Garmin Explore lets you pair with compatible Garmin devices to plan trips, sync data, and access streaming or offline maps. It holds strong traction in Transportation across multiple regions and carries a solid 3.73 rating from 5,232 reviews, with 1,000,000+ total downloads and 34K in the last 30 days.
Pros & Cons
Seamless pairing and sync with compatible Garmin devices
Unlimited map downloads and offline access
Cloud storage for routes, waypoints, and activities
LiveTrack real-time location sharing
Competitors may emphasize offline, live navigation, and driving directions that are highlighted with different keywords by other apps
About Garmin Explore™
Garmin Explore™ is a maps & navigation app developed by Garmin.
Download Statistics
Garmin Explore™ has been downloaded 2.3 million times. In the last 30 days, the app was downloaded 34 thousand times. It is ranked in the top 100 maps & navigation apps.
User Ratings
Garmin Explore™ is rated 3.45 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 5.4 thousand ratings.
App Information
Garmin Explore™ is FREE to download. The APK download size is 140.09 MB. The latest version available is 4.15. The last update was on August 18, 2026.
Technical Requirements
The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play October 2018.
Description
PAIR, SYNC AND SHARE With Garmin Explore, you can pair your smartphone or tablet1 with your compatible Garmin device2 to sync and share data for off-grid adventures. Use downloadable maps for navigation anywhere. • Garmin Explore needs SMS permission to allow you to receive and send SMS text messages from your Garmin devices. We also need call log permission to display incoming calls on your devices. • Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life.
OFF-GRID NAVIGATION When paired with your compatible Garmin device2, the Garmin Explore app lets you use your mobile device for outdoor navigation, trip planning, mapping, and more — with or without Wi-Fi® connectivity or cellular service.
SEARCH TOOL Easily locate geographic points — such as trailheads or mountain summits — associated with your adventure.
STREAMING MAPS For pre-trip planning, you can use the Garmin Explore app to stream maps when you’re within cellular or Wi-Fi range — saving valuable time as well as storage space on your mobile device. Download maps for offline use when venturing outside cellular range.
EASY TRIP PLANNING Plan your next trip by downloading maps and creating courses. Specify your start and finish points, and automatically create a course you can sync with your compatible Garmin device2.
ACTIVITY LIBRARY Under the Saved tab, review and edit your organized data, including your saved waypoints, tracks, courses, and activities. See map thumbnails to easily recognize your trips.
SAVED COLLECTIONS The collections list allows you to quickly find all data related to any trip — making it easy to sort and locate the course or location you’re looking for.
CLOUD STORAGE The waypoints, courses, and activities you’ve created will automatically sync to your Garmin Explore web account when you’re within cellular or Wi-Fi range, preserving your activity data with cloud storage. A Garmin account is required for storing your data in the cloud.
LIVETRACK™ With the use of the LiveTrack™ feature, loved ones can follow your location in real time3 and see data such as distance, time and elevation. What You Get with Garmin Explore • Unlimited map downloads; access topographic maps, USGS quad sheets, and more • Aerial imagery • Waypoints, tracking and route navigation • High-detail GPS trip logging and location sharing • Unlimited cloud storage of routes, waypoints, tracks, and activities • Online trip planning
1 See compatible devices at Garmin.com/BLE 2 See a full list of compatible devices at explore.garmin.com/appcompatibility 3 When used with your compatible smartphone, the Garmin Explore® app and when used with your compatible inReach-enabled Garmin device.
The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license.
Recent changes: • Explore trails with new 3D Maps. • Plan your courses and preview elevation changes in 3D. • Review your activities with immersive 3D views. • Bug fixes and performance improvements.
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Nice to see trails have been added to this app but the way Garmin Trails look in Garmin Connect is much better than this app. They need to make them look the same. Also would be able to add other search filters like "snowshoe" also, rather than going into the Garmin trails section it would be better to use the search magnifier. Also with All trail now being so cheap and compatible with Rogers Satellite I think Garmin needs to rethink their pricing. Will this app ever work on Rogers Satellite?
★★★★★Joel Winter· Jul 22, 2026
For the 2nd time this week, I could program a route from start to finish while sitting on the BART train to the starting point. The route planner with popularity map plus my course preferences made it very easy. Thanks Garmin!
★☆☆☆☆rob grey· Jul 12, 2026
Garmin explore purposely makes it difficult to use their garmin in reach mini 2 without allowing garmin to harvest your data. Unusable. I returned the in reach mini 2. I bought it to have the ability to send simple messages to reassure family when I'm in the wilderness to keep them happy. Just one contact. I don't want Garmin harvesting my contacts and messages. I don't need their maps, I carry a map in my pocket. They want all your phone data.
★★☆☆☆B P· May 6, 2026
I thought this would finally allow me to export a GPX for an activity I did with my Garmin watch. What a basic feature! But no, only works on courses
★★☆☆☆Richard Walker· Jul 19, 2026
This was as a great App when paired with my Fenix watch, but recently it's really starting to do my head in. The settings are overly complicated. Creating a course on the Map is becoming frustrating as you try to link up say 2 paths that are 100 m apart & it will inexplicably add 5 km to your course with a convoluted loop. And now, all the labels (place names, POIs, etc.) have just vanished. Gone through all the Garmin suggested options & still nothing!!!
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Trust & Safety: The app requests a broad set of permissions, including location (foreground/background), SMS, call logs, contacts, storage, and accounts. A Garmin account is required to store data in the cloud, and the app is designed around pairing with Garmin devices and LIVETRACK. Users should consider the impact of background GPS usage on battery life.
Each subscription will automatically renew 3 days before the expiration date for
the same time period. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time before the renewal.
