Garmin Explore iOS - Recent Threads

Garmin H1 / multi-day mountain trail / sync speed

6215162 — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 17:18:12 GMT

I got a Garmin H1 to use for navigation on a multi-day mountain trail (35 days), and I've noticed that synchronization from Garmin Explore on iOS is extremely slow compared to other devices I've used before.

My plan was to keep only the current and next trail segment on the device for continuity (each segment is around 25–30 km). To make management easier, I split the route into 35 individual GPX segments and placed each segment in its own collection, containing a single track and the relevant waypoints.

I haven't found a way to install these GPX files directly onto the SD card. The Garmin H1 appears to ignore GPX files placed in both /Garmin/GPX and /Garmin/NewFiles, so at the moment it seems that synchronization through Garmin Explore is the only option.

My original idea was to remove completed segments each evening and sync the next day or two of the route. However, synchronization is taking hours, even for relatively small datasets of around 500 track points and 100–120 waypoints.

Is there any way to speed up the planning and synchronization process? On a long-distance hike, managing GPX synchronization should ideally be the last thing I need to worry about when reaching a rest stop in the evening.

I plan to keep two collections on the device at any given time. I don't necessarily want to stop at the end of a planned segment if I'm still feeling strong and conditions are good. For example, if the weather is favourable and I still have energy left, I may decide to continue into the next segment rather than finish for the day at the predefined stage boundary.

Garmin Explore iOS + Outdoor Maps+ Subscription: Watch Battery Drain and Stats Lag During Activity

dtemp11 — Mon, 25 May 2026 04:52:43 GMT

Hello,

I'm hoping someone can help me troubleshoot a significant performance issue I experienced on my first field test after activating an Outdoor Maps+ subscription.

**My setup:**
- Garmin Instinct 2X
- InReach Messenger
- iPhone (iOS, latest)
- Garmin Explore app (latest version)
- Outdoor Maps+ subscription (trial, newly activated)
- Course loaded on watch beforehand via normal Bluetooth sync
- "Sync Current Activity" is OFF

**What I did:**
Loaded a 7-mile course on the watch before leaving the trailhead (same as my normal workflow). Started the activity on the watch. Opened Explore on my iPhone to use it as my map display during the hike — showing my position against the course on the OM+ map layers. This is the use case I was evaluating OM+ for.

**What happened:**
- Watch stats (elevation gain, mileage, remaining distance and vertical) lagged badly and glitched throughout the hike — not updating in real time
- Body Battery dropped approximately 4 hours mid-day with no corresponding activity to explain it
- Watch battery drained at approximately 3–4x its normal rate for a hike of this length
- Rebooted the watch mid-hike — brief improvement, then same issues returned
- Attempted to re-push the course from Explore to the watch — did not resolve the problem
- Overall activity recording appears accurate after the fact, but real-time data was unreliable throughout

**What's different from my normal workflow:**
The only variable that changed was the active OM+ subscription and having the Explore app open on my phone during the activity. I have used this watch and the Explore app for course sync for years without issues. "Sync Current Activity" has been off the entire time.

**My questions:**
1. Does an active OM+ subscription change the Bluetooth connection behavior between Explore and the watch during an activity, even with "Sync Current Activity" turned off?
2. Has anyone else experienced watch battery drain or stats lag specifically after activating OM+?
3. Is there a recommended way to use Explore as a phone-side map display during a watch-recorded activity without causing this kind of interference?

The intended use case — Explore as the phone navigation map while the Instinct handles activity recording — is exactly the workflow Garmin describes for this ecosystem. I'd like to make it work if there's a known fix or configuration I'm missing.

Thanks in advance.

Download failed (Outdoor + maps)

JoMiSan-Tokage — Thu, 14 May 2026 10:48:06 GMT

Anyone having problems with offline maps??

Both, Explore and my GPSMAP H1 shows that there is an update for my downloaded maps, but impossible to get it. I always get "Download Failed".

I deleted the map and tried a new one, and same story. Downloads work with any layer except Topo Pro. If I select the PRO, then, the download error.

Basecamp, main collection and a mirror collection

marcossaad_ — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:42:59 GMT

Hi Guys,

I went to a fish trip with a collection of waypoints belonging to a given collection named "Panorama" and to the main collection.

When I got back home I plugged my F7xPro to Basecamp to edit names and icons of the new acquired waypoints on the trip, saved them to a new list at basecamp and deleted them from the watch using Basecamp in order to let it clean to the next trip. So far so good.

After synch, as expected, all waypoints were not present in the Main Collection but turns out that they were present in the "Panorama" collection too. ...

I erased them from the main collection by deleting them from the watch using Basecamp but this should not affect others collections ....

Any ideas?

Tks,

Offline Maps - do I need them?

