Connect Garmin Connect to Strava in three steps

You can send your workouts from Garmin Connect directly to Strava without manually uploading each one. The connection works through Strava's settings, not Garmin's — you authorize Strava to pull data from your Garmin account, and then any activity you record on your Garmin device automatically appears in Strava within a few minutes.

The process takes about five minutes and requires you to sign into both accounts once. After that, the sync happens in the background every time you finish a workout.

Key Takeaways

  • You set up the connection through Strava's settings, not through Garmin Connect or your Garmin device.
  • The sync is one-way: activities flow from Garmin to Strava, but changes you make in Strava do not go back to Garmin.
  • Your Garmin account password is never shared with Strava — you log in directly to Garmin's servers to authorize the connection.
  • Once connected, new activities from your Garmin device appear in Strava automatically within a few minutes of finishing the workout.

Open Strava settings and find the connected apps section

Start in the Strava app or on the Strava website — both work the same way. If you are using the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner, then tap Settings. On the website, click your profile picture in the top right, then select Settings.

Once you are in Settings, look for a section called Connected Apps or Integrations (the exact name varies slightly between the app and website, but it is always in the main Settings menu). Tap or click on it to open the list of apps Strava can connect to.

Find Garmin in the list and authorize the connection

Scroll through the connected apps list until you see Garmin. Tap or click the button next to it — it usually says Connect or Authorize. Strava will open a new window or page that takes you to Garmin's login screen.

Enter your Garmin Connect username and password. This is the same account you use to view your activities in Garmin Connect or to sync your Garmin device. Garmin will ask you to confirm that you want to allow Strava to access your activity data — read the permissions (Strava can see your workouts and their details, but cannot delete or edit them in Garmin) and then click Approve or Allow.

You will be sent back to Strava, and the Garmin connection should now show as Connected. If you see an error message, check that you entered your Garmin password correctly and try again.

Verify the connection is working

The easiest way to confirm the sync is active is to complete a workout on your Garmin device and wait a few minutes. Open Strava and check your activity feed — your new workout should appear there automatically. The activity will include all the data your Garmin recorded: distance, time, pace, heart rate, elevation, and any other metrics your device tracks.

If your activity does not appear after ten minutes, go back to Strava Settings and check that Garmin still shows as Connected. If the connection has dropped, repeat the authorization step. If the activity still does not sync, make sure you are logged into the same Garmin account on your device that you authorized in Strava.

Understand what syncs and what does not

Strava receives your workout data — distance, duration, route, heart rate, cadence, power, and any other metrics your Garmin device recorded. It also syncs the date and time you completed the workout. However, some Garmin-specific data does not transfer: training stress score, training load, and body battery information stay in Garmin Connect only.

The sync is one-way only. If you edit an activity in Strava (change the title, add a photo, mark it as private), those changes stay in Strava and do not update in Garmin Connect. Similarly, if you delete an activity from Strava, it remains in Garmin Connect. If you want to remove an activity from both places, delete it in Garmin Connect first.

Disconnect Garmin from Strava if you need to

If you want to stop syncing activities from Garmin to Strava, go back to Strava Settings and find the Connected Apps section. Next to Garmin, you should see a Disconnect or Remove button. Click it, and Strava will no longer pull new activities from your Garmin account. Activities that already synced will remain in Strava — disconnecting only stops future syncs.

You may need to disconnect and reconnect if the sync stops working or if you change your Garmin password. Reconnecting uses the same process: go to Connected Apps, click Authorize next to Garmin, and log in with your updated Garmin credentials.

Troubleshoot if activities are not syncing

If you complete a workout on your Garmin device but it does not appear in Strava after ten minutes, check these things in order. First, make sure your Garmin device is synced to Garmin Connect — open the Garmin Connect app or website and confirm the activity appears there. If it does not, your device has not uploaded to Garmin yet. Wait a few minutes and try again, or manually sync your device by opening the Garmin Connect app and pulling down to refresh.

If the activity is in Garmin Connect but not in Strava, go back to Strava Settings and verify that Garmin still shows as Connected. If it shows Disconnected, the authorization expired or was revoked — repeat the authorization step. If it shows Connected but activities still are not syncing, try disconnecting and reconnecting: go to Connected Apps, click Disconnect next to Garmin, wait thirty seconds, then click Authorize again and log in.

One other cause: if you have a very old activity in Garmin Connect (more than a few weeks old) that you are trying to sync for the first time, Strava may not pull it over. The sync is designed for new activities. If you need an old activity in Strava, you can manually upload it through Strava's upload feature instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Strava see my Garmin password?

No. When you authorize the connection, you log directly into Garmin's servers — Strava never sees your password. Garmin confirms that you approved the connection and gives Strava permission to read your activity data. You can change your Garmin password anytime without affecting the sync.

Can I sync activities from Strava back to Garmin?

No, the sync is one-way only. Activities flow from Garmin to Strava, but Strava cannot send data back to Garmin Connect. If you record a workout in Strava directly (using Strava's built-in GPS or by uploading a file), it will not appear in Garmin Connect.

What happens to activities I recorded before I connected Garmin to Strava?

Strava syncs only new activities going forward. Old workouts that are already in Garmin Connect will not transfer to Strava automatically. If you want them in Strava, you can manually upload them using Strava's import feature, or you can export them from Garmin and upload them as files.

Will connecting Garmin to Strava affect my privacy settings?

The connection itself does not change your privacy settings. Activities that sync to Strava will have the same privacy level you set in Strava — if you have Strava set to private, your synced activities will be private. You can adjust privacy for individual activities in Strava after they sync.

Can I connect multiple Garmin accounts to one Strava account?

No, you can connect only one Garmin account to each Strava account. If you have multiple Garmin devices, they should all be synced to the same Garmin Connect account, and then that account connects to Strava.