Gpx files: iPhone to Garmin Connect?
Discussion
Can anyone help with this?
I have an iPhone running iOS 14.4.
I have a Garmin Fenix 6s Pro.
I have Garmin Connect installed on the phone.
However I try to get gpx files saved into the phone there doesn’t seem to be any way to get them sent to, or “open in” Connect.
According to all the online guides it should be a simple case of selecting the gpx file, then clicking on “share file” and an option “Copy to Connect” should appear, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to do it.
So far I’ve had one single success by selecting a gpx file a friend sent me on messenger. If I select that it gives me an “open with...” option and I can choose Connect.
Strangely when I tried forwarding a few gpx files to my wife on messenger, if I select those files (in messenger) I don’t get the same “open with...” option so that won’t work.
I’ve tried deleting all other apps which use gpx files and also deleting and re-installing Garmin Connect and re-pairing the watch with Garmin connect but none of it makes any difference. It’s driving me mad. Any ideas or advice would be welcome.
I have an iPhone running iOS 14.4.
I have a Garmin Fenix 6s Pro.
I have Garmin Connect installed on the phone.
However I try to get gpx files saved into the phone there doesn’t seem to be any way to get them sent to, or “open in” Connect.
According to all the online guides it should be a simple case of selecting the gpx file, then clicking on “share file” and an option “Copy to Connect” should appear, but there doesn’t seem to be any way to do it.
So far I’ve had one single success by selecting a gpx file a friend sent me on messenger. If I select that it gives me an “open with...” option and I can choose Connect.
Strangely when I tried forwarding a few gpx files to my wife on messenger, if I select those files (in messenger) I don’t get the same “open with...” option so that won’t work.
I’ve tried deleting all other apps which use gpx files and also deleting and re-installing Garmin Connect and re-pairing the watch with Garmin connect but none of it makes any difference. It’s driving me mad. Any ideas or advice would be welcome.
Thanks very much; that’s a good idea, and by doing that I can get onto Garmin connect web version, which does indeed have an option to import data:
This then lets me browse for the files I want, and immediately throws up another issue. The files I’m trying to upload to Connect are S6 Leg 1, Leg 2, Leg 3 on the screenshot below:
Unfortunately these are greyed-out and I can’t select them. It’s odd because they’re definitely .gpx files. Also, the other files visible in that screenshot (which I can select) aren’t gpx files. It makes no sense.
At least now I know I can import data on the desktop version. I think if I log in to Connect on my laptop and fetch the gpx files from my email on there, I should be able to sort it out.
I don’t understand why it’s so difficult though? The Garmin watches all have a “navigate a route” function specifically for you to import a route from a 3rd party source, yet the software makes it so awkward to do it!
This then lets me browse for the files I want, and immediately throws up another issue. The files I’m trying to upload to Connect are S6 Leg 1, Leg 2, Leg 3 on the screenshot below:
Unfortunately these are greyed-out and I can’t select them. It’s odd because they’re definitely .gpx files. Also, the other files visible in that screenshot (which I can select) aren’t gpx files. It makes no sense.
At least now I know I can import data on the desktop version. I think if I log in to Connect on my laptop and fetch the gpx files from my email on there, I should be able to sort it out.
I don’t understand why it’s so difficult though? The Garmin watches all have a “navigate a route” function specifically for you to import a route from a 3rd party source, yet the software makes it so awkward to do it!
It’s crap, I’ve always struggled with it, and it’s probably 70% Garmin and 30% Apple’s responsibility.
Garmin for not having an ‘upload GPX file’ in their Courses section, and Apple for making the whole file saving and data sharing thing so obtuse on iOS.
It makes me shy away from using them as often as I might.
Garmin for not having an ‘upload GPX file’ in their Courses section, and Apple for making the whole file saving and data sharing thing so obtuse on iOS.
It makes me shy away from using them as often as I might.
Having had a quick look at these files on my laptop this morning I realised that they are actually .xml files (but they’re also definitely gpx files as I can open and view them on some online gpx viewers but not others!).
This is really irritating as I couldn’t view the things on my Suunto either. Because I’d had so many software issues with suunto, after nearly 6 years with the Ambit3 I got fed up with it and ordered a Fenix 6s. It’s proving to be just as bad.
Even more annoying is that when I view the files I want to use, they open up as a load of text code, and its clear they’ve been created in Garmin Connect!
This is really irritating as I couldn’t view the things on my Suunto either. Because I’d had so many software issues with suunto, after nearly 6 years with the Ambit3 I got fed up with it and ordered a Fenix 6s. It’s proving to be just as bad.
Even more annoying is that when I view the files I want to use, they open up as a load of text code, and its clear they’ve been created in Garmin Connect!
Have you tried connecting your watch via USB to your computer (and Garmin Express) and dragging and dropping? That’s what I had to do to get routes onto my Garmin Edge. There are guides on the web about which folder to copy to. On OS X you’ll also need to install android file transfer.
Having had a bit of time over the weekend to try and sort this out, I realised I was so intent on transferring a gpx file manually into the watch memory that I had not bothered to look closely at the features included in Garmin Connect.
One of these is to search for routes by a map. It appears that any run, walk, hike, cycle etc., that’s been logged on Garmin Connect is available for others to use (presumably there’s a privacy setting involved?). It’s a brilliant feature, as long as you know the start point of a particular route, you just go to that location on the map and zoom in as far as you need to, then just list the runs which start from there, select as a favourite, and then you can send the route to your phone in a couple of seconds.
Having written this I’m sure it’s something that’s been available on Garmin and Suunto for years, but it’s the first I’ve seen of it, so I’m quite happy with that!
