Garmin Explore iOS suppresses turn-by-turn when manual POI Course Points are added

Wow. 
I didn’t know that GE had been updated to work with course points. In the past it was only waypoints.

I’ll give a try later.

Regarding TBT signs (arrows) this was expected already once Garmin Connect does the same.

Let’s say you create a course point using a 3rd party app and includes TBT among with others types of course points.

a) if you send this course to your device via Garmin Connect it will stripe off all TBT you might possibly had included such as left, right, etc

b) but if you send this same course via an USB cable directly to the device into Garmin/NewFiles all of them you present and will show up when navigating that course.

I believe Garmin wants to reserve TBT to the their automatic calculated TBT based on a given map you are using on the device.

It’s a shame they don’t allow the user to choose with one to use.

Yes – that’s basically how GE iOS is meant to be used.

It’s perfect for “on-the-spot” planning: just click a few points on the map, hit Navigate, and let the device guide you.

For saved routes with both TBT and custom POI course points, GE iOS will not keep both at the same time – Garmin strips the non-native TBT when syncing.

So for detailed, pre-planned rides, Connect Web or Strava are better options.

GE iOS shines when you just want to create something quickly on the fly and start riding right away.

Garmin Connect works exactly the same as GE stripping TBT from imported files as well doesn’t offer them as custom Course points. 

The main porpoise difference between them is that Garmin Explore doesn’t require an internet connection therefore is the only option when you are off grid.

Thanks — small correction: I’m not talking about imported files. The issue happens with courses created natively in Garmin Explore iOS.

If you add manual POI-type Course Points in GE iOS and sync via Garmin cloud (no USB), the course on the device shows no turn-by-turn prompts — only the line — while the POI Course Points remain.

The same route made in Connect Web or coming from Strava gives both TBT and POIs. So this isn’t about imported TBT being stripped; it’s that GE iOS doesn’t provide/retain TBT for its own authored courses when POIs are added.

Repro (no imports, no USB):

1. Create a course in GE iOS → add 1–2 POI Course Points (e.g., Water).
2. Save → sync to device via cloud.
3. Open on Edge → no TBT prompts, only breadcrumb; POIs are there.

Explore’s offline planning is true, but it doesn’t change this specific behavior.

Hi,

It seams we are walking on circles here and you are mixing things.

1. Edge devices are not compatible with Garmin Explore.
2. Nor Garmin Explore nor Garmin Connect nor Strava have the options to create or allow to import courses with " "CUSTOM TBT (arrows) COURSE POINTS".
3. Edge devices and watches are compatible with "CUSTOM" TBT course points as far you save the file directly to the Garmin/NewFiles and they show up during navigation but won't be part on UPAhead list. I do this every week to my MTB group.
4. See in here 

   https://github.com/mshroyer/coursepointer/blob/main/docs/point_types.md  a table showing compatibly of Garmin Connect with others that use the standard present at the fit SDK and the expected behavior:

5.  Also another chart

my bad. I made my text with the help of ChatGPT. It does not know that GE and Edge won’t work together. I replaced edge by device but overlooked some. I am using a Tactix 8. Outside this, everything is as described by me. In the meantime Garmin GE support contacted me. I will give all necessary information. Hopefully after then TBT and Course point notifications will be available together.

I did another test and have to amend my post a little. GE does not suppress TBT announcements. They never have been there. Or at least not if course settings are "follow course". If Course settings are "use map" you get TBT alerts through vibrations, not by voice. But then you get no up ahead page and no course point alerts.

My confusion came from using before the 'use map' setting till I started to experiment with  course points and consequently the "follow course" setting. As Strave and Connect can do both, TBT and course point announcements, I still believe that GE IOS has a bug.

So why not using Strave and Connect? I like how to create a course in GE IOS, putting shaping points just by pressing on the map.

I answered questions to GE support and send log files. 

On my GPSMAP 67 (and I think those are on the 66 as well) there are two course navigation options: direct path and roads&trails.

Direct path course navigation will give you no turn by turn for a loaded course, but it will alert for course points. Not sure it does that for all course point types, I didn’t test that.

Roads&Trails course navigation gives turn by turn, but I have found that inconsistent. When you deviate from the course the device will give turn by turn to get back on the course. If you stay on course I found I got instructions for some intersections but not for all. I didn’t test course points in this mode.

Based on my experience with GPSMAP 66sr, 67, Oregon 700 and various Edge models my conclusion is that the navigation experience simply varies between devices.

And as for syncing courses, for most platforms any course points (or whatever different platforms calls these) are stripped from the synced course. My guess is to prevent double navigation cues because eg on an Edge you don’t need cues in the course because the Edge wil generate these for you when you navigate the course.

Hi,

First we need to define what TBT is for each one of us.

Is it the "automatic" directions created by GARMIN based on the map and/or changes in track directions? The ones that appear on the "GUIDED TEXT" field present on Edge devices.

In my case, because I'm MTB often always on regions where maps don't show almost anything I rather create mine own "directions", the arrows, so I can safely take single tracks entrances and etc.

Unfortunately, the only way I can get those, on watches or Edges, is by creating the course on 3rd party's apps that have those directional arrows available on the course points set and copy that course via USB cable directly to the device.

I even configure the device (edge) "Guide TEXT" to NEVER SHOW and include 2 fields: next point and dist. to next. Watches do not require that because they natively show the icon and the distance to next.