2028941 — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 02:32:41 GMT

nothing i do with maps works - eg downloaded maps just show a fuzzy grey area in an orange tile border. Imported all trails routes show blue in the collections but dont exist or are faint purple or grey line in maps. But when i put my phone in airline mode, and switch to offline maps only, and i go to the maps tab and the area I want to walk in, it shows all the details I need anyway. Does that mean I don't need to download any offline maps because somehow the explore app has the data anyway??

Lack of details on "Topo" map in iOS Explore vs. Explore Website

8259601 — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 18:39:37 GMT

Here's an example of the map detail I see in explore.garmin.com/Map - this location is Cuyamaca Peak in San Diego County:

Compared to the detail I see inside the Explore iOS app

There is just a ton more detail in the Web map vs. the iOS map.

Is this something that I can fix? Is this lack of detail something that https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/893561/ improves?

Cannot sync course with course points to GPSMAP H1

JungleJim — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:50:25 GMT

Interesting issue with Garmin Explore iOS (version 4.11) and my GPSMAP H1 (with firmware 7.07).

When I create a course in Garmin Explore app, add named course points to that course and then sync, the created course does not show up on the H1 in the Saved Data app.

If I instead try to navigate the course (by selecting the course and pressing the Navigate button with by H1 paired), a message appears that the course is synced to the device. But after a couple of seconds an error message appears in Explore that synchronization has failed.

When I create a course without named course points, the course shows up on the H1 after a sync of my library.

Anyone else seeing this as well?

Komoot routes with course points

empe — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:49:48 GMT

By chance I recognized that routes made in Komoot are now transferred tp Garmin Explore with embedded highlights as course points. This seems to be new. And even better, now the routes can be edited and will not be truncated as before. It is possible to add course points in GE mobil without that the other course points vanish.

That all sounds good, but I made some not so good experience. As it may depending from the device, I posted it in the forum of the GPSMAP H1. Maybe on other devices Komoot routes are working better. Here is a link to my post: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/inreach/f/gpsmap-h1i-plus/431798/komoot-routes-with-course-points

Garmin explore y CarPlay

6484197 — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:58:48 GMT

seria interesante que la aplicación explore fuese compatible con el sistema CarPlay, igual que lo son los software de otra marca.

se esta valorando esta actualización?

Course point management in Garmin explore

HESHER — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 07:45:52 GMT

Being able to manage course points on my Fenix 8, without internet connectivity, is important to me. (Course points are the ones that show up in “up next”)

the current iOS explore kinda supports existing course points and I couldn’t find a way to add new course points

Is there a way to do this that I haven’t figured out?

Issue with Topo Pro map España

empe — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 08:35:21 GMT

There is a map rendering issue affecting the Topo España Pro map in the Garmin Explore app on iOS. The problem appears in all regions, including the Canary Islands.

When zooming below 1 km, the map tiles become misaligned or show visible seams (a clear tile offset).

When zooming further in below ~100 meters, the map returns to normal — the issue disappears again.

Deleting and re-downloading the map does not fix the problem.

The TopoActive map works fine at all zoom levels, so the issue seems specific to Topo España Pro.

It looks like the Topo España Pro tiles are miscalibrated or not properly aligned in mid-zoom levels.

inconsistent layout

empe — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 13:15:49 GMT

In the activities list of a nearby search, the layout is inconsistent — the date, length and elevation gain values appear in different positions for different entries. Please see the attached screenshot for reference.

It's no big deal, but I thought it is worth to mention it.

Search nearby saved no more shows saved activities and tracks

empe — Sat, 01 Nov 2025 11:46:34 GMT

Since update to version 4.9, in the map section the function "search nearby saved" no more shows activities and tracks. It now shows only the saved waypoints. I like how the waypoints are now highlighted, but I miss the list of nearby activities and tracks.

Pre-Set Messages for InReach Mini 2

2977035 — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 23:12:53 GMT

How do I create pre-set messages for my InReach Mini 2 using the Garmin Explore website?

Offline Maps hangs with "Checking for Updates"

3717974 — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:23:59 GMT

I was recently on an extended, 2-week trip without any cell/data coverage. I downloaded an offline map of the area prior to my departure. For the first part of the trip, Garmin Explore worked as expected, and I was able to see the area map in the app's Map tab.

About halfway through my trip, the map disappeared but I could still see my tracks, waypoints, and inReach message locations:

This seemed strange to me, since I had very deliberately downloaded an offline map of the area. I moved to the app's "Offline Maps" tab and found a "Checking for Updates" message that would never go away:

This behavior continued for the rest of my trip, until I obtained cell/data coverage. Once I had cell/data coverage and I opened the app, the "Checking for Updates" completed (without updating the map) and the map reappeared in the "Map" tab.

Would it be possible for the "Checking for Updates" process to quickly stop if there is no cell/data connection? Or at least continue displaying the map in the "Map" tab, even if the app is checking for map updates?

