Garmin School
100 days of Garmin tips, tricks, and tutorials — from beginner to expert.
Day 53Want a Garmin Feature That Doesn't Exist Yet? Here's How to Get It Built
There's now a public idea board where anyone can submit feature requests for my Garmin apps, see what others have asked for, and vote on what gets built next.
Day 52How Garmin's Stress Tracking Actually Works — And Why It's More Accurate Than You Think
Garmin uses HRV to calculate stress all day long. Here's the science behind it, what the numbers mean, and how to actually use your stress score before a workout.
Day 51Never Late: The Garmin Watchface That Fixes Chronically Late Friends (and You)
Never Late is a Garmin watchface available on the Connect IQ Store that shifts the displayed time by however many minutes you're always running behind — so you're actually on time for once.
Day 50Garmin vs Apple Watch: Which Counts Your Steps More Accurately?
I wore a cheap Garmin and a cheap Apple Watch at the same time, manually counted 1,000 steps, and checked which was closer. Garmin was off by 5. Apple Watch by 20.
Day 49Why Garmin Says You're Unproductive Right After Your Best Race Ever
Seeing "Unproductive" after a great race is confusing — until you understand what Garmin is actually measuring. It's not judging your effort, it's reading your body's ability to absorb more stress.
Day 48Inside the Garmin Running Hub in Antwerp — And Every Garmin Race Worldwide in 2026
Garmin turned Café Recup into a running HQ for the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles. Here's the full list of Garmin-partnered events in 2026 — find one near you and you could win a Forerunner 570.
Day 47You Can Now Vote on What Gets Built Next
There's a public feature request board for all my Garmin apps. Browse what others have asked for, vote on the features you want, and submit your own ideas.
Day 465 More Apps I Always Install on a New Garmin (Pt. 2)
Route discovery, a game for your bathroom break, geocaching, tides, and the most popular watchface on Garmin. Five more apps worth installing immediately.
Day 45Resting Heart Rate: What It Is and How to Read It
Your Garmin measures your resting heart rate every night while you sleep. Here's what the number actually means, what's normal, and when to pay attention.
Day 44Rain: The Fastest Precipitation Widget for Garmin
Rain skips the slow radar images and shows a clean precipitation graph instead — fast, worldwide, and precise. Here's what it does and why it's worth installing.
Day 43Find Your Perfect Garmin: The Compare Tool
Not sure which Garmin to buy? The Garmin School compare tool lets you chat with an AI advisor, filter the full watch catalogue, and compare any watches spec by spec — all in one place.
Day 42Top 20 Garmin Features Your Apple Watch Doesn't Have
Battery life is just the start. Here are 20 things your Garmin does that Apple Watch simply can't — from Body Battery to topographic maps to solar charging.
Day 41What Is Garmin's Body Battery — And How Does It Work?
Body Battery is Garmin's estimate of how much energy you have left. Here's what it actually measures, how it goes up and down, and how to use it to train smarter.
Day 40Build Your Own Interval Training on Garmin — Step by Step
Custom interval workouts on Garmin are easier than you think — and a bit hidden. Here's exactly how to build one on Garmin Connect and get it on your watch.
Day 39Apple Watch vs Garmin: Which Heart Rate Is More Accurate?
I wore both during a walk to find out. The answer isn't what you'd expect — and the real difference isn't accuracy, it's frequency.
Day 38Replace Your Personal Trainer With Claude AI — Using Your Garmin Data
I exported my Garmin data, fed it to Claude, and got a personalised marathon training plan based on MY actual numbers. Here's the exact step-by-step — including the prompt.
Day 37Wind Down With Breathing: Garmin Breathwork vs Moonbird
Controlled breathing is one of the most effective tools for winding down before sleep. Here's a detailed breakdown of how to do it with your Garmin watch — and whether Moonbird is worth the extra $180.
Day 36What Is HRV — And How Should You Use It?
HRV stands for Heart Rate Variability — the tiny changes in time between each heartbeat. Your Garmin tracks it every night. Here's what it means and why the trend matters more than the number.
Day 35Top 20 Settings to Change on Every New Garmin
Every time I get a new Garmin, I work through this list. From software updates to GPS defaults to emergency features — 20 settings that actually make a difference from day one.
Day 34I Got Soaked on My Run — Here's the App That Prevents It
I had the Rain app installed on my Garmin and still got completely soaked. Not because it failed — because I forgot to check it. Here's how to use it right.
Day 33Titan: The Most Advanced Garmin Watchface I've Ever Built
8 data fields with 80+ options each, 3 goal gauges, 8 font choices, on-device colour management. Titan is the most configurable watchface in the Connect IQ Store.
Day 32Top 5 Free Garmin Watchfaces Worth Installing
You don't have to spend a cent to have a great Garmin watchface. These 5 free watchfaces cover aesthetics, health tracking, and everything in between.
Day 31The Garmin Move Bar: How It Works and Why You Should Use It
The Move Bar appears after 1 hour of inactivity and fills further every 15 minutes. It resets when you move. Here's why this simple feature is more powerful than it looks.
Day 30Apple Watch vs Garmin Battery Test: How Long Does Each Last?
I charged both to 100%, disabled always-on, and ran the same route. The results weren't even close — but the Apple Watch had one clever trick up its sleeve.
Day 29My Top 5 Favourite Garmin Features
After years of daily Garmin use, these are the 5 features I genuinely couldn't go back to living without — ranked from good to irreplaceable.
