How To Add GPX File To Garmin Watch | Routes That Sync

Save the GPX as a course in Garmin Connect, sync your watch, and start it from the watch’s Navigation or Courses menu.

You’ve got a GPX route from a friend, a race organizer, Strava, Komoot, Ride with GPS, or a hiking site. Now you want it on your Garmin watch so you can follow the line while you run, ride, or hike.

This is the clean way to do it, with the menu taps that matter, the file quirks that trip people up, and the checks that stop “Where did my course go?” moments right before you head out.

What a GPX file turns into on your watch

A GPX file can hold a few different types of GPS data. The type affects what your Garmin shows once the file lands on the watch.

Most of the time, you want a course (a planned path you follow). A course shows a line to follow, alerts (on many models), and distance-to-next cues.

Some GPX files are closer to a track (a breadcrumb trail). Tracks still work for “follow this line,” but course features can vary by watch model and the app you used to send it.

One more twist: some GPX exports include only waypoints (a list of points) or a messy mix of points plus a track. Those can still be usable, yet they’re more likely to fail imports or look odd on the map.

Before you start: small checks that prevent sync pain

Do these fast checks once. They save a lot of head-scratching later.

• Confirm it’s really a GPX file. The filename should end in .gpx, not .xml or a zip that still needs extracting.
• Keep the route name short. Many Garmin menus display only the first chunk of a course name. Two courses that start with the same long text can look identical on the watch.
• Keep it clean. If the GPX has thousands of points, some watches or imports may choke. If your file looks huge, re-export with fewer points from the site you used to build it.
• Use one place as your source of truth. If you import the same route three ways (web, phone, USB), you can wind up with duplicates that look the same.

If your GPX came from a race, check whether it’s a loop, an out-and-back, or point-to-point. That helps you spot issues early, like a start point placed in the wrong parking lot.

How To Add GPX File To Garmin Watch With Garmin Connect

For most people, Garmin Connect is the smooth path: you add the file, turn it into a course, sync, and run it from the watch.

Add the GPX on a computer

This is often the least fussy route when the file came from a website and lives on your laptop already.

1. Save the GPX somewhere easy to find, like your Desktop or Downloads folder.
2. Open Garmin Connect in a browser and sign in.
3. Go to the Courses area (it’s under the training/planning section in most layouts) and pick the option to import a file.
4. Select your GPX file and let Garmin Connect process it.
5. Name the course so you can spot it fast on your watch.
6. Sync your watch with your phone (Bluetooth) or with a cable (USB), depending on how you usually sync.

If the import asks you to pick an activity type, match it to how you’ll use it (run, bike, hike). That choice can change how the watch displays pacing fields and prompts.

Add the GPX on your phone

This is handy when the GPX arrives through email, WhatsApp, Telegram, or a cloud drive link.

1. Save the GPX to Files (iPhone) or your Downloads folder (Android).
2. Open Garmin Connect.
3. Find Courses and choose the import option if your app version shows it.
4. Select the GPX, save it as a course, and give it a clear name.
5. Sync your watch from the Garmin Connect app.

If you can’t find an import option in the mobile layout, don’t fight it. Use the browser method on a computer, or use the USB method below. You’ll get the same end result: a course your watch can run.

Send the course to the watch

Once the course exists in Garmin Connect, you still need it on the watch. Many watches let you push a course right from the app to the device.

The path is usually: open the course in Garmin Connect, choose the send option, pick your watch, and follow the on-screen steps. Garmin documents that flow in its device manuals for compatible models. Sending a course to your device is the part that turns “saved in the app” into “available on the watch.”

Start the route on the watch

Menu names vary by model, but the flow is similar:

1. Pick your activity (Run, Bike, Hike).
2. Open the activity options.
3. Find Navigation, Courses, or Routing.
4. Select your course and start it.

If your watch asks whether to “Do Course” or “Preview,” preview first when you’re trying a file from someone else. You’ll spot a bad start point before you start recording your activity.

Pick the right transfer method for your setup

There isn’t one “best” method. The best method is the one that matches how you already sync your watch and where the GPX file lives right now.

Table #1 (must be after ~40% of article, broad, 7+ rows, max 3 columns)

Transfer path	Best fit	What you do
Garmin Connect (computer)	You downloaded the GPX to a laptop	Import it as a course in the browser, sync the watch
Garmin Connect (phone)	The GPX arrived on your phone	Save the file locally, import as a course, sync
Phone-to-watch sync after course save	You already sync daily by Bluetooth	Push the course to the watch, wait for sync to finish
USB copy to NewFiles	You want a direct file drop	Connect by cable, copy GPX into NewFiles, eject cleanly
USB copy to GPX folder	Your device treats GPX as data files	Connect by cable, copy GPX into the GPX folder, eject
Convert GPX to FIT course first	The GPX fails to import	Re-export or convert with your route builder, upload again
Rebuild as a fresh course in Garmin Connect	The route is messy or has weird detours	Create a new course from the map and save it cleanly
Trim points in your route builder	The file is huge	Simplify points, export again, re-import the smaller GPX

How to add a GPX by USB cable when sync won’t cooperate

If Bluetooth syncing is acting up, a cable transfer is the calm fallback. This path is also handy when you’re traveling and the phone app refuses to show the course right away.

