Montana 700i/750i - Recent Threads

No City Navigator maps for my 700i

RVASSEN — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 17:20:18 GMT

My Montana 700i came with City Navigator EU maps when I bought it.

However, with firmware 25.10 and Garmin Express 7.29.0 (Windows 11), it is no longer possible to download or update City Navigator maps on a Montana 700i.

Garmin Express no longer shows City Navigator maps for installation or upgrade. Please, Garmin, fix this!

RE: No City Navigator maps for my 700i

Moto — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:38:23 GMT

Seems like it was a lack of storage space as I removed the topo active for Central America and Canada and now City Navigator is installed. I have turn by turn directions again. The phone line support for Garmin was able to help me with this advice. The above advice was not accurate for my issue. Which is disappointing since it came from a Garmin representative. Also, Garmin software is pretty *** to not letting the user know they will run out of space. The maps just disappear when you complete the update.

Montana 700i random freezes and shutdowns

4586709 — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:39:04 GMT

Hi everyone,

I’ve had a long-standing problem with my Montana 700i randomly freezing, shutting down, or getting stuck during boot.

At first I thought it was caused by motorcycle vibration, so I changed the mounting setup and added a vibration damper. I also tested it over time with and without microSD, Bluetooth, external power and the powered mount, but the problem kept happening.

Recently I did a full factory reset and deliberately did not restore my old profiles or settings. For a short test in the car, using City Navigator with active navigation, it worked perfectly.

Then it shut down again during a short ride on the motorcycle with the powered mount.

Today it became even stranger: while sitting at home completely stationary, the screen froze and slowly faded to black. After that it repeatedly froze during boot. Holding the power button did not help, but removing the battery and reinstalling it allowed it to boot again. Later it froze/faded to black again while I was in the car, stationary, with no mount, no vibration and no external power.

So at this point I don’t think vibration or the powered mount can fully explain it.

The Debug folder also contains several errors over the years, including RTL crashes, watchdog timeouts and WMT/SDIO-related coredumps. Even after the recent factory reset, new RTL errors and multiple AP entries appeared again.

I’ve ordered a new battery to rule that out, but I’m starting to suspect an internal hardware or power-management problem.

Has anyone seen similar behaviour on a Montana 700i, especially freezes followed by the screen fading to black or repeated boot freezes that only recover after physically removing the battery? It is so annoyng when it does that during moto navigation and it happens all the time....

RE: No City Navigator maps for my 700i

RVASSEN — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 06:34:38 GMT

I live in Germany, and I checked the 'Lifetime Map Disclaimer' link on the webpage you provided above. It redirected me to the German version: www.garmin.com/.../. What you are saying is definitely not true, at least not for customers living in Germany or the EU. Here, 'lifetime' is limited to 30 years. Please check the disclaimer.

However, that doesn't matter. I contacted Garmin Support, who resolved the issue for me within minutes.

RE: GPX File Transfer iphone 16 to Montana 700i

Garmin - LF — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:14:41 GMT

Hello Kearly For sharing GPX files between devices, you would need to use either a computer or the Explore app:

Importing GPX Files into BaseCamp and Transferring the Data to a Garmin Outdoor Handheld

Backing up, Viewing, and Transferring Data Using BaseCamp

Importing GPX Files in the Garmin Explore App

GPX File Transfer iphone 16 to Montana 700i

Kearly — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:04:27 GMT

Is there anyway to transfer *.gpx files (Tracks) from iphone 16 to Montana 700i?

i have a number of files saved to my iphone 16, files from GAIA as shared between phones. The file transfer problem occurs notably when travelling and away from Basecamp/laptop and Garmin Explore app doesnt manage tracks

How do i get *.GPX files from iphone16 to the Montana 700i?

RE: Montana 700i unreliable, Freezing on several software versions

Garmin - LF — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:11:07 GMT

Hello lewi3069 I am not seeing any additional reports of Montana 700i freezing, or able to reproduce this. I do see you have since reached out to Product Support directly. If you are still experiencing this concern, I would recommend continuing you interaction with support.

