Garmin Edge Setup Guide

Use your Apple Watch as a heart rate monitor with your Garmin Edge — no chest strap, no extra hardware. This guide covers first-time setup, the per-ride procedure, and how to handle the phone connection limitation.

Apple Watch and Garmin Edge 130 both showing 91 BPM in sync

What You'll Need

  • •Apple Watch (watchOS 8 or later)
  • •iPhone (iOS 15 or later)
  • •HRM app installed on both Apple Watch and iPhone — download here
  • •A compatible Garmin Edge (see compatibility below)

Garmin Edge Compatibility

Can connect
  • Edge 1050
  • Edge 1040 / 1040 Solar
  • Edge 840 / 840 Solar
  • Edge 540 / 540 Solar
  • Edge Explore / Explore 2
  • Edge 130 / 130 Plus
Known limitation — one phone connection at a time. Most Garmin Edge models only allow one active Bluetooth app connection to your iPhone simultaneously. This means during a ride you choose: the HRM app (heart rate data) or Garmin Connect (phone notifications, live tracking, weather). The per-ride procedure below makes this reliable. Use the 7-day free trial to confirm it works for your setup before committing.
Cannot connect
  • Edge 1030 / 1030 Plus / 1000
  • Edge 830 / 820 / 810 / 805
  • Edge 530 / 520 / 520 Plus
  • Edge Touring Plus

Firmware issue — no fix available.

Full compatibility list →

Initial Setup

Do this once. After pairing, your Garmin Edge remembers the HRM app as a heart rate sensor and you only need the per-ride procedure going forward.

Before you begin: Terminate the Garmin Connect app fully on your iPhone before starting. If Garmin Connect is running in the background, it will compete for the Bluetooth connection and the pairing will fail.
  1. 1 Download and open the HRM app on your iPhone. Accept the Bluetooth permission request when prompted. The app will show a pulsing blue circle — this means it's broadcasting.
  2. 2
    Open the HRM app on your Apple Watch. Accept the Apple Health permission request for heart rate data. Then press Start to begin measuring. Apple Watch showing HRM app with Stop button — app is running
  3. 3
    Power on your Garmin Edge. A pairing prompt for "HRM App" should appear automatically.

    If no prompt appears: go to Main Menu → Settings → Sensors → Add Sensor. The HRM App should be discoverable.
    Edge 540, 840, 1040, 1050 only: If the HRM App isn't discovered, first disable the phone connection: Main Menu → Connected Features → Phone → disable. Then add the sensor. Once paired, you can re-enable the phone connection. Garmin Edge 130 prompting to add HRM App as a heart rate sensor
  4. 4
    Confirm. Your current heart rate should now display on the Garmin Edge. iPhone and Garmin Edge 130 both showing live heart rate — successfully paired

Setup for Every Ride

Once the HRM App is paired as a sensor, follow these steps before each ride. The key is the order of operations: sync first, then terminate Garmin Connect, then start HRM, then power on the Garmin.

  1. 1 Sync if needed. If you want your previous ride's data in Garmin Connect, do it now — open Garmin Connect, let your Edge sync, then close it.
  2. 2
    Terminate Garmin Connect on your iPhone. Swipe it away completely. This is crucial — Garmin Connect will grab the BLE connection if it's running. Swiping away Garmin Connect in the iPhone app switcher
  3. 3 Open HRM on your iPhone and Apple Watch, then press Start on the Watch. Keep the iPhone app in the foreground until your Garmin connects.
  4. 4 Power on your Garmin Edge. The HRM App sensor should connect within a few seconds and heart rate will appear on your screen.
  5. 5 Ride. Stow your iPhone (lock screen or back pocket — it works either way). Your Apple Watch is now your live heart rate monitor.
  6. 6 After your ride: Press Stop on the Watch, then terminate the HRM app on your iPhone. Power off your Garmin Edge. Now open Garmin Connect as usual to sync your ride data.
Garmin Edge mounted on handlebars showing live heart rate from Apple Watch via HRM app

Live heart rate on the Edge — Apple Watch doing the measuring.

If the Connection Drops

If the heart rate sensor disconnects mid-ride or doesn't connect on startup:

  1. 1 Make sure HRM is open and in the foreground on both iPhone and Apple Watch.
  2. 2 On your Garmin: Main Menu → Settings → Sensors → HRM App → toggle Enable or Connect.
  3. 3 Heart rate should reconnect within a few seconds.
  4. 4 If it doesn't: remove the sensor from your Garmin and redo the Initial Setup above.

Troubleshooting

HRM App Not Discovered by Garmin

HRM must be open and in the foreground on both iPhone and Watch when you power on the Garmin. If it's backgrounded on either device, the Garmin won't see it. Open both apps, confirm the blue circles are pulsing on the iPhone, then power cycle the Garmin.

No Heart Rate Data ("--" on Watch or iPhone)

Check Apple Health and Background App Refresh permissions on your Apple Watch. Go to Settings (Watch) → Health → Apps → HRM and ensure heart rate access is granted. Also check Settings → General → Background App Refresh on your iPhone.

Connection Drops after a Few Minutes

Low Power Mode on either device restricts Bluetooth. Disable it on both iPhone and Apple Watch before riding.

Watch the Setup

Prefer to follow along visually? This video walks through the exact setup process with a Garmin Edge 540 and 840.

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