Now it is easy to install the Garmin Grafana dashboard on any platform
A few weeks ago, an open source Garmin dashboard built on Grafana showed up on GitHub. Now it has made a big leap towards simplification. You no longer need to be a tech wizard to get everything up and running.
A much easier way to install the Garmin Grafana dashboard
The original release of the Garmin Grafana dashboard offered a lot of power but demanded serious tech skills. It required setting up Docker, configuring databases, and manually building the dashboard components. For most people, that was a tough ask.
The new update addresses this head-on. The developer has introduced a helper script that can automate the full installation process for you. Instead of spending hours tinkering with Linux commands or Docker containers, you now run a single command and let the script take care of everything. It provisions Grafana, sets up the necessary database, builds the dashboards, and links everything together in one shot.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
You can find the instructions under the Automatic Install with helper script section on the project’s GitHub page. The method works across Linux, Windows, and Mac. In other words, this opens the door for many more Garmin users to set up their own private health data dashboard without a big technical learning curve.
Local data ownership remains a major strength
One of the biggest advantages of this project remains unchanged. Your Garmin data stays local, and the dashboard automatically fetches updates each time your Garmin Connect account syncs. Once installed, you do not have to touch anything. No manual downloads, no exports, no subscriptions. You get to keep a full, growing archive of your own raw health metrics.
This setup gives you freedom to zoom into your data at any level of detail you want. Whether you are tracking heart rate variability, sleep regularity, or workout intensity, you have full control. You can even layer in new visualisations if you want to go beyond the standard dashboard.
Of course, being an open source project, this is still a self-managed tool. If something breaks, you are on your own to fix it. But the flip side is that no one else has access to your private health data, and there is no need to trust a third party with your personal records. Plus, if Garmin servers go down – or get hacked again – you still have all your old data. To remind, Garmin does not store your data locally, instead it sounds in the cloud.
A real alternative for those unhappy with Connect+
Garmin’s Connect+ subscription rollout has left many users frustrated. Extra features now sit behind a paywall, and concerns about data privacy are growing.
This open source dashboard provides a refreshing alternative. It is free, it is private, and it is owned entirely by the user. For those who struggled with the earlier installation instructions, this new update should make things easier.
There also an alternative project for a smartphone app that is being pushed by a separate group of Garmin users. That one is still in early stages but it will eventually be available for both iOS and Android users.
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