How does the Garmin InReach Messenger work for SOS and messaging?
The InReach Messenger relays Garmin Messenger messages out of your cellphone through Bluetooth or sends fast pre-written messages straight on the machine, so you possibly can contact somebody through satellite tv for pc when you haven’t any mobile service.
You may also press and maintain the SOS button on the machine to set off an automated emergency response and rescue to your location. Nevertheless, for each messaging and SOS, you will want an energetic InReach subscription.
How the Garmin InReach Messenger works
The principle operate of the Garmin InReach Messenger is in its title: it helps you to message folks through satellite tv for pc in case you’re someplace with out a mobile sign. Particularly, it makes use of an Iridium communication satellite tv for pc touring in low orbit, which is not as robust as GPS and will not penetrate thick obstacles like buildings or mountains — which means it will not work indoors and can transmit extra slowly by way of thick tree cowl. However it will penetrate most pure obstacles fairly dependably.
The InReach Messenger listens by default for messages each ten minutes, so members of the family can keep involved, and you’ll verify manually for messages or ship your personal at any time.
To make use of InReach Messenger, you will have to obtain the Garmin Messenger app, register to your Garmin account, and share your cellphone contacts with the app, making you simply findable to different customers. You’ll be able to then ship Garmin Messages through SMS or e mail, in addition to by way of the app itself. (Observe: You may also ship fast messages by way of the app in your Garmin watch of alternative.)
You should utilize Garmin Messenger to ship or obtain messages at no cost anytime you are inside mobile vary. In any other case, for sending satellite tv for pc messages, you will want a subscription; we’ll clarify extra about prices and restrictions under. Principally, any subscription offers you limitless SOS alerts to emergency providers and three default “check-in messages” like “I am okay” or “I am ending my journey” to reassure family members; however you will should pay extra to ship, and obtain customized messages or your location information.
As a aspect notice, Garmin used to allow you to customise your three preset messages, and its unchangeable check-in messages seem to be a irritating option to drive you to spend cash as an alternative of letting you script extra pure and helpful messages like “I am stopping for the day.” You may even be charged each time you obtain a message over satellite tv for pc, so you will wish to warn your family members to not textual content your Garmin account except it is important.
| Class | Garmin InReach Messenger |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3.1 x 2.5 x 0.9″ (7.8 x 6.4 x 2.3 cm) |
| Show | 1.08″ diagonal (160 x 68 pixels) sunlight-readable, monochrome, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Weight | 4 oz (113.9 g) |
| Water safety | IPX7 |
| Battery (Message or location despatched each half-hour) | As much as 46 days (23 with tree cowl) |
| Battery (10-minute monitoring interval) | As much as 28 days (14 with tree cowl) |
| Battery (2-minute monitoring interval) | As much as 6 days (3 with tree cowl) |
| Sensors | Receiver, GPS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, Compass |
| Reverse charging | ✔️ (USB-C) |
You’ll be able to technically use the Garmin InReach Messenger with out a cellphone in a pickle, but it surely solely has three bodily buttons — left, proper, and OK — which are fairly inflexible and hard to press, which makes scrolling by way of an alphabet to pick out every letter in a message frustratingly gradual.
That is why you will wish to make sure that your cellphone is totally charged since you possibly can sort a message on the Garmin Messenger app and ship it by way of the InReach Messenger machine through a Bluetooth connection. In any other case, you will have to depend on these generic check-in messages.
After all the pieces is ready up, you possibly can set the InReach Messenger to ship your messages to particular folks in your contact checklist, in addition to ship your location information at common intervals that your mates can see in your Mapshare web page. You’ll be able to alter the regularity of your location check-ins from each couple of minutes to each few hours, which you’ll be able to select if you wish to protect its battery life.
If one thing had been to occur to you and also you could not name SOS, your contacts may see the place you stopped shifting and ship emergency providers themselves. In any other case, you possibly can press the devoted SOS button — which is hidden underneath a flap so you possibly can’t press it unintentionally — and the 24/7 Garmin Response Workforce will ship your location and knowledge to the closest native emergency providers, whereas additionally trying to contact you. Assistance will come whether or not or not you reply, however you possibly can reply a name in your related cellphone or ship messages on the InReach Messenger to clarify your state of affairs.
