{"slug": "gadgetbridge", "name": "Gadgetbridge", "category": "selfhosted", "category_name": "Self-hosted and home server", "description": "Open-source Android app for syncing smartwatches and fitness trackers without vendor cloud services.", "recommenders": 7, "commenters": 9, "warners": 0, "score": 7.305, "rising": 5.67, "first": "2025-11-18", "latest": "2026-10-29", "why": "HN commenters recommend it for keeping smartwatch data on the phone instead of vendor clouds like Garmin's, and for supporting many devices, including abandoned ones.", "why_is_quote": false, "has_verdict": true, "sentiment": {"recommend": 7, "neutral": 2, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 2, 1, 3], "listed": true, "loved": ["Data stays local", "Device support"], "caveat": "Android only", "short_quote": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "codeberg.org/freeyourgadget/gadgetbridge", "official_url": "https://gadgetbridge.org/", "pricing": "open source", "aliases": ["Gadgetbridge"], "verdict": [{"text": "HN commenters recommend it for keeping smartwatch data on the phone instead of vendor clouds like Garmin's,", "cites": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 801614112, "item_id": 50100882, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100882", "by": "shrx", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services", "excerpt": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services: https://gadgetbridge.org/", "context": "", "use_case": "Garmin device sync without cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}, {"id": 788619760, "item_id": 49288735, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49288735", "by": "haskman", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.", "excerpt": "Amazfit required a one time registration to get a one time code to unlock things, but I used a throwaway email id, and then deleted their app immediately. After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge. The best part is that the watch has no internet capabilities, and gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either so you know that absolutely no data can leave your device", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing watch without vendor app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}, {"id": 788465713, "item_id": 49279107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279107", "by": "rcMgD2BwE72F", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead", "excerpt": "I'm pretty happy with a Pixel 9 running GrapheneOS and a Garmin that I never connected to a Garmin account. I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead (then synced to my computer with syncthing), and I don't miss anything from Garmin. I'm 100% Google free, and far happier with tech that I ever was.", "context": "100% Google free", "use_case": "Garmin watch companion", "switched_from": "Garmin Connect", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}]}, {"text": " and for supporting many devices, including abandoned ones.", "cites": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 801615648, "item_id": 50100978, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100978", "by": "szszrk", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned", "excerpt": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned or require Chinese data residency for them to sync. How is it working for you in Garmin for sleep tracking? I tried it a few years ago and loved it at first, but then noticed how incorrect sleep data was.", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}, {"id": 735534672, "item_id": 45970917, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970917", "by": "Zetaphor", "date": "2025-11-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)", "excerpt": "If you're looking for an alternative to all of this, the BangleJS v2 is both cheaper and more hackable than the Pebble watches. It doesn't tick all of the same boxes, but it's performed well for me over the last 6 months. Here's what it offers: * Screen is fully visible under direct sunlight * With the screen always on the battery lasts me well over a week * Heart rate monitor * EXTREMELY hackable, everything can be ", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch companion app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pebble, Rebble, and a path forward"}]}, {"text": " The main caveat is that it is Android-only,", "cites": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 804741040, "item_id": 50296315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50296315", "by": "nl", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version", "excerpt": "I recently got a \"WatchPad\": a smart watch \"back\", which you can stick on the back of a non-smart watch and it does HR, SpO2, step, sleep monitoring. I didn't particularly want the ugly app, but it is implemented in GadgetBridge[1], which is on codeberg. That's an Android app, but I wanted a MacOS version. I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version, specific for my de", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch band data/monitoring", "switched_from": "", "story": "The importance of communities around software"}]}, {"text": " and one commenter found its sleep data inaccurate.", "cites": [{"id": 801615648, "item_id": 50100978, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100978", "by": "szszrk", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned", "excerpt": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned or require Chinese data residency for them to sync. How is it working for you in Garmin for sleep tracking? I tried it a few years ago and loved it at first, but then noticed how incorrect sleep data was.", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}]}], "praise": [{"label": "Data stays local", "summary": "Keeps health data on the phone, and it has no internet permission, so nothing goes to vendor clouds.", "quotes": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 788619760, "item_id": 