Enthusiast III
Garmin support was horrible. They replied and did not support me at all. I think this thing is going back. No idea what I’ll try next, not sure why it works for some but not others.
Gaia inreach mini 2 and iPad mini 6 … JUNK
- Thread starter wishihada4runner
- Start date
In the Garmin App can you see your proper location? Make sure wifi is off because devices can triangulate general locations via wifi. What about Apple Maps or Google Maps? I no longer pair with a BT GPS but in the past, my Mini worked fine.
Advocate I
If all you're wanting is GPS on the iPad and don't care about inReach services return both the iPad Mini 6 and inReach Mini and get an iPad Mini 6 w/ cellular. The cellular models have built-in GPS receivers and you do not have to have the cell plan activated. That would be the easiest path to using Gaia and onX out on the trail, don't have to mess around with any external device providing GPS data to the iPad.
Advocate I
I love my iPad Pro but I have the wi-fi only version which has no built-in GPS. When it connects to my iPhone it will be able to relay GPS coordinates to Gaia and that’s great but for what you pay for the Apple tablets all models really should have built-in GPS. The recommendation I always have for others asking about tablets for in vehicle mapping is to get one of the much more inexpensive Samsung Galaxy tablets. For under $100 you can get a 10 inch model that has GPS and easily expanded memory that you can run Gaia well on. It is cheap enough to just leave in your vehicle dedicated to that task and not worry too much about theft or damage compared to your Apple tablet.
Enthusiast III
Nope, it doesn’t even work with the garmin explore app. If I turn in WiFi and it gets it’s position then turn off WiFi, it seems to keep the GPS info but that’s garbage and not feasible in the field.
Enthusiast III
This is a good suggestion. My wife did get this iPad at Costco so maybe we can still return it. No box or anything but they’ll still take it back within 90 days I believe for electronics. It’s becoming extremely frustrating because I read all over the internet about people doing this.
Advocate I
I also have a Rubicon and really don’t use my tablet for navigation. I have the stereo with the 7” screen and I just run Gaia on my iPhone and use Car Play to display it on the Jeep’s dash screen. If you have the same unit in your Rubicon and have an Apple or Android phone you can try that too.
Enthusiast III
I’ve got the 8.4” and it sucks. Using CarPlay is horrible with Gaia. The UI is the worst. Difficult to scroll and zoom so I knew I wouldn’t be using that. It does display but apparently not good enough for me. Haha I guess I’m just really picky.
Enthusiast III
The reason I didn’t get the cellular iPad was because I wanted a satellite communicator. I figure I should get with the times and have that extra layer of safety for backcountry trips whether backpacking or driving.
Advocate I
My concern with going that route is that the inReach battery life is pretty awful if used for more than minimal use. Not that you would be using it while not plugged in, my point is more that it's not really meant for constant use like that and it would suck to have it not work when you need it to. My suggestion is to have gear dedicated for specific uses and not shared for multiple tasks, especially if you consider it to be critical in an emergency. Having the inReach is a great idea (we have one), but all it's for is tracking/checkin/SOS. My iPad is the cellular version so it is self contained and doesn't rely on any other piece of gear to fully function.
Last edited:
zgfiredude
Rank VI
Steward I
I am running either Gaia or OnX on my Iphone 13 (trying both to see which one I like better) which is mounted/wired into the large screen head unit of the stereo that the prior Jeep owner installed (read, expensive one, lucky for me)...works via Apple Car Play. I will admit that I still have the Inreach mini, but it is there ONLY for emergency communication purposes for now, I may flip to Zoleo at some point.
I was an anti-apple android guy for years and these types of uses didn't play well there either (may be better now), and I finally tried an Iphone. I have to admit that it is better, and my experience with apple car play is also better. It is not an overly sophisticated set up, but it works, which works for me.
I still enjoy routing on a laptop in conjunction with paper maps, then downloading that to the phone for use and off-line use.
Enthusiast III
I just cancelled my inreach subscription and they refunded me everything I’ve paid. Time to look into other options that reliably work I guess.
My vote as suggested by others would be to get an iPad with LTE. I have never had an issue using the internal GPS that you get with the iPad. I have 3 different iPads for a variety of reasons. Work, play, drone... blah blah blah...
On a side note for those that don't want to tether or need a great sim card as a backup and for international use, I use Google FI. My phone is Verizon. Google FI in the states is typically T-Mobile. It has been nice to have backup LTE. There are times when one works and one does not. Anyway, back to the topic at hand....
Traveler III
I imagine that this is supremely frustrating. I use a legacy inReach and pair it with my phone only; CarPlay displays the maps I need. For the mini, the garmin instructions state that you should download and log into Earthmate app and make sure that the Mini is connected to the app by checking system settings on the app. Not sure if this is the difference, but it Earthmate is getting GPS, the iPad should be getting it also systemwide.
