Anyone had any luck actually getting a Forerunner 265 to talk to a Macbook? I just want to pull my activity FIT files off the watch and maybe drag some music onto it, but every time I plug it in via USB nothing useful happens in Finder. I’ve read some people just use it like a regular Android storage device with Android File Transfer, but I have no idea if that’s still a thing or if there’s something better. Curious what’s actually worked for people day to day, not just in theory.
Install Garmin Express instead of treating the watch like a regular USB drive. It’s Garmin’s desktop software, so it properly syncs FIT and activity data to your Connect account. It also handles firmware updates and music management. Just connect the watch, open Garmin Express, and click “Add Device.” I’ve used it reliably for years.
Android File Transfer isn’t an option anymore. Google discontinued it and removed the download, so you can’t use that app to mount the watch the way you would an Android phone.
If you mainly want Finder-style access to move files yourself, MacDroid may be worth trying. It can mount devices over USB or Wi-Fi for direct file browsing. I haven’t tested it with a Garmin watch, though, so I can’t say how well it handles FIT files. Garmin Express is the safer first choice, with MacDroid as a fallback if you need direct file access.
17 Likes
Don’t pay for MacDroid just to retrieve workouts. Sync through Garmin Connect, then use “Export Original” on the activity page to download its.FIT file to your Mac; Garmin Express is still needed for music because the 265 won’t mount in Finder.
Don’t keep waiting for the watch to appear in Finder. The Forerunner 265 uses MTP, and macOS does not mount those watches like normal external drives. If the watch shows the USB connection screen, the cable may be working perfectly even though Finder shows nothing.
Before paying for MacDroid, try a free MTP client such as OpenMTP. Close Garmin Express completely first, connect the watch, then open the MTP client and look under the Garmin/Activity folder. That is the useful route when an activity failed to sync and you need the actual .fit file. Garmin MTP devices generally only cooperate with one application at a time, so leaving Express open can make another file-transfer app look broken.
For music, I would stick with Garmin Express rather than manually dropping files into whatever folder looks right. Express handles supported audio files and the watch’s music library, while raw copying can leave you with tracks that are present but awkwardly organized or not recognized as expected.
If neither Express nor an MTP client sees the watch, troubleshoot the physical connection before changing software:
- Use a cable that supports data, not a charging-only replacement.
- Connect directly to the Mac instead of through a dock or USB hub.
- Clean and firmly seat the contacts on the back of the watch.
- Check System Information under Hardware > USB to see whether macOS detects a Garmin device at all.
Garmin specifically recommends a data-capable cable and a direct USB connection for detection problems.
So the realistic split is: Garmin Connect export for routine FIT downloads, OpenMTP for direct access or rescuing an unsynced activity, and Garmin Express for music. Finder itself is the dead end here.
Don’t buy MacDroid expecting the Garmin to behave like a normal Finder drive. It may provide MTP browsing, but use its trial first since Garmin compatibility can vary, and keep Garmin Express for loading music.
Before messing with cables at all, check whether your 265 is already set up to sync over wifi. The 265 pushes activities to Garmin Connect on its own once it’s on a known network, so the FIT files usually land in your account without ever touching the Mac. If that’s working, the whole USB question is moot for routine workouts.
Where I’d differ slightly from the OpenMTP crowd is the ‘rescue an unsynced activity’ case. That’s real, but it’s rare. Most people plugging in are just impatient waiting for a sync that would’ve happened anyway. Give the watch a minute on wifi before assuming the file is trapped.
MacDroid or OpenMTP only earns its place when something actually failed to upload and you need the raw file off the device. For music, yeah, Express is less hassle than guessing folder structures. So it’s mostly a wifi problem dressed up as a cable problem.
Copy one recent .fit file to a folder on the Mac and verify that it imports correctly before deleting, moving, or renaming anything on the watch. MTP access is useful, but I would treat the Garmin file system as read-only unless you know exactly what a folder does. Removing files through an MTP app can create more trouble than it saves.
