PM5 Bluetooth Not Connecting? Fixes That Work

By the Watta Team · Updated 9 October 2026

When a PM5 will not connect, the cause is usually one of a few things: the phone was paired in its Bluetooth settings instead of inside the app, another phone or app is already holding the one connection the PM5 allows, the app lacks Bluetooth permission, or the monitor needs fresh batteries or a firmware update. Work through the fixes below in order. If you just want today's workout on record, you can skip pairing altogether and photograph the screen.

Quick Answer

Unpair the PM5 from your phone's Bluetooth settings, then connect from inside the app (ErgData, Kinomap and others list the monitor by its serial number). Make sure no other phone or app is connected to that erg, that the app has Bluetooth permission, and that the monitor's batteries and firmware are current. If it still will not connect, finish the workout anyway and log it from a photo of the screen with Watta, which needs no Bluetooth.

Fixes 1–3: The Connection Itself

First, connect from the app, not from the phone. Fitness apps use Bluetooth Smart and expect to find the monitor themselves; if the PM5 was paired in the phone's Bluetooth settings, forget it there and try again from the app. Second, the PM5 holds one app connection at a time: close other fitness apps that might have grabbed it, and in a gym check that someone else's phone is not still connected to that erg. Third, wake the monitor and open its connect screen from the main menu before searching in the app, and keep the phone close to the monitor while it pairs.

Fixes 4–5: Your Phone

Check the app has permission to use Bluetooth (on an iPhone: Settings, then the app, then Bluetooth). Then turn Bluetooth off and on, or restart the phone, which clears a surprising number of stuck connections. If one app connects and another does not, the problem is with that app or its permissions rather than the monitor.

Fixes 6–7: The Monitor

The PM5 runs on batteries, and low batteries are a common cause of dropped or failed connections — replace them. Then update the monitor's firmware using Concept2's free Concept2 Utility, which fixes many connection problems on older firmware. If none of this works, Concept2's support team is helpful and can check whether the monitor needs attention.

Log the Workout Anyway, Without Pairing

You do not need a working connection to keep your record. When the piece is done, photograph the PM5 summary screen and Watta reads the distance, time, split, stroke rate and intervals — plus watts, heart rate, calories and drag factor when the screen shows them. It is free on iPhone, works on any Concept2 erg including gym and club machines you cannot pair with, and gives each session a 0-100 Effort Score and a place among your personal bests.

Tips

+Never pair the PM5 in the phone's Bluetooth settings — always connect from inside the app.
+In a gym, ask whether anyone else is connected to the erg before assuming the monitor is broken.
+Keep a spare set of batteries for the monitor; failing batteries show up as flaky connections first.
+Update the PM5 firmware with the Concept2 Utility a couple of times a year.
+If the connection fails mid-session, keep rowing — the monitor still records the piece, and a photo of the summary logs it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won't my PM5 connect to ErgData?

The usual causes are pairing in the phone's Bluetooth settings instead of the app, another phone or app already connected to the monitor, missing Bluetooth permission for ErgData, or low batteries and old firmware on the PM5. Fix them in that order.

Can the PM5 connect to two apps at once?

No. It holds one app connection at a time over Bluetooth. To use two apps for one session, run one live and use an app that works from the summary screen afterwards, such as Watta, which reads a photo instead of the connection.

Does the PM5 lose the workout if Bluetooth drops?

No. The monitor keeps recording and shows the summary at the end; you can also recall recent workouts from its memory. Photograph the summary to log it.

Can I log PM5 workouts without Bluetooth?

Yes. Watta reads the workout from a photo of the PM5 screen, so it needs no Bluetooth at all. You can also type workouts into the Concept2 Logbook or transfer them by USB with the Concept2 Utility.

Every erg counts.

Photograph your erg screen after the piece and Watta logs it for you.

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