How to broadcast heart rate with a Garmin device

Garmin offers a wide array of fitness trackers and smartwatches that provide accurate heart rate tracking during workouts and throughout the day. That works great if you are outside doing a workout or only need your watch to collect that data. But there are times when it’s useful to share your heart rate with other apps, devices, or workout equipment. For example, if you like to ride the Peloton or use a treadmill, you may want heart rate monitoring during your workout along with the data the machine is collecting.

Luckily, Garmin makes it easy to broadcast your heart rate. With the broadcasting tool, you can share that information with a paired phone, exercise equipment, workout apps, or even your workout buddies. If that interests you, then here’s how to broadcast your heart rate on your Garmin device.

How to broadcast your heart rate from your Garmin over Bluetooth using a Virtual Run

Virtual Run makes it fast to share your heart rate data

If you have a compatible Garmin device, you can broadcast your heart rate over Bluetooth and ANT+. The method for doing so will depend on your device. Some Garmin devices will automatically broadcast your heart rate over both Bluetooth and ANT+ when you use the method explained later in the article. Other devices will only broadcast over Bluetooth when you start a Virtual Run. You may need to refer to Garmin’s website to verify what your device is compatible with.

1. Open the Activity menu on your Garmin device. For many devices, you can do so by pressing the Start button.
2. Scroll through the activities and select Virtual Run.
3. If Virtual Run isn’t listed, select + (plus) and add Virtual Run to your list of activities.
4. Select OK for the Virtual Run activity.
5. Open the app or device that you want to receive your heart rate data, and search for your Garmin device by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. Start the Virtual Run activity. Your heart rate will be continually broadcast to the paired device until you stop the activity.

How to broadcast your heart rate from your Garmin using Broadcast Heart Rate

Broadcast without tracking a workout on your watch

This method will broadcast your heart rate over ANT+ for devices compatible with an ANT+ connection. It will also automatically broadcast over Bluetooth for many devices that only support Bluetooth connection.

1. Open the Settings menu on your Garmin device. The method will vary depending on your device, but for most, hold the Up / Menu button on the center left of your watch.
2. Scroll to and select Sensors & Accessories.
3. Select Wrist Heart Rate.
4. Select Broadcast Heart Rate.
5. Select Start.
6. Once your heart rate is being broadcast, you can access it on your ANT+ or Bluetooth device following the manufacturer’s instructions.

You can also set your watch to broadcast your heart rate by default for certain activities. This is ideal if you use the treadmill frequently, for example, or always want to share your heart rate with an app or someone else while hiking.

• Open the Settings menu on your Garmin device. The method will vary depending on your device, but for most, hold the Up / Menu button on the center left of your watch.
• Scroll to and select Activities & Apps.
• Select the activity type that you want to turn on heart rate broadcasting.
• Tap Settings. This will have the name of the activity in front of Settings as well, so, for example, Hike Settings.
• Scroll to the bottom and toggle Broadcast Heart Rate on.

FAQ

Q: Which Garmin devices support heart rate broadcasting?

A long list of Garmin’s devices support heart rate broadcasting via either Bluetooth or ANT+. Devices that support Bluetooth broadcasting include the Descent, epix, fēnix, Forerunner, Instinct, Venu, and vívoactive series of watches, among others. For a full list of devices, be sure to check Garmin’s website or your device’s manual.

Garmin’s heart rate monitors also support broadcasting over Bluetooth connection.

Q: Why should you broadcast your heart rate?

There are a few reasons you may want to broadcast your heart rate from your Garmin device. If you use exercise equipment like indoor bikes or treadmills, your watch won’t gather any distance or pace data. The exercise equipment will, but won’t be able to read your heart rate continuously or at all, depending on the machine. By broadcasting your heart rate to a compatible piece of equipment, you can get all of your workout data together on the machine itself. That allows you to see your heart rate during the workout, a must if you base your workouts on heart rate zones, and give you a more complete picture of your effort and results when you are done.

You may also want to broadcast your heart rate if you are recording your activity using an app other than Garmin. Zwift is one such example. Just like above, when you broadcast your heart rate, you’ll get real-time heart rate data in the app you are using to record, even if you don’t have a heart rate monitor.