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Unable to pair with iPhone 11 Pro

Involute1234
over 1 year ago

My 66i is running v9.5.  I just installed the Garmin Messenger app on my iPhone 11 Pro and I'm trying to pair it with the 66i.  The 66i is in Settings/Bluetooth, but the app is perpetually "Searching for inReach devices" even though they're only about four inches away from each other.  The 66i doesn't even appear in the phone's Bluetooth list.  What am I doing wrong?

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    I don't know that you're doing anything wrong, I've occasionally had pairing problems. Try turning off the bluetooth on both your phone and 66i. Turn both devices off, and leave off for a couple of minutes. Turn on both devices. Turn on bluetooth on the phone. Then, turn on 66i bluetooth, while observing your phone's bluetooth screen.

    If that solves the problem, great.  If not, look at what appears on your phone's bluetooth screen.  You may see more than one 66i device listed. Select each to see if one pairs. Typically, the one listed with a device number will pair, while the listing without a device number won't.

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    IIRC, the 66i required a f/w update to successfully use the Messenger app. I am unable to find anything which states the minimum f/w version. Check to see if there is an update available for your unit. 

    However, if the 66i does NOT appear in the list of BT devices on the phone, you probably have other issues. The instruction here apparently expect you to allow the Messenger app to handle the pairing (rather than pairing directly with the phone). 

    https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=q5Ru6vKneE4Wn3TmGxymu7&partNumber=010-MESGR-00&tab=topics&topFaq=true

    The conventional wisdom here is return to ground zero before you start. Have both the device and the phone "forget" the other. Then start the pairing sequence. Do note that the device can only be paired with one phone at a time. If it was paired with an older phone, you need to "forget" that as well.