive HR to computer, start Garmin Express, sync data to my Garmin Connect account, disconnected Vivoactive HR from computer
B. Go to Settings in Vivoactive HR
C. Click on System > Restore Defaults
D. Follow on screen instructions

Upon reboot of my Vivoactive HR, I logged into my GC account, was asked to pair new device, which I did, and this time round, it paired successfully. Since pairing was successful, I was able to sync my activities to my iPhone GCM.

Hope this tutorial will be helpful to everyone who are having syncing and pairing issues of their Garmin devices with GMT.

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0 Alan.raceQs over 8 years ago

Pairing after Restore Defaults

Any update on this issue?
I reset my Vivoactiv HR to Restore Defaults, and since then have been totally unable to pair it with my iPhone. Yes, it previously paired and ran fine.
For two days, I've been trying all combos, but no result.
I also test on an Android, and it took me a couple of hours till I found the right starting sequence to get it paired. Of course, in the excitement of the moment I don't remember the successful sequence, but it was something to do with using the Settings/Bluetooth/Pair Mobile option.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

Any update on this issue?
I reset my Vivoactiv HR to Restore Defaults, and since then have been totally unable to pair it with my iPhone. Yes, it previously paired and ran fine.
For two days, I've been trying all combos, but no result.
I also test on an Android, and it took me a couple of hours till I found the right starting sequence to get it paired. Of course, in the excitement of the moment I don't remember the successful sequence, but it was something to do with using the Settings/Bluetooth/Pair Mobile option.

Go to GC app on iPhone and forget device and then add device again while trying to pair your watch.

0 Former Member over 5 years ago

I had the same problem with my Fenix 6 and iPhone 7, after restoring defaults several times I downloaded the Garmin Express app and sync and update the watch from there, then I delete the watch from bluetooth devices on my iPhone and tried again, finally I were able to sync :)

0 Mina over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

deleting the watch from bluetooth devices is what got it working for me after the hard resets. Thanks

0 jackb112 over 2 years ago

Lifesaver! For the last day I've been constantly uninstalling garmin connect/ resetting devices/ changing Bluetooth settings / updating watch software as I had the same issue with my fenix 7x. It seems like the watch pin code screen fails to appear when trying to pair devices, even though it worked fine before a recent activity.

0 8539034 over 2 years ago in reply to jackb112

I had the exact problem with Fenix 5XP today (it worked fine before today), after removed it from Garmin connect the choose "forget the device" on the iphone12 Bluetooth.

I completely erased everything on both Fenix 5XP and my iphone12 for 2 times and all sw are updated (thru garmin express sync music/apps with my fenix5 tall ok)

Tried 10s of times for the whole afternoon to pair, with various methods like creating new Garmin connect account and new apple-id to avoid old apple-id cloud account, etc but none succeeded.

Every time when pairing the phone can find the watch and tried to complete connection but fenix 5XP never gave the 6-digit pin on the watch, it always failed dead there.