Many Garmin users report Spotify sync stuck at 0%

Garmin watch owners are reporting that the Spotify music sync feature, which lets runners and gym-goers leave their phones behind, has suddenly stopped functioning properly.

Reports are flooding different Garmin dedicated subreddits, detailing a frustrating issue where Spotify sync gets stuck at 0% before eventually failing. For others, the watch claims the sync was successful, but the resulting playlist is completely empty.

I’m seeing confirmable reports across a huge range of devices, including the Forerunner 265, Forerunner 965, Fenix 8 Solar, and the Epix Pro. This suggests the problem isn’t tied to a specific hardware generation but rather a broader software or server-side communication breakdown.

Troubleshooting is currently a dead end. Users have tried the usual “turn it off and on again” cycle, deleting and reinstalling the Spotify app, and even resetting their network settings. According to Reddit user trangten, they “spent hours trying every fix” to no avail.

Another user, MrStarLorde, managed to get it working after a tedious 10-minute cycle of restarts and forgetting Wi-Fi networks, but this success seems to be the exception, not the rule.

One Epix Pro owner noticed their device received a software update shortly before the sync failures began. That timing has many pointing fingers at Garmin. Others spotted that the Spotify app hadn’t updated in months for some users until they cleared their Android cache, suggesting the Connect IQ app itself might be part of the problem.

Garmin hasn’t issued an official statement yet, and Spotify’s support channels remain quiet on the matter.

We’re hoping Garmin is already aware of this and pushing a fix, because a broken music sync on a premium smartwatch is a major problem. As usual, we’ll keep an eye out for any further developments and will post an update when there’s something to share.

Featured image credit: u/EnjoyerOfCaffeine / Reddit

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