Switching Watch Brands? How to Migrate Sports Data Between Garmin, COROS & Huawei

2026-03-18 · chenyuan

The short answer: Sports watch brands don't share data. Garmin, COROS, and Huawei each have their own cloud ecosystem with zero cross-brand migration. GarSync bridges them all — migrate your entire training history (runs, rides, swims, FIT files, GPS tracks, HR data) from one brand to another in one go.

Why Your Data "Disappears" When You Switch Watches

Every sports watch brand has its own cloud platform — Garmin Connect, COROS App, Huawei Health. These platforms don't talk to each other.

You ran with a Garmin for 3 years, accumulating thousands of activities and VO2max history. One day you switch to COROS, open the app — nothing. The data isn't gone; it just never left Garmin's servers.

This is the #1 headache for anyone switching sports watch brands. Here are the three most common scenarios:

Scenario 1: Garmin → COROS

The most common upgrade path. COROS has grown rapidly with excellent value in the PACE and APEX lines. But COROS's EvoLab training platform needs historical data to establish accurate fitness baselines — without migration, you're starting from zero.

Scenario 2: COROS → Garmin

Moving into the Garmin ecosystem means your Training Status, VO2max estimates, and training load all depend on long-term history. Without migration, the first few weeks of training recommendations will be significantly off.

Scenario 3: Huawei / Xiaomi / Apple Watch → Pro Sports Watch

Many runners start with entry-level devices and upgrade to Garmin or COROS. These beginner platforms (Huawei Health, Mi Fitness, Apple Health) rarely offer data export, making manual migration nearly impossible — but not with GarSync.

3 Steps to Migrate with GarSync

Step 1: Connect Both Platforms

In GarSync's Account Management, add both your old and new watch platforms. Example: add Garmin (old) + COROS (new). OAuth one-tap authorization takes under a minute.

Step 2: Create a Migration Task

On the Sync page, create a task: Source = old platform, Target = new platform. Enable "Sync History" and select all sport types you want to migrate.

Step 3: Let It Run

GarSync pulls your full history from the old platform and uploads each activity to the new one. Smart deduplication prevents duplicates. Hundreds of activities typically migrate in 10-20 minutes.

What You Get After Migration

Complete activity records: distance, pace, heart rate, power — preserved as-is
GPS tracks: including map routes and elevation profiles
Raw FIT files: auto-backed up to your NAS after binding a SAMBA account and creating a sync task
Training continuity: new platform's load, VO2max trends, and fitness status calculated from full history

FAQ

Q: Will the new platform recognize these "foreign" activities?

A: Yes, in most cases. GarSync uploads standard FIT files with complete fields (device type, sensor data, GPS coordinates). The new platform recalculates derived metrics like training effect and VO2max using its own algorithms.

Q: Does migration cost extra?

A: Same pricing as regular sync — free trial + pay-as-you-go with bulk migrations capped. If you have hundreds of historical activities to migrate, the cap makes it extremely affordable. Subscribe at $4.99/month for unlimited free sync.

Q: Can I use Strava as a middleman instead?

A: Two big problems with Strava as a bridge: (1) Strava doesn't store raw FIT files, so you lose sensor-level details; (2) Strava's API restrictions make exporting to third-party platforms complex. GarSync connects platforms directly via official APIs and preserves every data field.

Q: Will I lose data during migration?

A: No. GarSync reads from the old platform and writes to the new one. If an upload fails (e.g., target server hiccup), the task retries. Your original data stays safe on the old platform throughout.