Pair Garmin Connect, allow Health permissions, then run a full sync to send workouts, heart rate, and sleep into the Health app.
You use Garmin for training tools and battery life. You use Apple Health to keep everything in one place. They can work together once the handoff is set correctly.
This walkthrough uses the built-in path: your watch syncs to Garmin Connect, then Garmin Connect writes selected data into Apple Health. You’ll set the link, confirm it’s writing, and fix the two issues that cause most “it won’t sync” headaches: the Garmin Connect app not finishing the transfer while it’s closed, and Apple Health choosing the wrong source when more than one device writes the same metric.
What Syncing Actually Does
Garmin doesn’t write to Apple Health straight from the watch. The watch syncs to Garmin Connect first. Then Garmin Connect passes chosen data into Apple Health through iOS permissions.
If your watch updates fine inside Garmin Connect but Apple Health stays blank, the break is usually permissions or source order, not Bluetooth pairing.
Before You Start: A Short Prep List
- Update iOS and Garmin Connect.
- Confirm your watch is paired in Garmin Connect and can complete a sync.
- Open the Health app once if you’ve never used it.
If you also wear an Apple Watch, decide which device you want Apple Health to count first for steps and heart rate. You can keep both, but you’ll sort the source order later.
Sync Garmin With Apple Health On iPhone
Keep Garmin Connect open while you do this so the permission handoff completes in one pass.
Connect Garmin Connect To Health Permissions
- Open Garmin Connect.
- Open the menu, then go to Settings.
- Tap Connected Apps, then pick Apple Health (wording can vary by version).
- Turn on sharing and select the data types you want to write into Health.
- When iOS shows the permission screen, tap Allow.
You can share workouts and sleep but leave steps off, or do the reverse. Pick what matches how you wear your devices.
Verify Garmin Shows Up In Health
- Open the Health app.
- Tap your profile icon, then open Apps (or Privacy > Apps on some iOS versions).
- Select Garmin Connect and confirm the toggles you want are on.
Run A First Sync And Confirm A Write
- In Garmin Connect, pull down on the home screen to trigger a sync.
- Leave Garmin Connect on screen for about a minute after the sync finishes.
- Open Health and check a category you know should have entries, like Workouts or Heart Rate.
Garmin notes that the transfer to Apple Health pauses when Garmin Connect is closed; opening the app during a sync helps the write finish. Garmin’s Apple Health sharing instructions call out that “Garmin Connect must be open” for the handoff to run.
Where To Check Garmin Data In Apple Health
Apple Health stores each data type in its own place. Check a few, not just one.
- Workouts: Browse > Activity > Workouts.
- Heart Rate: Browse > Heart > Heart Rate.
- Sleep: Browse > Sleep.
- Steps: Browse > Activity > Steps.
Sleep often shows after the next morning sync, not instantly at night. If you’re checking right after waking up, sync once more and re-check.
Set Apple Health Source Order So Totals Make Sense
When more than one tracker writes the same metric, Apple Health stores more than one stream and uses a source order for the main chart. Reordering sources is the fix when steps, distance, or stairs look off.
Apple explains how to manage app access and change priority for data sources. Apple’s steps for managing Health data sources show where the source list lives and how to reorder it.
Reorder Sources For Steps
- Open Health > Browse > Activity > Steps.
- Scroll down and tap Data Sources & Access.
- Tap Edit.
- Drag Garmin Connect above iPhone or Apple Watch if you want Garmin counted first.
Repeat for Walking + Running Distance and Flights Climbed if needed. Source order is set per metric.
Stop Double Entries Without Losing Data
If you like having both devices recorded, keep both sources and put the one you trust first. If you want only one stream stored, switch off write access for the other source for that metric.
Table: Data Types, Toggles, And What They Change
This table helps you decide what to allow, and where to verify it once the first sync is done.
| Data Type From Garmin | Where To Check In Apple Health | What You’ll Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Workouts | Browse > Activity > Workouts | Activities appear as saved entries with Garmin Connect listed as a source. |
| Heart Rate | Browse > Heart > Heart Rate | Charts fill in during wear time; workout sessions often show the clearest pattern. |
| Active Energy | Browse > Activity > Active Energy | Calories from Garmin workouts can appear as activity energy in daily charts. |
| Resting Heart Rate | Browse > Heart > Resting Heart Rate | Values may update daily after enough baseline readings are collected. |
| Steps | Browse > Activity > Steps | Totals depend on source order when your iPhone or Apple Watch also counts steps. |
| Walking + Running Distance | Browse > Activity > Walking + Running Distance | Distances can look doubled when two devices write similar data on the same day. |
| Flights Climbed | Browse > Activity > Flights Climbed | Pick the device you trust more as the higher-priority source for cleaner totals. |
| Sleep | Browse > Sleep | Often lands after a morning sync; entries may show stages if your model records them. |
| Body Measurements | Browse > Body Measurements | Weight and body fat can flow in if you use a Garmin-linked scale. |
Fix Common Garmin-To-Health Problems
Start with the simple checks. They solve most cases.
