Set up for local builds

Building turns your design into a file your watch can run. Setup is needed once per computer.

Desktop required.

These steps use Dial Studio desktop. Public downloads are coming soon. You can design in the browser without this setup.

What you need

Connect IQ SDK: Garmin’s tools for building watch apps.
Device profile: Tells those tools which watch you are building for.
Signing key: A private file used to sign your builds.

Dial Studio desktop includes Java, which runs Garmin’s compiler. You do not normally need to install Java separately. You need internet access to download the SDK and device profiles.

1. Install Garmin’s tools

Download and open SDK Manager from Garmin’s SDK page.
In SDK Manager, install a Connect IQ SDK and select it as the active SDK.
Download the device profile for your exact watch model.
In Dial Studio desktop, open Settings → Build & install and choose Check again.

SDK Manager downloads the tools; installing the manager alone is not enough.

If the SDK is not found

Open the advanced path picker in the build tools requirement. Select the active SDK folder containing bin/monkeybrains.jar, or the ConnectIQ folder containing current-sdk.cfg. Choose Check again.

Do not select the SDK Manager application or a compressed download. See SDK not found if detection still fails.

2. Create or import a signing key

In Settings → Build & install, find Your signing key.

First build: Choose Generate key. Studio saves the key on this computer for future builds.
Already have a key: Choose Advanced → Import key and select your DER or PEM private-key file. Studio saves its own copy.

Keep a secure backup of the key and reuse it for updates. Do not include it in shared projects or error reports.

3. Check that setup is ready

Choose Check again. Continue when the status says Build environment ready.

If a check fails, open its details and resolve the named requirement. For Java errors, check that the desktop package includes its bundled runtime. Changing system Java may not help. Use troubleshooting for SDK and key errors.

If your design is in the browser, export it and import it into desktop. You can now build your project.