Send to Garmin Connect Courses

Premium users of dynamicWatch can now send routes (courses) directly to Garmin Connect and let it sync them automatically down to the Courses list on Garmin devices that offer built-in navigation.  This is an alternative to using routeCourse on those devices.

Since this is a feature of our mobile-friendly website, this works just as well on your phone as it does on your computer.

How to Access The Feature

You must have a Garmin watch or Edge that supports downloadable courses.  These are the same Garmin models that support our routeCourse app: all Garmin Fenix 5/6/7, Epix Gen 2, Enduro, Marq and Edge models; plus most Forerunner watches (current list here).  Garmin Edge 130/130 Plus, Fenix 3/3HR and Instinct 2/2S/Crossover are also supported by this feature, since they offer a courses feature, even though they do not support routeCourse.

(For most other watches, including all Vivoactive and Venu models, our dwMap app adds routes and navigation capabilities to the watch, and is a much better choice than using this feature.)

You need to have installed at least one of our Connect IQ apps or data fields onto your Garmin and linked it to your dynamicWatch account.

On your main list of routes on your https://dynamic.watch/me home page, choose the "..." menu for a route and the options "Send to Garmin Connect" should appear on the popup menu.

One-time Setup

The first time you choose Send to Garmin Connect from the popup menu you will be invited to authorize dynamicWatch to write to your Garmin Courses list.  Note this is a separate permission from being able to access your Garmin Connect activities through our Garmin Activity History feature.

Using Send to Garmin Connect

Once you have setup access, all you need to do to send a route to your Garmin Connect Courses list is to choose the Send to Garmin Connect option on the popup menu for a route.  It only takes a second or so to send a route, and then it should be visible in your Garmin Connect Mobile phone app or in your Courses lists on the Garmin Connect website.

Your supported Garmin device(s) will automatically download the route the next time they sync with Garmin Connect, and add the route to their built-in Courses list, where you can choose it for the Navigation feature.

Note Sometimes this seems to take a long time.  Try pressing the "sync" icon in Garmin Connect Mobile to prompt it to sync immediately with your connected device(s).

If you send the same route again you will end up with two courses at Garmin.  There is no option for us to update a course at Garmin after you have sent it there.

You can delete any of these courses at Garmin Connect without it affecting the original route at dynamicWatch.

As of April 2021 there is a bug in the iOS version of Garmin Connect Mobile where you are not offered a delete option for these courses.  Use the Garmin Connect website.

Pros and Cons versus using routeCourse

You can use either or both of this Send feature or routeCourse to download routes to your Garmin.  Either way, they end up in the Courses list on your device, and you can select one and start navigating from there.

One advantage of using routeCourse on your device is that it immediately downloads the route and makes it available to you to "launch" and start your activity.   However this Send feature sends it to Garmin, and then at some time in the near future your device will download it, and it is hard to know when it will arrive.  You may have to wait (impatiently!) at the start of, say, your bike ride for it to appear on your Courses list.

Revoking Access

If you need to disconnect the Send feature you can do that in the usual Linked Accounts page in Settings.

Be careful to choose Disconnect from Garmin Courses, as the other button is for the Garmin Activity History feature, which, as we mentioned above, is authorized separately.