Pair your Garmin watch from the Garmin Connect app, not from your phone’s Bluetooth settings. Put the watch in pairing mode, add it in Garmin Connect, and confirm the six-digit code shown on the watch when prompted. Keep the phone within 10 m (33 ft) while pairing.
Pairing steps at a glance
| Phone | Garmin Connect path | Finish pairing |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | More → Garmin Devices → Add Device → Find Nearby Accessories | Select Set Up, confirm the six-digit code matches the watch, then select Done. |
| Android | More → Garmin Devices → Add Device | Select the watch, choose Start or Connect it if shown, then enter or confirm the six-digit code. |
Before you pair
- Install and open Garmin Connect, and sign in or create an account.
- Keep the phone within 10 m (33 ft) of the watch.
- Turn on Bluetooth on the phone.
- Put the watch in pairing mode. Many Garmin devices enter pairing mode on first startup; menu names vary by model.
- Start setup in Garmin Connect rather than pairing from the phone’s Bluetooth menu.
How to pair a Garmin watch
- Open Garmin Connect and select More → Garmin Devices → Add Device.
- Put the watch in pairing mode if it is not already there. The watch menu commonly uses Settings → Bluetooth or Phone → Pair Mobile Device or Pair Phone. Menu names differ by model. On an Instinct, hold MENU, then select Settings → Pair Phone.
- Follow the Garmin Connect prompts. On iPhone or iPad, select Find Nearby Accessories if prompted. On Android, select the watch and then Start or Connect it if shown.
- Enter or confirm the six-digit code displayed on the watch in Garmin Connect. On iPhone or iPad, check that the code in the app matches the watch.
- Complete the on-screen setup prompts and allow the app to finish syncing.
- Check Garmin Connect’s Home page. After successful setup and synchronization, the device should show a green dot to indicate it is connected.
Button labels and watch menus can vary by device and app flow. If a prompt says Connect It or Set Up, follow the displayed instructions.
If Garmin Connect cannot find or pair the watch
- Confirm Bluetooth is on, the watch is in pairing mode, and the phone is within 10 m (33 ft).
- Turn the phone’s Bluetooth off and back on, then try adding the watch again in Garmin Connect.
- If pairing still fails, restart both the phone and the Garmin device, then retry from Garmin Connect.
- If the watch was paired directly in the phone’s Bluetooth settings, remove that Bluetooth record and start again from Garmin Connect.
For iPhone or iPad, remove a listed Garmin device in Settings → Bluetooth by tapping the ⓘ beside it, selecting Forget This Device, and confirming. Garmin recommends powering both the phone and Garmin device off and back on afterward. If iOS will not let you select Forget This Device, toggle Bluetooth off and on, then try again.
On Android, the documented removal path is Settings → Connections → Bluetooth. Tap the gear icon beside the Garmin device, select Unpair, and confirm. Phone menu labels may vary.
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- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode (5 days display always-on)
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
You can also remove the device in Garmin Connect: More → Garmin Devices → select the device → ⋮ → Remove Device → confirm. On Garmin Connect version 5.21 and newer, removing a device in the app may also remove it from the phone’s Bluetooth menu. Removing a device from Garmin Connect deletes its Garmin Pay wallets, which must be recreated after pairing again.
Pairing after switching phones
- On the new phone, install and open Garmin Connect and sign in.
- If the old Bluetooth connection remains, remove the Garmin device from the phone’s Bluetooth settings. You can also remove the device in Garmin Connect if it is still listed there.
- Put the watch in pairing mode using its model-specific menu.
- In Garmin Connect, select More → Garmin Devices → Add Device, then follow the pairing prompts and confirm the six-digit code.
- Complete setup and syncing. If you use Garmin Pay, recreate its wallet after removing and adding the device.
Garmin Connect and Garmin Explore
Pair the watch with Garmin Connect first. For the cited Garmin Explore flow, Explore pairs with the watch automatically after Garmin Connect pairing succeeds; it is not normally paired independently first. That flow requires Garmin Connect version 4.11 or later.
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- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
FAQ
Should I pair my Garmin watch in Bluetooth settings?
No. Garmin’s supported setup path is to add the watch in Garmin Connect. If it was paired from the phone’s Bluetooth menu and does not work correctly in Connect, remove the phone-level Bluetooth record and add it again through the app.
Where is pairing mode on a Garmin watch?
The menu varies by model. Look under Settings for Bluetooth or Phone, then choose Pair Mobile Device or Pair Phone. On an Instinct, hold MENU and select Settings → Pair Phone.
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- Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
- Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
- Wheelchair mode tracks pushes — rather than steps — and includes push and handcycle activities with preloaded workouts for strength, cardio, HIIT, Pilates and yoga, challenges specific to wheelchair users and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
What should I do if the watch is not found?
Turn the phone’s Bluetooth off and back on, restart the phone, and retry in Garmin Connect. If pairing fails, restart both the phone and watch and try again.
How can I tell if the watch is connected?
After setup and synchronization, Garmin says the device should show a green dot on Garmin Connect’s Home page to indicate connection with the phone.
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- Make a bold statement with this rugged GPS smartwatch, featuring a 0.9” display with solar charging lens and unlimited battery life with solar charging (assumes all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions)
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- Built-in LED flashlight with variable intensities and strobe modes gives you greater visibility in the outdoors and provides convenient illumination when you need it
- Know your body better with health monitoring features, including wrist-based heart rate, advanced sleep monitoring, Pulse Ox and more (this is not a medical device, and data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked; Pulse Ox not available in all countries)
- Navigate confidently with a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter and multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology, which delivers superior positioning while also optimizing battery life
Will removing the watch delete Garmin Pay?
Removing the device from Garmin Connect deletes its Garmin Pay wallets. Recreate the wallet after adding the watch again.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Easy-to-use running watch monitors heart rate (this is not a medical device) at the wrist and uses GPS to track how far, how fast and where you’ve run.Special Feature:Bluetooth.
- Battery life: up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode; up to 20 hours in GPS mode
- Plan your race day strategy with the PacePro feature (not compatible with on-device courses), which offers GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course or distance
- Run your best with helpful training tools, including race time predictions and finish time estimates
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Garmin support references
- Garmin: Pairing through Garmin Connect
- Garmin: Add, remove, and pair a device
- Garmin: Device or accessory not found
- Garmin: Pairing failed
- Garmin: Pairing with Garmin Explore
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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