Not syncing with watch (Explore Android)

Mine started to work after I set Explorer to work background from settings. Still those that are not synced, are not coming so perhaps I need to get them by hand.

About the Explorer Android, is it mandatory to show that sync icon all the time when background syncing is on? Garmin connect sync fine on background and it does not need to show the icon/notification all the time that is is automatically syncing devices. That feels like an UI bug.

Has this "nuclear" option worked for anyone? I'm a bit hesitant to try it do to the risk of not getting the other functions of the watch (F5) back to where I have it. In the sync to device process, syncing FROM the watch is working but sync TO the watch fails. The app stalls on "Syncing from fenix5   waypoints" and the in red text "Sync failed" with the date/time. 

I tried it right after they released the "fix" and it worked for a while and then Explore just stopped syncing with my Instinct again. 

I did an 8 mile hike last weekend and synched at the 6 mile mark, on a whim, and it synched successfully up to that point. After I finished and saved the hike on my watch, I tried another sync but that one didn't work and the 6 miles that it had recorded in Explore disappeared after the sync. 

I'm not sure how they fell so hard, since they used to be so good, but Garmin mapping, at least with Instinct and Explore, are just useless to me now. 

Hmm ok. At one point recently it worked to sync TO the watch because it erased all the courses I had in there and moved one over, but I'm not sure when that happened, so I can't replicate the condition. Also, I think I left out that sync'ing from the app causes the watch to crash and reboot every once in awhile too. The reviews in the Play Store for the app are also dropping - people are going back and revising their reviews to 1 star so hopefully that gets their attention. 

2 way sync started to work this morning. I noticed that a new version of the app (2.12.3) is available but the sync was working before I updated.  2 way sync works after the update too.

There are some weird things happening with Garmin Explore Android:

- I was having issues with Explore when using Samsung note 10 and same problems continue when using Samsung note 20 ultra

- In my Garmin Explore Android I'm seeing only 2 activities

- In https://explore.garmin.com Garmin explore web site I'm seeing 139 activities. So all activities are in Explore, but for some reason not syncing to Android. Only new ones are synced to Android.

- Also in Garmin connect mobile I'm seeing 139 activities

- If I logout from Android explore and log back in, I loose all activities from Android and can't sync them back.

- Also while new activities are synced to Android explore, in account tab I'm seeing "sync failed" written in red and it won't go away no matter how many times I resync.

So, very bad bugs in Garmin Explore Android at the moment.

And why isn't there an option for Android explore that location is allowed all the time like there is with garmin connect mobile? If I open android explore in the middle of activity, it starts to show the route, but if I close it, it stops and it caused the whole activity to fail when I tried. It couldn't be synced to anywhere and not even deleted from watch.

Syncing up and down from Explore site to Explore app (android) to Fenix and back is working for me. But these things are hard to remember to how to setup and use. On Explore web site in the Map page you can see your Library and your Collections. The Explore app can only see Collections, so if the activities you are looking for are only in the Library, they will not be sync'd back to app and device.

  In the app, look at the Account tab. This is what syncs web to app. In the app settings, if Background sync is enabled then I think it will automatically then also sync to devices. Now look at the Devices tab, click into your  Sync Settings. If you have the "Sync Everything" mode then I'm not sure where your activities go but they should at least be going to the Library on the web. I go for "Sync Selection" just so I have some control on where activities or going, here you can control if they also go into a Collection (on the device and same one on the web). Go back a screen to Device Information and make sure your Sync Current Activity is enabled.

Actually you probably already know all that stuff but hey. The android app version I'm using is the latest, 2.13.0 from August 10, 2020. The previous version was totally broken sync for me so make sure you are updated.

During the time it was broken this summer, I was getting excellent help from Garmin through the support chat so you might try that avenue because it sounds like what you have is totally borked.

You might also try again now, earlier today I did have a sync error from the Explore app as I was coming in to cell range and syncing a 4 hour activity from the watch to Connect, but once I let the watch complete it's transfers everything worked so maybe it's a coincidence or not. During my activity today I was able to open and close the Explore app to use the offline maps, it see the activity in progress, but I was also out of cell range, but with bluetooth on for device - phone connectivity.

It seems that activities has not been synced to the explore web either for a month. Connect mobile and garmin express works fine. And now when you mentioned, that new version came on August, my Garmin Explore was working fine before the update. Last successful sync was from 16th of August.

I have tried this process and still not working.

The activities from instinct watch does sync with Connect but not with Explore.

Anything else I can try?