Montana 700i unreliable, Freezing on several software versions

lewi3069 — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:54:56 GMT

I’ve been having a growing number of issues with my Montana 700i freezing and not responding, to the point that I stopped using it for a while. I recently pulled it back out because I was planning to rely on it this hunting season in the Colorado high country, but at this point I’m questioning whether I can depend on it for either mapping or the inReach functionality.

The device is running the latest software, I’ve performed a factory reset, and I’ve limited the installed maps/data to only what I actually need. Despite that, it continues to freeze and become unresponsive.

Most recently, I subscribed to Outdoor Maps+ specifically to use with my Montana 700i and fēnix 7X Pro. The Montana repeatedly freezes while trying to download maps, even while connected to a very strong Wi-Fi signal on a 1 Gbps symmetrical fiber connection. The connection itself is not the limiting factor.

I’ve invested quite a bit in the Montana ecosystem between the device, mounts, cases, accessories, and now Outdoor Maps+, so this has become extremely frustrating. More importantly, the Montana 700i is one of Garmin’s flagship outdoor/inReach devices, and I need to be able to trust it when I’m several miles into the backcountry.

At this point, the core device is effectively unusable for what I purchased it for. I’d appreciate Garmin taking a look at this and helping determine whether there is something else that can be done, because I’m running out of troubleshooting options and I’m not comfortable depending on it in the backcountry in its current state.

RE: No City Navigator maps for my 700i

Garmin - AL — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 18:06:34 GMT

Lifetime Map Updates (LMU) for City Navigator road maps can no longer be purchased for Garmin Outdoor handheld devices and are not transferrable. If already have a map, and Garmin Express does not offer a map update, a new city navigator map will need to be purchased to have the most updated version of the map. You can learn more about this change, and how to purchase these updated maps here: Lifetime City Navigator Map Updates for a Discontinued Outdoor Handheld

RE: No City Navigator maps for my 700i

Moto — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 05:37:50 GMT

Yeah, they are gone for me as well. This is not cool.

RE: THERE WAS AN ERROR INSTALLING THE UPDATE

cdveal — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 14:06:39 GMT

Ran into the SAME problem with my daughter's Nuvi 65LMT. The problem was a BAD micro sd card. Tried to format the card (full format not quick format) on my laptop and it failed. Got a different card, formatted it as FAT32 and everything worked as it as supposed to.

THERE WAS AN ERROR INSTALLING THE UPDATE

Montana — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 23:25:18 GMT

I have a Montana 750i and am trying to do a map update. Using the "Garmin Express" I see the "Map Update Available" and clicking on the install box, I get the terms and conditions screen and click on the accept box that takes me to the Important Notes Before We Begin and I click on the continue Box.Then I get a red box with a THERE WAS AN ERROR INSTALLING THE UPDATE. Yes I have a class 10 32G SD card installed and formatted in the 750i. Having spent time with Garmin Support both via chat and phone and have sent them files and pictures of what I have and been seeing it seems like support has no idea why. Yes I am still waiting for a response for them. Has anyone else had, seen this problem and if so how did you solve this.

Warranty replacement Montana 700i, again developed pock marked brass contacts.

BlackJack — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 15:47:49 GMT

I brought a 700i when they were first released in 2020 for use on my adventure bike. Knowing the rigours of offroad riding, I went to great lengths to resiliently mount the rugged mount to my nav tower, however within 8 or 9 months of ownership and probably less than 20 hours of actual use, the brass contacts on the device had become severely pock marked, which was making the unit constantly shut down and fail to charge.

I contacted Garmin Australia and the were very conscientious in getting my issue sorted, and was asked to send my device and rugged mount away for inspection by their techs and after a week or so, I received a new 700i and rugged mount in the mail, no questions asked. Their service was outstanding.