Find the right folder on the device

When you plug many Garmin devices into a computer, they appear like a drive. Inside, you’ll see folders. Two folders matter most for GPX transfers:

• NewFiles: often used for files the device converts into usable items (courses, waypoints, routes).
• GPX: often used for GPX data storage, including waypoints, tracks, and routes.

Garmin’s manuals describe these folder targets and what the device does with them, including the “copy GPX into GPX folder” and “copy GPX into NewFiles folder” flows. Transferring GPX files to your device is the official reference for that behavior.

Copy the file and eject cleanly

1. Connect your Garmin watch to your computer with the charging/data cable.
2. Open the device storage in your file browser.
3. Open the Garmin folder if your device uses one.
4. Drag the GPX into NewFiles or GPX based on your device’s behavior.
5. Eject the device from your computer before unplugging.

After you unplug, give the watch a minute. Many models process new files on first disconnect. If you copied into NewFiles, the file may move or change after processing. That’s normal.

Where the route shows up on the watch

Once the GPX is processed, look for it under Navigation, Courses, or Saved items. The label depends on the device family and your activity type.

If you only see waypoints and no line to follow, your GPX may contain points without a track. In that case, re-export as a track or route from the original site.

Common reasons a GPX won’t show up after you add it

When people say “it didn’t work,” the cause is usually one of these predictable issues. Fix the cause, and the route shows up fast.

The file imported, but it’s missing on the watch

This usually means the course exists in Garmin Connect, but it never finished syncing to the watch.

• Open Garmin Connect and check that the course is saved.
• Trigger a sync and keep the app open until it finishes.
• Restart the watch if it still doesn’t appear.

The import fails right away

Many GPX files are fine on a map site yet fail in other apps because of formatting, odd characters, or point count.

• Rename the file with simple characters (letters, numbers, dashes).
• Re-export the GPX from the original platform with a “simplify” option if it exists.
• Try exporting as FIT or TCX if your route builder offers it, since Garmin devices often accept those smoothly.

The line is there, but the route looks wrong

If the path zigzags, cuts across water, or makes strange loops, the GPX may contain noisy points or a route that was snapped to roads in a way you didn’t expect.

• Preview the course on the map before you head out.
• If it’s a road route, rebuild it with the same map style you’ll follow (bike, run, hike) and re-export.
• If it’s an off-road track, export as a raw track with fewer points, not as a turn-by-turn road route.

Table #2 (must be after 60% of article, max 3 columns)

What you see	Likely cause	What fixes it
Course saved in app, not on watch	Sync didn’t complete	Keep Garmin Connect open during sync, restart watch
Import error message	File formatting issue	Rename file, re-export GPX, try FIT or TCX
Nothing appears after USB copy	Wrong folder	Try NewFiles, then GPX folder, eject device cleanly
Only waypoints show, no line	GPX has points without a track	Export a track/route GPX from the source
Duplicate courses with same name	Same route added more than once	Delete extras in Garmin Connect, resend one clean copy
Course starts far from you	Start point placed wrong	Edit start point in the route builder, re-export
Course line is jagged	Too many points or noisy track	Simplify points, re-export, re-import
No turn cues	Track-style GPX or device limits	Use a course-style export when available, follow line guidance

Make the course easier to use once it’s on the watch

After the file is on the device, a few small choices make it smoother mid-activity.

Name courses so you can spot them fast

Use short names that start with the part you care about: “Park Loop 10K” beats “Sunday Morning Run Route Park Loop 10K Version 2.”

If you store lots of routes, add a short prefix like “RUN” or “BIKE” so your list stays tidy.

Check the map view before you rely on it

Open the course on your watch and preview the map. You’re checking three things:

• The start point is where you plan to begin.
• The line matches the roads or trails you expect.
• The distance looks reasonable for the workout.

If something looks off, fix it while you’re still at home. A two-minute re-export beats a wrong turn five minutes into a run.

Know where “Off course” alerts come from

Some Garmin models can alert when you drift away from the course line. Others mostly show your position relative to the line and let you correct on your own.

If you want stronger prompts, build the route as a course from a platform that creates turn points, not as a raw track. Even then, the watch model decides how much guidance you get.

Final checks before you hit start

Run this short checklist right before you leave. It catches the last-mile annoyances.

• Open the course list on the watch and confirm the route is there.
• Preview the start point and first turn area on the map.
• Charge enough for the activity time plus a buffer.
• If you rely on phone sync, open Garmin Connect once and confirm the watch shows a recent sync time.

After that, start your activity, load the course, and follow the line. If you end up sharing routes often, stick to one repeatable method from this article so every GPX lands the same way each time.