Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Jan. 25, 2019	Jan. 26, 2018
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 4,920	$ 3,646
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,615)	(111)
Proceeds from sale of businesses	0	6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(799)	(776)
Purchases of investments	(1,987)	(2,479)
Sales and maturities of investments	4,159	3,060
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities	(3)	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(245)	5,747
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(696)	(391)
Issuance of long-term debt	3	21
Payments on long-term debt	(29)	(4,167)
Dividends to shareholders	(2,022)	(1,870)
Issuance of ordinary shares	891	333
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,728)	(1,964)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	10	(88)
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,571)	(8,126)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(70)	124
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	34	1,391
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,669	4,967
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,703	6,358
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	65	4,259
Other investing activities	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	65	4,259
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	(65)	(4,259)
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(65)	(4,259)
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) 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	100	172
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) 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	(2,022)	(1,870)
Issuance of ordinary shares	891	333
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,728)	(1,964)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	3,777	3,329
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(82)	(172)
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	100	172
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) 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	(2,022)	(1,870)
Issuance of ordinary shares	891	333
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(2,728)	(1,964)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	3,777	3,329
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(82)	(172)
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	(619)	(958)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Proceeds from sale of businesses		0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(207)	(234)
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	76	0
Capital contribution paid	(47)	(59)
Other investing activities	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(178)	(293)
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)	793	4,244
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	793	1,244
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(7)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	20	45
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	16	38
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(62)	978
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) 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)	249	670
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	249	(480)
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	200	200
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	(4,200)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(696)	(397)
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)	814	4,453
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	17	0
Net cash used in financing activities	135	4,056
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	335	56
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	336	61
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	219	210
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	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	(4,200)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	(696)	(397)
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)	795	4,443
Intercompany dividend paid		0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	17	0
Net cash used in financing activities	116	4,046
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	335	56
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	5
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	336	61
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	5,239	4,232
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,615)	(111)
Proceeds from sale of businesses		6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(592)	(542)
Purchases of investments	(1,987)	(2,479)
Sales and maturities of investments	4,083	3,060
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities	(3)	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(114)	5,981
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	6
Issuance of long-term debt	3	21
Payments on long-term debt	(29)	(1,167)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(5,384)	(12,026)
Capital contribution received	65	4,259
Other financing activities	(7)	(88)
Net cash used in financing activities	(5,352)	(8,995)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(70)	124
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(297)	1,342
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,648	4,917
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,351	6,259
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	4,663	3,334
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(1,615)	(111)
Proceeds from sale of businesses		6,058
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(799)	(776)
Purchases of investments	(1,987)	(2,479)
Sales and maturities of investments	4,159	3,060
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities	(3)	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(245)	5,747
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	6
Issuance of long-term debt	3	21
Payments on long-term debt	(29)	(3,017)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(4,821)	(8,442)
Intercompany dividend paid		(1,048)
Capital contribution received	205	4,731
Other financing activities	(7)	(88)
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,649)	(7,837)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(70)	124
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(301)	1,368
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	3,668	4,929
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 3,367	$ 6,297