Garmin steps not showing in Apple Health
Your Garmin watch doesn't write to Apple Health — the Garmin Connect app on your iPhone does. Garmin's help center says Connect sends your data to Health after each successful sync with the watch, one way only, and only while the Connect app is open in the foreground. So steps that are on the watch but missing from Health are usually waiting for you to open Garmin Connect. And when Health shows a different number than Garmin, it is usually not a missing sync but Health choosing which source to believe.
How the steps get there
The watch syncs to the Garmin Connect app over Bluetooth; Connect then writes to Health. Garmin lists what it can send: Steps, Walking + Running Distance, Flights Climbed, Active Energy, heart rate, sleep, weight, water and workouts. GPS tracks are not written. Garmin also says Connect only pushes: it doesn't read anything back from Apple Health or an Apple Watch.
Steps are on the watch, but not in Health
- Open Garmin Connect and let it sync. Garmin says the transfer to Health pauses when the app is closed and finishes on the next sync done with the app open. If today's steps are on the watch and in Connect but not in Health, keep Connect on screen through a sync.
- Check that Health lets Connect write steps. In Health, tap your profile picture at the top, then Apps under Privacy, then Connect, and turn Steps on. Garmin says Health then imports up to two weeks of past data.
- If you said no at the start. Garmin says to grant it from the Connect app first: More → Settings → Connected Apps → Apple Health → Connect with Apple Health, choose the items, then Allow.
- Connect isn't in the list at all. Garmin says that happens when the only device on your Garmin account is an Edge cycling computer.
Health shows a different number than Garmin
Your iPhone counts steps too, whenever it is in your pocket. When two sources record the same minutes, Health doesn't add them up; Apple says the source at the top of the list wins. If that is the iPhone, Health shows the phone's count, not the watch's. Garmin's fix: in Health open Steps, scroll down to Data Sources & Access, tap Edit, drag Connect to the top, and tap Done. The rest of this is on why step counts differ.
The Activity rings don't move
Garmin says the Move ring only updates from an Apple Watch; data sent from a Garmin device won't progress the rings. That is how the rings work, not a sync problem.
Where Angel Step fits
We make Angel Step, so take this as ours. It reads your step count from Health and puts today's number on your Home Screen and Lock Screen as a widget. With Connect at the top of the Steps sources, that number is your Garmin count — as fresh as the last time Garmin Connect synced with the app open.
Questions
Why are my Garmin steps not showing in Apple Health?
Garmin Connect sends data to Apple Health after a sync, and Garmin says only while the Connect app is open in the foreground; if it is closed, the transfer waits for the next sync with the app open. Also check that Steps is turned on for Connect in Health, under your profile picture, then Apps.
Why does Apple Health show different steps than Garmin?
When the iPhone and the Garmin watch both record steps, Health keeps the source at the top of its list instead of adding them. Garmin's fix is to open Steps in Health, go to Data Sources & Access, tap Edit and move Connect to the top.
Does Garmin Connect read data from Apple Health?
No. Garmin says Connect pushes data to Apple Health but doesn't pull data from Apple Health or an Apple Watch.
Will Garmin steps close my Activity rings?
No. Garmin says the rings only update from an Apple Watch, and data from a Garmin device won't move them.
Sources
- What Connect sends, one way only, after each sync, only with the app in the foreground, the two-week import, granting access from Connect, the Edge exception and the rings: Garmin Support Center, Sharing Your Garmin Connect Data With Apple Health, read .
- Moving Connect to the top of the Steps sources: Garmin Support Center, Apple Health Shows a Different Step Count Than Garmin, read .
- The profile picture → Apps under Privacy, and which source wins when there are several: Apple Support, Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
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