How to pair a Garmin watch to a phone

Garmin watches collect loads of data to help you progress your training and keep an eye on your health. While you can see quite a bit of that data on the watch itself, you’ll need the watch to sync with a phone and the Garmin Connect app to fully take advantage of all the useful insights it provides. Plus, if you want notifications from your phone on your watch, you’ll need the two paired together as well.

Whether you have a new Garmin or a new phone, pairing will help you take full advantage of all your Garmin has to offer. Luckily, pairing your Garmin watch to your phone is very straightforward. You’ll be up and running in no time.

How to pair your Garmin to your phone

Follow these simple steps to get the most out of your Garmin

The steps below will help you pair your Garmin watch and phone. Once they are connected, you’ll be able to get the most out of your Garmin device.

1. Download or open the Garmin Connect app.
2. Select More in the bottom right corner of the app.
3. Select Add Device.
4. Select your device from the list, or tap Browse all compatible devices and search from the list.
5. Put your Garmin watch in pairing mode. To do so, open the Settings menu on your watch. If your Garmin features five buttons, you typically do so by holding the center left button.
6. Scroll down and select Connectivity.
7. Select Phone.
8. Scroll down and select Pair Phone.
9. The Garmin Connect app on your phone will then display the device you’re trying to pair. Tap Connect it.
10. Tap Allow to grant the Garmin Connect app permission to access your watch.
11. A PIN will appear on your watch and phone. Verify it is the same and tap Pair.

Alternatively, you can start the process from your watch.

1. Open the Settings menu on your watch.
2. Scroll down and select Connectivity.
3. Select Phone.
4. Scroll down and select Pair Phone.
5. A QR code will appear on the watch. Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera.
6. The Garmin Connect app on your phone will then display the device you’re trying to pair. Tap Connect it.
7. Tap Allow to grant the Garmin Connect app permission to access your watch.
8. A PIN will appear on your watch and phone. Verify it is the same and tap Pair.

FAQ

Q: Can you use a Garmin watch without a phone?

Broadly speaking, you can use a Garmin watch without a phone. However, it depends on what you want to use it for and what you hope to get out of your watch. For simply recording activities, most of Garmin’s watches feature a built-in GPS receiver, meaning they can record GPS activities without a phone. For non-GPS activities, no phone is needed. You can easily get out for a tracked workout without worrying about having your phone on you as a result.

The vívosmart, vívomove, and Lily lineups, however, do not have built-in GPS receivers. Instead, these require a phone connection for GPS data. You can use them for non-GPS-based activities without a phone, but if you want GPS data, you will need a paired phone on you for the duration of your activity.

Some Garmin watches also offer music storage and the ability to pair headphones directly to the watch. Those features allow you to listen to tunes without your phone on you.

Beyond GPS and music, some watches provide features that rely on a connection to your phone. For example, if your watch offers weather forecasts, you’ll need your phone’s location data for appropriate weather forecasts. Of course, you also won’t get phone notifications if you don’t have a paired phone. Finally, to get the most out of your Garmin watch and all the health data it’s collecting, you’ll need a phone to sync that information for Garmin’s useful insights.