Garmin Edge Setup Guide

AirHRM on your iPhone reads heart rate from compatible AirPods Pro (Apple Health) and rebroadcasts it over Bluetooth. Your Edge sees the phone as sensor name AirHRM — same class as a chest strap. Pair the Edge only after you tap Start in AirHRM.

What You'll Need

  • •Compatible AirPods Pro with heart rate (see Apple’s specs; AirPods Pro 3 were the first with an in-ear sensor)
  • •iPhone with iOS 26 or later
  • •AirHRM installed on iPhone — download here
  • •A compatible Garmin Edge (see compatibility below)

Garmin Edge Compatibility

Can connect
  • Edge 1050
  • Edge 1040 / 1040 Solar
  • Edge 850
  • Edge 840 / 840 Solar
  • Edge 550
  • Edge 540 / 540 Solar
  • Edge Explore / Explore 2
  • Edge 130 / 130 Plus

One Phone App at a Time

Garmin only allows one Bluetooth app connected to your iPhone simultaneously. Garmin Connect must be closed before AirHRM can connect. This is the most common reason it doesn't work.

Cannot connect
  • Edge 1030 / 1030 Plus / 1000
  • Edge 830 / 820 / 810 / 805
  • Edge 530 / 520 / 520 Plus
  • Edge Touring Plus

Firmware issue — no fix available.

Full compatibility list →

Initial Setup

Do this once. After pairing, your Garmin Edge remembers AirHRM as a heart rate sensor; use the per-ride checklist every time.

Before You Begin

Terminate the Garmin Connect app fully on your iPhone before starting. If Garmin Connect is running in the background, it will compete for the Bluetooth connection and the pairing will fail.

  1. 1
    Download and open AirHRM on your iPhone. Accept Bluetooth permission when prompted. Leave the app ready — you will tap Start only after AirPods Pro are connected and in your ears.
  2. 2
    Insert your AirPods Pro (already connected to the iPhone) and tap Start in AirHRM. Grant Apple Health access for heart rate if asked. Start begins the workout and BLE broadcast — do not pair the Garmin before this step.
  3. 3
    Power on your Garmin Edge. A pairing prompt for AirHRM should appear automatically.

    If no prompt appears: go to Main Menu → Settings → Sensors → Add Sensor. AirHRM should be discoverable.
    Edge 540, 550, 840, 850, 1040, 1050 only: If AirHRM isn't discovered, first disable the phone connection: Main Menu → Connected Features → Phone → disable. Then add the sensor. Once paired, you can re-enable the phone connection.
  4. 4
    Confirm. Your current heart rate should now display on the Garmin Edge.

Setup for Every Ride

Once AirHRM is paired as a sensor, repeat this order every ride: sync if you need Garmin Connect, close Garmin Connect completely, AirPods Pro in and connected, Start in AirHRM, then power on the Edge.

  1. 1 Sync if needed. If you want your previous ride's data in Garmin Connect, do it now — open Garmin Connect, let your Edge sync, then close it.
  2. 2
    Terminate Garmin Connect on your iPhone. Swipe it away completely. This is crucial — Garmin Connect will grab the BLE connection if it's running.
    Swiping away Garmin Connect in the iPhone app switcher
  3. 3 Open AirHRM, insert your AirPods Pro, tap Start. Wait until live heart rate is flowing in the app before letting the iPhone lock if the Edge is slow to find you.
  4. 4 Power on your Garmin Edge. The AirHRM sensor should connect within a few seconds and heart rate will appear on your screen. If it doesn't connect, see the reconnect steps below.
  5. 5
    Ride. Stow your iPhone (lock screen or back pocket). AirHRM keeps broadcasting in the background until you tap Stop. Garmin Edge on handlebars showing live heart rate from AirHRM
  6. 6 After your ride: Tap Stop in AirHRM, then power off your Garmin Edge. Open Garmin Connect as usual to sync your ride data.

If the Connection Drops

If the heart rate sensor disconnects mid-ride or doesn't connect on startup:

  1. 1 Confirm AirHRM still shows an active session and your AirPods Pro are connected and in-ear, then wait a few seconds — bringing the app to the foreground alone often triggers a reconnect.
  2. 2 On your Garmin: Main Menu → Settings → Sensors → AirHRM → toggle Enable or Connect.
  3. 3 If the sensor toggle doesn't reconnect it, go to Connected Features → Phone → Enable, wait ~5 seconds (AirHRM usually connects at this point rather than the phone), then disable the phone connection again.
  4. 4 If none of the above work: remove the sensor from your Garmin and redo the Initial Setup above.

Troubleshooting

AirHRM Not Discovered by Garmin

You must tap Start in AirHRM before the Edge searches for sensors. If Start never happened, the iPhone is not broadcasting heart rate. Also terminate Garmin Connect and try powering the Edge off and on.

No Heart Rate Data

Check Health permissions on iPhone: Settings → Privacy → Health → Apps → AirHRM . Confirm AirPods Pro are connected, in-ear, and Low Power Mode is off. Toggle heart rate permission off and on if needed. Also check Settings → General → Background App Refresh for AirHRM.

Connection Drops after a Few Minutes

Low Power Mode on the iPhone restricts Bluetooth. Disable it before riding. Re-seat your AirPods Pro if HR stalls.

FAQ

I followed every step exactly and it still won't pair. What else could it be?

If your iPhone is managed by your employer (MDM profile), your IT policy may restrict Bluetooth or BLE connections — this is invisible in the UI and can't be worked around from our side. To confirm, test with a personal iPhone. If pairing works there, the restriction is a device policy issue, not the app.

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