How Do I Pair My Garmin Smartwatch With My Smartphone?

Updated September 2025.

Pairing your Garmin smartwatch with your phone opens a world of possibilities. With access to enhanced features, notifications, and further controls, syncing your watch helps you get the very best from your device.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of pairing your Garmin smartwatch with your smartphone, answering common questions and helping you get the most out of your investment.

What Is Garmin Connect?

Garmin Connect is the central hub for users to store, analyse, and share their health and fitness data. Designed to complement the brand’s range of smartwatches, Garmin Connect allows users to gain deeper insights into their activities, set and track goals, and connect with a community of like-minded individuals.

• Activity Tracking: Garmin Connect automatically collects and organises data from Garmin smartwatches, including steps, distance travelled, calories burned, heart rate, and more.
• Insights and Recommendations: Personalised tips based on your activity patterns, helping you optimise your workouts, set realistic goals, and make informed decisions about your health and fitness.
• Challenges and Competitions: Get involved in friendly challenges and competitions with your friends and fellow Garmin Connect users.
• Training Plans: Pre-designed training plans for activities like running, cycling, or swimming.
• Health Monitoring: Track and manage important health metrics, including sleep patterns, stress levels, hydration, and menstrual cycles.

Image Credit: Garmin

The app is available as a free download from the App Store or Google Play. Downloading the app is the first step to take before pairing.

Why Pair Your Smartphone with Your Garmin Watch?

Pairing a Garmin smartwatch with a smartphone gives you more than fitness tracking:

• Notifications: Receive alerts directly on your wrist, whether it’s incoming calls, text messages, emails, social media updates, or app notifications.
• Music Controls: Connect to music streaming platforms to skip tracks, adjust volume, and play or pause music without reaching for your phone.
• Companion Apps: access apps that provide customisation. For example, personalise watch faces, adjust settings, and choose what is displayed on your smartwatch.

How to Pair an iPhone with a Garmin Smartwatch

Pairing your iPhone with a Garmin smartwatch couldn’t be easier:

1. Check your iPhone has the latest update. To do this, head to the ‘Settings’ app, select ‘General’, then tap ‘About’. If your iOS needs an update, you can see this here.
2. Head to the App Store and download the Garmin Connect app.
3. Once downloaded, put your watch in pairing mode. To do this, enter its main menu, scroll to ‘Settings’, select ‘Phone’ and then ‘Pair Phone’.
4. Your Garmin Connect app should recognise that your smartwatch is trying to connect. Each watch is slightly different; for example, Garmin MARQ watches display a six-digit code, which you should input into your phone.
5. From here, follow the on-screen prompts on both your smartphone and watch, and you should be good to go!

How to Pair an Android Smartphone with a Garmin Watch

Pairing your Android smartphone with a Garmin smartwatch is an almost identical process to connecting it to an iPhone:

1. Check your Android smartphone is updated. To do this, head to the ‘Settings’ app, tap ‘About phone’ and then ‘Android version’. Here, you’ll see information about your device, including your ‘Android version’, which is the operating system.
2. Head to the Google Play Store and download the Garmin Connect app.
3. Once downloaded, put your watch in pairing mode. To do this, enter its main menu, scroll to ‘Settings’, select ‘Phone’ and then ‘Pair Phone’.
4. Your Garmin Connect app should recognise that your smartwatch is trying to connect and display a six-digit code, which you should input into your phone.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts on both your smartphone and watch, and you’ll be paired in no time!

Some Android devices may not be recognised straight away, so if the Garmin Connect app does not find the watch, select ‘Browse all compatible devices’ on your phone, then choose your watch series or category before selecting the specific watch model. From here, you should be able to pair the two devices.

Ready to Explore Garmin?

If you’re having trouble getting set up, or you’re looking for a Garmin timepiece so you can begin benefiting from Garmin Connect and everything it offers, we’re here to help.

Here at Banks Lyon, we have an extensive catalogue of Garmin smartwatches both online and in store.

Visit us in store or get in touch to find out how we can help.