Garmin inReach Messenger: Hands-On Details/Walkthrough! 

For those that question if this device is worth it. 100 percent yes. Lucky my buddy had one of these when i had a major accident in the middle of nowhere. Garmin sent a lifeflight to pick me up. They stated had we called 911, they would have sent the sherriffs office and local closest medical rescue, which would have taken hours to get to us. Helicopter took an hour as they had another call they were on. It was a 15 minute helicopter ride to the er vs hours waiting then hours getting out of the wilderness. This device will save your life when needed.

I see the iPhone satellite feature as a great addition to the iPhone, but it’s a bit like the torch. You are very happy to have it when you didn’t expect to need it, but if you are planning an activity that needs a torch, you are still going to pack a dedicated torch.

We use Garmin In Reach devices for search and rescue operations in wilderness areas. Each person picks one up at base camp and tests it before setting out to their designated area of responsibility. Additionally, We set up cellular repeaters (provided by the cell companies) throughout the search area, but even that may fail in wildfire smoke or in valleys below the repeater. Crews can send updates over the In Reach device if they find the missing person or if anyone sustained injuries. Then when everyone returns to base camp we upload their GPS data (from the In Reach devices) onto a map database to help organize and track areas that were searched.

Love the inreach device.. I do a lot of outdoor recreation activities here in Colorado and it definitely puts me in areas where I have absolutely zero cell service no coverage whatsoever. Also with my job I'm also in areas without service throughout the week so to be able to have the ability to reach out to family or friends for me is a must and that's where the Garmin really shines.. I have had to use it a few times while out elk hunting and also had to use it once to call in on an emergency situation that I came across out in the middle of nowhere on the highway during work hours. Also like the fact that the inreach unit is its own individual device which means I don't have to rely on my cell phone I could easily send messages from the Garmin unit itself. Every time I'm out in the backcountry my phone pretty much stays in the pack protected from falls or any kind of mishaps. The Garmin device is usually clipped on the backpack somewhere near their shoulder strap or on a strap inside of the pack at the top so it can send a clear signal if needed while it's stowed away. I understand that the Garmin isn't for everyone not everybody wants to pay an additional price for subscriptions or separate units to me can't put a price on life. Now I know that may seem a little dramatic for some but I would hate to rely on something that really hasn't been tested globally or rely on a device that also doubles as ones main line of communication..cell phone... Maybe iPhone services do work well but then again I will never know because I am not an iPhone user.

This is one of the best information/review videos I’ve ever seen on RU-vid, excellent job with speed and brevity

Fantastic device, Life saving but the costs + monthly subs put this out of the reach of a lot of people in this financial climate.

Garmin has an additional annual cost for insurance to cover evacuation expenses. It’s like $20/yr. I read some horror stories about $50,000 bills for helicopter evac that made it a no brainer. Not sure how apple has that part covered.

I wonder if Apple will have a way to test their system. I believe Garmin does, where you fill in a request on their website and are then able to test the SOS feature. I personally wouldn’t trust a system I couldn’t test. Could be worth mentioning in future videos.

Great review. Everyone should have a primary and secondary option - never rely on one solution. People who rely on that one item to keep them safe, odds are that item will fail.

This summer I was using my iPhone for navigating in the mountains and deserts of Spain and Portugal. Once the temperature raised above 40 degrees Celsius, the iPhone stopped working.... For that reason, the iPhone is not reliable enough for emergency reasons in all kind of situations. Luckily we had our TomTom as backup ☺️.... In my opinion, dedicated devices are the choice to go for if reliability is important.

I decided to go for a PLB instead, because I am only interested in a 2nd chance in an emergency situation. No subscription fee, works all over the planet.

Given the lousy cell coverage here in Germany outside the cities, Garmin might be the better alternative. Lol. Thanks for your great explanations on both devices.

Very good overview of the new Messenger and the discussion of Apple. I think that Apple has much bigger plans as they contracted for 85% of Globalstar's bandwidth. You don't need that for the occasional lost family that hits the SOS.

With Hurricane Ian rolling across Florida right now, I bet there's a lot of people down there would love to have either one of those devices right about now.

The reassuring part of the inReach is that if you loose or break your phone, you still have the inReach. I also have my inReach and phone tethered to me to hopefully minimize the risk of loosing them while out backpacking.

As a Newfoundlander, great info on what works best for localized adventures like your Father In-law.

Very cool and informative comparison. Also direct and too the point. Great video. Other product "reviewers" that insist on a 2:00 opening with their theme song/promo video, integrated story of their pets, photo montage of random internet photos, etc. could learn something from this review. The point that there is two different, viable markets with two different purposes/use is a really good point as I think that a lot of people may falsely assume that the Garmin and iPhone products/services have more overlap than they do.

