Garmin BlueChart® Mobile App Reviews

commenting on connectivity feature : login to active captain services used to work but now is not working although I can login on Pc, Furuno, Opencpn and the active captain web site. please Garmin do regression testing on new versions...

I just update this app after having it for four years. The new feature for wave heights is too vague with its figures. Prior to the update I received a number from weather bouys that showed 2.1 as a height of waves rather than a colour. Is there a way to go back to previous version?

Missing "go to waypoint" function.

some parts are missing. a piece to the north of Sicily, for example - tried downloading twice, download succeeds, but no data inside.

We purchased this app to backup our Raymarine / Navionics plotter in the Caribbean. In fact we probably now use it as our primary planning tool and only move to the Navionics app for route synchronization. We use it with the Bad Elf Bluetooth GPS (which is an awesome device). The iPad GPS is designed to locate cell towers and is not remotely suitable for remote area or offshore navigation. This app is easier to use, clearer, has the Active Captain layer (VERY important) and, in the case of the Bahamas, has the far superior Explorer charts. Whats not to like? If we had found this earlier we might have purchased a Garmin plotter..... What this is not, at least for us, is our primary navigation tool. The iPad is not robust enough for that application.

I have been using this app for a year now. It is my primary planning tool. The reviews have played an important role in my choices of where to stay. I recommend this app to everyone I meet.

what a waist of time installing this app... Maps has no detail at all unless you purchase a "better" version from Garmin. dont even bother...

One word: Awesome Two Words: The Best Three words: The Best ANYWHERE I originally bought because it integrates with AvctiveCaptain when offline and it does. But the interface is revolutionary and so easy to learn and use. The BEST of any Ive use and Ive use them all. Intuitive and so Versatill. Buy it you wont be sorry

I have 2 other iPad marine navigation apps. They work fairly well. Havent found the Holy Grail as yet. And this app isnt it either. Charts are good and the detail is well presented. But there are a couple of basics that need to be added. 1. There does not appear to be a night mode to change screen colors to those that assist with night vision. Most recreational boaters dont sail at night. But enough of us do that this is an obvious need. 2. I like to see the speed and course on the screen like a regular chart plotter. It could be a chart feature thats user selected. Change the non-functioning compass rose on the upper right corner to display this info. Nothings wasted then. 3. Integrating the weather overlay is good. It would be better to automatically zoom out the screen to an appropriate scale so it can be viewed rather than having the user to manually do that. Once at a zoom level that shows the overlay, the user can adjust as needed. These additions would make the app better.

GREAT app! Use it all the time. Id really like it to be a little more like a chart plotter (like "go to"). Id pay for that! It has the ability to update to the latest charts (you need that too). How about an upgrade Garmin?

Unable to log into Active Captain. Worked fine until about two weeks ago (4-1-15) BlueChart works fine, I just can not get ActiveCaptain updates. Which is the main reason we use BlueChart.

$50 to update the map I just bought for $50!

I just downloaded this app for use with an external GPS. Prior to downloading the app I upgraded my iOS to the latest 8.3. Big mistake! The external gps can not be used by this or most other applications thanks to "Big Daddy Apple." It is unclear if this intentional or simply a goof up by Apple. Otherwise the app looks very promising and works great in my driveway.

I really want to love this app, but recently its been acting funny. Of late, it wont allow me to log into ActiveCaptain. I deleted and reinstalled the app and its still failing to login. It shows me logged in on my phone, but it stopped working on my iPad, which is what I use as a repeater from my Garmin GPS onboard.

The folks at Active Captain say it is an iOS issue, but if you rotate the iPad into portrait mode it will work. Worked for me!

Does what it says, but crashes a lot.

I am a big fan of Garmin products and have a Garmin Watch, use Garmin products for flying private planes. However, I am very disappointed in the Blue Charts App. I paid for the 2013 maps and then again for the 2015 to see if they had added more detail. Issues List: 1) Major inland waterways including the Tennessee River and lakes do not have any contour lines or depths. 2) Speed cannot be displayed (a common feature in other applications 3) No auto-route feature Conclusion: I have just switched over to Boating USA which addresses all three shortcomings. I would consider switching back to Garmin Blue Charts, but this application has far more detail on contour lines (Garmin has none), and it does auto-routing and displays speed. Not to mention it is 1/4th the cost.

My wife and I were brand new to sailing and our chart plotter was broken. I purchased this app and could not have been happier with its performance. The app doesnt use data but tracks you with the GPS feature in your phone so there is nowhere you can go anywhere on the planet and its got you. We have been to Bimini, Bahamas(70 miles off shore) and back and the boat was right there in the middle of the screen the whole time. I especially like the measure feature but I do agree with others that it could display speed. For this we use an app called Max Speed, it doesnt display knots but MPH instead. Yes you do have to purchase maps but its a whole lot cheaper than a chart plotter thats for sure.

As many others, I have purchased / tried several navigation programs. As a owner of almost a dozen garmin devices i am hooked on their ecosystem and they make great devices; unfortunately bluechart mobile is not one of them. Only after two years of tedious use on my ipad, did i find this flaw. I purchased a new ipad and learned that Garmin has strategically omitted the ability to export waypoints, routes, tracks etc. to a new device. A great product as a plain map, but if you record any data, dont plan on upgrading and pray your device never breaks. Most other software allows you to export, so there are many other great options out there.

Developers, please download some apple apps and figure out standard user navigation. Swipe to delete in menus and icons that are explanatory will help users. This app is painful for me to use. Gary and Min would be disappointed in the quality of this work.