A few days ago, a user on Reddit named SapereAudeAdAbsurdum noticed that the “Connections” tab in Garmin Connect had suddenly changed to “Followers” and “Following.” At the time, it wasn’t entirely clear what was happening within the app, but after reading a recent piece by Billy Grenis and diving deep into the latest Garmin Connect 5.24.1 updates myself, I’ve managed to piece together the full picture.
Garmin is officially shifting its ecosystem to be much more social. Here is a breakdown of what is actually going on.
The Shift from Connections to Followers
For years, Garmin Connect has operated on a mutual “connection” system—essentially a friend request model where both parties had to agree to see each other’s data. That is changing. Garmin is moving toward a structure that mirrors platforms like Strava, where “Followers” and “Following” are the new foundation.
While mutual follows will still define your “Friends,” the emphasis is now on a scalable social layer. You’ll notice new features like follow requests, suggested users, and the ability to find people via your phone’s contact list. This shift makes it easier to build a community without the friction of the old two-way approval system for every single interaction.
How to Find the New Follower Settings
If your app has been updated and you’re wondering where all these new social toggles are hiding, you can find them by following these steps:
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Open Garmin Connect on your smartphone.
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Tap “More” (the three dots or lines in the bottom right corner).
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Select “Friends” — this is where you will see the new Followers and Following tabs replacing the old Connections list.
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Check Follow Requests: If your profile is set to private, you’ll see a “Follow Requests” section at the top of the Followers tab where you can approve or ignore new requests.
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Privacy Settings: To adjust who can see you, go to Settings > Profile & Privacy. Here, you can toggle between “Only Me,” “My Followers,” or “Everyone.”
Enhanced Privacy and Follower Controls
With a more open social model comes the need for tighter privacy, and Garmin has anticipated this. The latest update introduces granular visibility options tailored to this new follower system.
You can now review exactly who sees your activity, profile details, and even your earned badges. Garmin is also rolling out setup flows that prompt you to audit these settings. It’s a clear move to ensure that, as the platform becomes more “social,” you aren’t accidentally sharing your 5 AM running route with the entire world unless you want to.
The “Authorized Viewer” Feature
One of the most interesting additions is the “Authorized Viewer” access. This is separate from the standard follower system. It allows you to grant a specific person—like a coach or a family member—view-only access to your account data.
To use this, you must be mutually connected with the person. Unlike a follower who sees what you post to your feed, an Authorized Viewer gets a more comprehensive look at your training metrics without being able to change any of your settings. This is a massive win for those working with remote coaches.
A More Structured Path for Training
Garmin is also refining how it handles training plans. We are seeing the introduction of new “levels” for athletes, categorized as Beginner, Challenger, and Achiever.
The platform is becoming more proactive in guiding your progress. Depending on your performance, the app may now prompt you to adjust your plan’s difficulty or pivot your training focus entirely. This makes the “Garmin Coach” experience feel less like a static calendar and more like a dynamic training partner.
Expanding Beyond Just Running
Finally, the update brings a much-needed boost to strength training and recovery. There is expanded support for tracking bodyweight workouts, dumbbell sessions, and low-impact recovery days. Even LiveTrack and GroupTrack are getting a social overhaul, allowing you to share your real-time location specifically with your followers or mutual connections with much clearer permission prompts.
It’s clear that Garmin is no longer just a place to store your GPS data. They are building a social training hub that finally feels modern, structured, and—most importantly—socially connected. Make sure you have updated your Garmin Connect app to the latest version, 5.24.1, which includes the final polish for these new features.
Also Read: Garmin Connect+ One Year Later: Is the Premium Leap Worth Your Cash?