Garmin explore asks a device update for Venu 4

Gusman — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 11:13:11 GMT

Hi Garmin enthousiasts,

I have recently aquired a Venu 4 and discovered a device software update as soon as I have connected my Venu 4 to the Garmin explorer app. I have connected my Venu 4 to the Garmin express app to find out if there was an update available, but there is no update available. Nevertheless the Garmin explore app indicated I should install the following device update: "DB, BrightGeek Text Prediction Model, Brazilian Portugese version 1.01". I live in the Netherlands and I have not selected the Brazilian Portugese language.

Is this a "bug" in de Garmin explore app for the Venu 4 or is there something else for me to verify?

Thanks in advance for any tips/suggestions......

Gusman

Blue triangle (current position) doesn’t show while GE is synchronizing with device

marcossaad_ — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 17:08:57 GMT

Blue triangle (current position) doesn’t show while GE is synchronizing with device

Erroneous course point added when creating a course

JungleJim — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:48:13 GMT

When you create a course, Explore app seems to add an erroneous course point at the same location as the start of the course. See the following screenshot, it shows Point 2 which I did not add myself. I just created a course by clicking on the map, as evidenced by the shaping points.

This erroneous waypoints results in the default course point icon being shown on my GPSMAP H1 when I load the course.

This is with Explore app version 4.7.1 on iOS.

when deleting a waypoint, all other waypoints vanish from the map

empe — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 11:58:48 GMT

V 4.7.1

when deleting a waypoint, all other waypoints vanish from the map. The vanished ones are still there, not deleted. But in order to see them again, the collection has to be switched off and on again. Switching them off an on leads to another bug which exists for some time. The switched of collections should be grayed out, but they stay red. Reloaded the phone, deleting and reinstalling, logging out and in, nothing helps.

I made videos of both bugs.

Downloading regional maps

9990296 — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:23:04 GMT

I asked this in the wrong forum and someone helped me there but I still couldn't figure it out. When I had Earthmate I could easily go in and go to a waypoint or some other landmark and select satellite view and up would come regional maps that I could just download. And there a whole region would load...not just some minimal square. Does Explore not do this? If it does I certainly can't find it. And worse...if it is satellite view...the area I can use to work with when the map is offline is tiny. That was never the case with Earthmate. Can someone help me with this? Thank you.

Chart elevation units only in meters, v4.7

Lawrence W — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:32:55 GMT

Hi everyone, I’ve been frustrated by this issue where the elevation chart units is only in meters (my profile units are feet or stature where those options exist). This happens for course creation and activity tracking. You can see in this screenshot the topo contours are in feet, the total loss/gain is in feet but the chart units are clearly meters. This also breaks the grade calculation on the chart interactions.

and here’s an activity where min and max say feet, but are clearly meters:

this is iOS app version 4.7 (but it’s been this way for months and many versions)

any ideas how to fix?

thanks

Lawrence

Failure on importing waypoints to Basecamp from a gpx file generated by GE iOS

marcossaad_ — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 19:58:22 GMT

Hi,

I exported a collection containing 3 waypoints and tried to import the gpx file to Basecamp but received a message saying something went wrong with the file.

I opened the exact same file using Trackmaker and just saved it. Voilà! Basecamp read the file like a charm.

Clearly there is some incompatibility on gpx files generate by Garmin Explore iOS and Basecamp.

Regards,

no more blue dots when search for nearby POI

empe — Fri, 22 Aug 2025 17:52:08 GMT

not from the beginning of start 4.0, but some times later, there were blue dots on the map when searching for nearby POI. You could klick on the dots, the map centered to this point and you could see the name of the POI. The dots disappeared, please bring them back.

"Network Error" popup message when trying to create courses on trails in remote settings (no WiFi or cell available)

8783228 — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 21:04:34 GMT

While hiking in a remote wilderness location, I had no success creating courses that followed trails. Prior to the trip when I still had internet connectivity, I was able to create courses that followed these same trails so I know that the Explore topoactive map recognized the existence of the trails of interest. However, I could not create a course once I was out in the woods, even when I tried to duplicate the exact same course I had made previously.

What happened is that I was able to enter the first point, but when I then attempted to add the 2nd point, the app drew a straight purple line between the 2 points (didn't follow the trail) and a red popup message appeared saying "Route could not be calculated. A network error occurred." (I'll try to attach an screenshot image to make this clearer). Interestingly, once back at home, I find that I get the same behavior and same message if I try to create a course with my iPhone in airplane mode.

Can Explore only create courses when it has connectivity? If so, I don't get it because the ability to make courses in the field is an important feature. Or is there perhaps some setting I'm overlooking that would circumvent the network error/direct line issue?

can not get zoom in on off line maps and it also blocks maps even when online

marcossaad_ — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 18:44:20 GMT

Hi Guys,

This have changed after June because I use it without any problem before that.

If I don't have any offline downloaded map in a given area I can deeply zoom in and out at my will but if I download an offline map of that same area I can no longer deeply zoom in and when I zoom out I can "see" the tile blocking the details.

If I delete the offline maps everything gets back to normal.

Image 1 - no downloaded offline map

Image 2 - with an offline map downloaded

image 3 - deleting the offline map

Thank you,