Garmin Data Shows In Garmin Connect, Not In Health
- Open Garmin Connect and leave it in the foreground for a minute after a watch sync.
- Check iOS permissions: Settings app > Privacy & Security > Health > Garmin Connect.
- In Health, open the metric and confirm Garmin Connect is listed under Data Sources.
Garmin Connect Doesn’t Appear As A Health App Source
- In Garmin Connect, turn Apple Health sharing off, close the app, reopen it, then turn sharing on again to re-trigger permissions.
- If that fails, sign out of Garmin Connect, restart your iPhone, sign back in, then try again.
- As a last resort, delete and reinstall Garmin Connect, then repeat the connection steps.
Steps In Health Look Too Low Or Too High
- Reorder sources for Steps first.
- If totals still look wrong, switch off write access for the extra source for Steps and give it a full day of clean tracking.
Workout Detail Looks Thin In Health
Apple Health stores workout summaries. It won’t mirror every Garmin field, training load, or map view. That richer detail stays in Garmin Connect, while Apple Health stays the hub.
Table: Quick Troubleshooting Map
Use this when you want a direct “symptom to fix” path without menu-hopping.
| What You See | Likely Cause | Try This First |
|---|---|---|
| Health shows no Garmin entries | Permissions not granted or Garmin Connect not listed | Re-run Apple Health sharing inside Garmin Connect and tap Allow on the iOS prompt. |
| Workouts appear, steps don’t | Steps write access off or source order favors iPhone | Turn on Steps for Garmin Connect, then reorder sources for Steps in Health. |
| Data arrives only after you open Garmin Connect | Transfer pauses while the app is closed | Open Garmin Connect during a sync and keep it on screen for about a minute. |
| Duplicate distance or flights climbed | Two devices write the same metric on the same day | Reorder sources or switch off write access for the extra source for that metric. |
| Sleep missing after a night | Sleep entry not pushed yet or the watch didn’t capture a full night | Sync in the morning, then confirm Garmin Connect is allowed to write Sleep. |
| Garmin entries stop after an iOS update | Permissions reset | Open Health > Apps > Garmin Connect, re-check toggles, then run a fresh sync. |
| Heart rate graph looks sparse | Short wear time or tracking off | Wear the watch longer and confirm heart rate tracking is on in watch settings. |
What This Sync Won’t Copy Over
Apple Health is a collector, not a mirror of every Garmin screen. It can store workouts, heart rate, sleep, and a set of daily totals, yet some Garmin-only items won’t appear as separate fields.
- Route maps, lap-by-lap splits, training load, recovery time, body battery, and most coaching metrics stay inside Garmin Connect.
- If you edit an activity name in Garmin Connect, Apple Health may still show the original workout type label.
- Apple Health can show calories and duration, yet it won’t always match Garmin’s view down to the last detail because each app uses its own math and data model.
If your goal is a clean daily record inside Health, the built-in sync is usually enough. If your goal is deep training review, keep using Garmin Connect as the main log and treat Health as the hub.
Turn Off Sharing When You Need A Clean Week
Sometimes you’ll want Apple Health to stop taking Garmin writes for a bit. Common reasons are testing a new tracker, sharing a phone with a family member, or cleaning up duplicate steps after adding an Apple Watch.
Open Health, go to Apps, pick Garmin Connect, then switch off the data types you don’t want written. You can turn them back on later without re-pairing your watch.
Keep Sync Steady Week After Week
- Open Garmin Connect at least once a day so it can finish writing new records into Health.
- Sync soon after workouts so the app has fresh data to pass through.
- After app updates, open Garmin Connect once and confirm Apple Health sharing stayed on.
How To Sync Garmin With Apple Health Checklist
- Sync watch to Garmin Connect once.
- Turn on Apple Health sharing in Garmin Connect and tap Allow on iOS permissions.
- In Health, confirm Garmin Connect appears under Apps and the right toggles are on.
- Run a manual sync in Garmin Connect while the app stays open.
- Check Workouts, Heart Rate, Sleep, then set source order for Steps and Distance.
References & Sources
- Garmin.“Sharing Your Garmin Connect Data With Apple Health.”Explains how to enable Apple Health sharing and notes that Garmin Connect must be open to complete data transfer.
- Apple.“Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.”Shows where to manage app access and reorder data sources so Health uses the source you prefer for each metric.