I would always choose the dedicated device if I want to trust on it. Sadly there is no option for a one time fee in case of an emergency. I do have cell reception in almost all cases, so the chance I would benefit from an inReach device is almost zero. For me the Apple solutions seems to be more of a gimmick that will mostly help people who are lost because of being completely unprepared, not injured. Try to hold a phone in a certain direction for a while just to send an sos message when you are injured..

The tracking feature is the deal-maker on the garmin, I'm not worried nearly about using SOS if I'm still conscious. Having someone able to see that I've not moved for the last 4 hours is much more of the use case I'm looking for

Never going to use this but still interesting to see how this works. Thnx

Good video. I think showing how the back-track on the device works and even coordinating with Garmin to demonstrate the SOS functionality would make it even better.

I ended up going with a more traditional PLB for events that require them but these more consumer friendly ones with messenger like functionality are appealing.

Probably the only thing which I would like to get incorporated into this amazing device is a torch ...to be activated when I need to find the Messenger in my backpack. 🙂Jokes aside, is an amazing device, super fast and very reliable, amazing battery. Always with me. Great

As someone in a country with 95+% cell coverage, I was surprised how many people use inReach. Then I looked at the cell coverage of the US. So anyway, if I were to be in a situation where I wander off to non-covered places a lot, I'd definitely buy a trusted inReach and pay that few bucks for my ease of mind. I'm not against Apple or anything, but even down the road, I'd consider the iPhone only as a backup (which is AWESOME to have, kudos to Apple). My reason for this is a) battery life (I know, I can turn off the device to save energy, as Dave said in His video, but turning off an SOS device seems crazy), and b) sturdiness. If something happens, a device on me likely gets a hit. if the big screen dies, there are no buttons to press. I'm surprised, how underemphasized this is in the reviews. But maybe it is just me.

Our travel group typed out a go to guide Key of 9 different messages, each with detailed information about tool needs and types of injury and food and water supplies, and we all have a written copy. If we send out a help message it can be as simple as using the #'s in the text (example 2, 3, 5, 7, 9). This tells us things about needing a spare tire, a tow rope, types of injuries and delays, and how much food and water. Keeps messages short.

i Got an old working Inreach using AA-batteries, a bit clumsy but no problem in my Running vest

Very helpful - thanks! Seems like Inreach Mini 2 plus the messenger app is the best solution here in Oz; we'd heard about the iPhone 14, but not that service was only available in parts of North America. (I think the number of spurious callouts will increase exponentially once that's out.) Agree totally that the Garmin plans and options are a nightmare - just like cell phone plans. :-(

The recent software update to 4.01 causes this device to often drop its connection to the garmin messenger app, so if you are hoping to use this for anything but an SOS device you have to live with that tiny screen until they have their next software update. It was enough for me to return the device until I know it’s actually going to work.

Can you clarify the differences between the mini 2 and the messenger?

You are the best resource for all things tech outside. And some things inside. Amazing content as usual!

Interesting: on the official Garmin intro video for Messenger, in the fine print it says "Unless you send a message via satellite communication, the recipient must have the Garmin Messenger on their phone to receive your message." This "seamless" communication matrix between cellular and satellite modes on one axis, and between phone numbers (SMS), email/mapshare, and inReach accounts on the other, might all end up being fairly complex.

Only downside (a little) is lack of Multiband GNSS as in new Fenix 7 Pro line and GPS Map 67 and above. Gives way better accuracy and quick fix

“Quick text: urgent need more beer!” This is a must!!!!!

Dude, it would have been better to do a comparrison between the messenger and the Zoleo.

Just bought. Thanks for the review!

Garmin designer 1: Let's make it look like drug dealing weighing scales. Garmin Designer 2: Great idea, let's do it!

I'd like to know more about the comparison to the inReach Mini 2? We bought one this past summer for my son to use on the Colorado Trail and it worked great. But it's $100 more than the Messenger. It looks like the Messenger does virtually the exact same thing, other than the Mini 2 having a bit larger display. He didn't use it for navigation as he had the Far Out app and a map. It seems the Mini 2 has a much smaller use case now when compared to the cheaper Messenger. Thoughts?

Great device. Amazing you can charge up phone if necessary to revive it.

The Garmin product sounds like a very good product that will serve almost anybody's needs. Apple not so much.

I still don’t understand what the big difference is between this and the Inreach mini?

