Garmin Explore is a comprehensive mobile trip planning solution that pairs with compatible Garmin devices for seamless data sync, offline maps, and real-time location sharing. It leverages Garmin’s ecosystem for off-grid navigation, streaming and offline maps, cloud storage, and Livetrack to plan, store, and share adventures across devices. With 1,000,000+ total downloads and 29K in the last 30 days, it holds strong position in TRANSPORTATION across BE, PL, and IT.
Pros & Cons
Strong Garmin ecosystem integration with device pairing and data sync
Unlimited map downloads and cloud storage for routes, waypoints, and activities
LivetTrack enables real-time location sharing with contacts
Streaming and offline maps support for planning and navigation offline
Cloud storage requires a Garmin account beyond basic app usage
Extensive permission set (location, SMS, call logs, accounts, storage, background services) may raise privacy and safety considerations
Some features rely on pairing with Garmin devices, which may limit full functionality on non-Garmin hardware
About Garmin Explore™
Garmin Explore™ is a maps & navigation app developed by Garmin.
Install Statistics
Garmin Explore™ has been installed 2.3 million times. In the last 30 days, the app was installed 29 thousand times.
User Ratings
Garmin Explore™ is rated 3.48 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 5.6 thousand ratings.
App Information
Garmin Explore™ is freely available from Google Play. The app size is 141.01 MB. The latest version available is 4.17.1. The last update was on November 5, 2026.
Technical Requirements
The app has a content rating of Everyone. The app has been available on Google Play since October 2018.
Description by Garmin(from Google Play)
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: 🔀 Switch between activity points and lines on the map. 🔎 Filter activities on the map by date and activity type. 🎯 Keep your map clear with activity point clusters. Zoom in for individual activities. ➡️ See which way activities and courses go with directional chevrons. ✏️ Adjust the boundary shape when creating an offline map 👁️ Show or hide offline map boundaries on the main map from Map Settings. 🗺️ Offline maps now appear in the map picker for quick access.
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50 dollars a year is kind of expensive for it not being fully functional all the time. The different map types work, but the map details don't work all the time. Parcel is the map detail I use the most, but it will only sometimes function properly and will often not show names. The reason why I don't switch to onX hunt, which is $40 a year and has more features that work, is because I have a garmin watch, and the app shows my tracks and such. If the problem doesn't resolve, I may have to switch
★★★★★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!
★★★★★Vincent Wanlau· Jul 7, 2026
Best experience with the app. It's Maps a more up to date as compared to other Map containing applications.
★☆☆☆☆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.
★☆☆☆☆Wyatt Ribarich· Aug 30, 2026
I guess I missed the sign-up for the 3-week course on using this overly complex app to perform simple navigation, or even download the selected map layers to offline maps! While lost in the Unitas mtns last week another hiker showed me her FREE GAIA map with significant detail and contour lines and even ALL the names of the nearby lakes which were unnamed on Garmin Explore!!! Was this app designed by college drop-outs? Or have they never left the cushy office and taken a hike in the mtns?
★★☆☆☆Sylvain Grossmann· Sep 3, 2026
Unreliable. Downloaded offline maps are not shown. The app seems very buggy. I would not trust it in the field.
★★☆☆☆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
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Trust & Safety: The app requests a broad set of permissions (location, background access, SMS, call logs, storage, accounts, etc.) to support pairing, Livetrack, and cloud storage. A Garmin account is required for cloud storage, which users should consider when reviewing privacy and data handling.
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.
