- A recent Garmin Connect update has disconnected users’ wearables
- The problem seems to be limited to iOS and Android is not affected
- Solutions have been proposed, but they may not work for everyone
Garmin Connect has proven controversial since its launch, but that’s mostly been limited to how it locks certain features behind an expensive paywall. However, now the discontent has widened, as the latest software update has disconnected many users’ wearable devices and smartwatches from the service and left them unable to sync their progress.
The issue has been variously reported to have arisen with updates 5.21 and 5.21.1, and users are venting their frustrations on social media. Posts are flooding Reddit, for example, as Gadgets & Wearables discovered. It has left users exasperated by the disruption to their routines and Garmin Connect’s inability to work with their existing devices.
Writing on Reddit, user Fantastic-Class-8252 explained that “I just updated my app on the iPhone and now it says I don’t have any watches connected to the app!” This was backed up by other users, including PrimaryHuckleberry11, who said in another post that they “updated my iPhone today and I lost all devices in the app.”
By the way, the problems seem to be limited to iOS, and Garmin Connect for Android users indicated that their app was running without problems. That suggests that the problem lies in how the Garmin Connect app interacts with some element of iOS, and that the latest update broke this functionality.
We’ve asked Garmin if it’s aware of the issue or has an estimated timeframe for implementing a fix, and we’ll update this story as soon as we hear back.
What can you do?
Some users have posted solutions in the comment sections of Reddit posts, claiming that they were able to get everything working again.
One user, for example, explained that he first needed to remove his wearable device from the Garmin Connect web app. After that, they removed their wearable from the list of paired Bluetooth devices in the iOS Settings app. Once this was done, they were able to add their device back into the Garmin Connect app.
For others, the solution was slightly different. This user suggested opening the Garmin Connect app and then, while searching for connected devices, switching to your Garmin watch’s settings screen and going to Connectivity > Phone > Pair Phone. This should make your watch appear in the app, after which you can set it up as a new device in Garmin Connect.
That being said, not everyone has had success with these methods. The issue also appears to affect a variety of Garmin wearables, so there’s no guarantee that what works for one product will work for another.
If you have been a victim of this problem, the methods mentioned above are worth trying. But if you still can’t connect your portable device, you may have to wait for a patch to be released that will make everything work as it should again.
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