How To Download Activity From Garmin Connect | Get The File

Grab your workout as a FIT, GPX, or TCX file from the activity page, then save it to your phone or computer.

You finished a run, ride, or gym session and want the file in your own hands. If you’re searching for How To Download Activity From Garmin Connect, start with the web steps below. Maybe you’re switching platforms, sharing a route, fixing a messy upload, or building a personal archive. Garmin Connect can give you what you need, yet the buttons sit in different spots depending on device and file type.

This walkthrough shows the clean, repeatable way to download one activity, export a batch, and pick the right format so the data still makes sense once it leaves Garmin.

What you can download from Garmin Connect

Garmin Connect stores two kinds of “activity data”: the detailed recording (the raw file) and the summary (totals, splits, charts). You can pull either one, depending on what you plan to do next.

Activity files: FIT, GPX, and TCX

Most Garmin devices record workouts as a FIT file. FIT keeps the richest detail: sensor streams, laps, power, cadence, and device fields. GPX is great for routes and map traces. TCX sits in the middle and often plays nicer with training platforms that want structured workout data plus a track.

Exports that are not “the file”

You’ll also see exports like CSV or splits. Those are handy for spreadsheets and quick checks, yet they don’t replace the original recording. If you want to re-upload an activity elsewhere, you usually want FIT, GPX, or TCX.

How To Download Activity From Garmin Connect on web and mobile

If you only need one workout, start here. The web version is the most reliable for grabbing FIT, GPX, and TCX in a couple of clicks. The mobile app can save or share certain exports, though menus vary by phone and app version.

Download a single activity on a computer

1. Open Garmin Connect in a browser and sign in.
2. Go to Activities, then open All activities.
3. Click the activity name to open its detail page.
4. Find the settings menu (often a gear icon) near the top of the activity page.
5. Select the export you want: Export file (original), Export to GPX, or Export to TCX.
6. Your browser downloads the file. Save it somewhere you can find later, like a folder named by year or sport.

Garmin’s own instructions list the export formats and where the export menu lives on the activity page. How Do I Export Data Out of Garmin Connect? is a handy reference if Garmin shifts a button location.

Download a single activity on the Garmin Connect app

On iOS and Android, the app is best when you want to share a link, take a screenshot, or send a file to another app on the same phone. For raw files, the web route still wins.

1. Open the Garmin Connect app and go to Activities.
2. Tap the activity to open details.
3. Tap the menu (often three dots), then look for an export or share option.
4. If you see a file export option, choose it and pick where to save or share.

If your app menu doesn’t show file exports, use the web steps above on a phone browser with “desktop site” turned on.

Downloading activities from Garmin Connect without losing data

The fastest way to end up with a “thin” file is choosing a format that drops fields you care about. Pick the export based on the next step, not based on what looks familiar.

Choose FIT when you want the full recording

If you care about power, advanced running dynamics, or device data, start with Export file. That option usually downloads the original FIT file generated by the device. It’s also the best choice for repairing uploads and for moving an activity into a platform that can read FIT.

Choose GPX when you mainly need the track

GPX is a solid pick for route sharing, mapping, and importing into many outdoor tools. It’s also a clean way to pull the “where” of your workout without dragging along every sensor channel.

Choose TCX for broad compatibility with training tools

TCX often carries time, distance, heart rate, cadence, and a track, which makes it convenient when an import tool rejects FIT. If an import tool offers “TCX preferred,” start there.

Export option	Best fit	What you get
Export file (original)	Re-uploading, deep analysis, full sensor streams	Usually the device-made FIT file with rich fields
Export to GPX	Routes, map trace, many outdoor apps	Track points, time stamps, basic position data
Export to TCX	Training apps that want structure plus track	Track plus common training fields like heart rate
Export splits to CSV	Quick lap review in a spreadsheet	Laps or splits in rows, easy to sort and chart
Export to CSV	Totals, summaries, personal logs	Activity summaries suited for tables, not re-uploads
Export to Google Earth	Viewing the track on a globe	A file for map viewing, not a training import file
Manual copy from device storage	Last resort when sync fails	Files pulled from the device when it mounts as storage
Phone share sheet	Sending a workout to another mobile app	Depends on the share option; it may be a link, not a file

Download more than one activity

One-off downloads are fine, until you need a season’s worth of files. Garmin Connect gives you a built-in bulk export for account data, yet that export is not the same as downloading every FIT file.

Use Garmin’s bulk export for an account archive

Garmin offers a bulk export flow inside account settings that packages your data for download. It’s useful when you want a “snapshot” of your history and summaries.

• Set aside time. Large accounts can take a while to prepare.
• Expect a download package with multiple folders and file types.
• Plan storage. A multi-year archive can be big, especially with GPS-heavy sports.

Build a clean folder system for manual multi-downloads

If you’re exporting a handful of activities, the simplest move is a tidy naming pattern. Create a folder by year, then subfolders by sport. After each download, rename the file with date, sport, and a short label.

When you need every FIT file

If your goal is “all originals,” the web interface is slow one-by-one. Many people use third-party backup tools for that job. If you go that route, stick to tools with a clear history, minimal permissions, and a straightforward uninstall path. Never hand over your Garmin password to a random site.

Troubleshooting common download snags

Most export failures come down to browser settings, stale sessions, or format mismatches. Run these checks before you repeat clicks and get annoyed.

Nothing downloads after you click export

Check your browser’s download blocker and pop-up rules. Then try a fresh tab, sign in again, and repeat the export. Private browsing can also help when a cached session gets weird.

The file downloads, then an app rejects it

Try a different format. If FIT fails, test TCX. If the goal is a route, use GPX. If the app still refuses it, check the import limits on that platform.

GPS track looks wrong on the map

Start with the original file. Some conversions smooth, trim, or re-sample points. If you need the cleanest trace, export the original and keep conversions to a minimum.

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Export menu missing	Wrong view or limited app menu	Open the activity detail page on the web version
Download blocked	Browser download rules	Allow downloads for Garmin Connect, then retry
TCX import fails	Platform expects GPX or FIT	Export GPX for routes, or original FIT for full data
Workout has no track	Indoor session or GPS off	Use FIT for sensor detail, or accept that there’s no route
File opens as text	Wrong app associated	Upload the file into the target platform, don’t double-click it
Old activity won’t export	Session glitch or temporary site issue	Sign out, sign back in, then try again later

Verify your download before you delete anything

Before you wipe a device, close an account, or unlink a service, confirm the file you downloaded is usable.

• Check file size. A 0 KB file means the download failed.
• Open the file in a trusted viewer or import it into the tool you plan to use.
• Keep an untouched copy of the original file, then make a second copy for edits or conversions.

Make your files easier to use later

Small habits keep your archive clean. They also save time when you need to find “that ride from last March” or share a training block with a coach.

Rename files with a simple pattern

Try: YYYY-MM-DD_sport_short-label. It sorts naturally and stays readable across Windows, Mac, and cloud storage.

Store originals and exports separately

Put original FIT files in one folder and derived GPX/TCX copies in another. That way you can always return to the source file when something looks off.

Know what FIT contains

FIT is Garmin’s flexible activity format, designed for compact storage and rich sport data. Garmin documents the format and file structure in its developer materials. The FIT SDK overview helps when you want to learn what’s inside a FIT file and why some tools read it better than others.

A short checklist for a clean export

• Open the activity detail page.
• Pick the export that matches your goal: original for full data, GPX for routes, TCX for broad imports.
• Save to a folder you can find later.
• Verify the file opens or imports.
• Keep an untouched copy of the original.