Skip to main content

All about Garmin + Paceline

  • Updated

Getting started and troubleshooting advice for your Garmin

Table of contents

(1) How do I link my Garmin watch to Paceline?

(2) What counts for Paceline minutes?

(3) Why does my workout length not match my Paceline minutes?

(1) How do I link my Garmin watch to Paceline?

If you're creating a Paceline account for the first time:

        1. Select 'Garmin' as your device
        2. Sign in to your Garmin account
          • Don't see a prompt to sign in? Tap here
        3. Tap 'Authorize App'

After you've already created a Paceline account: 

        1. Tap the 'Profile' tab or your initials in the upper right corner of the Paceline home screen
        2. Tap 'Linked Fitness Devices'
        3. Select 'Garmin' as your device
        4. Sign in to your Garmin account
          • Don't see a prompt to sign in? Tap here
        5. Tap 'Authorize App'

Did you get a new Garmin watch?

      • If you set your new Garmin watch up to the same Garmin account you already linked to Paceline, you shouldn't need to do anything else

Are you trying to link another Garmin device that is not a watch?

      • Unfortunately, Garmin devices such as trip computers will NOT work with Paceline, even when paired with a Bluetooth heart rate strap, as most Garmin heart rate straps do not report Intensity Minutes. You must use a Garmin watch or heart rate strap (such as the Garmin HRM-Pro™) that specifically supports Intensity Minutes

Do you not see a prompt to enter your Garmin user name or password?

        1. Go to Settings on your iPhone
        2. Tap on Safari
        3. Tap on Advanced
        4. Go to Website Data. Then search for garmin.com (or something with Garmin in the name), swipe to the left, and hit Delete.
        5. Repeat the link steps mentioned above


(2) What counts for Paceline minutes?

If you wear a Garmin watch, Paceline minutes are measured by Garmin's "Intensity Minutes".

If you think you're missing "Intensity Minutes" from Paceline, you can try some of the following troubleshooting tips:

Ensure your Garmin watch has a heart rate monitor

      • Intensity Minutes are determined using a heart rate monitor, so a Garmin watch without one will not report any Intensity Minutes (or may exclude the type of Intensity Minutes reported, such as vigorous activity).

Did you manually log a workout you expect to get minutes from?

      • We DO NOT support manually logged minutes, only those generated directly by your device qualify for Paceline minutes. This is done to prevent cheating by forging activity that has not taken place. 

Sync your Garmin watch to your Garmin account (on your Garmin Connect app or website) by following the instructions here

      • Please note: there may be up to a 10 minute delay for Garmin to send this recently updated data to Paceline.

Verify that you had done 10 minutes or more of continuous moderate-to-vigorous activity to qualify for Intensity Minutes

      • Efforts that are less than 10 minutes in continuous length may not qualify for Intensity Minutes as the Garmin watch needs 10 minutes to set a baseline to determine the intensity of your activity.

Open the Garmin Connect app

      • If not selected already, tap the 'My Day' tab from the bottom of the screen
      • View the values listed under 'Intensity Minutes'
        • If you wish to view Intensity Minutes by day or for previous weeks, tap the Intensity Minutes area and navigate to the appropriate area from the screen that appears
        • For example, this shows you have 117 Intensity Minutes for the week, HOWEVER Garmin does not have a daily cap of Intensity Minutes (for Paceline, it is 50 Intensity Minutes maximum per day towards your weekly goal of 150+ Paceline minutes), so this number listed is not directly representative of what should be in Paceline if you earned more than 50 Intensity Minutes from a single day
          • Please note: we do NOT support doubling the value of Vigorous-Intensity Minutes as it provides a multiplier for your minutes that other devices (such as the Apple Watch) do not support and we want to keep an even playing field for all devices
            • In this example, if all the minutes were from a single day you would only earn up to 50 Paceline minutes. If over 2+ days with no more than 50 minutes from a single day, you would only receive a maximum of 90 Paceline minutes (34+56)
          • Please note: Intensity Minutes are NOT equal to the length of your workout
            • Intensity Minutes are earned through 10 minutes or more of continuous moderate-to-vigorous activity. Your total workout duration is simply how long you timed a given workout, and this could include time that is not moderate-to-vigorous activity, such as stretching or a water break. This is why we rely solely on Intensity Minutes.

Update your Garmin watch's software by following the instructions here

Did you plan to get Intensity Minutes from swimming?

Have you opened the Paceline app at least once a week, if not more often?

      • If you have not opened the Paceline app for more than a week, we can only reference Intensity
        Minutes up to one week prior, so you may lose out on some minutes. In that case, please contact us and we'll ask you for the Intensity Minutes we need to get you back on track.


(3) Why does my workout length not match my Paceline minutes?

Though you may have worked out for many minutes in duration, the length of your workout does not necessarily equal Garmin intensity or Paceline minutes (because during a workout there could be times you’re stretching, drinking water, etc. that do not contribute to a higher heart rate or workout intensity).

This is because Garmin measures Paceline minutes in a different manner that is based upon your heart rate (not your workout length): 'Intensity Minutes'

      • According to Garmin, 'Intensity Minutes' is the "cumulative duration of activities of moderate or vigorous intensity, lasting at least 600 seconds (10 minutes) at a time."
        • Moderate intensity is defined as an activity with a metabolic equivalent of task (MET) range between 3-6 (a brisk walk would be 3+ MET). Vigorous-Intensity is defined as an activity with a MET value > 6


For your weekly goal of 150 Paceline minutes, we rely on the Intensity Minutes that your watch tracks. There could be a few reasons why you find a mismatch of minutes you expect to see in the Paceline app:

      1. Your workout may not have created a high enough heart rate or you did not maintain the intensity over the whole time (10+ consecutive minutes) to register for Paceline minutes
      2. Open the Garmin Connect app or website and view the Intensity Minutes value listed in the app
        • Paceline only allows up to 50 Intensity Minutes per day towards the weekly goal of 150+ minutes, so despite seeing 150+ Intensity Minutes in the Garmin app for the week, this does NOT mean you met the Paceline weekly goal
        • Please note: we do NOT support doubling the value of Vigorous-Intensity Minutes as it provides a multiplier for your minutes that other devices (such as the Apple Watch) do not support and we want to keep an even playing field for all devices
      3. When possible, be sure to start a workout on your watch as the heart rate sensor will read more often for heart rate detail
        • Please note: you don't need to log a workout to earn Paceline minutes. Depending on your fitness level and watch type, even one-off things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator could earn you Paceline minutes, though it's not guaranteed
      4. You may need to calibrate your watch to get more accurate readings for exercise minutes, which you can do by following the instructions here
        • Search for your device, then select 'Getting Started', 'Troubleshooting', or whatever option most relevant to your watch
      5. You may have earned more than 50 Paceline minutes for a single day (way to crush it by the way!)
        • We currently allow a maximum of 50 daily Paceline minutes towards the weekly goal (so you need to work out at least 3 days a week to hit the 150 weekly minutes goal)
      6. You may need to sync your device with your app
        • Open your Garmin Connect app or website and sync your device
          • Note: it may take up to 10 minutes for Garmin to report the updated data to Paceline


If you still are unsure why something appears on your Garmin watch and not in Paceline, please reach out to us using our Support page, attaching a screenshot of:

      1. Your Garmin Connect app (showing the Intensity Minutes you recorded)
      2. Your Paceline app home screen showing how many minutes you received credit for

Related articles