How To Connect My Garmin To Strava | Sync Workouts Without Headaches

Your Garmin workouts can flow into Strava automatically once you link accounts, then each new sync to Garmin Connect shows up on Strava soon after.

You finished a run, you hit save, and you want it on Strava with the map, pace splits, heart rate, and all the little details. If you’re using a Garmin watch or bike computer, the clean way is to link Garmin Connect and Strava once, then let the apps do the rest.

This walkthrough sticks to what matters: the fastest setup path, the settings that quietly block syncing, and the fixes that work when an activity gets stuck. By the end, you’ll know where to tap, what permissions to allow, and how to recover missing activities without re-recording anything.

Before You Start, Check These Two Things

Most “it didn’t sync” moments come from one of two spots: the device never reached Garmin Connect, or Garmin Connect can’t send to Strava.

Confirm your activity reaches Garmin Connect first

Strava doesn’t pull straight from your watch. Garmin Connect is the middle step. So your first test is simple: record a short activity, sync your device, then see if it appears inside Garmin Connect (mobile app or website).

• If the activity is in Garmin Connect, you’re halfway done.
• If it’s not in Garmin Connect, focus on device sync (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cable, or app login).

Know what “linking” really means

Linking gives Garmin Connect permission to send your uploaded activities into Strava. Once that permission is on, new activities usually appear on Strava shortly after your Garmin sync completes.

How To Connect My Garmin To Strava On Mobile And Desktop

There are two common ways to link: starting inside Strava, or starting inside Garmin Connect. Either route lands you on a Garmin login page where you approve permissions.

Option A: Link from the Strava app

1. Open the Strava app.
2. Go to your profile area (often labeled You).
3. Open settings, then find the area for connecting apps/devices.
4. Select Garmin and choose the connect option.
5. Log in with your Garmin Connect credentials.
6. Approve the permission screen so uploads from Garmin can be shared to Strava.

If you want Garmin’s exact step list for this flow, follow Steps to link your Garmin Connect account with Strava.

Option B: Link from Garmin Connect

If you live inside Garmin Connect, you can connect Strava from Garmin’s connected apps area. The screens vary by phone and app version, yet the pattern stays the same: open connected apps, pick Strava, sign in, then approve permissions.

Small permission detail that trips people up

When the permission screen appears, make sure the toggle that allows activity uploads is enabled. If that permission is off, activities won’t transfer even though the accounts look linked.

Strava calls this out directly in its Garmin integration notes: Garmin and Strava.

What Syncs, What Doesn’t, And What To Expect

Once linked, the typical flow is: record on Garmin device → sync device to Garmin Connect → Garmin Connect sends the activity to Strava. Strava then processes the file and builds your charts, map, splits, and segments.

Timing: when the activity should appear

Most of the time, you’ll see your activity on Strava a few minutes after it appears in Garmin Connect. If you just linked accounts for the first time, initial syncing may take longer while the connection settles.

Backfill: will older activities come over?

In many cases, linking can bring over some history, yet the exact behavior depends on account state and how long you’ve been recording. If you want specific steps for pulling older Garmin activities into Strava, Strava provides a separate page focused on that process.

File types: why your Garmin data looks “right” on Strava

Garmin uploads activity files that include sensor streams (GPS, heart rate, cadence, power, temperature if available). Strava reads that file and rebuilds the analysis. If a chart looks missing on Strava, it’s often because the sensor data wasn’t recorded or didn’t upload cleanly.

Common Sync Outcomes And What They Mean

This table helps you spot where the chain broke. Use it like a quick diagnosis: find your symptom, then follow the first check.

What you see	Most likely spot	First check to run
Activity on watch, missing in Garmin Connect	Device → Garmin Connect	Sync watch to phone, confirm Bluetooth and Garmin Connect login
Activity in Garmin Connect, missing in Strava	Garmin Connect → Strava	Confirm the Garmin↔Strava connection and upload permission toggle
Only some activities reach Strava	Permission filters or upload timing	Check if you record some activities on a different Garmin account/device
Strava shows activity, map is blank	Recording settings	Confirm GPS recorded and the activity isn’t set to an indoor mode
Duplicates on Strava	Two upload sources	Check if you connected a second device/app that also uploads the same workout
Strava activity exists, heart rate missing	Sensor capture	Confirm HR sensor connected and recorded in Garmin activity
Old activities didn’t appear after linking	History transfer rules	Manually export a file from Garmin Connect and upload it to Strava
Route/starred course sync not working	Routes feature	Confirm route-star action, then sync device again

Step-By-Step: Fix A Garmin Activity That Won’t Show On Strava

When an activity is missing, don’t start by unlinking everything. Start with a clean, quick ladder of checks. Each step rules out a common failure point.