Day 28Your Garmin Has Hidden Shortcut Buttons — Here's How to Use Them
Long-press any button on your Garmin to assign a custom shortcut. Log a drink, start an activity, or open any app with one button. Most users never set these up.
Day 27Forgot to Charge Your Garmin? Charge It With Your Phone
If you have a USB-C phone and your Garmin uses USB-C, you can charge your watch directly from your phone in an emergency. Here's how.
Day 26Top 5 Apps I Always Install on a New Garmin
Every time I get a new Garmin, these 5 apps go on first. Music streaming, rain alerts, hourly steps, hydration tracking, and the best all-in-one watchface.
Day 25Lactate Threshold: The Running Metric That Changes Everything
Your lactate threshold is the pace where your body can no longer clear lactic acid fast enough. Training around it is one of the most effective ways to get faster.
Day 24I Caught a Charizard on My Garmin
There's an official Pokémon watchface in the Connect IQ Store with 48 Pokémon. It ties your body battery to your Pokémon's energy state. Here's how it works.
Day 23WhatsApp Is Finally on Garmin — Here's How to Set It Up
After years of waiting, there's a WhatsApp app for Garmin in the Connect IQ Store. It works — with some limitations. Here's the setup and what to expect.
Day 22I Helped an Oil Tanker Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz
A watchface where every completed daily goal helps a virtual oil tanker navigate a geopolitical hotspot. Absurd, funny, and completely free.
Day 21Cheapest vs Most Expensive Garmin: GPS Accuracy Tested
Multi-band GPS on a Fenix vs single-band on a Vivoactive — the results are closer than you'd think, and the battery cost of multi-band is real.
Day 20Core: Put Whatever You Want at the Center of Your Garmin
Should time really be the most important thing on your watchface? Core lets you center any stat — steps, heart rate, body battery, or anything else that matters most to you.
Day 19Venu 4 vs Vivoactive 6: Which Should You Buy?
I tested both for months. The Venu 4 is better in almost every way — but at $549 vs $299, is the $250 difference worth it? An honest comparison.
Day 18VO2 Max: What Your Garmin Number Actually Means
VO2 Max measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise. It's the single best predictor of endurance fitness — and your Garmin estimates it from every run.
Day 17Why Your Garmin Shows a Heartbeat When You're Not Wearing It
Put your Garmin on a table and it still shows a heart rate. It's not broken — it's how the optical sensor works. Here's the actual physics behind it.
Day 16Track Your Shoe Mileage Before Your Knees Pay the Price
Worn-out running shoes cause injuries. Garmin Connect's gear tracking sends an alert when your shoes hit their mileage limit — so you never run another kilometer on dead foam.
Day 15The Garmin Tides App: Know the Ocean Before You Go
A free Connect IQ app shows you 7 days of tide data offline — essential for surfers, sailors, fishermen, and beach runners. No internet needed.
Day 14Sunset Alerts: Your Garmin Can Help Keep You Safe at Night
Set a 'time until sunset' alert in Garmin and get a heads-up before it gets dark on your run. A small setting that makes a real safety difference.
Day 13Intensity Minutes: What Is That Symbol on Your Garmin?
That lightning bolt icon tracks Intensity Minutes — a scientifically-backed health metric that matters more than step count. Here's what it means and how to hit your goal.
Day 127 Settings to Get Extra Days of Garmin Battery Life
Without touching battery saver mode, these specific settings can squeeze 7+ extra days out of your Garmin. Display, GPS, connectivity — all covered.
Day 11Heart Rate Alerts: Stop Staring at Your Watch Mid-Run
Set heart rate alerts on your Garmin and it buzzes when you go above or below your target zone — so you can run by feel, not by screen.
Day 10Stride II: The Watchface That Might Save Your Life
The evolution of Stride — Stride II adds more data, smoother visuals, and the same hourly step motivation system that started this whole journey.
Day 9How Does Your Garmin Know You've Climbed a Floor?
It's not GPS. It's a barometric altimeter — your Garmin measures tiny changes in air pressure as you go up stairs. Here's exactly how it works.
Day 8MiP vs OLED: Which Garmin Screen is Better?
MiP (Memory In Pixel) screens shine in sunlight and last longer. OLED is vibrant and bright like a phone. Understanding the difference helps you pick the right Garmin.
Day 7Why Garmin Doesn't Default to 10,000 Steps
Garmin's step goal auto-adjusts to your actual fitness level instead of defaulting to 10,000. Here's the science behind it — and how to change it manually.
Day 6Can Your Garmin Predict You'll Be Sick?
HRV — Heart Rate Variability — drops before you feel sick. Your Garmin tracks this daily, giving you a 1–2 day early warning to rest instead of train.
Day 5The Laziest Garmin Watchface Ever Created
Every fitness watch tells you to move more. This one rewards you for doing absolutely nothing. Built with AI agents — and completely free.
Day 4Hearts: Never Forget Valentine's Day Again
I always forget Valentine's Day — so I built a reminder into my watchface. Hearts grows with your step goal and shows heart rate, battery, and a subtle nudge to buy flowers.
Day 3Goals: Apple Watch Rings — But for Garmin
Switched from Apple Watch and miss closing your rings? The Goals watchface brings that ring-closing satisfaction to Garmin with fully customizable metrics.
Day 2Daily Flowers: Fresh Design Every Single Day
Tired of your flowers dying? Daily Flowers gives your Garmin a new floral design every day — while still tracking your goals, steps, and heart rate.
Day 1Stride: The Watchface My Doctor Inspired
A high blood pressure diagnosis led to building Stride — a Garmin watchface that motivates hourly movement through the day.