ugh, I’m so sick of this recurring issue. I’ve tried it all, Garmin Express, tried 10 different cables, including the Garmin cable, and I just cannot sync it to my Mac. Its baffling that in 2026, that this is still an issue.
Are you connecting your cable directly to the Mac? I can never get my Garmin Edge 1030 or 1040 to connect if I’m plugged into hub. Even then sometimes I have to unplug the USB cable from the back of the Mac and plug it back in before it will go in Mass Storage mode and show up in Garmin Connect. I know some USB 2.0 ports on some Macs behave differently as one on my Mac Mini ports works most of the time and the other is a no go. Believe you can also force the Edge unit into Mass Storage Mode by holding down the “Lap” button while its powered off and then plugging it in. It’s definitely frustrating as all my Garmin devices instanly show up when I plug them into a Windows laptop I keep around to deal with those weird Mac issues that I need to work around. Good luck.
Yash, what model of Mac and which version of the operating system?
I would just do the update over wi-fi. That works best for my Garmin 840. I would also check to see if you have the most recent version of Garmin Express. When Garmin updated their stuff so that things like our bike computers became MTP (media transfer protocol), they changed Garmin Express.
You can also update via Garmin Connect if you have that app on your phone.
I’m on the Pro (Apple M2 Pro) and on Tahoe 26.2
I’ve tried doing this it keeps failing - on garmin connect the update goes to about 30% and then stops
The trick seems to be using an adapter that’s specifically labeled usb 2.0 to usb-c with Garmin express. USB 2 & 3 look identical but are not. I tried multiple adapters before I found a solution that worked.
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I would reach out to Garmin support.
FWIW, I’m on 2020 27" iMac running Tahoe 26.2. My Garmin connects to wi-fi via my internet router, not my Mac.
Sorry for not being helpful, but why would you need to update a Garmin?
Because Garmin, like other similar companies, periodically send out software or firmware updates to fix issues, add features, etc.
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Huh… I’ve never (pro-actively) updated my Garmin Edge 830 since I got it in 2021. Never connected to my computer either (except for adding an extra piece of world map).
IME some updates will only push tethered and connected to Express. I’ve had a 540 for a while and just recently connected it to Express and it did a major update that wouldn’t otherwise go through Connect / wifi.
The map updates can only be done through USB due to the file size. The other updates can be done OTA through Wifi.
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Yep, I should have been more clear. The updates done over wi-fi seem to be everything but map updates. That might be because with map updates you might not an update from every region, but that’s just guessing on my part.
Awhile back, I also learned that Garmin discontinued supporting the Mac for transferring .fit, .tcx files and the like from Mac to the Garmin Edge. I now use a 3rd party app on my Mac called OpenMTP to perform that function.
Garmin says the change was for better file security. It’d be nice if they updated Garmin Express to allow it to show files. You can use Garmin Connect online to download ride files.
I’ve been using an app on my Mac, Android File Transfer, on my Mac to upload rides into Golden Cheetah. Do I wish my 840 would still show up as an attached drive? Yep, absolutely, but the new protocol only affects my life for 1 minute or so a day.
Laurens : The current software version for the 830 is 5.00. The change log is here: Garmin: Edge 830 Updates & Downloads
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I just went through a long and extremely frustrating time trying to get Garmin Express on my Mac to see the Edge. Apparently, the newer Edges use some protocol that doesn’t play well with Mac. The Garmin forums are full of comments on all sorts of different things to try. In no particular order, I tried each of following multiple times in different combinations:
- Complete uninstall/reinstall of Garmin Express. This isn’t as simple as dragging the application into the trash. You have to go into a library directory and delete some other Garmin files that still remain after dragging the application into the trash.
- Turning off Mac and unplugging for at least a minute.
- Holding down the lap button to get into mass storage mode.
- Turning off option to run Garmin Express as a background service.
- Multiple cables, different USB ports.
Eventually, Garmin Express recognized the Edge. I then proceeded to do a map update. Unfortunately, the map update crash part way through and the Edge disconnected. I had to restart and then afterwards Garmin Express wouldn’t recognize. Luckily, the Edge was fine. I did the map update on the device itself. It took all night, but it worked. In the morning, I tried Garmin Express again and this time the Edge was recognized. It’s now been able to consistently detect the Edge. The Edge, however, doesn’t show up in Finder which was how I typically loaded the Edge with new GPX course files. From what I’ve read, this is expected because of the new protocol and what you have to do now is use Garmin Connect as the middleman to import the new course file, select the option to send to device, and then use Garmin Express to sync.
I updated Garmin Express without any issue, it showed my 840. My 840 processed the updates without issue. I didn’t have to anything special for the Garmin Express update.
Where did you see the the holding down on the lap button will put a Garmin computer into mass storage mode?