How to sync Garmin with Apple Health
Yes. The Garmin Connect iPhone app writes steps, all-day heart rate, active and resting energy, sleep, weight/body composition, water and workouts to Apple Health. It is one-way: Garmin Connect does not read anything from Apple Health or an Apple Watch.
Key caveats: GPS routes, HRV, resting heart rate, VO2 max, SpO2, respiration, Body Battery and stress are not written, workouts carry only high/low heart rate, and Garmin Connect has to be open in the foreground for the transfer to run.
- App
- Garmin Connect
- Method
- NativeThe official app writes to Apple Health
- Data types
- 9 of 16 sync
- Checked
What Garmin syncs to Apple Health
Apple Health data types, checked against official documentation on October 27, 2026.
| Data type | Apple Health | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Workouts | Syncs | Activities uploaded to Garmin Connect are written with duration, distance and calories, but only high/low heart rate (Apple's chart may show 'Chart Unavailable'). GPS routes: no. |
| Steps | Syncs | |
| Walking + running distance | Syncs | |
| Flights climbed | Syncs | |
| Active energy | Syncs | Resting energy is written as well. |
| Heart rate | Syncs | All-day heart rate. |
| Resting heart rate | Doesn’t sync | Not in Garmin's list of shared data. |
| HRV | Doesn’t sync | HRV Status and overnight HRV stay in Garmin Connect. |
| Sleep | Syncs | Sleep Analysis. Stages (deep/light/REM/awake) are shared since Garmin Connect iOS 4.71 (Sept 2023); before that, only duration. |
| Blood oxygen | Doesn’t sync | |
| Respiratory rate | Doesn’t sync | |
| VO2 max | Doesn’t sync | |
| Weight / body composition | Syncs | Weight, body fat percentage and BMI (e.g. from an Index scale or manual entry). |
| Water | Syncs | Hydration logged in Garmin Connect. |
| Menstrual cycle | Doesn’t sync | Not in Garmin's list of shared data. |
| Mindful minutes | Doesn’t sync |
How to connect Garmin to Apple Health
5 steps on your iPhone, about two minutes.
Before you start
- iPhone with the Garmin Connect app, signed in to the Garmin account the watch is paired with
- A Garmin wearable registered to the account (Connect does not appear in Apple Health if only an Edge cycling computer is registered)
- Permission granted to Garmin Connect in Apple Health
Update the app
Install the latest Garmin Connect from the App Store and sync your watch once.
Open the Apple Health link in Garmin Connect
Garmin Connect → More → Settings → Connect Apps → under 'Available Apps' tap Apple Health → Connect with Apple Health.
- Garmin Connect
- More
- Settings
- Connect Apps
- Apple Health
- Connect with Apple Health
Choose data types
On Apple's permission sheet tap Turn On All (or pick categories) and tap Allow.
Check or change it later in Health
Health app → Summary → your profile picture (top right) → Privacy: Apps → Connect → toggle categories on or off.
- Health app
- Summary
- profile picture
- Privacy: Apps
- Connect
Sync with the app open
Sync the watch while Garmin Connect is on screen. After you enable sharing, Health imports up to two weeks of past data.
Menu names checked against Garmin’s help pages on October 27, 2026. Apps change; if a menu looks different, see the sources below.
After setup
Garmin Connect pushes new data to Apple Health after each successful watch sync, but only while the app is open in the foreground. If the app is closed, the transfer pauses and finishes on the next sync done with the app open. Nothing flows back from Apple Health to Garmin.
Avoid double-counting
If you also carry an iPhone or wear an Apple Watch, Health receives steps, distance and energy from several sources. Health app → Browse → Activity → Steps → Data Sources & Access → Edit → drag Connect to the top → Done; repeat for Walking + Running Distance, Active Energy, Resting Energy and Flights Climbed. Only the top source is counted. If you wear the Apple Watch for workouts and the Garmin all day, keep the source you trust for each metric at the top. Apple's Activity rings only count Apple Watch data, so Garmin data never closes the rings.
Put Garmin Connect first in Apple Health
- Health
- Browse
- Activity
- Steps
- Data Sources & Access
- Edit
- Open the Health app and tap Browse.
- Choose a category and a data type, for example Activity → Steps.
- Scroll down and tap Data Sources & Access.
- Tap Edit, then touch and hold the handle next to your device’s app and drag it to the top.
- Tap Done. Repeat for other data types you track with more than one device, such as Active Energy or Walking + Running Distance.
The source at the top wins when several write the same data type. New apps and devices are added at the top automatically. Apple Support ↗
Garmin not syncing to Apple Health?
Garmin data is not appearing in Apple Health
Open Garmin Connect and keep it on screen while the watch syncs; Garmin says the transfer only runs in the foreground. Then check Health → profile → Apps → Connect that categories are on, and that Connect is the top source in Data Sources & Access.
Connect is missing from the Apps list in Health
Grant permission from Garmin Connect first (More → Settings → Connect Apps → Apple Health). If only an Edge cycling computer is registered to the account, Connect will not appear.
Workout heart rate graph says 'Chart Unavailable'
Expected. Garmin writes all-day heart rate but only high/low values for timed activities, so Apple's workout chart has no detailed samples.
Calories or steps look doubled
Two sources are being added (for example iPhone + Garmin, or Apple Watch + Garmin). Reorder sources so one device is on top for each activity category, and delete any duplicate entries in Show All Data.
My Activity rings don't move
Apple's Move/Exercise/Stand rings only update from a paired Apple Watch. Garmin data shows up in Health but never progresses the rings.
Sleep shows only 'Asleep' with no stages
Update Garmin Connect; stage data is shared from iOS app version 4.71 onward. Re-sync the watch with the app open.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR GARMIN DATA
Your Garmin data, with an AI coach
Once Garmin syncs to Apple Health, P.R.O. reads it. Ask the AI coach about your training and it answers with your real numbers.
- AI coach chat grounded in your own workouts, sleep and heart rate
- Widget dashboards for the numbers you care about
- Training history across 50+ sports, with records and trends
- Adaptive training plans that follow your load and recovery
- Sleep score for every night
You can also ask ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity about your Garmin data through the free P.R.O. connector.
Garmin and Apple Health: questions
Does Garmin sync with Apple Health?
Yes, one way. Garmin Connect writes steps, heart rate, energy, sleep, weight, water and workouts to Apple Health but does not read Apple Health or Apple Watch data.
Does Garmin send HRV or resting heart rate to Apple Health?
No. Neither appears in Garmin's list of shared data; HRV Status, Body Battery, stress and training metrics stay in Garmin Connect.
Do Garmin GPS routes show up in Apple Health?
No. Garmin states that GPS tracks are not written. Third-party apps such as RunGap (free; export needs its paid tier) can copy Garmin workouts with routes into Health.
Does Garmin sync VO2 max to Apple Health?
No. VO2 max, SpO2 and respiration stay in Garmin Connect.
How often does Garmin sync to Apple Health?
After every watch sync that happens while Garmin Connect is open in the foreground.
Can I import Apple Watch data into Garmin Connect?
No. Garmin's support article says Connect pushes data to Apple Health but does not pull from Apple Health or an Apple Watch.