I’m trying to connect my Garmin Venu 3 to my MacBook to manually transfer music files and extract raw activity files. To confirm - I do have the USB connection setting set to MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) on the watch, but when I plug it in, nothing shows up in Finder at all.
I know older forum threads mention using Android File Transfer to get around Mac’s lack of native MTP support, but I can’t seem to get that working properly either.
Has anyone had any luck getting a Venu 3 to connect and mount reliably on macOS?
For a Garmin watch on a Mac, I’d start with Garmin Express. It’s Garmin’s official macOS app and handles MTP watches directly. If you’re mainly trying to add local music, sync with Garmin Connect, or install firmware updates, that’s probably all you need.
The advice in older Reddit posts is outdated. Google’s Android File Transfer used to be the standard workaround for MTP devices, but it has been discontinued and is no longer supported or offered as a download.
If you specifically want Finder-style file access, MacDroid is one of the main third-party options for current versions of macOS. It can mount an MTP device in Finder so you can manage files more like you would on a flash drive. I haven’t tested it extensively with the Garmin Venu 3, though, so I can’t promise perfect compatibility.
One important detail: completely quit Garmin Express before opening MacDroid or another MTP file-transfer app. Check the Mac menu bar too. Only one application can access the watch’s MTP connection at a time.
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Don’t expect the Venu 3 to appear in Finder like a normal USB drive, even with MTP selected. macOS has no built-in MTP browsing, so I’d treat the two jobs separately: use Garmin Express for adding ordinary MP3/AAC music, then use MacDroid or another MTP client when you need direct access to the watch.
For raw activities, look under the watch’s GARMIN/Activity folder and copy the .fit files to your Mac. Copy rather than move or delete them until you have confirmed they open correctly. @swiftserver8529’s warning about quitting Garmin Express matters because two apps competing for the MTP connection can make the watch appear completely missing.
If nothing detects it, check the cable before changing more software settings. Some USB-C adapters and replacement Garmin cables provide charging but unreliable or no data. DRM-protected music and offline files downloaded by streaming apps cannot simply be copied over either.
Sync the watch first, then open the activity in Garmin Connect on the web and use “Export Original.” That normally downloads the original FIT data, often inside a ZIP file. Make sure you choose Export Original rather than GPX, TCX, or CSV, since those are converted versions and can leave out Garmin-specific fields.
That route is much less fiddly if you only need occasional activity backups. It avoids the whole MTP problem, and you do not need to connect the Venu 3 to the Mac at all. The catch is that the activity must have successfully synced to Garmin Connect. For an unsynced or corrupted recording, direct access to GARMIN/Activity may still be necessary.
For music, USB access matters more. I would try Garmin Express first and only pay for an MTP utility if you genuinely need to browse the watch’s folders. MacDroid may do that job, but it adds another layer and Finder still will not treat the Venu 3 like a regular external disk. Keep Garmin Express fully closed while testing it, as @swiftserver8529 said.
There is another easily missed issue with the cable: seeing the charging symbol proves almost nothing. If Garmin Express cannot detect the watch, test a known data-capable cable connected directly to the Mac before troubleshooting MTP settings. Hubs, docks, and USB adapters are often where this falls apart.
So I would split the workflow: Garmin Connect web for original FIT downloads, Garmin Express for routine music loading, and direct MTP access only for files that never synced or when you specifically need to inspect the watch’s storage.
Watch out for the watch quietly clearing its own Activity folder. Once a recording syncs to Garmin Connect, the Venu 3 doesn’t keep every FIT file sitting in GARMIN/Activity forever, so if your whole plan is to plug in later and grab the raw files, you might find some are already gone. Pull them off soon after the workout if the raw data actually matters to you.
That’s why I think @ghostpanda71 has the right idea for most people. Export Original off the Connect website gives you the real FIT inside a zip, no cable drama, no MTP client, nothing to install. If you only need the occasional backup, doing anything with the watch’s storage is effort you don’t need. Direct folder access only earns its keep for recordings that never synced or something that got corrupted mid-activity.
