Share Your Journey with inReach and MapShare

Immersing yourself in your activity and your surroundings are often the main focuses when recreating; however, safety and preparation are also necessary considerations. That’s where inReach^® and MapShare™ come in handy. 

MapShare is a unique, dedicated website that is part of the inReach features ecosystem. Setting this up and sharing it with your friends and family allows them to follow you on your adventure, communicate with you in real time, and help you out if needed. Once you enable MapShare and set preferences within your Garmin Explore™ account, you can use the following MapShare features: 

ROUTE SHARING

If you like to map out your route ahead of time on the Garmin Explore website, MapShare allows you to share it with designated contacts and your social followers. This acts as part of your safety plan so others are aware of the route you intend to take. Even if you don’t create a route ahead of time, you can still start tracking and your track points will automatically populate to your MapShare page as you move along, allowing followers to track you in real time. Check out this example of completed MapShare routes.

COMMUNICATION

Messaging your followers within MapShare is helpful because it lets them know when you’re heading out, stopping for the night, etc. You can send inReach messages to your MapShare page so viewers of your page can see your latest updates and location. Followers can reply to you or initiate a message if they have your unique MapShare link (and password, if you’ve set one up).

TRAVEL JOURNALING

A unique component of MapShare is being able to mark waypoints along your journey with notes. Encounter a cool waterfall where you decide to have lunch? Enter that into your MapShare for your followers to see. Propose to your partner while out hiking and want to let your family know the precise location? That works too.

LOCATION REQUEST

A critical feature is your friends and family being able to locate you when you’re out adventuring. By preconfiguring your MapShare settings and showing your contacts how to use Location Request, loved ones can have more peace of mind when you’re out and about, especially if you end up needing help. Click through to see how the location request feature came in handy during a routine hunting trip.

For step-by-step tutorials on how to configure your MapShare, check out our support articles by device at the Garmin Support Center.

^{NOTICE: To access the Iridium® satellite network for live tracking and messaging, including SOS capabilities, an active satellite subscription is required. Some jurisdictions regulate or prohibit the use of satellite communications devices. It is the responsibility of the user to know and follow all applicable laws in the jurisdictions where the device is intended to be used.}