Garmin confirms Connect app bug fix is now live for iOS users

Garmin says it has rolled out a fix for the Connect app bug that hit iPhones today. Version 5.21.1 of the app addresses a pairing issue that had left many watches disconnected and stuck in sync limbo.

Garmin confirms a fix is now live

The bug appeared with version 5.21 of the Garmin Connect app for iOS. After updating, users found their previously paired watches were no longer recognised. Although Bluetooth settings showed the devices as connected, the app itself failed to sync, and in some cases acted as if the watch didn’t exist.

Android users were unaffected, but for iPhone owners the workaround required manual intervention. Garmin quickly acknowledged the issue and began investigating, and the result is version 5.21.1, now available on the App Store.

The company reached out to us to confirm this version resolves the underlying problem. However, if the app still isn’t detecting your watch after updating, you’ll need to go through a few extra steps to fully reset the connection.

“We are aware of an issue that caused some devices to disconnect from the Garmin Connect app after updating to version 5.21 on iOS. This issue has now been resolved in version 5.21.1. If your device is still disconnected, please follow the steps in the linked FAQ below to restore the connection.”

How to restore the connection

Garmin has published an updated support FAQ that outlines the process for removing and re-adding your device in the Connect app. This ensures a clean reset of the Bluetooth pairing and clears out any corruption caused by the faulty update.

The process involves three stages. First, remove the device from Garmin Connect. Then, remove it from your phone’s Bluetooth settings. Finally, go back into the Connect app and pair your watch again from scratch.

The company warns that if your device uses Garmin Pay, removing it from the app will delete the wallet, so you’ll need to set that up again during the re-pairing process.

For iPhone users, Connect 5.21 and later might also automatically remove the watch from the Bluetooth list when unpaired in-app. If that doesn’t happen, Garmin recommends toggling Bluetooth off and on again, then manually forgetting the device before restarting both your phone and watch.

Step-by-step instructions for both iOS and Android are included in Garmin’s help article. These walk you through the full reset and pairing process, including how to put your watch into pairing mode and what to do if it doesn’t appear in the Connect app.

The issue appears resolved

With version 5.21.1 now live, Garmin says the issue has been addressed. Still, some users report needing to manually remove and re-add their device for the fix to take effect. So while the update may patch the underlying bug, it doesn’t always resolve things on its own.

This isn’t uncommon with Bluetooth sync issues on iOS. Even after a fix, stale pairings or mismatched permissions can leave devices stuck in limbo. A clean reset is often the only way to fully re-establish the connection.

If your Garmin is still not syncing, the steps outlined in Garmin’s support article are worth trying. That should hopefully get things working again.

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter! Check out our YouTube channel.

And of course, you can follow Gadgets & Wearables on Google News and add us as your preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.