I'd like tips for streamlining the Connect UI. Are there ways to hide the things I don't use?

On the phone app, scroll to the bottom, tap Edit My Day, and remove what you do not need. GC Web cannot be customized much, apart from the Dashboard(s) that you can freely customize to your liking. You can also select the starting page, in the user settings.

sasmith449 said:

Even better is there a tutorial or manual to walk through navigation of the app?

The official help portal for Garmin Connect is here: Garmin Connect | Garmin Customer Support

There are also couple of video tutorials on YouTube: garmin connect - YouTube

If you do not like videos, there are text-based tutorials available too: garmin connect tutorial - Google Search

For example: How to use Garmin Connect | TechRadar 

Thanks Trux. I have poked and prodded at both the web version and the phone app using all the tricks I know to find software nooks and crannies. After a while I thought I must be missing something.  Now with your suggestions I see that I haven't. While I'm sure Connect is useful for many people (and apparently, mainly wearable users) it is just too clunky and cluttered with empty data fields for my use. I do like the  Edge 530 though and need Courses to upload gpx files.

sasmith449 said:

cluttered with empty data fields for my use.

Which empty fields exactly clutter your Garmin Connect? And which one - the phone app, or the web interface?

Courses can be uploaded at https://connect.garmin.com/modern/courses, or by opening the GPX file with the app on the phone. If you do not want to use Garmin Connect, you can do it with the simpler Garmin Express. Or you can even upload courses from 3rd parties directly to your Edge.

Thanks again. Not having problems with uploading courses. But for instance let's take the GC web Dashboards. For the Edge 530 I have a dashboard with a card for Activities and Reports for Total Distance and Ascent. I'd prefer the reports default to 4 weeks rather than 7 days and display as line instead of bar graphs. If this isn't possible that's fine as this is still useful. But only on the laptop because I don't find an analog to Dashboards on the phone app which is were I will be looking at it the most. The My Day tab on the phone app and Daily Summary on GC web are packed with data fields that seem useful only to wearable users which I am not and I can't find a way to change or modify them to something that might be useful to me. Finally I would use less than half the tabs on the sidebar of GC web and would like a way to make them invisible. But as you say GC web does not appear to be very configurable. So I just hide the whole thing.

sasmith449 said:

I'd prefer the reports default to 4 weeks rather than 7 days

No problem at all:

1. Add a new panel: 
    
   
   
2. Select Reports:
     
   
   
3. Chose the report type:
   
   
   
4. Adjust the details