Gadgetbridge
Open-source Android app for syncing smartwatches and fitness trackers without vendor cloud services.
HN commenters recommend it for keeping smartwatch data on the phone instead of vendor clouds like Garmin's,1234 and for supporting many devices, including abandoned ones.567 The main caveat is that it is Android-only,89 and one commenter found its sleep data inaccurate.10
Why people recommend it
Data stays local · 3
Keeps health data on the phone, and it has no internet permission, so nothing goes to vendor clouds.
“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.”
“After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.”
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“I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services”
Device support · 3
Supports many devices, including abandoned ones and watches like Garmin, Amazfit and Bangle.js.
“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.”
“I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned”
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“Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)”
Vendor app replacement · 3
Users sync Garmin and Amazfit watches without the official apps or accounts and don't miss them.
“I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead”
“you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).”
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“After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.”
Open source · 3
The app is open source and hosted on Codeberg.
“you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).”
“Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)”
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“I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version”
Caveats and dissent
Android only · 2
It is an Android app; one commenter built their own macOS version for their device.
“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.”
“I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version”
Sleep data accuracy · 1
One commenter loved it at first but later noticed its sleep data was incorrect.
“I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned”
Feature gaps · 1
Temperature monitoring wasn't supported for one commenter's WatchPad device.
“I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version”
Initial vendor setup · 1
Amazfit watches needed a one-time registration through the vendor app before switching.
“After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.”
Who recommends it in their own words
Threads where it came up
- Creating a Garmin "MCP" 2 mentions
- Pixel Watch 5 2 mentions
- The importance of communities around software 1 mention
- New Withings Users Must Pay $99/Year for Apple Health Syncing 1 mention
- Show HN: Kinesis – Control your Mac with the Meta Neural Band 1 mention
- I Do Not Recommend Google Hardware 1 mention
Data: gadgetbridge.json. Quotes are verbatim; the verdict and theme labels are written by a model from these comments, and every clause links to its sources.
All comments 9
“I LLM-reverse engineered the API based on the GadgetBridge work and now have a MacOS version”
“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.”
“I love it as it supports some weird devices that were abandoned”
“I highly recommend GadgetBridge for anyone wanting to avoid Garmin's cloud services”
“Have you considered providing GadgetBridge support?”
“After that point the watch only syncs with gadgetbridge.”
“I use https://codeberg.org/Freeyourgadget/Gadgetbridge instead”
“you can use GadgetBridge to sync with your phone (GadgetBridge is open source).”
“Fully supported by GadgetBridge (open source mobile app)”