Finder not showing the 265 is normal, so I would stop using that as the test for whether the cable works. Check System Information under USB instead. If Garmin appears there, macOS can see the hardware and the remaining issue is which application has control of it. Make sure Garmin Express is fully quit before opening OpenMTP or another MTP client. Closing its window may not be enough if it is still running in the background.
For an activity that failed to sync, look for the .fit file in the watch’s Garmin activity folder and copy it to the Mac. Do not drag the whole folder back and forth. After copying, try importing the file into Garmin Connect or opening it with whatever fitness software you use. Be careful importing a file that already reached Connect, since that can create a duplicate activity rather than replacing the existing one.
I would not consider the watch itself a reliable archive either. Direct access is handy for recovering recent workouts, but keep your own copies if the raw FIT files matter to you. Garmin Connect’s “Export Original” route is cleaner for activities that have already synced and avoids poking around the device storage.
Music is where I would be more conservative. Garmin Express may be clunky, but it understands the watch’s library and is less likely to leave you with files that occupy space yet do not appear properly on the watch. So I would use an MTP client only for copying activity files out, and Express for putting music in. That separation avoids most of the weird behavior people run into when two different apps try to manage the same Garmin over USB.
If it’s an Apple-silicon MacBook, check Privacy & Security for the “Allow accessories to connect” setting and reconnect the watch while the Mac is unlocked. macOS can quietly reject the USB accessory, which makes the Garmin software troubleshooting rather pointless.
Once the Mac actually allows it, use Garmin Express for music and OpenMTP only when you need a raw FIT file. Finder is apparently too sophisticated to display an MTP device.
Check the watch’s USB Mode setting before changing software. Hold UP, open System, then USB Mode, and choose MTP or Mass Storage rather than Garmin mode. The wording varies by firmware, but Garmin mode can leave the watch charging normally while file-transfer apps see nothing. Reconnect the cable after changing it.
There’s a separate catch with “dragging music” onto it. Garmin Express can send personal, unprotected MP3 or M4A files, but downloaded Apple Music subscription tracks are not ordinary transferable files. Music from a supported subscription service has to be installed and synced through that provider’s watch app over Wi-Fi.
So I’d check USB Mode first, then use an MTP client for copying FIT files out and Express for local music. If your music came from a subscription catalog, skip USB entirely for that part.
Skip the cable for anything routine. The 265 syncs to Garmin Connect over Bluetooth through your phone, and that’s the part nobody upthread really leaned on. @ben.dev is right that people dress up a wifi issue as a cable problem, but even wifi is a backup here. Open the Connect app on your phone, let the watch pair, and the FIT files land in your account within a minute or two. From there you pull them onto the Mac with Export Original, no USB in the picture at all.
So for the actual question, the Mac barely needs to see the watch. You use the Mac to grab files out of Connect, not off the device.
Where the USB talk earns its keep is the failed-sync case, and I think that’s being slightly oversold as a routine need. Realistically it comes up when an activity errored out or the watch storage cycled it before it uploaded. That last bit is the thing people forget: the 265 doesn’t hold your whole history locally. It keeps a rolling set of recent activities and old ones get overwritten. So the ‘just pull it off with MTP later’ plan only works if you do it soon. Wait too long and there’s nothing to rescue.
For that narrow situation OpenMTP is fine and free, and I’d try it before paying for anything. MacDroid does the same MTP browsing and has a trial, so if OpenMTP acts up you’ve got a fallback without committing money, but I wouldn’t buy it just to fetch a workout file. Whatever you use, treat the watch folders as look-but-don’t-touch like @rita_sudo said. Copy the fit out, verify it opens, and leave the rest alone.
Music I’d just hand to Garmin Express and not fight it. Manual folder drops technically land the files but the watch is picky about building its library, and you end up with tracks that exist but won’t play in order. Not worth the aggravation for the small win of skipping Express.