Are people asking that question? Apple is a good ICE system but if you think you might need it use a specific emergency device. I would mainly wonder if this or the mini 2 is the better choice.

I spoke to Garmin this morning, first DC has more information than they do, basically if you want a connection to mapping of any kind you need the mini 2 or up. This is made to compete with Zoleo or Bivy stick and they want to give you mapping. He had no time line on firmware updates. So for my money the Mini 2 for 100 dollars more is the better decision as we will get mapping connections(explorer app) and messenger connections.(once firmware) I love the extra battery on the Messenger but not enough to give up mapping. I asked about the now I think 3 year old 66i replacement. Of course no information maybe DC has heard rumors of that being replaced?

Apple don’t offer the satellite SOS in Australia so I think the Garmin Messenger may be the way to go. Was looking at the Bivy Stick but I’m definitely a Garmin fan so might have to choose the Messenger instead. Thanks for the info.

Missed the key point: Messenger cannot send emails directly (can ONLY send emails [well, not via your usual email address, but one created by Inreach] to devices with the Garmin Messenger app loaded, e.g., recipients have to accept an invitation and load software , whereas the rest of the Inreach devices send emails in the usual manner (e.g., don't require recipient to download an app.) Just got my Messenger today, sending it back this afternoon.

Cool device, I'm in the market for an inreach type device for backpacking. There are alot of options out there and Apple has there new satellite connectivity communication with the Ultra watch. I heard T-mobile might enable phones for satellite communication. I'm hoping for some news soon. I was also wondering what gear you brought backpacking if you are willing to share your adventure that would be awesome or just a gear load out, lol. Thank You

Thanks for the helpful video! I've looked everywhere for an answer to this question, and still can't find anyone talking about it! Sometimes I trek with my wife, and sometimes one of us goes backpackin solo. Is there a way to unpair the inreach messenger from my phone and pair it with her phone instead so she can take it out when I'm not with her? Thanks in advance!

How does compare to the SPOT then?

I like the comment on the inReach -- It just works.

At firs I thought it's a bathroom scale 😂🤣.

Interesting video. I am looking for something smaller for my 2023 AT thru hike. I have the Garmin Montana 700i and while awesome, it's big and has options I don't think I'll need on my hike. I like this new in Reach messenger but curious how the weather updates look on the iphone? Besides tracking and SOS, getting detailed weather forecasts/updates would be critical to me. Any chance you could get a screen shot of a weather forecast?

How does it differ from the Inreach mini

I’m encouraging peoples to using Garments if they can, because lot of peoples can’t afford devices pulse subscription, and still want to go off the grid.

Need to go Tom hanks in Cast Away to make use of that longer battery life.

I would really like it if Garmin just allowed me to buy a set number of days to use all features on Inreach and I choose to activate them when I’m going on a trip. Realistically I probably only need 30-40 days a year, so charge me £/€/$5 a day if I buy them individually or give me some bundle discount and develop an app where I can enable them for calendar days before I leave for my trip. Right now there are just too many months where it would be wasted money.

@9:00 - Wait, if that same service fee covers them figuring out what your problem is, this is much better value as you can cut your therapist session costs.

I use the in reach off shore on a boat. Garmin subscription is pennies compared to a Satellite Phone.

Seems primarily geared towards (group) expeditions and communications beyond emergencies. The seemless transition of this device between WiFi/Cellular and Iridium means that in case Wifi and cellular connection though smartphone are unavailable, both outbound and inbound messages will fall back to a required inreach satellite plan. Possibly expensive unless you're on a Expedition plan. I'll stick to my Inreach Mini (1) with Safety plan for personal emergencies during bike trips.

Hm, looks like in case of for example broken leg Garmin would work better. I cannot imagine targeting a satellite with your phone while being in a excruciating pain…

Great to see Quechua clothes getting interest with their great value / price

You talk a lot and talk fast, but you didn't compare the feature sets between this new model and the inreach mini.

Mini 2 vs the messenger, if you could only have one which would it be?

Nice work Dr. Rainmaker!

I just tried Garmin Messenger with inReach mini 2 and it is not currently supported.

Thanks, I better reactivate my inReach Mini.

How well functions the smartphone battery loading? How much battery life can for example the in reach messenger transfer on a smartphone like an iphone? does it takes mich time to do?

Ray, when are you joining us for a parkrun at the bos...?

Would you have also some more comparison about how is this Inreach messenger different than inreach mini2? Thanks

Not sure if I've missed it or you didn't mention it, but what's the point of buying an inReach now? It's more expensive, has less battery life and it can't charge your phone. The only advantage it seems to have is routing, but that was never it's strongest area and other devices do it much better.

