Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Oct. 26, 2018	Oct. 27, 2017
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 2,865	$ 1,644
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(119)	(76)
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(497)	(524)
Purchases of investments	(1,444)	(1,685)
Sales and maturities of investments	2,824	2,354
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	(2)
Net cash provided by investing activities	764	6,125
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(700)	(190)
Issuance of long-term debt	1	20
Payments on long-term debt	(17)	(4,161)
Dividends to shareholders	(1,351)	(1,247)
Issuance of ordinary shares	800	230
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,047)	(1,888)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	11	(41)
Net cash used in financing activities	(3,303)	(7,277)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(84)	70
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	242	562
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,669	4,967
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,911	5,529
Consolidating Adjustments | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	50	4,212
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	50	4,212
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution received	(50)	(4,212)
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(50)	(4,212)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	(1,048)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	205	4,731
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	205	4,731
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Intercompany dividend paid		1,048
Capital contribution received	(205)	(4,731)
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(205)	(3,683)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	147	157
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	(18)	0
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(18)	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	(1,351)	(1,247)
Issuance of ordinary shares	800	230
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,047)	(1,888)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	2,469	2,748
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(129)	(157)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	147	157
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	(18)	0
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(18)	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	(1,351)	(1,247)
Issuance of ordinary shares	800	230
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,047)	(1,888)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	2,469	2,748
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(129)	(157)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1,335)	(743)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(133)	(132)
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	76	0
Capital contribution paid	(32)	(12)
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(89)	(144)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	(3,000)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	1,428	3,889
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	1,428	889
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	4	2
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	20	45
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	24	47
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(35)	997
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	(187)	(531)
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(187)	(531)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	(1,150)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	222	651
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	222	(499)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	(33)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	33
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	123	162
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	0	(4,200)
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	0	(4,200)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(696)	(202)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	1,067	5,057
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	371	4,855
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	494	817
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	495	822
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	136	169
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	0	(4,200)
Other investing activities, net		0
Net cash provided by investing activities	0	(4,200)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(697)	(202)
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	1,056	5,051
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	359	4,849
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	495	818
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	496	823
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	3,930	2,068
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(119)	(76)
Proceeds from sale of businesses		6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(364)	(392)
Purchases of investments	(1,444)	(1,685)
Sales and maturities of investments	2,748	2,354
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities, net		(2)
Net cash provided by investing activities	821	6,257
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(4)	12
Issuance of long-term debt	1	20
Payments on long-term debt	(17)	(1,161)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(4,964)	(11,694)
Capital contribution received	50	4,212
Other financing activities	11	(41)
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,923)	(8,652)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(84)	70
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(256)	(257)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,648	4,917
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,392	4,660
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,617	1,369
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(119)	(76)
Proceeds from sale of businesses		6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(497)	(524)
Purchases of investments	(1,444)	(1,685)
Sales and maturities of investments	2,824	2,354
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities, net		(2)
Net cash provided by investing activities	764	6,125
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(3)	12
Issuance of long-term debt	1	20
Payments on long-term debt	(17)	(3,011)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(3,747)	(8,450)
Intercompany dividend paid		(1,048)
Capital contribution received	205	4,731
Other financing activities	11	(41)
Net cash used in financing activities	(3,550)	(7,787)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(84)	70
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(253)	(223)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,668	4,929
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 3,415	$ 4,706