Sadly though, this second device, replaced under warranty has now failed as well, suffering the same issue of pock marked contacts and is now not charging from the rugged mount. Unfortunately this became apparent while on a trip across the Simpson desert in May 2024, just when I needed it the most. So I had to charge it overnight from a power bank and then use a USB cable to power it while on the bike which fortunately worked ok, but I have my doubts this will be a viable long term option to power my unit while on the bike, as it compromises the integrity of the unit with water and dust.

Obviously out of warranty, I still contacted Garmin to let them know what has happened and that this is the second device thats gone pear shaped as I felt they needed to draw there attention to the fact that there is an obvious issue with the rugged mount/ brass contact interface. Weather thats caused by the rugged mount pins not functioning correctly, the brass contacts material hardness or composition, galvanic corrosion developing between the mounts pins and the contacts who knows, but theres an issue of significance there.

I was a long time Montana 650T owner for many years prior and had zero issues with that in its rugged mount on the bike and it suffered way more punishment than my 700i's, so its infuriating that although Garmin market the 700i as 'milspec', they cant actually to a build the 700 series that matches their previous units.

I know other riders within our broader group with Montana 700i's and they have all reported the same issues, and so the only conclusion I can draw now is that the 700i is simply NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE in regards to offroad motorcycling. I would encourage anyone thinking of upgrading from a 650 or 680T, to not waste their money and keep what theyve got, as they are a far more robust unit.

I contacted Garmin on the 12th of June 2024 and spoke to one of their representatives to voice my frustration seeing my second replacement unit fail as before and supplied them with the required photos and documentation and nothing. Zip. The sounds of silence.

I understand theyre not obliged to help or support me out of warranty, but at the very least it would have been nice for them to have the common courtesy of some level of communication or feedback to my quandry and for their total absence of acknowledgement in that regard, they need a bollocking.

So where to now to achieve the same level of emergency capability ? Inreach mini, Messenger, Spot X , Zeleo or similar and back to my old 650T or an iPad mini for mapping ? I have to say Im very reluctant to reward Garmin again by buying another one of their devices. Disappointed is an understatement.

Resiliently mounted above and beyond the supplied fittings.

RE: Warranty replacement Montana 700i, again developed pock marked brass contacts.

1727318 — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 01:48:16 GMT

I’ve abandoned the Garmin 700i as a bad joke. Garmin offered me a 3rd device or my money back and I chose my money back and went and brought a DMD 865x and havnt looked back.
Far superior 9 pin milspec power connection and their mapping leaves basecamp for dead. On top of that, Apple won’t be continuing to support Basecamp in the future and considering Garmin hasn’t bothered to update Basecamp for ages, that was basically my que to find a new GPS platform. Bye bye Garmin

RE: Warranty replacement Montana 700i, again developed pock marked brass contacts.

7905456 — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 12:21:32 GMT

Thank you so much for the response. I agree with the assessment. However, I did talk with a representative from Garmin and they have been super kind. After I tried a couple of their troubleshooting resolutions without success, they sent me a reconditioned unit and exchanged mine for free. I'm going to try to put a piece of rubber between the battery in the mount to stiffen it up. I am kind of disappointed but I got a fair amount of use out of it, and I feel like Garmin stepped up in my case. My 700 was well out of warranty but they exchanged it anyways.

RE: Another Montana 700i that turns off randomly

Mogu — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:26:17 GMT

The exact same thing was happening to me, and while searching online, I found a post from the US where someone solved it by replacing the rubber silent blocks on the cradle. The original ones are smaller, and after contacting Garmin, they sent me larger ones for free because they were already aware of the issue.

However, I had to explicitly ask for them, as the chat support was the typical "it needs to be installed on the original mount, certified by a shop, it can't be just any RAM mount, etc."

Another Montana 700i that turns off randomly

Roby466 — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:58:07 GMT

Similar to many others, my unit turns off randomly. It is most frustrating when I'm trying to build routes/tracks on the device as unless you have finalized the track, it disappears when it shuts down.

It seems to shut down in less than 30 minutes, it will power back up after.

It has been a problem on battery, and in the cradle so it doesn't seem to be battery related. Also, I have a second battery, and changing battery has not solved the issue.