Can someone text you without you texting them first. In other words, does the Messenger have a SMS number? The Delorme (now Garmin) inReach devices required you to text first in order for someone to reach you. For instance, the Zoleo has a phone number so that anyone can text you as if you had a phone.

Garmin Messenger app is incompatible with Inreach Mini 2 in Australia at time of writing.

Are they good for someone who lives in New York City if the grid goes down.

You mention on the video you were listing the devices compatible with messenger app but it’s nowhere to be found..

Just want to know the Messenger can also send message to e-mail address or only to cell phone number and iridium device?

I lost my inreach exporer, so sad :/

InReach mini 1 owner in USA and if I had the iPhone 14 I probably wouldn’t have gotten InReach. InReach does have more casual messaging and tracking but the purchase was justified for the SOS ability. It’s nice having that in a device more rugged and battery efficient than an iPhone though.

Just tried with my Mini 2... "inReach Mini 2 is not supported" when I tried pairing to the iOS app

Interesting video and thanks for the heads-up. I’ve just downloaded the messenger app and when I try to pair my GPSMap 66i, I get a message to say that the 66i is not compatible.

They should add Sattelitte sfeature to the Fenix 7....Not just for emergency but even for Regular Texting. ...maybe the Fenix 8 eh? GO the same direction as Apple watch Ultra next gen

Apart from most of the Trans Canada Highway across Newfoundland you do not have cell coverage so for those that spend some to considerable time in the no service areas something like the inReach can be a lifesaver. At work we have gone from the Forestry/Department of Transportation radio towers (better coverage area than cell phones) and normally good direct contact to helicopters to early Spot units to Satellite phones (wrong provider so only got on average 10 minutes of coverage per hour, Labrador was somewhat better). For a long time we pushed to upgrade to an inReach but no go so far so basically if we don't check-in in the evening by cell phone the boss has to figure out where we were supposed to be that day and initiate a large scale search instead of knowing exactly where we are and why we are late checking-in. If we were stuck for some reason we would likely be well on with preparations to spend the night. From the sounds of the iPhone 14 app, it will likely be restricted initially to the contenental US and southern Ontario and Quebec, and southern portions of the Western provinces leaving out essentially all of Atlantic Canada.

I just tried to use the Messenger app with my inReach Mini2 and got a messages that the device was not supported.

Super helpful. Excellent explanation.

So why would I pick the messenger over the Inreach mini 2?

Thanks! What would be the difference between Inreach Messenger and Inreach Mini? Especially when you can't use your phone at all.

Complete shot in the dark. With the IPhone 14 being capable of emergency satellite communication, could Garmin leverage this and just create a separate subscription for this? If not, hopefully, Apple could see potential in this as well. It would be great to even have a limited (texts per month) subscription service.

How does it work for recipients of messages? Do they need to have the Messenger app installed or do does it work some other way (i.e. the message is delivered via SMS or they get a link that they can use to access the information)?

inReach Mini 2 not supported by the new message app. This sucks, it just came out a year ago or so.

"You do not have a subscription, would you like to subscribe?" "Fill out your credit card information" "Cannot send SOS".

The messenger is over 100 euros cheaper than the inreach mini 2. I already use an etrex 20 for navigation so the messenger makes more sense for me. As for apple. I use android.

Doesn’t Facebook also have a messenger app? Maybe there was some sort of alternative creative option they could have figured out 🤷🏻‍♂️🤔 What do I know.

Waiting for the day when it become a legal requirement for network/phone operator/manufactures have to by law add an SOS service to all devices linked to satellite for a truly free global SOS emergency service. hard to implement in modern global climate, but the EU could kick start the requirement when the tech is fully available.

Such a well thought-out service and device while Apple is trying to reinvent the wheel but it is square :D

My dad was from Newfoundland

Great review thanks Ray.👍🏼

I didn't really understand the difference between the Inrach Mini and the Messenger. I also have a foretrex 601 and forerunner so not too sure what my best SOS option is ?

How to send SMS or Email via this InReach Messenger?

So if you're exchanging texts using the in reach messenger with the app on your phone, when a responce comes back to you, will it come through on your phone through the app and not as a standard text message? Meaning you would have to stay on the app for the duration of the conversation. Very good video and very interested in this device

Dude - while this video was very informative - I couldn't keep up! You talk SOOOOO fast! :)

Grid down ? No problem

Hate the built in battery.

I've heard some concerns about third-party access to messages sent through the Iridium satellite network. What steps does Garmin take to ensure the security and privacy of customer messages?garmin can read my conversation or no ?