49288735, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49288735", "by": "haskman", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.", "excerpt": "Amazfit required a one time registration to get a one time code to unlock things, but I used a throwaway email id, and then deleted their app immediately. After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge. The best part is that the watch has no internet capabilities, and gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either so you know that absolutely no data can leave your device", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing watch without vendor app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}, {"id": 801614112, "item_id": 50100882, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100882", "by": "shrx", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services", "excerpt": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services: https://gadgetbridge.org/", "context": "", "use_case": "Garmin device sync without cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}]}, {"label": "Device support", "summary": "Supports many devices, including abandoned ones and watches like Garmin, Amazfit and Bangle.js.", "quotes": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 801615648, "item_id": 50100978, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100978", "by": "szszrk", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned", "excerpt": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned or require Chinese data residency for them to sync. How is it working for you in Garmin for sleep tracking? I tried it a few years ago and loved it at first, but then noticed how incorrect sleep data was.", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}, {"id": 735534672, "item_id": 45970917, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970917", "by": "Zetaphor", "date": "2025-11-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)", "excerpt": "If you're looking for an alternative to all of this, the BangleJS v2 is both cheaper and more hackable than the Pebble watches. It doesn't tick all of the same boxes, but it's performed well for me over the last 6 months. Here's what it offers: * Screen is fully visible under direct sunlight * With the screen always on the battery lasts me well over a week * Heart rate monitor * EXTREMELY hackable, everything can be ", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch companion app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pebble, Rebble, and a path forward"}]}, {"label": "Vendor app replacement", "summary": "Users sync Garmin and Amazfit watches without the official apps or accounts and don't miss them.", "quotes": [{"id": 788465713, "item_id": 49279107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279107", "by": "rcMgD2BwE72F", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead", "excerpt": "I'm pretty happy with a Pixel 9 running GrapheneOS and a Garmin that I never connected to a Garmin account. I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead (then synced to my computer with syncthing), and I don't miss anything from Garmin. I'm 100% Google free, and far happier with tech that I ever was.", "context": "100% Google free", "use_case": "Garmin watch companion", "switched_from": "Garmin Connect", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}, {"id": 778267088, "item_id": 48641693, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48641693", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).", "excerpt": "Garmin smart watches are great. They last for days or weeks depending on the model. E.g. my Fenix 8 AMOLED lasts 7 days with the always-on-display on or 14 days with raise-to-wake for the screen. The MIP solar versions can last 3-4 weeks with their screen always on (depending on how much sunshine). The more expensive models have map support. And the maps are not Google/Apple Maps, which are crappy for hiking/cycling,", "context": "privacy-minded Garmin Fenix user", "use_case": "syncing Garmin watch without Garmin apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware"}, {"id": 788619760, "item_id": 49288735, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49288735", "by": "haskman", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.", "excerpt": "Amazfit required a one time registration to get a one time code to unlock things, but I used a throwaway email id, and then deleted their app immediately. After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge. The best part is that the watch has no internet capabilities, and gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either so you know that absolutely no data can leave your device", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing watch without vendor app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}]}, {"label": "Open source", "summary": "The app is open source and hosted on Codeberg.", "quotes": [{"id": 778267088, "item_id": 48641693, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48641693", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).", "excerpt": "Garmin smart watches are great. They last for days or weeks depending on the model. E.g. my Fenix 8 AMOLED lasts 7 days with the always-on-display on or 14 days with raise-to-wake for the screen. The MIP solar versions can last 3-4 weeks with their screen always on (depending on how much sunshine). The more expensive models have map support. And the maps are not Google/Apple Maps, which are crappy for hiking/cycling,", "context": "privacy-minded Garmin Fenix user", "use_case": "syncing Garmin watch without Garmin apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware"}, {"id": 735534672, "item_id": 45970917, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970917", "by": "Zetaphor", "date": "2025-11-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)", "excerpt": "If you're looking for an alternative to all of this, the BangleJS v2 is both cheaper and more hackable than the Pebble watches. It doesn't tick all of the same boxes, but it's performed well for me over the last 