Earthmate App Reviews

Earthmate had been working fine up until v2.3 release at the end of April 2016. Now is crashes 3 seconds after startup every time I try to start the app. Rebooted phone and same issue. Phone is iphone 6 with latest iOS.

They call this earthmate but for outside the U.S. the maps are pretty much useless as the detail is so high level and so not worth bothing with. Total waste of money if you are a true global explorer and go beyond the U.S. shores as I do. How do I get my money back?

App is constantly crashing on iPhone 6S iOS 9.3.1 rendering this app to be useless!

This is a great little app with awesome maps that are easily download for use when you dont have cell coverage. It also syncs all data to their website and you can use a desktop browser to review the maps and plan trips. I am using it with an iPhone 6s and it has been working great. Not sure why all the negative reviews.

The functionality of this app would be greatly improved if it had the ability to send the unlimited free preset texts via that app. Like it is, you can do most things you would need via app, but if you want to send a quick check in with preset messages, you have to do that on the actual device. I do not see that it is possible via the app (unless I am missing something). This app gives a decent basic interface, and the ability to use their maps, and even download them to use without signal which is great. If you have an InReach device, this is really a no brainer to get this app, since it adds an easy to use interface for things like typing texts, much easier to use the keyboard on your phone/tablet to type than the thumb joystick select a letter that is on the device. :)

I purchased Earthmate recently when they ran a 50% off special. Even when I realized it would cost an additional fee after a year I figured it would be worth it. So far the jury is out on whether it will be. The app has promise, but is significantly lacking in many areas. I purchased the iPhone version and found a variety of problems/issues/grievances. These include: 1. Lack of contour info- Contours are rarely, if ever, labeled. On the screen you can see the contour lines, but have no idea what they represent, except very occasionally when a label is on the screen. On top of that, there is no indication as to what the contour interval is. The contour intervals change based on how much you are zoomed in/out, but nowhere does it say what the interval is. This is a basic thing that should be included on any map and omitting it is a fundamental flaw. 2. Accuracy- At times the map is very good. But at other times it is lousy. I wondered if perhaps it was a GPS thing, but I think the GPS location is good and the downloaded map is poor. For example, Highway 1 going out of Anchorage to Seward, Alaska is just awful. The highway on the downloaded basemap shows the road going up and down from sea level to over 500 feet, when in fact it stays right above sea level by the Turnagain Arm. At times the road is on the wrong side of a lake, or even on the wrong side of the railroad that runs the same route. I found many issues on my recent trip to Alaska, which was my first time to try using it. 3. It isnt a substitute for a hard copy DeLorme Atlas- I purchased the app before the trip to Alaska thinking it would substitute for my big DeLorme Atlas so I left the atlas at home. Big mistake. Now looking at the atlas after returning I see that many, many things are labeled in the atlas that never made it into the app, regardless of which basemap I used or how much I was zoomed in. Glacier names. mountain names, etc. This was a huge disappointment when using the app. 4. Lack of help on what basemaps are what- I looked in the app and on the DeLorme web site for help on what basemaps are what, but no info is provided. There are options of basemaps to download including "Topo North America" and "Digital Atlas of the Earth", but nowhere does it tell you what each of these is. One might assume that Topo North America is just topography, but this appears to be incorrect. This is basic stuff that DeLorme just is missing the boat on. Maybe they think everyone is well versed in DeLorme-speak and inherently knows what all of these are, but that just isnt the case. A simple help menu explaining what is what would be very helpful. And a basemap that is EXACTLY what is in the hard copy DeLorme Atlas would be really nice too. All in all I liked this app, and see its potential, but just wanted to make folks aware there are a lot of issues. It was fun to use when flying across the country and being able to ID towns and such. But it needs some work. I am writing in this detail in the hopes that DeLorme actually reads these reviews and perhaps might think about comments on issues and address them. I am not sure if this is realistic, but I see no other way to say "Nice idea, not a bad start, but there are a lot of things to fix here." And this is all after using it just one time. I suspect the more I use it the more issues Ill find. And I will continue to use it, I just wont be leaving my hard copy atlases at home any time soon. And an app like this should allow me to do that.

Using this app for offline maps and for InReach interface. Very happy. Maps is the same level of detail as best online maps I can find, maps taking much less space than some other offline mapping apps. Sometimes have issues with Bluetooth connectivity to InReach, not sure if App fault. Rebooting iPhone usually helps.

It had no way of creating an account

It no longer stays connected and continues to say "no device connected" even though its connected in the Bluetooth settings menu on my iPhone and also shows connected on my inReach device. The app just wont recognize it no matter how many restarts and reconnects and syncs I do. Ive tried forgetting the Bluetooth settings and re-pairing them but it just cant detect that its connected to my inReach. Sigh. Not sure this if this is Garmins fault ever since they acquired Delorme or if its the app developer. Please fix it ASAP. Im a world traveler for my job and use this all the time for texting through my inReach.

Application constantly disconnects from Bluetooth. I am repeatedly having to open the app to reconnect to the device.

This app worked great with iPhone 4 & 5 models. Easily access all your contacts on your phone from Earthmate software. Map program is not suitable for mountain navigation but provides usefull place names and route tracking options.

Functionally, the app seems to work fine with my Inreach. Maps however are practically devoid of information beyond the contours. Ideally all zoom ranges should be plastered with known and common names of mountains, streams, roads, things. Thats how us humans relate to a place. Earthmate maps make me feel a bit lost. Especially as forest/ barren shading is also wildly off.

Love the capabilities of the Delorme inreach. But the maps in the app are useless. There needs to be a true topo map or integrated into google maps. The ones on the app are brutal and waste of time

Super easy to connect to InReach device thru Earthmate. Downloadable maps for everywhere, including the middle of nowhere Mongolia. Really appreciated knowing how much further a destination was when there was no road signage. Elevation indicator was cool, especially travelling in the mountains and below sea level. Its GPS in an app!

So nice to keep our 1000’s of followers aware of where we were as we crossed 35 countries as we did the Mongolian charity rally from London England to UB Mongolia. www.OffTrax.ca Texting to family and friends in the middle of nowhere in a Stan country , PRICELESS

We used the Earthmate app for 4 months while traveling through 37 countries on our trip to and from Mongolia, crossing deserts and mountain ranges. Thanks to Earthmate and the InReach Explorer device we managed to successfully locate some of the most remotes and amazing areas we were headed to (not findable on regular maps), keep track of our progress and route, as well as keep in touch with our family and friends. The app allows you to send direct messages , and update you social media from anywhere in the world. I highly recommend the Earthmate app to anyone!! Definitely will us it again in a future expedition! Corinne- team Offtrax

V2.0 of this app can no longer post messages to Facebook.

This App is Garbage. It crashed my iPad since installation.Do not buy it

Earthmate for iPhone has worked very well overall. Have used it over 5 days off road motorcycling with no cell service and still communicated with home texting up to 30 times a day. Wont be without my Inreach or earthmate. As far as Im concerned the only way to go.

There is a bug in new release. When loading maps and getting back then Home link disappears.