It has struggled to go through a full SYNCH as it shuts down before being done.

I have found others here with the question, but the fix doesn't seem to be public as Garmin techs response has been ''you will receive an email with the solution''.

I would love to have that solution as this was not a cheap unit!

RE: Warranty replacement Montana 700i, again developed pock marked brass contacts.

Mogu — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:21:34 GMT

The exact same thing happened to me. In fact, I started a thread here and didn't get any help beyond the generic stuff found in the FAQ.

I bought the cradle to connect to the bike's battery, and in less than two years, it stopped charging the Montana 700. Neither my Montana nor the cradle are under warranty anymore (since, on top of that, the cradle has less than a year of warranty here).

After doing several tests on my end, I came to the conclusion that the issue lies with the pogo pins. Due to the bike's vibrations and the front suspension, they gradually wear down until they no longer make proper contact. The pins on my Montana 700 aren't as marked, but I mount mine vertically, so I don't know if that might be why.

Right now, I'm using it on battery power and charging it via the micro-USB slot whenever I hit the pavement on my way home or to where I'm staying overnight.

I recently started using DMD2 on a Tab 3 to replace it, and except for having to keep it plugged into USB all the time, I'm loving it.

This Montana 700 is way too expensive for how flimsy it is for off-road use, and on top of that, the built-in software can't even show the track direction.

RE: Montana 700 charging issues using AMPS mount

632633 — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 01:49:19 GMT

I'm having virtually the same problem with my suction cup mount.

When I connect USB-C power to the mount, my Montana 700 shows the charging indicator (lightning bolt). However, it just won't charge.

I can remove the Montana 700 from the mount and plug in a charger to the micro-USB port and it charges fine.

Montana 700 charging issues using AMPS mount

Mogu — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:07:49 GMT

Hi everyone,

I have a montana 700 that was working fine until some time ago. When placed in the AMPS mount in my motorcycle, I can see the battery icon charging, but the battery doesn't charge. In fact, it will get down to 0. If I charge the Montana vía USB, It charges well.

My AMPS mount is connected to battery and every other charger works fine (like the one I use to charge my smartphone while riding).

Any suggestion?

RE: Warranty replacement Montana 700i, again developed pock marked brass contacts.

7905456 — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 02:32:18 GMT

Hi, I was wondering if you had any luck in figuring out this issue? My Garmin Montana 700 is doing the exact same thing. I also had a Montana before this model and never had an issue with it. Is there not a way to replace the contacts?

RE: Can the current 750i firmware version v25.10 keep SOS when suspension?

Garmin - LF — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:33:23 GMT

1503014 Here are some additional details regarding using SOS while the plan is suspended:

What Is Needed?

A compatible device on the latest software.
The compatible device must be paired and connected in the Garmin Messenger app before the new Suspend Plan will be available.
The device must have been on an active subscription plan before switching to Suspend.
The plan can be suspended for up to 12 consecutive months before the system automatically moves the device into the Enabled plan to preserve the SOS capabilities.
SOS With inReach Suspended Service

Can the current 750i firmware version v25.10 keep SOS when suspension?

1503014 — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:07:03 GMT

Heard that a firmware update is needed to keep the SOS with on suspension plan.

RE: Can the current 750i firmware version v25.10 keep SOS when suspension?

1503014 — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:50:02 GMT

Hi PW,

Thanks a lot for the reply!

I have a question about "when the device has been connected in the Garmin Messenger app".

Do I need to bring the phone that has the Garmin Messenger app paired with me when I am hiking with the unit, with phone's bluetooth open? Or, I can leave the phone at home as long as the 750i has been connected to the messenger app once? Or, I need to regularly connect the 750i to the phone from time to time?

The reason is that I have H1i plus and 750i, and I am using two phones, one for each. And, prefer to carry one phone when traveling.

Thanks a lot!

Montana 7XX Software version v25.30

Garmin-Christopher — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:49:47 GMT

Change Log
: Fixed issues with TopoActive Map downloads