On the music side, I’d temper expectations. Garmin Express handles the normal case of loading MP3 or AAC you own, and honestly that covers a lot of what people are trying to do. MacDroid comes up because macOS just won’t browse MTP on its own, and it does mount the device in Finder, so it’s a fair pick if you genuinely need to poke around the storage. Just don’t expect it to unlock anything from Spotify or similar. Those offline files are DRM-locked and copying them does nothing, no matter which tool you use.
One more thing on the cable point people raised. It’s not just adapters and hubs. Some of the cheaper third-party Garmin cables are wired for charging only, and they look identical to the real one. If Express can’t see the watch at all, swap the cable before you touch a single software setting. Saves a lot of pointless troubleshooting.
Don’t pay for MacDroid before trying OpenMTP. It’s free and specifically includes Garmin MTP support on macOS.
Quit Garmin Express completely, connect the unlocked watch directly to the Mac, then open OpenMTP. Copy the FIT files from GARMIN/Activity; don’t move them.
For music, Express is still less annoying. Direct MTP copying may work, but Garmin’s library indexing can be fussy.
Garmin Express detecting the watch does not mean it will expose its filesystem. It handles Garmin-supported sync operations, while raw folder access requires a separate MTP client.
@cloudrouter5351’s OpenMTP suggestion is the sensible first attempt. Fully exit Garmin Express, reconnect the unlocked watch, then use OpenMTP to copy files from GARMIN/Activity. MTP is object-based, so Finder, Terminal, rsync, and Disk Utility will not treat the Venu 3 like a mounted drive.
For music, stick with Garmin Express unless you have a specific reason not to. Dropping audio into a folder through MTP can leave Garmin’s music database or playlists out of sync even when the files copied successfully.
If OpenMTP sees nothing, check Activity Monitor for Garmin processes still running, disconnect the watch, quit those processes, and reconnect directly without a hub. Only one program can own the MTP session.
If the watch charges but no app sees it, that’s a different problem from OpenMTP detecting it but refusing to show folders. On an Apple-silicon MacBook, check System Settings > Privacy & Security > Allow accessories to connect. macOS can permit charging while blocking the data connection, because apparently the charging symbol needed to be even less useful. Unlock the Mac, reconnect the watch, and accept any accessory prompt.
After that, @cloudrouter5351’s OpenMTP route makes sense: quit Garmin Express, set the watch to MTP before plugging it in, then connect directly rather than through a dock. If you changed the USB mode while it was already attached, unplug and reconnect so the connection starts fresh.
I’d still use Garmin Express for music and OpenMTP only to copy .fit files from GARMIN/Activity. That keeps Garmin’s music indexing involved instead of treating the watch like a bargain-bin MP3 player and hoping it notices the new files.
The files in GARMIN/Activity aren’t labeled in any human-friendly way, so heads up before you go digging. They’re named with timestamps or short codes, not ‘Morning Run’ or anything you’d recognize. If you’re pulling a specific workout, you’ll be opening several FIT files in a viewer just to figure out which one is which. That alone is a decent argument for @ghostpanda71’s Export Original route, since Connect actually shows you the activity by name and date before you download it.
Where direct access genuinely earns its place is the stuff @coregurux3130 flagged, the recordings that never synced or got cut off. For those the watch storage is your only copy, so grab them fast. But I’d stop short of treating GARMIN/Activity like a reliable long-term archive. It isn’t one.
One annoyance nobody’s mentioned: the screen locking mid-transfer. MTP needs the watch awake and unlocked, and if it dozes off while you’re copying a chunk of music, the connection can just drop and leave you staring at a half-finished transfer or a stalled app. For a couple of FIT files it’s a non-issue. For loading an album or two it bites. Tap the watch now and then, or bump its screen timeout before you start.
On the tools, OpenMTP is the right first shot and it’s free, so try that before spending on anything. MacDroid comes up because it mounts the device in Finder, which some people find easier to live with, but I wouldn’t buy it until OpenMTP has actually failed you. Either way, same rule as everyone’s been saying, Garmin Express fully closed first.
And for music specifically, I’m with the crowd here, let Express do it. Copying MP3s straight into the folder can leave Garmin’s music index confused even when the file is clearly sitting there. Not worth the guesswork.