The seamless integration of smartphone connectivity elevates a smartwatch’s functionality to a whole new level and opens up a world of possibilities, enabling you to access enhanced features, receive notifications, and effortlessly synchronise your timepiece with your digital lifestyle.
If you’re a proud owner of a Garmin smartwatch and are eager to explore the seamless harmony between your luxurious timepiece and your smartphone, our watch experts are here to guide you. We will walk you through the step-by-step process of pairing your Garmin smartwatch from Banks Lyon with your smartphone, ensuring you make the most of your investment in both craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.
Introducing Garmin Connect
If you want to get the most out of your Garmin smartwatch, you need to become familiar with Garmin Connect. This powerful and intuitive platform serves as the central hub for Garmin users to store, analyse, and share their health and fitness data. Designed to complement Garmin’s extensive range of smartwatches, Garmin Connect empowers users to gain deeper insights into their activities, set and track goals, and connect with a community of like-minded individuals.
It has an abundance of features, such as:
- 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 insights provide valuable feedback and recommendations 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. Engage in friendly challenges and competitions with your friends and fellow Garmin Connect users.
- Training Plans. Garmin Connect offers pre-designed training plans for various activities like running, cycling, or swimming.
- Health Monitoring. Effortlessly track and manage important health metrics, including sleep patterns, stress levels, hydration, and menstrual cycles.
As you explore the Garmin Connect platform, you’ll find that it goes beyond a mere data repository and becomes an essential tool that empowers you to understand your fitness journey, set new goals, and stay motivated as you strive for continuous improvement.
It is available as a free download from the App Store or Google Play and is compatible with Apple iOS 15.0 or higher and Android Operating Systems 7.0 or higher; let’s find out how to get connected so you can start benefitting from this fantastic platform.
Why Pair Your Smartphone with Your Garmin Watch?
Some industry experts believe that smartwatches are the future of luxury watches, so getting ahead and exploring everything you can do with your smartwatch is a great idea. As discussed, pairing a Garmin smartwatch with a smartphone via the Garmin Connect app opens up a world of features and expands your watch’s capabilities exponentially.
As well as the fitness and sports tracking abilities, pairing your devices allows you to receive notifications directly on your wrist. So you can quickly glance at your smartwatch to stay informed without pulling out your phone, whether it’s incoming calls, text messages, emails, social media updates, or app notifications.
In addition, Garmin watches can connect to music streaming platforms on your mobile device, enabling you to control your music playback through your timepiece. You can skip tracks, adjust volume, and play or pause music without reaching for your phone, which is particularly useful during workouts or when you’re on the go.
Pairing a smartphone with a smartwatch also typically allows you to access companion apps that provide advanced customisation options. For example, you can personalise watch faces, adjust settings, and choose which apps and notifications are displayed on your smartwatch. This gives you greater control over your wearable device, tailoring it to your preferences and needs and allowing you to switch up its style for any occasion.
Pairing an iPhone with a Garmin Smartwatch
Pairing your iPhone with a Garmin smartwatch couldn’t be easier; let’s take a look:
- Check your iPhone is running iOS 15.0 or higher. To do this, head to the ‘Settings’ app, select ‘General’, then tap ‘About’. Here, you’ll see information about your device,
including the version of iOS your device is on. If your iOS needs an update, you can see this here. It’s always a good idea to be on the latest iOS, so update your iPhone if necessary before continuing. - Head to the App Store and download the Garmin Connect app.
- Once downloaded, put your watch in pairing mode. To do this, enter its main menu, scroll to ‘Settings’, select ‘Phone’ and then ‘Pair Phone’.
- 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.
- From here, follow the on-screen prompts on both your smartphone and watch, and you should be good to go!
Pictured to the right is the Garmin MARQ Aviator (Gen 2) Titanium SmartWatch available from Banks Lyon for £2,099.99 or just £17.49 per month on 0% finance.
Pairing 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; let’s take a look:
- Check your Android smartphone is running 7.0 Android Operating System or higher. 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. As with iPhones, it’s best to keep your device updated with the latest operating system, so update at this point if necessary.
- Head to the Google Play Store and download the Garmin Connect app.
- Once downloaded, put your watch in pairing mode. To do this, enter its main menu, scroll to ‘Settings’, select ‘Phone’ and then ‘Pair Phone’.
- 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.
- 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.
Garmin Fenix 7s Sapphire Solar Edition 42mm Watch, pictured left, is available from Banks Lyon for £859.99.
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 on our website and in our showrooms; you’re sure to find your next device with us.
Visit us in store or get in touch to find out how we can help.