Guarantor Financial Information - Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 26, 2019	Jul. 27, 2018
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 7,493	$ 7,384
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	2,366	2,204
Research and development expense	587	585
Selling, general, and administrative expense	2,543	2,597
Amortization of intangible assets	440	446
Restructuring charges, net	47	62
Certain litigation charges	47	103
Other operating expense (income), net	(22)	151
Operating profit (loss)	1,485	1,236
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(101)	(186)
Interest expense	609	242
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	977	1,180
Income tax (benefit) provision	100	103
Net income (loss)	877	1,077
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	864	1,075
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	227	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,091	491
Consolidating Adjustments | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(426)	(362)
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	(311)	(237)
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	(89)	(101)
Operating profit (loss)	(26)	(24)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	609	642
Interest expense	(609)	(642)
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	2,566	3,103
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,592)	(3,127)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0
Net income (loss)	(2,592)	(3,127)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	(2,592)	(3,127)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(381)	1,695
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	(2,973)	(1,432)
Consolidating Adjustments | CIFSA Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	5
Operating profit (loss)	0	(5)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	612	268
Interest expense	(612)	(268)
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	2,917	3,256
Income (loss) before income taxes	(2,917)	(3,261)
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0
Net income (loss)	(2,917)	(3,261)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	(2,917)	(3,261)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(439)	1,208
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	(3,356)	(2,053)
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	2	3
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	13	0
Operating profit (loss)	(15)	(3)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0
Interest expense	145	99
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(1,022)	(1,175)
Income (loss) before income taxes	862	1,073
Income tax (benefit) provision	(2)	(2)
Net income (loss)	864	1,075
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	864	1,075
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	227	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,091	491
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	2	3
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	13	0
Operating profit (loss)	(15)	(3)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0
Interest expense	145	99
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(1,022)	(1,175)
Income (loss) before income taxes	862	1,073
Income tax (benefit) provision	(2)	(2)
Net income (loss)	864	1,075
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	864	1,075
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	227	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,091	491
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	426	362
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	326	273
Research and development expense	168	168
Selling, general, and administrative expense	378	366
Amortization of intangible assets	3	2
Restructuring charges, net	3	10
Certain litigation charges	5	78
Other operating expense (income), net	(439)	(259)
Operating profit (loss)	(18)	(276)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(61)	(160)
Interest expense	712	465
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(610)	(814)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(59)	233
Income tax (benefit) provision	(129)	(104)
Net income (loss)	70	337
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	70	337
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	46	(507)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	116	(170)
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(63)	(11)
Interest expense	221	21
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(968)	(972)
Income (loss) before income taxes	810	962
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0
Net income (loss)	810	962
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	810	962
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	84	(40)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	894	922
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	(7)	0
Operating profit (loss)	7	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(245)	(164)
Interest expense	164	103
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(934)	(1,114)
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,022	1,175
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0
Net income (loss)	1,022	1,175
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	1,022	1,175
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	227	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,249	591
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	0	0
Research and development expense	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense	0	1
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Restructuring charges, net	0	0
Certain litigation charges	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	(7)	0
Operating profit (loss)	7	(1)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(253)	(170)
Interest expense	165	103
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	(927)	(1,109)
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,022	1,175
Income tax (benefit) provision	0	0
Net income (loss)	1,022	1,175
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	1,022	1,175
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	227	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,249	591
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	7,493	7,384
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	2,351	2,168
Research and development expense	419	417
Selling, general, and administrative expense	2,163	2,228
Amortization of intangible assets	437	444
Restructuring charges, net	44	52
Certain litigation charges	42	25
Other operating expense (income), net	500	511
Operating profit (loss)	1,537	1,539
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(404)	(504)
Interest expense	197	217
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,744	1,826
Income tax (benefit) provision	231	209
Net income (loss)	1,513	1,617
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	1,500	1,615
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	108	(604)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	1,608	1,011
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	7,493	7,384
Costs and expenses:
Cost of products sold	2,366	2,204
Research and development expense	587	585
Selling, general, and administrative expense	2,541	2,593
Amortization of intangible assets	440	446
Restructuring charges, net	47	62
Certain litigation charges	47	103
Other operating expense (income), net	(28)	146
Operating profit (loss)	1,493	1,245
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(397)	(273)
Interest expense	690	287
Equity in net (income) loss of subsidiaries	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,200	1,231
Income tax (benefit) provision	102	105
Net income (loss)	1,098	1,126
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Net income (loss) attributable to Medtronic	1,085	1,124
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	128	(584)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(13)	(2)
Comprehensive income attributable to Medtronic	$ 1,213	$ 540