When paired with a compatible Garmin Varia radar device¹, the Varia app has the tools you need to ride with confidence. Using the Varia app, you can:
• Be alerted right on your phone when approaching vehicles are within 140 meters behind your bicycle.
• View color-coded alerts based on surrounding traffic: Green means you’re all clear, yellow means a vehicle is approaching and red means a vehicle is coming at you quickly and you should take caution.
• Receive tone and vibration alerts for approaching vehicles even when you’re not looking at your phone.
With a compatible Garmin Varia Radar Camera Tail Light or Garmin Varia Vue Camera Headlight, you can:
• Set the camera in the best position for capturing videos and photos.
• Record videos or take photos and save them while riding with a simple button press on your phone.
• Automatically record videos of incidents and save the video footage with the Incident Recording feature.
With a Varia Vue Camera Headlight, you can:
• Configure light mode configurations for your headlight.
• Add an optional Vault subscription, which automatically backs up your Varia Vue videos and provides easy access in the Varia app for searching, filtering and sharing.
By adding the Varia eRTL615 Radar Tail Light for eBikes, you can:
• Configure and edit light mode configurations for your tail light.
Easy to Use
Pairing your Garmin Varia devices with the app is quick and easy. Once you set them up, the Varia app will automatically recognize your devices.
Even if you already have a Varia device paired with a compatible Garmin device or head unit, the Varia app provides additional awareness and peace of mind while riding.
¹ Compatible devices are the Varia RearVue 820, Varia RVR315 Rearview Radar, Varia RTL515 Radar Tail Light, Varia RCT715 Radar Camera Tail Light, Varia eRTL615 Radar Tail Light for eBikes and Varia Vue Camera Headlight.
I have been trying for months to get this app to work correctly with a garmin RTL515 on my bike. The little car icon shows up on the screen but does not move as the car approaches and passes. But if the radar picks up more than one car they will all move up the screen correctly. Garmin sent a replacement device but that made no difference. So it is a bug in the app or its connectivity to the device. I’ve tried moving the device up and down on the seat stem. Even holding it in my hand. Nothing makes any differenceP S. I finally figured out why I had this problem. I have Bluetooth enabled hearing aids which would bring the “bell” of a coming car directly into my hearing aids. Somehow that high jacked the car image which would just stand still unless another car was picked up without triggering the “bell” warning. Once I disabled my hearing aids from Bluetooth everything works perfectly. It would be nice if this could be fixed so I could ride my bike with disabling my blue connection to my hearing aids
Love it
exshrimper
I got this for Father’s Day but I downloaded the app a long time ago waiting for someone to get the hint. It works exactly as advertised. I can put it in my under seat pouch and still hear it easily and I can’t hear very well. Only a couple of things could be improved. One of them is the distance it picks up a car which is 153 yards. Sounds pretty far but when that car is coming 75 or 80 mph it’s just a few seconds before he is on top of you. Another 50 yards would be perfect. The other thing is when the alarm goes off there could be 3 or 4 cars coming with only one signal, which is fine but you better look at your monitor before you dart back in traffic lane. Anyway the fact is I love it. Wish I had one a year ago. I’m 75 years old and do all my riding on highways and my neck won’t turn enough to see behind me. I stare into my mirror constantly which makes my neck worse. Now I just check my mirror when the alert goes off.
Multiple sclerosis ride 2025
d. a. kloss
I just bought the Varia for the Multiple Sclerosis ride across Minnesota because we ride on some big roads. We also ride on some quiet country roads, but the few cars that ride these roads are moving fast. I ride a road bke and paired the varia with my iphone and my garmin triathlon watch. It worked awesome! I knew when the cars were coming on the country roads so i could move to the edge of the road. On busy roads , likewise you knew when cars were coming. The varia made a clear visual and sound ( on my phone) AND the visual was also on my tri watch!! When all the cars were past it gave a softer “all clear” chime so yiu knew yiu could move away from the edge of the road. Battery life lasted well past my 5 hour rides and was quickly charged at night from my power pack. It really helped me feel safer and i could enjoy the long days of riding much more.
Won't ride without it
Stairsguy2
My hearing is poor and trying to monitor oncoming traffic is hit or miss. I've found that the radar picks up vehicles before I would have seen them because you can't ride staring at your mirror. I use the Varia w the phone app and with Trekz bone conduction headphones. With my poor hearing I might not pick up on the phone signal otherwise. The Trekz 'phones do not block my ear canal. Yes I sometimes listen to media while riding, but the audio ring overrides and there on my Wahoo head unit is a graphic showing the relative position(s) of oncoming vehicles. Seeing that there is more than one car approaching is huge.
This version of the Varia app adds support for the Varia RearVue 820 Radar Tail Light, including the ability to view the size and position of approaching vehicles in the app. It also includes bug fixes and performance improvements to help you ride confidently with Varia.
Version 5.1.1
The developer, Garmin, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
User Content
Usage Data
Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Garmin International
Size
172.5 MB
Category
Health & Fitness
Compatibility
Requires iOS 17.1 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 17.1 or later.
Location
This app may use your location even when it isn’t open, which can decrease device battery life.
