Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Jul. 26, 2019	Jul. 27, 2018
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 1,510	$ 1,702
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(145)	(104)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(301)	(291)
Purchases of investments	(1,669)	(982)
Sales and maturities of investments	1,569	2,020
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities	(5)	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(551)	643
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	88	(505)
Issuance of long-term debt	5,567	0
Payments on long-term debt	(5,035)	(12)
Dividends to shareholders	(724)	(677)
Issuance of ordinary shares	210	450
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(333)	(824)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	(47)	(5)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(274)	(1,573)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2	(61)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	687	711
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,393	3,669
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	5,080	4,380
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
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid		32
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	32
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	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		(32)
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	(32)
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	0
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	6	185
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	6	185
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	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	(6)	(185)
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(6)	(185)
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	(115)	(6)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	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
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	(724)	(677)
Issuance of ordinary shares	210	450
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(333)	(824)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	962	1,057
Capital contribution received		0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	115	6
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	(115)	(6)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	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	0
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	(724)	(677)
Issuance of ordinary shares	210	450
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(333)	(824)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	962	1,057
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	115	6
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	(803)	(387)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(74)	(49)
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	76
Capital contribution paid		(32)
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(74)	(5)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	(4,463)	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	5,337	396
Capital contribution received		0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	874	396
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(3)	4
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	18	20
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	15	24
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(161)	(24)
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0
Purchases of investments	0	0
Sales and maturities of investments	0	0
Capital contribution paid	(6)	(185)
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(6)	(185)
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	(44)	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	211	209
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	167	209
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 Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	150	72
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	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
Other investing activities	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(5)	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	(472)
Issuance of long-term debt	5,567
Payments on long-term debt	(515)	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(5,058)	789
Capital contribution received		0
Other financing activities	(47)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(53)	317
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	92	389
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	1
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	93	390
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	157	77
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	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	0
Other investing activities	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(5)	0
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	0	(473)
Issuance of long-term debt	5,567
Payments on long-term debt	(515)	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(5,065)	785
Capital contribution received	0	0
Other financing activities	(47)	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(60)	312
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	92	389
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1	1
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	93	390
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2,278	2,023
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(145)	(104)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(227)	(242)
Purchases of investments	(1,669)	(982)
Sales and maturities of investments	1,569	1,944
Capital contribution paid		0
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(472)	616
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	88	(33)
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	(57)	(12)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(1,241)	(2,242)
Capital contribution received		32
Other financing activities	0	(5)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(1,210)	(2,260)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2	(61)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	598	318
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,374	3,648
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	4,972	3,966
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Operating Activities:
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,629	1,655
Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(145)	(104)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(301)	(291)
Purchases of investments	(1,669)	(982)
Sales and maturities of investments	1,569	2,020
Capital contribution paid	0	0
Other investing activities	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(546)	643
Financing Activities:
Change in current debt obligations, net	88	(32)
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	(4,476)	(12)
Dividends to shareholders	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	3,892	(2,051)
Capital contribution received	6	185
Other financing activities	0	(5)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(490)	(1,915)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2	(61)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	595	322
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,392	3,668
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 4,987	$ 3,990