Garmin is updating its Connect app to look and feel much more like Instagram or Strava. In the latest Garmin Connect 5.25 version, the company is rolling out a brand-new “follower” system for Android users, moving away from its traditional layout to give people more control over who sees their daily fitness data.
Followers instead of Connections
For years, Garmin Connect used a simple system called “connections.” It was a two-way street: if you connected with someone, you both saw each other’s data.
Now, Garmin is splitting that up. Your old connections are turning into “followers.” You can follow anyone to see their public activities. If you both follow each other, you automatically become “friends.”
While Garmin promises that this update won’t disrupt how you interact with your current friends, it completely shifts the purpose of the app. It opens the door for fitness influencers, coaches, and everyday athletes to share their training with a much larger, public audience without having to approve every single person as a private friend.
New and Tighter Privacy Controls
Because sharing fitness data can be risky, Garmin is putting privacy at the center of this update. When you open the new version of the app, a setup screen will immediately guide you through your privacy choices.
You can now decide if people can follow you instantly or if you need to approve them first. The app also gives you separate privacy switches for almost everything, including your overall profile, individual activities, daily step counts, and earned badges.
You can set these details to be seen by:
-
Only Me
-
My Followers
-
My Followers and Groups
-
Everyone
Garmin is also reminding users to be careful. The app explicitly warns that sharing your activities means people might see your heart rate and the exact routes where you run or cycle.
Becoming a Social Media Platform
Over the last few years, Garmin has added small social tools like challenges, comments, and likes. This new follower system is the biggest step yet toward turning the app into a full social network.
Traditionally, Garmin has focused purely on hard data and hardware. Meanwhile, its competitor Strava became famous by mixing fitness tracking with social media. With this change, Garmin is closing that gap, making it much easier for communities, running clubs, and coaches to interact directly inside the app.
Also Read:Â Massive Garmin Sale: Newest Watches Receiving Big Discounts Including Fenix, Venu, Enduro, Instinct & More