Pairing an inReach Mini With a Phone or Tablet and Activating a Subscription | Garmin Customer Support
Garmin Support Center is where you will find answers to frequently asked questions and resources to help with all of your Garmin products.
support.garmin.com
Traveler III
Looking at the garmin instructions carefully, you have to "pair" the device from within earthmate, not BT. Delete the BT pairing first, then "pair" the mini from within Earthmate App.
Many third party devices work like this on iOS. My Echo trailer brake controller for example. Stupid me I could not get it to connect to the phone and app. I then read the instructions. It has to be paired from within the Echo app to sync with the phone. Give it a try.
Many third party devices work like this on iOS. My Echo trailer brake controller for example. Stupid me I could not get it to connect to the phone and app. I then read the instructions. It has to be paired from within the Echo app to sync with the phone. Give it a try.
Traveler III
I felt this way also about Gaia and CarPlay until I realized that the Carplay Gaia screen is essentially just an extension of the Gaia Apple Phone app. Before I roll wheels, I make sure my layers / routes are set on the phone, and the CarPlay gives me what I need. The point-to-point directions are weird on CarPlay considering waypoints as individual destinations. I wish the CarPlay screen responded to finger gestures better. Still like it better than hanging another device from my dash.
Traveler III
Just as a test, I downloaded Eartthmate to my iPad and turned off wifi (My iPad is non-cellular). I set up my legacy inReach to pair. From within the Earthmate app, I paired the inReach. Keeping wifi off, here is my signal in Gaia from inside the house. Took about two minutes total to set everything up and download maps. I have been meaning to to this as I carry my iPad but haven't used it to plan or navigate.
Enthusiast III
I couldn’t pair via the earthmate app, only the explore app. I’m already in process of factory resetting the stupid thing. If it isn’t reliable or meant to do what I need then I’m not going to trust it in the field. Apparently Zoleo won’t either, their customer support said the application I want to do is not supported. Waiting on bivy and somewear. If nothing then I’ll just return the iPad and get something with cellular. I don’t know why it won’t work, stupid junk.
Traveler III
Sorry to hear this. I am good with tech, and get extremely frustrated when I can't make it work. Don't forget to delete all related BT connections and restart the iPad.
I'll jump in as I have the same problem now that I "upgraded". You will see what I mean by this in a minute.
iPad Pro Wifi only (as folks have mentioned no built in GPS if you don't get cellular option which is insane given the price).
Garmin Inreach Explorer+
With the above setup, once you are connected (note that version of Inreach uses the Earthmate app) it transfers the GPS signal to the iPad just like an external GPS puck does (Elf, Garmin GLO). Everything works as one would like it
Upgrade the Inreach to Mini 2 (now uses the Explore app which for me given I run the Fenix watch is useful) and I find this easier to hike with then the larger unit.
Now it does NOT transfer the GPS signal. I have tried contacting Garmin a number of times and their tech department is lost as its not the primary purpose of the Mini and they will just try to assist you to give you regular bluetooth connection help (yup thats pretty easy to do and a must to send messages), so no that's not the issue.
I doubt this is a hardware issue, but a software/firmware issue and the feature may show up eventually (by the way I own half a dozen Garmin products and their software update cycle sucks - recently they announced they are trying to move to quarterly updates across their product range).
So if you want this solution you have 2 options
1. Ipad Wifi only + older Inreach model like Explorer+
2. Ipad cel (which gives you GPS) + Mini 2 for emergency whether in your vehicle (I have it on a 67 Designs mount) or clipped on your pack when hiking
If I was doing it again, I would go option 2
iPad Pro Wifi only (as folks have mentioned no built in GPS if you don't get cellular option which is insane given the price).
Garmin Inreach Explorer+
With the above setup, once you are connected (note that version of Inreach uses the Earthmate app) it transfers the GPS signal to the iPad just like an external GPS puck does (Elf, Garmin GLO). Everything works as one would like it
Upgrade the Inreach to Mini 2 (now uses the Explore app which for me given I run the Fenix watch is useful) and I find this easier to hike with then the larger unit.
Now it does NOT transfer the GPS signal. I have tried contacting Garmin a number of times and their tech department is lost as its not the primary purpose of the Mini and they will just try to assist you to give you regular bluetooth connection help (yup thats pretty easy to do and a must to send messages), so no that's not the issue.
I doubt this is a hardware issue, but a software/firmware issue and the feature may show up eventually (by the way I own half a dozen Garmin products and their software update cycle sucks - recently they announced they are trying to move to quarterly updates across their product range).
So if you want this solution you have 2 options
1. Ipad Wifi only + older Inreach model like Explorer+
2. Ipad cel (which gives you GPS) + Mini 2 for emergency whether in your vehicle (I have it on a 67 Designs mount) or clipped on your pack when hiking
If I was doing it again, I would go option 2
