How to Sync Your Garmin Connect Data with Anything

How to Sync Your Garmin Connect Data with Anything

August 31, 2016 51 By Jakob

The fitness tracker market has been going absolutely nuts over the past 10-15 years. The range of apps available is amazingly large, whether they support specific devices or just cater to certain regions or sports. Either way, you can’t expect to be able to use just your preferred single app to connect with everyone you know, who’s using whichever app they prefer. Instead you’re forced to make a choice: Should I track my rides with Strava, Endomondo, or something completely different??

In this article I’ll share my setup and how I sync every single training to other services in order to be training socially with people I know around the World, while maintaining my own preferred app for sports. The inspiration for this app came about when trying to get data from my Garmin device to the movement tracking app, Human. At that time I read this article on part of this topic. Also, as in all things location tracking in sports, DC Rainmaker had an article that inspired this one. Find his original work here.

20160205_130226First a little background: I like to train for triathlons. I’m not much of an elite triathlete at all. In fact I just try to get in a few trainings per week while also having a family and a company.
Typically I’ll be using a Garmin device for trainings and most recently that device has been a Garmin Fēnix 3HR as well as for cycling a Garmin Edge 130.

The aim here is to share data recorded with Garmin devices to as many other fitness related services. This is how it can be done. Garmin to:

  • Garmin Connect: Sync via wifi, via a cable connected to your computer and using Garmin Express, or via bluetooth to your phone using the app for either Android, iOS, or, Windows Phone. That was the really easy part.
  • Endomondo: There are a number of ways to upload to Endomondo. In short I do the following, and you can too:
    • Make sure that you have your Garmin device linked via Garmin Express, Garmin Connect Mobile, or Wi-Fi to your account on Garmin Connect.
    • Go to Endomondo.com/settings/connect and hit the connect button for Garmin Connect. You will now be redirected to the Garmin Connect website to confirm the connection.
    • In the future your Garmin Connect uploads will appear automatically on Endomondo.
  • Strava: It’s similarly easy to get activities from a Garmin device to Strava. Again, you’ll make use of the connection between Strava and Garmin Connect. The full guide is available on Strava.com. This too was pretty easy.
  • Runkeeper used to be a bit of a headache to sync with from a Garmin device. Many are still using CopyMySports, but with the introduction of integration of Garmin Connect on the Runkeeper Apps page that is now no longer necessary. Configure Apps’ access to Runkeeper here: https://runkeeper.com/settings/apps.
  • MyFitnessPal: MyFitnessPal is more of an overall fitness site, and you can have your data syncing here by enabling any of the apps on this page. I recommend just connecting with Garmin Connect.
  • Everymove: Has  been shut down, so integration is no longer interesting – or possible.
  • Google Fit: Meet Google’s fitness tracker. This is where it starts to get a little tricky. As explained in the article on stationarywaves.com there’s not really a beautiful way of syncing Garmin Connect with Google Fit. However, now that you’ve already sync’ed Connect with Strava. You can connect your Strava Android app with Google Fit, like this. Not sure if this feature is available for iPhone users of Strava.
  • Jawbone UP: Folded. Don’t buy a Jawbone – they’re done and the app seems rather useless at this point.
  • MapMyFitness/MapMyRide/MapMyRun: These three services are all part of the same, so the integration is pretty easy – it’s made even easier by the integration with Garmin Connect as explained here.
  • Suunto Movescount: Alright, as you can imagine this direct Garmin devices competitor does not provide easy integration to Garmin Connect. You have a few options for transferring activities, though:
    • MX Activity Mover is a java application (which at least should work on Windows and MacOS), which offers MANUAL sync from Garmin Connect to Suunto Movescount. The PAID version will transfer multiple activities at once, manually, but the free version is significantly more cumbersome.
    • SyncMyTracks and SyncMyTracks Free offer an Android-specific alternative to MX Activity Mover. You can configure sync from any of the supported services to any other supported service. Alternatively you can manually export from any service to any other service. I AM experiencing a bit of a challenge with the sync from Connect to Movescount.
    • Rungap is an iPhone-specific app, which makes logins to several services possible.
  • Runtastic: With a nice range of apps for all sorts of fitness training, Runtastic seems quite appealing and they’ve been making nice integration for Garmin as well. Log in to Runtastic – go to Settings and choose Social Connect – then connect with Garmin Connect.
  • Nike+ Run Club: Still a nightmare to navigate. Thankfully, though, you can use the Nike Run Club mobile app to configure integration with Garmin Connect. It’s easy on Android: Go to the Run Club app. Go to Settings – Partners and pick Garmin Connect. Go through the consent process and you’re done.
  • Smashrun.com: New on the list, I’m looking forward to see what SmashRun might offer. Any way, first step is to make sure it syncs with my Garmin. What do you know: it does. Go to https://secure.smashrun.com/settings-sync, login if needed, then login to your Garmin Connect account – and voilà – you’re all set. So far the data and insight looks interesting, but you need the Pro account for automatic Garmin sync.
  • Ride with GPS: Go to https://ridewithgps.com/log and allow access to  your Garmin data.
  • Sports Tracker (to some, previously known as the Nokia Sports Tracker): Similar to Movescount from Suunto, Sports Tracker can be a tough nut to crack. Here’s how:
    • SyncMyTracks and SyncMyTracks Free offer an Android-specific alternative to using the Sports Tracker app. You can configure sync from any of the supported services to any other supported service, including Sports Tracker. Alternatively you can manually export from any service to any other service. I AM experiencing a bit of a challenge with the sync from Connect to Sports Tracker.
    • Rungap is an iPhone-specific app, which makes logins to and sync between several services possible.
  • Polar Flow: Has gotten a little more open as well. Hook Polar Flow up with your Strava account like this: Go here. Link to Strava. This assumes you’re already sharing Garmin Connect data with Strava.
  • Komoot: Following a long period without any kind of integration with Garmin it’s now possible to sync Garmin data TO Komoot. Go to https://www.komoot.com/upload and connect with Garmin.
  • Relive: While Relive isn’t a social training network in the way of most of the services above, what it does deserves integration. Relive makes beautiful video and data visualization of your GPS-tracked activities. To integration with Garmin Connect, Strava, Endomondo, Runtastic, Under Armour’s MapMyAnything, or Polar Flow, head over here to set that up.
  • MyWindSock: Wind visualization for your GPS-powered rides. That’s what MyWindSock does. Go to the site and choose to connect with Strava, Komoot, and/or Ride with GPS.

That’s it for integrations. Missing some? Let me know in the comments – I’m happy to add more.