Garmin course not showing up on your Edge or watch? 9 fixes

You imported the route, pressed Send to Device, and Garmin said it worked. Then you open Courses on your Edge and it isn't there. Here's what's usually going on, most likely first.

Updated October 2026 · 6 minute read

Short version: Send to Device only puts the course in a queue. It reaches your Edge or watch at the next sync. Open the Garmin Connect app with the device switched on and next to your phone, wait for the sync to finish, then look under Navigation › Courses.

1. The device hasn't synced yet

This is the answer most of the time. Garmin Connect says the course was sent, but it's waiting for the device to come and get it. To sync:

With your phone: switch the Edge or watch on, keep it next to the phone, open the Garmin Connect app and leave it open until the sync finishes.
Over Wi-Fi: Edge models with Wi-Fi can sync on a saved network.
With a computer: plug the device in with a USB cable and sync with Garmin Express.

2. It went to a different device

If your account has more than one Garmin, say a watch and an Edge, Send to Device asks which one. It's easy to pick the watch. Open the course in Garmin Connect, choose Send to Device again and pick the right one.

3. You're looking in the wrong menu

Edge: on most models, Navigation › Courses.
Watch: start a bike activity, open the activity's menu, then Navigation › Courses. The wording varies a little by model.

Some basic Garmin watches don't support courses at all. Check your model's specifications on Garmin's site for "Courses" under navigation.

4. Your phone isn't syncing in the background

Bluetooth is on, and the device is paired in the Garmin Connect app, not only in the phone's Bluetooth settings.
The Garmin Connect app is allowed to run in the background. On Android, turn off battery optimization for it.
Still stuck: restart the Edge or watch, then the phone, and open the app again.
Last resort: remove the device in the Garmin Connect app and pair it again.

5. Garmin Connect hasn't listed it yet

A new course can take a few minutes to appear in Garmin Connect's course list, even though it saved right away. Wait a minute or two and refresh before you import it again, or you'll end up with two copies.

6. Garmin Connect is having a bad day

When imports or syncs fail for no reason, check Garmin's system status page at connect.garmin.com/status. If a service is down, wait it out; nothing on your device will fix it.

7. The file is the problem

A route instead of a track. A GPX file can hold a track (every point along the road) or a route (a handful of waypoints). With a route, your Edge picks its own roads between the waypoints, which may not be the ones you planned. Export a track. GPX vs FIT vs TCX explains the difference.
The import fails. Open the file in a text editor: a GPX file starts with <?xml and has <trk> in it. If it's empty or looks like a web page, download it again from your planner.
The Edge keeps sending you off the course. Many Edge models can recalculate a route when you leave it. If yours keeps steering you somewhere else, look at the recalculation option in its navigation or routing settings.

8. The course list is full

Edge units have a limit on stored courses, and riders report that new courses stop arriving when it's reached. Delete old ones on the device under Navigation › Courses, then sync again.

9. Update the device

Old firmware causes odd sync problems. Install updates from the Garmin Connect app or Garmin Express, then send the course again. If nothing works, Garmin support will want your model, firmware version, and whether you sent from the phone app or the website.

Plan B: the USB cable

No phone, no account, no sync: plug the Edge into a computer, open its storage, and copy the .gpx file into Garmin/NewFiles. Unplug it, and the Edge turns the file into a course the next time it starts. On a Mac, newer Edge models need a free app such as OpenMTP to show their folders. The full steps are in how to send a cycling route to your Garmin.

Courses that arrive by themselves

RideLoop puts every loop you build in your Garmin Connect account, with the elevation filled in, so there's no file to import. On Silver and Gold it also sends the loop to your Edge or watch in one tap, ready at the next sync. Every plan can download a GPX track for any other device.

Questions

Why is my Garmin course not showing up on my Edge?

Most often the Edge hasn't synced since you pressed Send to Device. That button only queues the course; it reaches the Edge at the next sync with the Garmin Connect app, Wi-Fi or Garmin Express. Other causes: it went to a different device, the phone isn't syncing in the background, or the Edge's course list is full.

How do I sync a course to my Garmin Edge?

Send the course to the Edge from Garmin Connect, then open the Garmin Connect app on your phone with the Edge switched on and close by, and wait until the sync finishes. The course appears under Navigation, Courses.

Where are courses on a Garmin watch?

On most Garmin watches that support courses, start a bike activity, open the activity's menu, and choose Navigation, then Courses. The wording varies a little by model.

Can I put a course on my Garmin without the phone app?

Yes. Connect the Edge to a computer with a USB cable and copy the GPX file into the Garmin/NewFiles folder. The Edge turns it into a course the next time it starts.

Skip the import

Pick a start and a distance. RideLoop builds the loop on graded roads and puts it in Garmin Connect for you.

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