Step 1: Make sure Garmin Connect finished the upload

Open Garmin Connect and find the activity in your list.

• If it’s not there, sync again. If needed, restart the watch and your phone, then try once more.
• If it is there, move to the next step.

Step 2: Check the Garmin connection inside Strava

In Strava’s connected apps area, confirm Garmin is still connected. If it shows disconnected, reconnect and re-approve permissions.

Step 3: Verify the upload permission toggle

This is the sneaky one. The connection can exist while the permission to send activities is off. If you see a permission screen during reconnect, scan for the activity upload permission and turn it on before you approve.

Step 4: Wait a short bit, then refresh

Sometimes the transfer is fine and Strava is still processing. Close and reopen Strava, then refresh your activities list. If you’re on desktop, reload the page.

Step 5: If it’s still missing, upload the activity file manually

Manual upload is the reliable fallback when auto transfer glitches. The idea: export the activity file from Garmin Connect, then upload it to Strava.

1. Open Garmin Connect on the web.
2. Find the activity.
3. Download/export the activity file (FIT is the usual choice).
4. On Strava (web), upload the file from your computer.

Keep Your Data Clean: Duplicates, Privacy, And Device Changes

Once syncing works, a few habits keep your Strava history tidy.

Avoid duplicate uploads

Duplicates usually happen when two sources upload the same workout to Strava. Common combos:

• Garmin device uploads via Garmin Connect, plus a second app imports the same workout.
• A head unit uploads, then you also upload a file manually for the same session.

Pick one main pipeline for uploads. If you need manual upload for one stuck activity, delete the duplicate later if the auto one arrives.

Privacy settings that affect what others see

Garmin and Strava both have visibility controls. Your activity can be present while being hidden from feeds or followers based on your settings. If you can see the activity on your profile but friends can’t, check Strava’s visibility controls for that activity.

Switching watches or adding a bike computer

New Garmin device, same Garmin account? Your flow usually stays fine. Problems pop up when:

• You accidentally sign into a second Garmin account on the new device.
• You pair the new device to a different phone profile with a different Garmin login.

If uploads vanish after a device change, confirm the Garmin account in the Garmin Connect app matches the one linked to Strava.

Troubleshooting Map, Heart Rate, Cadence, And Power Gaps

Sometimes the activity shows up on Strava, yet some metrics look empty. That tends to be a recording issue, not a Strava issue.

Blank map

• Check whether the activity was recorded in an indoor profile.
• Check GPS status before you started the activity.
• Confirm the Garmin activity in Garmin Connect shows a map. If it’s blank there too, the file lacks location data.

Missing heart rate

• Confirm the watch had HR enabled and detected.
• If you used a chest strap, confirm it was paired and connected during the activity.
• Look at the Garmin Connect charts. If HR is missing there, Strava can’t recreate it.

Power not showing for cycling

• Confirm the power meter was paired as a sensor on the Garmin device.
• Check battery on the power meter and do a short test ride to confirm sensor connection.
• If Garmin Connect shows power, Strava usually shows it too after processing.

Fast Checklist For A Smooth Garmin-To-Strava Setup

Use this when you’re setting things up for the first time, or after a reconnect. It keeps the link stable and stops the common slip-ups.

Checkpoint	What “good” looks like	What to do if it’s not
Garmin device sync	New activity appears in Garmin Connect	Re-sync, restart phone/watch, confirm Bluetooth and login
Connection status	Garmin shows connected inside Strava	Reconnect Garmin in Strava’s apps/devices area
Upload permission	Activity upload permission enabled at approval screen	Reconnect and turn on the upload permission toggle
Processing delay	Activity appears on Strava within minutes	Refresh Strava, wait a bit, then check again
Duplicates	One copy of each workout	Remove extra connected upload sources, delete duplicate activity
Sensor data	HR/cadence/power visible in Garmin Connect	Fix sensor pairing on device, record a short test

Last Pass: Test The Link With A Short Activity

After you connect accounts, do a quick test workout. A ten-minute walk or a short ride is enough.

1. Record the activity on your Garmin.
2. Sync to Garmin Connect.
3. Check Garmin Connect for the activity.
4. Open Strava and refresh your activities list.

If the activity appears on Strava with the right map and stats, you’re set. From there, your day-to-day routine is simple: record on Garmin, sync to Garmin Connect, then let Strava pick it up.