I ran into an issue with my Garmin Index S2 scale last month. Weight measurements were still showing up sometimes, but syncing became inconsistent. Some weigh-ins would appear in Garmin Connect while others never made it over.
While troubleshooting, I noticed something odd. The scale had never actually paired to my phone over Bluetooth, yet it still seemed to communicate over Wi-Fi. I couldn’t quite tell which connection Garmin was actually using, so I decided the best approach was to reset the scale and clear its pairing connection, then try pairing it again through the Garmin Connect app.
That’s when I got stuck.
Every guide I found said to remove the Bluetooth connection and hold the reset button on the back of the scale for about 10 seconds to enter setup mode. I could get to the setup screen every time, but Garmin Connect would never finish pairing. I’d remove the device, try again, and end up in the exact same loop.
After digging through an obscure Reddit thread, I found one extra step that finally fixed it.
The fix
- Check your phone’s Bluetooth settings and remove the Garmin Index S2 if it shows up there.
- Hold the reset button on the back of the scale for about 10 seconds until it enters setup mode.
- While you’re on the setup screen, press and hold the reset button again until a small red symbol appears in the upper-left corner of the display.
- Start the pairing process again in the Garmin Connect app.
As soon as I did that second reset, the scale paired immediately.
I still don’t know exactly what that red icon represents, but after it appeared, the scale seemed to perform a more thorough reset than the initial one. Whatever it’s doing, it broke the pairing loop that I couldn’t get past.
If you’re repeatedly resetting your Garmin Index S2 and it refuses to pair, try that extra reset before giving up. It solved the problem instantly for me after I had spent far too long repeating the same steps over and over.