I still think it’s overly difficult to get a specific file to your watch when it should be a case of just “drag and drop” it, but on the other hand I’ve managed to quickly find just about any race route I’ve ever done via Connect route map, and now have a few dozen new routes I want to run, stored on the watch memory.
One of these is to search for routes by a map. It appears that any run, walk, hike, cycle etc., that’s been logged on Garmin Connect is available for others to use (presumably there’s a privacy setting involved?). It’s a brilliant feature, as long as you know the start point of a particular route, you just go to that location on the map and zoom in as far as you need to, then just list the runs which start from there, select as a favourite, and then you can send the route to your phone in a couple of seconds.
Having written this I’m sure it’s something that’s been available on Garmin and Suunto for years, but it’s the first I’ve seen of it, so I’m quite happy with that!
I still think it’s overly difficult to get a specific file to your watch when it should be a case of just “drag and drop” it, but on the other hand I’ve managed to quickly find just about any race route I’ve ever done via Connect route map, and now have a few dozen new routes I want to run, stored on the watch memory.
Looks like you have found a solution to your specific problem.
I have an both an Apple Watch, Garmin Edge 810 and Garmin Fenix 3 that I use for tracking different activities (not both at the same time, Fenix is mostly used for Swimming and Tri events now only, Apple watch is great for the gym and running without a phone for music, Edge for Cycling) and trying to get everything to sync to both Garmin Connect and Strava is a pain. I found a couple of apps a few years ago but both still work brilliantly.
Healthfit - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/healthfit/id12026505...
Its £3.99 but definitely worth it for taking the pain away from syncing activities from different devices to Apple, Garmin and Strava. I think it does several others as well, but these are the ones I use and it does it very well in the background without any additional actions from me.
EasyRoute - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/easyroute/id60512786...
Free. Great for quickly creating routes by dragging waypoints onto a map, has multiple different map types such as OSM cycle and Outdoors. Best of all, it has an export to Garmin Connect built in, although you have to be careful to select a Generic route type, for some reason specifying a specific cycle, walk or run route means Garmin doesn't know quite what to do with it. The route then syncs from Garmin to either the Edge or Fenix so it can be followed as a course.
Hopefully these may help you or others further.
I have an both an Apple Watch, Garmin Edge 810 and Garmin Fenix 3 that I use for tracking different activities (not both at the same time, Fenix is mostly used for Swimming and Tri events now only, Apple watch is great for the gym and running without a phone for music, Edge for Cycling) and trying to get everything to sync to both Garmin Connect and Strava is a pain. I found a couple of apps a few years ago but both still work brilliantly.
Healthfit - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/healthfit/id12026505...
Its £3.99 but definitely worth it for taking the pain away from syncing activities from different devices to Apple, Garmin and Strava. I think it does several others as well, but these are the ones I use and it does it very well in the background without any additional actions from me.
EasyRoute - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/easyroute/id60512786...
Free. Great for quickly creating routes by dragging waypoints onto a map, has multiple different map types such as OSM cycle and Outdoors. Best of all, it has an export to Garmin Connect built in, although you have to be careful to select a Generic route type, for some reason specifying a specific cycle, walk or run route means Garmin doesn't know quite what to do with it. The route then syncs from Garmin to either the Edge or Fenix so it can be followed as a course.
Hopefully these may help you or others further.
My cycling club gives links to the ride routes in Garmin Connect. I can save the GPX of the route on my PC to my Apple Drive, share them to the Elemnt app in the Files app on my phone and they appear when I sync routes on my Elemnt.
They are XML files.
Maybe there is a difference between a route file and a ride recording?
They are XML files.
Maybe there is a difference between a route file and a ride recording?
frisbee said:
My cycling club gives links to the ride routes in Garmin Connect. I can save the GPX of the route on my PC to my Apple Drive, share them to the Elemnt app in the Files app on my phone and they appear when I sync routes on my Elemnt.
They are XML files.
Maybe there is a difference between a route file and a ride recording?
Elemnt is Wahoo, not Garmin. AFAIK you can‘t do what you are suggesting with the Garmin Connect app on the phone. As I wrote above the only way I know to get routes onto the watch or an Edge is to mount it as a drive on the computer and copy it to the correct directory on the device.They are XML files.
Maybe there is a difference between a route file and a ride recording?
kieranbennett said:
Looks like you have found a solution to your specific problem.
I have an both an Apple Watch, Garmin Edge 810 and Garmin Fenix 3 that I use for tracking different activities (not both at the same time, Fenix is mostly used for Swimming and Tri events now only, Apple watch is great for the gym and running without a phone for music, Edge for Cycling) and trying to get everything to sync to both Garmin Connect and Strava is a pain. I found a couple of apps a few years ago but both still work brilliantly.
Is it bad that I bought an Apple Watch just to use for music without my phone when out running I have an both an Apple Watch, Garmin Edge 810 and Garmin Fenix 3 that I use for tracking different activities (not both at the same time, Fenix is mostly used for Swimming and Tri events now only, Apple watch is great for the gym and running without a phone for music, Edge for Cycling) and trying to get everything to sync to both Garmin Connect and Strava is a pain. I found a couple of apps a few years ago but both still work brilliantly.
I have the Fenix on one wrist connected to my HRM recording all the funky stats and the Apple Watch on the other streaming music. Can‘t be bothered with the faff of copying music to the Fenix and it‘s also great that I can make an emergency call if needed. Pity the Apple Watch can‘t act as a hotspot so I could use LiveTrack on the Fenix.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff