Garmin Messenger iOS - Recent Threads

Why does the default reply within a thread use a different messaging mode?

5804028 — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 20:01:35 GMT

For a saved contact, if a message is sent using an inreach ID the reply defaults to replying using a phone number instead of using the same messaging mode in which a message is sent. To reply to a message not using a phone number requires cresting a different thread to insure a message is sent to the inreach ID and not a phone number. This creates parallel messaging threads.

This is very inconvenient when sending and receiving messages. Can a solution be developed to ensure the same messaging mode is used for sending and replying to a contact to avoid creating multiple threads for the same conversation?

RE: Why does the default reply within a thread use a different messaging mode?

Garmin - SP — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:01:05 GMT

Just to confirm, is this the process you are using when sending the messages from the Messenger app?

Contacts and Sending Messages With the Garmin Messenger App

If this is different than what you are seeing, can you please upload a video via this secure upload link and reply when you have done so.

Garmin Secure File Upload

RE: Professional and Personal accounts on same device

Garmin - DC — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:14:17 GMT

While you are unable to switch between a professional and consumer account without logging out. We are always looking to improve the experience with our app and we would like to get this idea heard. Please submit this form so we can get this over to our team of innovators: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/forms/ideas/

Professional and Personal accounts on same device

5804028 — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 19:36:09 GMT

Is it possible to have a professional and personal/consumer account on the same mobile phone or in the same messenger app?

I have recently been assigned a professional inreach account for work, but I want to use my personal inreach account for non-work messaging. Is this possible without signing out from one account and signing in with the other because this is not possible outside of mobile network.

if this is not possible, can this feature be added? I have several colleagues with the same issue. Others must have this problem or will in the future.

Child Accounts Not Eligible to Create Messenger Account

Lamont — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:07:14 GMT

I have a child account setup for my son under the new child account setup. I'd like to be able to get him the messenger app so we can send each other messages. It says he is not allowed to create an account as a child account. Expected behavior is that anyone of family account could create a Messenger account to message each other.

RE: Child Accounts Not Eligible to Create Messenger Account

Garmin - SP — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:52:08 GMT

Garmin Child accounts do not have access to the Messenger app and only have access to the following apps:

The Garmin Connect™ app
The Garmin Connect IQ™ app
The Garmin Dive™ app
The Garmin Golf™ app

You can see more about the function of the child accounts here: Learn More About Garmin Child Accounts

Child Account Following

Lamont — Fri, 22 May 2026 14:04:42 GMT

Please allow a parent to be able to follow (and be followed back) by a child account. This seems pretty basic. The way it is now, there's no way to connect with your child accounts in terms of activity, challenges, etc.

Brak powiadomień z aplikacji

5006729 — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:01:12 GMT

Nie mogę włączyć funkcji odsczytywania wiadomości na Garmin fenix 8
Dostaje powiadomienie ale nie mam opcji odczytać, w ustawieniach na aplikacji garminie Connect mam tylko dwie opcje
„powiadomienia push „
„Powiadomienia e-mail „
Brak jak u innych „ powiadomienia z aplikacji „

send location with fenix 8 solar with messenger app

gabynet — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 16:50:09 GMT

Can sent the location to messenger contact in fast mode?
when I go in race if I want send the location to my friend in contacts messenger in fast mode.

can send some messages presets but i want sent the location at time.

rgds,

RE: send location with fenix 8 solar with messenger app

Garmin - AL — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:38:01 GMT

Only fully inReach capable devices (like the Fenix 8 Pro/Fenix 8 MicroLED) will be able to sync/update quick responses that have been edited in the messenger app. You can review additional information here: Differences Between Preset, Check-In, and Quick Text Messages

RE: Can I share my Garmin Inreach Mini 3 with my family accounts?

4783710 — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:33:02 GMT

Hi, Garmin,

My son does not have a Fenix, he just has an iPhone and my Garmin InReach Mini 3 Plus. How can he connect the inreach mini 3 plus to his iphone and have his messager details and his livetrack name? Right now, if he connects my garmin inreach mini 3 plus to his Garmin Messenger on his iPhone, he has to login with my Garmin account to be able to connect to the InReach device which uses my name and my mobile number. that won't work for our sharing purposes.

Can I share my Garmin Inreach Mini 3 with my family accounts?

4783710 — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:24:28 GMT

I have a Garmin InReach Mini 3 and I pay for the subscription and it is paired to my iPhone. How can I share this with my son who is going for an outback trek without having to reset the whole device? Also does the subscription that I am paying for attach to my garmin account or does it attach to the garmin inreach mini 3 device itself?

Verification Code when setting up Messenger

7477556 — Sun, 20 Aug 2023 07:32:43 GMT

I am not receiving the 'verificaiton code' text message when setting up messenger. I have asked for the code to be sent 4 times and it has not come through. Can you hlep me with this?

RE: Verification Code when setting up Messenger

4291012 — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:17:27 GMT

I just had the same issue and same remedy. I switched from Vz to T-MOBILE with a new S26 ans couldn't receive the verification code until I texted "HELP" to the above number. Probably wasted 2 hrs trying to troubleshoot w Garmin.

Thanks so much

RE: Can I share my Garmin Inreach Mini 3 with my family accounts?

BeneGi — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:56 GMT

The easiest way to do it would be to just hand it to him set up like it is. the subscription is linked to your account and the device itself. This has been a problem for people owning an InReach and buying the Fenix 8 Pro, only one active device per InReach User Account was possible.

If your son isn’t already on its way: Install the Explore or Messenger App on his phone, connect the InReach to his watch (if a compatible watch is used) as a remote. Don’t change the settings on the InReach but connect it to the App and to the watch like it is.
On the watches there will be no problem, in our hiking group we connect 3 watches as a remote do my InReach Mini 2 at the same time. If you need to log into the App with your account to use it for communication, i dont know. If you want to record also a track on the InReach, disable automatic sync in the app and download the record before you sync. This way it wont appear under your account.

iPhone update (26.3.1), problems with my vivoactive 5

3835512 — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:56:11 GMT

Since the latest iPhone update (26.3.1), my phone alarms are no longer mirrored on my Vivoactive 5. In the previous version this worked fine, but now the alarms don’t show up on the watch anymore.
Has anyone experienced the same issue or found a solution?

como sincronizo whats app en mi garmin fenix 8

2600278 — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:56:42 GMT

No puedo sincronizar mi whats app en el reloj. Cómo puedo hacerlo

RE: "Add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app"

Demers0317 — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 14:00:40 GMT

I’m experiencing the same problem contacts don’t show in Garmin Messenger app (V 2.6) and Fenix 7 gives me the prompt to add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app. Has it been confirmed that Messenger will only show contacts who also have the app. Is their a fix for this issue?

"Add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app"

Volker — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 06:57:25 GMT

If I choose "New Message" on my F8x or Epix 2 Pro (all on newest sw), I always only get "add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app". Of course I have contacts in the Messenger app/on my M+ available. I am on iOS 2.2.1 (1182785) MESSanger app version. Is it just an user error/I am to dumb to check it or ...???

I have power cycled phone/watches, unlinked watches from Mess app and readded them. Did not help.

Garmin Messenger does not always show the same battery percentage as shown on InReach Mini 3 device

JasonPursell — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:35:01 GMT

[UPDATE 1/11/26]: I've figured out what is happening and have updated the steps to reproduce below. This is a cosmetic/temporary bug only, but should probably be fixed because it could be encountered after charging the battery]

I also posted this in the InReach Mini 3 Plus forum, but posting here for visibility since it's probably a Messenger bug and not a device bug.

[mention:529b5ec2b19b4e38be1e1d2d86ed6846:46448885d0e64133bbfbf0cd7b0fd6f7]

Issue: The battery percentage shown in Garmin Messenger device status page is not always consistent with what is shown on the InReach Mini 3 device itself if the app is opened after the InReach battery was recently charged to more than what it was the last time Messenger connected.

Environment:

InReach Mini 3 Plus
iPhone (17 pro, iOS 26.2)
Garmin Messenger app 2.6 (1423752)

Prerequisites: The InReach is registered and paired with the Garmin Messenger app.

Step to Reproduce:

Close the Garmin Messenger app. It should not be open or connected to the InReach for the next step. Important step
Let the InReach Mini 3 discharge to a lower battery level. I chose 90%.
Now open Garmin Messenger app let it connect to the InReach. View the battery level on the status page. It should match the level of the InReach (e.g. 90%).
Close the Garmin Messenger app so that is no longer connected to the InReach. Leave it closed for the next step. Important step
Plug in and recharge the InReach battery to 100%.
Once the InReach is fully charged unplug and start it if it's not already. Wait for it to boot up fully.
Now open the Garmin Messenger app on the phone and view the InReach status page.

Observed: The battery percentage is lower in the Messenger app than it is on the InReach device. In my case the Messenger app read 94% while the InReach read 100%.

Expected: Battery level in the Messenger app is the same as on the InReach device.

Workaround/Mitigation:

Simply waiting for the InReach battery to naturally drain one percentage point on the device causes the app to "resync" and display the correct value again. In the example I used for the steps to reproduce both Messenger and the InReach would now show 99%.

NOTE: You can speed up this workaround in a couple of ways. 1. by setting your phone to airplane mode with no wifi and checking for new messages on the InReach while inside a building (to force faster battery drain). Or 2. you can close the Messenger app so that the InReach will be forced to use sattelite. After the InReach reaches 99%, reopen the app and it will show 99% too.

This is really just a cosmetic issue only. It is some kind of initialization/optimization bug where the messenger app is not setting the battery level to the new value after the InReach has been recharged while the app was closed. One interesting thing is that the Messenger app chose to display 94%, not 90% that it showed in step 3 of the Steps to Reproduce. Maybe that's a clue as to what or where the bug is?

These two images show the results after Steps to Reproduce:

These two images are after the "workaround" where InReach device's battery drained from 100% to 99%. Now Messenger shows correct value. I actually watched Messenger update in real time:

Messenger not connecting to Venu 3

Ɛpsilon — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:46:28 GMT

Messenger app and inReach work perfectly fine with my Enduro 3

I add the messenger app to my Venu 3 - then add it as a device to the iOS Messenger app - it adds it, but is permanently stuck on Not Connected, the Registered and Last Seen time/date is when I add it - and Messenger on the watch is permanently on Setup Required

have deleted/re-added to both Connect and Messenger

RE: Messenger not connecting to Venu 3

Garmin - DK — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:31:21 GMT

While the Venu 3 is not specifically called out in this Support Center article, the troubleshooting will be the same: https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=4U1rUmI9LrAPazoGCKpuC6

Please give those steps a try, especially the ones in the "IMPORTANT" box.

RE: Verification Code when setting up Messenger

spatty999 — Sun, 19 Oct 2025 17:13:29 GMT

I had the same issue and sent a text to 31061 (it was not blocked) and magically the verification text came through. Thanks!

RE: "Add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app"

GrigorisLambakis — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 16:44:22 GMT

Confirmed the contacts that appear in the messenger app on my phone have the messenger app set up on theirs. This is also very strange. In today's update of the messenger app (2.4.1), if someone sends me a message through Messenger, it now appears on the watch as a unique contact. If I go to select new message, the known error "add contacts ..." appears..

Edit : It seems that I can now send a message from my watch only to contacts that I have sent - replied to. The "add contacts..." message no longer appears. soft ver on watch 23.16B

RE: "Add contacts in the Garmin Messenger app"

candy_dish — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:12:56 GMT

GrigorisLambakis Do your contacts in the Messenger app actually have the Messenger app installed on their phones? That's the only way I was able to get them to show up on my Garmin watch.