inReach Messenger Plus - Recent Threads

any users from czech republic ( +420 ) ?

skyeye — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:03:44 GMT

anybody from czech republic here with country code +420 ?

I am trying to solve a problem, where messages are simply not delivered to any pjone number with +420 as country code.

When attempted to do so, some hours later, the sender is getting a message saying that message could not be delivered for technical issues.

sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

skyeye — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:13:16 GMT

Following problem reported by out teams:

when a message is sent from an InReach device to a phone as SMS to the phone number, it is received by WhatsApp instead.

This works as long as the phone has internet connection. If the phone has no internet connection, neither wifi nor mobile data, the message is not received at all.

This is problematic particularly when the phone is supposed to receive alarms and similar messages from the InReach device.

Does some one sees the same problem or is there some cure to such behaviour?

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

skyeye — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:58:23 GMT

Today I did contact one of the major cooperating partneers of Garmin within czeck republic. They have also no clue what this is all about ragarding the blocking of sms. Foreign phone numbers will get SMS as usual imediately, trying to send SMS to numbers with country code +420 will result some hours later in:

'Message could not be delivered via SMS due to a technical issue. Please try another contcat method'

anybody from czech republic here with country code +420 ?

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

skyeye — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:26:23 GMT

now we are getting following message back when trying to send anything to a phone without WA:

>Message could not be delivered because this contact does not have WhatsApp available. Please try another contact method.<

it seems that any use of InReach devices messaging to SMS is definitely over.

I was today experimenting with phones from Switzerland and Czech Republic. Swiss phones still do receive messages initiated from InReach devices, noch chance any more in Czech Republic.

Apparently also not possible in Tadshigistan, there do not exit any SMS any more apparently. Everybody must have WA which is however a serious data security hazard.

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

skyeye — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:24:41 GMT

this will be the ultimate solution but I am currently testing in a countray where the delivery is not possible at all without WA as all providers stopped the transmission of SMS completely from September 2026

Looks like the use of all those gadgets based on sms operation is soon over. No idea so far how to solve all.

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

JungleJim — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:22:42 GMT

The support article states that this happens when recipient's phone numbers are associated to WhatsApp. So maybe an option to have your teams use dedicated phone numbers that are not linked to WhatsApp? Not sure if that would be feasible.

I guess it's something the telcos in those countries decided to do, so there's not a lot Garmin can do about it.

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

skyeye — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:37:07 GMT

this looks to be very dramatic as it means that the receiving phone needs to have internet connection.

This is not given for our teams. We have internet at the office only, no mobile data.

Simply to replace one of internet mesengers (WA) with an other one (Garmin Messenger) is clearly not a solution at all.

RE: sms received by WhatsApp instead SMS

JungleJim — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:20:51 GMT

Appears to be a thing specific to some countries. See How to Reply to an inReach Message Received in WhatsApp.

RE: Messenger Plus Messenges in spam folder

Garmin - AL — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 21:55:15 GMT

Are you finding that folks are seeing the messages you send through show up in an SMS spam folder on their phone? I have not seen a spam SMS spam folder on a phone. Is it possible that they are going through to the recipients email address?

Messenger Plus Messenges in spam folder

dlamprecht — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 23:05:45 GMT

Has anyone discover the best options to set under settings> preferences>SMS messages to avoid the text messages you send for ending up in a spam folder. Is the problem present itself when any location is included? Or just the location in a url?

Don

RE: Messenger Plus Messenges in spam folder

skyeye — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:12:29 GMT

hmm, I have so far not met spam folder with sms, but it is known that providers sometimes do things to sms containing external links

InReach Messenger Plus Software version 12.00

Garmin-Christopher — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:45:39 GMT

Change Log

Added warning when factory resetting with an active subscription
Various bug fixes and improvements

Messenger Plus locking up on Garmin screen

7775267 — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 02:48:32 GMT

I’m on a multi-month trip. Across several firmware versions my Messenger Plus has worked well - except when it stops tracking, or checking messages overnight when I have disabled tracking - and becomes inoperative, displaying GARMIN on the screen.

It is recoverable by pressing and holding the power button for a while until the unit powers off.

If this happens overnight (say in a motel) it’s discoverable when I turn tracking back on in the morning. If It happens mid-day, as it did today, it’s a safety hazard because I won’t know that SOS won’t work until the unit powers off.

Do I have a defective unit?

RE: Messenger Plus locking up on Garmin screen

7775267 — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 19:26:39 GMT

That does seem to have solved it, thanks!

RE: Messenger Plus locking up on Garmin screen

7775267 — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 13:37:39 GMT

I did yesterday. Hopefully that’ll do the trick, but since it’s an intermittent problem I won’t know for a while. Thanks.

RE: Messenger Plus locking up on Garmin screen

JungleJim — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 07:48:32 GMT

Did you install firmware 11.05 on your device? That update, just released, seems to address your issue: “Fixed issue where the device could freeze on the GARMIN screen”

inReach Messenger Plus Software Version 11.05

Garmin-Christopher — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:00:19 GMT

Change Log
: Fixed issue where the device could freeze on the GARMIN screen

RE: Messenger Plus locking up on Garmin screen

7775267 — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 20:13:10 GMT

Anybody? It’s still happening on the latest firmware.

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

skyeye — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 21:06:49 GMT

yees , but this explains only the situation where there is not messenger plus on both sides.

In my particular case, a messenger plus device was operational on both sides and connected via BT to android and messenger app.

In such case having restrictions makes no sense for communication, particularly on both sides there 'faster downlod' automatic active

received pic 'download via internet only'

skyeye — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:16:15 GMT

Some problem came just up.

Sent a picture from one messenger to other.

On the receiving side, the message content is kind of marked as 'download via internet only'

strange? how to get the media received actually to be received via iridium?

(we are currently in a rescue mission and need the function)

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

Volker — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:41:15 GMT

Strange, my phone was in airplane mode only connected with M3+ via bt and I got the pic in my mess app. But maybe I have overlooked something..?

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

Garmin - AL — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 15:24:01 GMT

Photos will be compressed in order to send via satellite. These images will only be available to download once the device has accessed WiFi, or cellular data. You can learn more about this feature here: Sending a Photo or Voice Message With the Garmin Messenger App

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

Volker — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 13:28:12 GMT

Placed my Mini 3+ outside connected with my phony via bt (WiFi/internet off/airplane mode). Someone sent me a pic and it was received on my phone / mess app via satellite.

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

skyeye — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:59:26 GMT

this was my experience too so far.

no idea what is wrong now at the rx side exactly

I did just sent a pic via internet, this seems to have arrived normally

a pic sent from my side via messenger without any local internet did also not arrive there, while on my side correctly converted and transmitted (abt 30-40 sec)

RE: received pic 'download via internet only'

Volker — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:45:13 GMT

Strange. Sorry, unfortunately no idea 😞 I thought if both devices are messenger+ devices and paired witha phone/mess app, the via iridium sent pic should be available on the other side without Wifi/internet...

Sorry: maybe stupid question: the receiving messenger plus is connected with the mess app?