How to Import a GPX to Garmin Connect and Send It to Your Watch

A GPX file holds the coordinates of a route. Garmin Connect turns that file into a course, which your watch can display as a breadcrumb trail with turn prompts. These steps follow Garmin Connect as of August 2026.

What you need

• The .gpx file, saved on your computer or phone.
• The Garmin Connect account your watch syncs with.
• A watch that supports Courses or Navigation. Some entry-level models do not.

Import a GPX on the Garmin Connect website

1. Open connect.garmin.com and sign in.
2. In the left menu, open Training & Planning.
3. Select Courses.
4. Click Import and pick the .gpx file.
5. Choose an activity type such as Running or Trail Running. This affects estimated times and how the course is displayed.
6. Rename the course to something you can find quickly on a small screen, then save.

The course appears in your Courses list and shows up in the phone app as well.

Import a GPX in the Garmin Connect phone app

If the file is already on your phone, you never need a computer.

1. Open Garmin Connect and tap the menu (three lines, top left).
2. Tap Training & Planning.
3. Tap Courses.
4. Tap + in the top right, then Create a Course.
5. Choose Import and browse to the .gpx file.
6. Tap the file, then confirm with Import in the top right.

There is a faster route: open the GPX file straight from wherever it lives. On iPhone, tap Share and choose Copy to Connect. On Android, choose Open with… and pick Garmin Connect. The app loads the route and offers to save it as a course.

Send the course to your watch

A saved course still lives in your account, not on the watch.

1. Open the Garmin Connect app with the watch in Bluetooth range.
2. Open the course you just imported.
3. Choose the option to send it to your device, then pick your watch.
4. Wait for the sync to finish before closing the app.

You can also connect the watch by cable and sync with Garmin Express.

Start the course on a run

Menus vary by model, but the pattern holds:

1. Select an activity mode such as Run or Trail Run.
2. Open Navigation or Courses before pressing start.
3. Pick the course you sent.
4. The watch will ask you to move to the start point if you are far from it.
5. Start the activity. The breadcrumb trail and turn prompts appear as you run.

Route file formats

TCX and FIT are generally activity formats, carrying time and sensor data for a workout that already happened. For navigation, use GPX.

Common problems

The course never appears on the watch

Syncing has not finished. Leave the Garmin Connect app open until it completes. If it still does not show, check whether your model supports Courses at all.

The file is rejected on import

Confirm the extension really is .gpx and not a renamed text file. Files with a single point, or no coordinates, are rejected.

Watch distance differs from map distance

Expected. The map measures the drawn line; the watch measures GPS movement. One to two percent difference is normal, more under tree cover or between tall buildings.

The route cuts corners

Too few points, so the line jumps straight between them. Add points at every turn when drawing the route.

You cannot find the course by name

Rename it during import. Watch screens truncate long names, so put the distinguishing word first.

Building the route

If you do not have a GPX yet, start with the route itself. The Fakepace route builder lets you search a location, drop points that snap to real roads, and check distance and elevation before committing to it. To estimate a finish time at a given pace, use the pace calculator.

Summary

Import a GPX through Training & Planning → Courses → Import on the web, or menu → Training & Planning → Courses → + → Create a Course → Import in the phone app. Send the saved course to your watch through the app or Garmin Express, then pick it from the Navigation menu before you start. Check the direction and start point first so the first kilometre does not surprise you.