The first time you connect a PM5 to an iPhone, it is quite natural to open the Bluetooth settings and look for it there. That works for headphones and speakers, but it is not how the PM5 connects to a fitness app.

You make the connection from inside the app you want to use. On the monitor, the route starts at Main Menu > Connect. The app then scans for nearby monitors and shows the PM5 number so you can choose the right machine.

Before you start

You will need a Concept2 machine with a PM5, an iPhone with Bluetooth switched on and an app that supports the monitor. Keep the phone beside the machine while you make the first connection.

The app also needs permission to use Bluetooth. If you previously pressed Don't Allow, you can change this under Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth on the iPhone.

Older PM3 and PM4 monitors do not have the Bluetooth connection used by current iPhone apps. Concept2's current ErgData support, for example, is limited to equipment with a PM5.

Connect any supported iPhone app to the PM5

The name and position of the connection button will be different in each app, but the process is usually:

  1. Wake the PM5 by pressing a button or moving the machine.
  2. Select Connect from the PM5 Main Menu.
  3. Leave the monitor on its connection screen and note the PM5 number.
  4. Open the fitness app on the iPhone.
  5. Find the app's monitor, equipment or device connection screen.
  6. Start the scan if it does not begin automatically.
  7. Select the PM5 with the same number as the monitor in front of you.

The number matters in a gym because several machines may appear at once. I would use that rather than trying to judge which result is closest or has the strongest signal.

Concept2's PM5 instructions show Connect on the current Main Menu. The wording can look different on a monitor with older firmware, but the connection still starts from the PM5 rather than the iPhone's general Bluetooth list.

Connecting SkiEr

SkiEr requires iOS 17 or later and is available from the App Store. Once the PM5 is on its Connect screen:

  1. Open SkiEr and select the Ski tab.
  2. Tap Connect in the top-right corner.
  3. Wait while SkiEr scans for nearby monitors.
  4. Select the PM5 number shown on your machine.
  5. Check that the connection status turns green and the top-right control changes from Connect to PM5.

Once the status is green, the PM5 is connected and you can choose a route or workout. SkiEr will begin its countdown when you enter the training screen.

Concept2 also has an official PM5 connection video. It may show a different app to the one you are using, but the PM5 number and selection process are the same.

If the PM5 does not appear

Start with the monitor. Return to its Main Menu, choose Connect again and leave it on that screen. If it had gone to sleep while you were setting up the phone, it may simply have stopped advertising itself to nearby apps.

Close and reopen the connection screen in your app so that it starts a fresh scan. In SkiEr, this is the Connect PM5 screen opened from the top-right of the Ski tab.

If nothing appears, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth and make sure the app is enabled. Apple's guide to Bluetooth privacy settings explains why this permission is separate from the main Bluetooth switch.

Return to the app after changing the permission. There is still no need to select the PM5 from Settings > Bluetooth.

Close any other PM5 apps

ErgData, ErgZone or another fitness app may still be connected from an earlier workout, even if it is no longer on screen. Close those apps, return the PM5 to Main Menu > Connect and try the scan again.

Concept2's PM5 troubleshooting guidance says competing fitness-app connections can cause communication errors, so use one app to record the workout and close the others.

I would also move the iPhone beside the monitor whilst testing. If you have several optional Bluetooth devices connected, briefly disconnecting them can help you check whether the PM5 works on its own. Apple's own Bluetooth guidance recommends confirming that an accessory is awake, nearby and ready to connect.

If the connection drops during a workout

Bring the iPhone back beside the machine and close any other workout app. On the PM5, open Connect and use Disconnect App if an old connection is still shown, then reconnect from the app you intend to use.

If the connection drops again, restart the iPhone and allow the PM5 to switch off before waking it and testing once more. I would work through the app permission, competing connections and firmware before considering a factory reset, as a reset will not fix a permission that is still disabled on the phone.

Check the PM5 firmware

You can find the installed version at More Options > Utilities > More Utilities > Product ID. The firmware number appears at the top of that screen.

Concept2 recommends trying a wireless update through ErgData first on compatible PM5 monitors. Connect ErgData, tap the PM5 ID and open More Info to see the update instructions. Older firmware may need the Concept2 Utility on a Mac or PC and a cable instead. The available methods and port requirements are listed on Concept2's PM5 firmware page.

Once the update is complete, close ErgData before reconnecting with SkiEr or another recording app.

The heart-rate connection is separate

The Connect Heart Rate option on the PM5 is for a chest strap or another compatible heart-rate sensor. It is not the menu used to connect the iPhone app.

Use Main Menu > Connect for the app, then open Connect Heart Rate separately if you also want the PM5 to receive your pulse. Concept2 notes that some Bluetooth straps can connect to only one device at a time. If the strap supports ANT+, using ANT+ for the PM5 leaves its Bluetooth connection available for the iPhone or Apple Watch.