Apple Watch Workouts Not Syncing to Strava: Fixes

By Josep Mampel Marques, updated November 11, 2026

When Apple Watch workouts do not reach Strava, the cause is usually one of three limits in Strava's Apple Health sync: it only handles activities recorded with the native Apple Workout app, only those from the past 30 days, and only if the Health permissions are on. Strava's help says to tap Import next to the activity in the Health settings, check for a duplicate with the same date and time, and reconnect Health if the activity never shows up. If the sync cannot take a workout at all, convert it to a FIT file with FitMigrate from your Apple Health export and upload the file on the Strava website.

Quick checklist

Steps from Strava's help

1. Confirm the workout was recorded with the native Apple Workout app. Strava says only those sync, and only within the past 30 days.
2. In the Strava app, open the Health settings (Settings, Manage Apps and Devices, Health) and tap Import next to the activity.
3. If it imports but does not appear, look for a duplicate with the same date and time. Delete it and import again.
4. If the activity does not appear for import at all, Strava says you may be missing permissions. Reconnect Health, then in iOS Settings go to Apps, Health, Data Access and Devices, Strava and enable all the permissions you need.
5. Turn on Automatic Uploads in the same settings if you want new workouts to go without a tap. Strava also describes a Notifications for new workouts toggle, and says that if automatic sync fails you get a notification prompting a manual import.

The exact screens can differ between app versions. The full setup, with Strava's own words, is in Apple Health to Strava.

When files are the way out

For workouts the sync will not take, upload files. The method:

1. Export from the iPhone (Health, your picture, Export All Health Data).
2. Open the zip in FitMigrate and click FIT next to the workout, or download all as a zip and unzip it.
3. On the Strava website, use the plus icon at the top right, Upload Activity, then File, and pick the files.

Strava accepts GPX, TCX and FIT. Subscribers can upload up to 25 files at a time and others up to 15, and each file must be 25 MB or smaller.

What a file can and cannot fix

• Workouts from other apps in Health. If another app wrote them to Apple Health, they are in your export as Workout entries and FitMigrate can make a FIT file of them. Whether that is a good idea depends on whether the same workout is already on Strava through that app. Strava says it refuses duplicates; we could not verify how closely it compares start times.
• Old workouts. They are not limited to 30 days. That limit belongs to the sync, not to files.
• Indoor workouts. They get a FIT file with time and heart rate and no route. Strava says an "Empty" error appears when a file has no GPS data, so an indoor one may be refused. If so, record it as a manual activity.
• Missing data. Splits, power and cadence are not in FitMigrate's files.

Avoid making it worse

Do not turn on automatic uploads and also upload the same period by file. Pick one source for each period. If you already use a Garmin or other service that sends to Strava, check that too, since Strava does not allow duplicate activities.

Limits of this guide

We cannot see your phone, so this is Strava's own advice organised in one place. FitMigrate does not connect to Strava or fix the sync; it only makes files in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. If none of the steps works, Strava's support is the place to ask. A deeper look at how the files are made: GPX or FIT for Apple Watch workouts.