6 months. Here's what it offers: * Screen is fully visible under direct sunlight * With the screen always on the battery lasts me well over a week * Heart rate monitor * EXTREMELY hackable, everything can be ", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch companion app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pebble, Rebble, and a path forward"}, {"id": 804741040, "item_id": 50296315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50296315", "by": "nl", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version", "excerpt": "I recently got a \"WatchPad\": a smart watch \"back\", which you can stick on the back of a non-smart watch and it does HR, SpO2, step, sleep monitoring. I didn't particularly want the ugly app, but it is implemented in GadgetBridge[1], which is on codeberg. That's an Android app, but I wanted a MacOS version. I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version, specific for my de", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch band data/monitoring", "switched_from": "", "story": "The importance of communities around software"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "Android only", "summary": "It is an Android app; one commenter built their own macOS version for their device.", "quotes": [{"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 804741040, "item_id": 50296315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50296315", "by": "nl", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version", "excerpt": "I recently got a \"WatchPad\": a smart watch \"back\", which you can stick on the back of a non-smart watch and it does HR, SpO2, step, sleep monitoring. I didn't particularly want the ugly app, but it is implemented in GadgetBridge[1], which is on codeberg. That's an Android app, but I wanted a MacOS version. I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version, specific for my de", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch band data/monitoring", "switched_from": "", "story": "The importance of communities around software"}]}, {"label": "Sleep data accuracy", "summary": "One commenter loved it at first but later noticed its sleep data was incorrect.", "quotes": [{"id": 801615648, "item_id": 50100978, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100978", "by": "szszrk", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned", "excerpt": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned or require Chinese data residency for them to sync. How is it working for you in Garmin for sleep tracking? I tried it a few years ago and loved it at first, but then noticed how incorrect sleep data was.", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}]}, {"label": "Feature gaps", "summary": "Temperature monitoring wasn't supported for one commenter's WatchPad device.", "quotes": [{"id": 804741040, "item_id": 50296315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50296315", "by": "nl", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version", "excerpt": "I recently got a \"WatchPad\": a smart watch \"back\", which you can stick on the back of a non-smart watch and it does HR, SpO2, step, sleep monitoring. I didn't particularly want the ugly app, but it is implemented in GadgetBridge[1], which is on codeberg. That's an Android app, but I wanted a MacOS version. I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version, specific for my de", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch band data/monitoring", "switched_from": "", "story": "The importance of communities around software"}]}, {"label": "Initial vendor setup", "summary": "Amazfit watches needed a one-time registration through the vendor app before switching.", "quotes": [{"id": 788619760, "item_id": 49288735, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49288735", "by": "haskman", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.", "excerpt": "Amazfit required a one time registration to get a one time code to unlock things, but I used a throwaway email id, and then deleted their app immediately. After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge. The best part is that the watch has no internet capabilities, and gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either so you know that absolutely no data can leave your device", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing watch without vendor app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}]}], "who": [{"by": "daanavitch", "context": "Android user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "date": "2026-10-16"}, {"by": "rcMgD2BwE72F", "context": "100% Google free", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279107", "date": "2026-08-12"}, {"by": "microtonal", "context": "privacy-minded Garmin Fenix user", "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48641693", "date": "2026-06-23"}], "tags": ["for Android users", "for Garmin owners", "for privacy-minded users", "for Amazfit owners", "for Bangle.js owners"], "use_cases": ["smartwatch band data/monitoring", "syncing smart devices locally", "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "garmin device sync without cloud", "wearable integration", "syncing watch without vendor app"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50081045", "title": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\"", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49274757", "title": "Pixel Watch 5", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50294507", "title": "The importance of communities around software", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50109375", "title": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49695408", "title": "Show HN: Kinesis \u2013 Control your Mac with the Meta Neural Band", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48628283", "title": "I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"neutral": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 804741040, "item_id": 50296315, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50296315", "by": "nl", "date": "2026-10-29", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version", "excerpt": "I