How a lot does utilizing the Garmin InReach Messenger value?
Along with the $299 value of the Garmin InReach Messenger, you will have to pay for a satellite tv for pc subscription. You’ll be able to both select an annual “Contract” plan or a “Freedom” plan that permits you to pay for only a month or extra at a time, supplying you with extra flexibility in case you solely journey to distant areas throughout particular instances of the 12 months.
We have outlined the most important variations between the plans under:
| Plan | Value | SOS | Messaging | Monitoring | Climate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Security Plan (Contract) | $11.95/month + $29.95 activation charge | Limitless | 10 texts + limitless check-ins; $0.50 per textual content over restrict | Charged $0.10 per monitoring level or location request | Fundamental climate report for 1 textual content message; $1 for premium report |
| Security Plan (Freedom) | $14.95/month + $34.95 activation charge | Limitless | 10 texts + limitless check-ins; $0.50 per textual content over restrict | Charged $0.10 per monitoring level or location request | Fundamental climate report for 1 textual content message; $1 for premium report |
| Recreation Plan (Contract) | $24.95/month + $29.95 activation charge | Limitless | 40 texts + limitless check-ins; $0.50 per textual content over restrict | Limitless 10-minute monitoring and placement requests | Fundamental climate report for 1 textual content message; $1 for premium report |
| Recreation Plan (Freedom) | $34.95/month + $34.95 activation charge | Limitless | 40 texts + limitless check-ins; $0.50 per textual content over restrict | Limitless 10-minute monitoring and placement requests | Fundamental climate report for 1 textual content message; $1 for premium report |
| Expedition Plan (Contract) | $49.95/month + $29.95 activation charge | Limitless | Limitless texts | Limitless 2-minute monitoring | Fundamental climate report free; $1 for premium report |
| Expedition Plan (Freedom) | $64.95/month + $34.95 activation charge | Limitless | Limitless texts | Limitless 2-minute monitoring | Fundamental climate report free; $1 for premium report |
So along with the excessive value of the InReach Messenger itself, the minimal you possibly can pay to make use of it for a visit could be both $50 for a month or $170 for an annual contract, with the associated fee solely rising in alternate for extra premium plans.
Who wants the Garmin InReach Messenger, and why?
Anybody with an iPhone 14 Professional will notice that it may ship emergency SOS messages through satellite tv for pc at any time at no cost. And we have heard robust rumors that Android satellite tv for pc telephones will quickly arrive, too. It could be a function that solely involves pricier telephones, however InReach Messenger is not a smartphone alternative for outdoorsy varieties (or anybody), so is it nonetheless value shopping for on prime of your cellphone?
Listed here are a number of causes to contemplate it: you possibly can’t use an iPhone 14 Professional’s satellite tv for pc connectivity for normal messages or monitoring check-ins. An iPhone battery will die in a day or two at most, whereas the InReach Messenger can final about 28 days with rare location monitoring and messaging.
Plus, the InReach Messenger has perks like a sturdy water resistant design, reverse charging to provide your cellphone some emergency juice, and Tracback routing that factors you again to your place to begin in case you get misplaced — all nice perks whenever you’re roughing it.
In different phrases, the rugged Garmin InReach Messenger will probably be extra prone to survive some catastrophic harm or retain battery life than a cellphone, will give emergency providers extra precise details about your location, and will probably be higher for “informal” check-ins with household in case you’re steadily caught in useless zones away from wi-fi or mobile networks.
These are all wonderful perks to have in your pocket in an emergency, however the excessive value of entry and ponderous design implies that it is one thing we might advocate just for severe hikers and adventurers who spend an unhealthy period of time off the grid however do not wish to be unsafe about it. In any other case, with telephones just like the Galaxy S23 tipped to obtain satellite tv for pc connectivity this 12 months, extra informal outdoorsy varieties who hardly ever spend time in useless zones could not want one thing so specialised.
Ship your loved ones common check-ins about the way you’re doing and your present location, even in spots the place mobile networks cannot discover you. The SOS button will name emergency providers in case you ever want them; and the robust design and highly effective battery will make sure the InReach Messenger is at all times prepared to assist.