How do I reconnect a Garmin Forerunner 235 that will not pair after reinstalling the app?
Answer
Restart the watch and phone, remove old Bluetooth entries, then pair again from inside Garmin Connect—not from the phone’s Bluetooth menu alone.
Before you start: stop right away if…
- A full watch reset erases activities still stored only on the device; sync first if possible.
Follow these steps
Restart the Forerunner 235
Hold the watch’s light button until it powers off, wait a few seconds, then power it back on.
You should see: The watch restarts to the watch face.
Restart the phone
Restart the iPhone or Android phone fully, then turn Bluetooth back on if needed.
You should see: The phone is on a fresh Bluetooth session.
Remove old Garmin Bluetooth entries
In the phone’s Bluetooth settings, forget any existing Forerunner or Garmin device entries, then return to the home screen.
You should see: Old pairings are cleared so Connect can create a new one.
Add the watch from Garmin Connect
Open Garmin Connect, sign in, choose to add or pair a device, select Forerunner 235, and follow the in-app prompts. Do not start pairing only from the phone Bluetooth list.
You should see: Connect finds the watch and completes pairing.
Confirm sync works
Start a brief activity or pull to sync in Garmin Connect and confirm recent data appears.
You should see: The watch shows as connected and sync completes without try again.
Not sure this is the right page? Check here
0 of 5 checked
Extra tips
What to look for: A try again message with no detailed error code while Garmin Connect attempts to add the Forerunner 235
Before you change anything: Charge the Forerunner 235 so it will not power off mid-pairing. Know whether you use iPhone or Android. Avoid factory-resetting the watch until pairing from the app has been tried.
Need a little more help?
Tell us what’s happening. Your saved expert chat will open beside this article.
Free to use. Don’t include passwords or personal details.