recently got a \"WatchPad\": a smart watch \"back\", which you can stick on the back of a non-smart watch and it does HR, SpO2, step, sleep monitoring. I didn't particularly want the ugly app, but it is implemented in GadgetBridge[1], which is on codeberg. That's an Android app, but I wanted a MacOS version. I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version, specific for my de", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch band data/monitoring", "switched_from": "", "story": "The importance of communities around software"}, {"id": 801831088, "item_id": 50114443, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50114443", "by": "daanavitch", "date": "2026-10-16", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "excerpt": "If you have an Android phone you can use Gadgetbridge which is an alternative app to sync your smart devices. It keeps all data on your phone. They support lots of devices, I use it with my Garmin smartwatch and I'm a happy user.", "context": "Android user", "use_case": "syncing smart devices locally", "switched_from": "", "story": "New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing"}, {"id": 801615648, "item_id": 50100978, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100978", "by": "szszrk", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned", "excerpt": "I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned or require Chinese data residency for them to sync. How is it working for you in Garmin for sleep tracking? I tried it a few years ago and loved it at first, but then noticed how incorrect sleep data was.", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing wearables without vendor cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}, {"id": 801614112, "item_id": 50100882, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50100882", "by": "shrx", "date": "2026-10-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services", "excerpt": "I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services: https://gadgetbridge.org/", "context": "", "use_case": "Garmin device sync without cloud", "switched_from": "", "story": "Creating a Garmin \"MCP\""}, {"id": 795353520, "item_id": 49709595, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49709595", "by": "utopiah", "date": "2026-09-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Have you considered providing GadgetBridge support?", "excerpt": "Great to explore alternative interfaces and repurpose existing hardware without having to rely on the manufacturer implementation. Have you considered providing GadgetBridge support? I don't see anything on https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge/issues?state=open&type=all&labels=&milestone=0&project=0&assignee=0&poster=0&sort=relevance&q=%22neural+band%22 but it could bring interesting combinatorial possibi", "context": "", "use_case": "wearable integration", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Kinesis \u2013 Control your Mac with the Meta Neural Band"}, {"id": 788619760, "item_id": 49288735, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49288735", "by": "haskman", "date": "2026-08-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.", "excerpt": "Amazfit required a one time registration to get a one time code to unlock things, but I used a throwaway email id, and then deleted their app immediately. After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge. The best part is that the watch has no internet capabilities, and gadgetbridge itself doesn't have internet permissions either so you know that absolutely no data can leave your device", "context": "", "use_case": "syncing watch without vendor app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}, {"id": 788465713, "item_id": 49279107, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49279107", "by": "rcMgD2BwE72F", "date": "2026-08-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead", "excerpt": "I'm pretty happy with a Pixel 9 running GrapheneOS and a Garmin that I never connected to a Garmin account. I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead (then synced to my computer with syncthing), and I don't miss anything from Garmin. I'm 100% Google free, and far happier with tech that I ever was.", "context": "100% Google free", "use_case": "Garmin watch companion", "switched_from": "Garmin Connect", "story": "Pixel Watch 5"}, {"id": 778267088, "item_id": 48641693, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48641693", "by": "microtonal", "date": "2026-06-23", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).", "excerpt": "Garmin smart watches are great. They last for days or weeks depending on the model. E.g. my Fenix 8 AMOLED lasts 7 days with the always-on-display on or 14 days with raise-to-wake for the screen. The MIP solar versions can last 3-4 weeks with their screen always on (depending on how much sunshine). The more expensive models have map support. And the maps are not Google/Apple Maps, which are crappy for hiking/cycling,", "context": "privacy-minded Garmin Fenix user", "use_case": "syncing Garmin watch without Garmin apps", "switched_from": "", "story": "I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware"}, {"id": 735534672, "item_id": 45970917, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970917", "by": "Zetaphor", "date": "2025-11-18", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)", "excerpt": "If you're looking for an alternative to all of this, the BangleJS v2 is both cheaper and more hackable than the Pebble watches. It doesn't tick all of the same boxes, but it's performed well for me over the last 6 months. Here's what it offers: * Screen is fully visible under direct sunlight * With the screen always on the battery lasts me well over a week * Heart rate monitor * EXTREMELY hackable, everything can be ", "context": "", "use_case": "smartwatch companion app", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pebble, Rebble, and a path forward"}]}