Customer Ratings & Reviews

The unit is so small that it is laborious to use. Difficult to understand instructions and operation. For example it seems impossible to add contact easily or at all to the unit. The owners manual is also difficult to use, incomplete and not user friendly.

I bought my Garmin before crossing the full length of Baja California by car. I sent route tracking and tracking texts every 2 hours to family in the U.S. when we were on the road. Communication in much of the remote Baja would have been impossible by means other than satellite devices such as this. Fortunately we did not need the SOS feature, but it is your only means of soliciting help, no matter how long it would take to actually receive that help! You definitely need to ensure the antenna is open to the sky so messaging efficiently sends in the deep remote areas.

Saved the lives of hikers I met in the backcountry and kept the wife happy knowing I was safe

Simple to use and gives your loved ones confidence when you are out there (way out there!) on your own

Using the original InReach was a breeze - easy to switch between users between my husband and I, and easy to create custom preset messages that worked perfectly. Got the Mini 2 to replace the lost device and just getting it set up was a huge pain, hard to switch between people in the same household, and no more custom presets. Garmin wants us to spend more on messages I suppose. Idk but somehow they just made it worse and far less user friendly. Will be looking to sell and find a different device.

I bought the Mini 2 to replace my Mini, which is absolutely essential equipment on any outing, including road trips. The Mini 2 has a better interface (on its tiny screen) but it is disappointing how confusing it remains. Main complaints are: --Apparently Bluetooth is active all the time? I could not find a setting to turn Bluetooth on or off. I believe the new Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) mode means it uses almost no power, so it's not a problem. But Garmin needs to make it clear that Bluetooth is always on. Or explain where to turn it off. (Hint: when you choose "Device" in Messenger, if you don't see "Presets" and "Tracking" and "Message Check"--your Bluetooth on your phone is not turned on.) --"Unread messages" is frustrating. There is no way to DELETE ALL MESSAGES on the Mini 2. Instead, it requires 9 steps to delete a single message! Really? And that's even though all messages have been deleted in Messenger (which DOES have the option to delete all selected messages). Why doesn't the Mini 2 delete all messages as soon as they are deleted in Messenger? --The multiple satellite networks sounds good, but I haven't really noticed any better connectivity while hiking in Utah canyons, although sometimes yes, it does manage to send a message very quickly. It may be a feature you don't realize you have because you may have connectivity in places that just one satellite would not reach. --Pecking out a message manually on the Mini 2 is improved somewhat but it is still an excruciating exercise in near futility, only to be used in dire circumstances, such as when I got a new phone and discovered--in the wilderness--that the Bluetooth could not connect. I had to completely reset the Mini 2, a detail I didn't know until I got home and googled it. My sisters could not understand the gobbledygook message I sent them. :( (Lesson: don't send gobbledygook. Take the time to go back and spell words correctly, no matter how painstaking!)

I'm the "tech guy". When friends and family have questions they come to me. Even so, it took two days of screwing around with the device and apps to get it working. Basically it wouldn't pair the device to the app on my phone. Without being paired the device is useless except for SOS. No ability to use the check in feature. No contacts for text messages. No sync or update for the device. The subscription prices are about double what I think is reasonable, but if they can get away with it I'm sure they will. The activation and reactivate fees are just plain price gouging.

It was easy to set up and was ready to go in half an hour.

I bought this 3 weeks ago and have been experimenting with it. It will be cooling down soon and taking my pack mules on camping trips in the desert, will allow me peace of mind with the Garmin Inreach Mini 2. I made many comparisons and the Mini 2 was the best choice for me!

Purchased before a trip and was happy to have when the my first line of communication failed. Back-Up is key!

This device has aided in the rescue and recovery of some of my friends and others I know.

Works great regardless of the country you are in . I am very happy with this device. It has worked so far up to 18k plus feet in some remote places . battery life is awesome even at 7degF. I like that you can have saved messages. It is also nice and small and doesn't take up much space. Great if you hike or trek alone frequently. The only negative is the user interface on the web is initially hard to navigate and clunky.