Table of ContentsTable of ContentsHow much does Garmin Connect+ cost?Can you still use all the features in Garmin Connect?Whats new in Garmin Connect+?Is Garmin Connect+ worth trying?Garmin has just announced Garmin Connect+, a new paid subscription for users who want to squeeze a little more out of their Garmin smartwatch experience. The premium tier adds new features and AI-powered insights, and its available as of today.While not unexpected, this decision might make some users worry about whether theyll still get the full scope of features that Garmin Connect used to provide. Below, Ill walk you through all the changes so you can make an informed decision as to whether you should subscribe to Garmin Connect+ or not.Recommended VideosNirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsGarmin Connect+, or Garmin Connect Plus, costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. Garmin offers a 30-day free trial that allows you to see whether the premium plan is worth paying for or not.RelatedIf you dont want to upgrade to Connect+, no worries the Connect plan will stay free. Garmin Connect+ is available as of March 27, 2025.Andy Boxall / Digital TrendsThe good news is that all existing features in Garmin Connect will stay free. This means that the features youre used to, including trackers for your health and fitness activities, will stay the same with no further changes.Garmin Connect+ was made as an addition to the existing app and doesnt replace it.Garmin teased a bunch of new features in the new paid subscription tier, although a lot of them are still pretty vague well have to test them ourselves.Heres all thats coming your way if you subscribe to Garmin Connect+.AI-powered insightsNo one is surprised to hear about more AI being added everywhere, so the fact that AI is a staple in Garmin Connect+ is not shocking at all. However, the exact nature of AI in Garmin is still a little unclear.The company refers to this as Active Intelligence, powered by AI. Active Intelligence will help your Garmin watch gather insights based on your health and activity data, and will then be able to give you more personal suggestions as a result. As customers use Germin Connect+ more, the insights will become more tailored to them and their goals, said Garmin in the press release.Its worth noting that the AI portion of Garmin Connect+ is currently in beta, but it seems to be available for testing to paid users.LiveTrack gets a boostLiveTrack makes up an important part of Garmin Connect, allowing you to keep your family members and friends notified when youre doing a workout, including a link to help them track your location. This includes a bunch of different workouts, such as runs, hikes, and bike rides, and relies on GPS, so it works even in remote areas.With Connect+, this key feature evolves in a way that makes it simpler to use. Youll be able to get Garmin to auto-generate LiveTrack links and send them out the moment you head out for a workout.You can also set up your own LiveTrack profile to share with others, which will make it easier for them to see all your activities in one place.New challenges and badgesWho doesnt love a boost to the aesthetic side of things? To that end, Garmin Connect+ lets you add new frames to your profile, but also earn badges for completing various challenges. Garmin teases that youll get a badge for completing the Running Climbs challenge, which includes recording a total of 500 meters of ascent throughout a month of running. Theres also the Power Cycling challenge, which will have you cycle as hard as you can youll need to log at least four hours of biking in power zone 3.Comprehensive look at your performanceGarmin Connect+ will whip up customizable graphs and charts for you, helping you keep track of your fitness and health data. Im assuming this will later on tie-in with the AI-powered part of the app, but this is just a guess right now.Over time, these performance charts should become a useful insight into your wellness journey.Extra training toolsWhile youre recording an indoor workout on your Garmin smartwatch, youll get access to real-time data on your phone all the while recording the workout. This includes things like heart rate and pace data, the number of reps youve completed, workout videos, and more.Nirave Gondhia / Digital TrendsWithout having tested the feature, its hard to judge just how useful itll be in the long run. The good thing is that with a 30-day free trial, most users will be able to make that decision for themselves, risk-free.The additions provided in Garmin Connect+ may not be groundbreaking, but they target important areas of wellness. LiveTrack helps you stay safe and connected; AI-powered insights could prove to be useful over time; badges are fun and they help gamify the idea of working out, which can often help.With nothing to lose, I say go ahead and give it a try for 30 days and see whether its worth the $6.99/month price tag.Editors Recommendations