Introduction: Garmin inReach Messenger vs. Zoleo Satellite Communicator

The Garmin inReach Messenger and Garmin inReach Messenger Plus are 2-way global satellite messengers that offers location sharing and SOS capabilities. The Garmin inReach Messenger Plus also provides photo and voice memo sharing capability. Either can be used as a standalone device or paired with your smartphone via the Garmin Messenger app. The inReach Messenger weighs 4.0 ounces and has an MSRP of $300, and the inReach Messenger Plus weighs 4.1 ounce and has an MSRP of $500. This article focuses on the Garmin inReach Messenger. For more information about the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus, see this article.

This article was originally published on September 27, 2022 and updated with new information on September 30, 2022 and September 18, 2024.

Table of Contents

Overview

Like the Zoleo Satellite Communicator and the Somewear Global Hotspot, the Garmin inReach Messenger offers seamless messaging across different types of networks (cellular/WiFi and satellite) and selects the most readily-available network without interrupting message conversations.

Unlike the Zoleo or Somewear products, however, the Garmin inReach Messenger offers the following unique features:

  • An on-device display allows the user to view incoming messages and send both preset and custom messages (via screen keyboard), along with other alerts and visual cues.
  • Group messaging conversations are maintained for all sent and received messages.
  • Weather forecasts can be requested and viewed without a paired smartphone.
  • TracBack (Garmin’s breadcrumb tracking program) is usable with or without a paired smartphone.
  • Reverse charging via USB-C to preserve the operation of a low-battery phone.

Garmin-inreach-messenger-vs-zoleo-satellite-communicator
The Garmin inReach Messenger comes with a price tag that’s $100 higher than its closest apparent competitor – the Zoleo Satellite Communicator. Is the inReach Messenger’s additional feature set worth it?

Learn More About Satellite Messaging Devices

See our updated Satellite Messenger Gear Guide to learn more about the Garmin inReach Messenger and its competitors.

Garmin inReach Messenger features

The unique features of the Garmin inReach Messenger include its on-device display, group messaging conversations, TracBack, and reverse charging.

On-device display

The Garmin inReach Messenger features a simple on-device display screen that offers notable feedback and functionality that can’t be accessed on the Zoleo Satellite Communicator or Somewear Global Hotspot without pairing them to a Smartphone:

  • reading incoming messages;
  • composing and reading outgoing messages (preset or custom) and monitoring their sending/sent status;
  • battery capacity remaining and reverse charging status;
  • time of day;
  • SOS status and incoming message monitoring;
  • the ability to select from and send from a variety of different (preset) Quick Text messages;
  • requesting and reviewing weather forecasts.

Garmin-inreach-messenger-1
Various device screens on the Garmin inReach Messenger show the types of information available when used as a standalone device. Source: Garmin.

Group messaging conversations

Most satellite messaging devices can send messages to groups (“broadcast” messaging), but when one group member replies, the reply is delivered only to the sender.

The Garmin inReach Messenger is the first satellite messaging device that can both send and receive messages among a group of people while maintaining the group during the entire conversation – similar to how group messaging works in most smartphone applications.

TracBack

TracBack is Garmin’s breadcrumb application. If you turn on TracBack on a TracBack-compatible inReach or GPS device, the unit tracks your route via waypoint breadcrumbs that it saves in its memory. Then, if you’d like to follow the exact route backward, you simply activate TracBack’s reversal, and the device will guide you back to your origination point following the same route.

TracBack can be a useful feature for not getting lost during nighttime bathroom forays into the dark woods, mushroom or berry or elk hunters following signs on the ground rather than paying attention to where they’re traveling, or negotiating through (and back) thick vegetation via game trails and brush-free corridors.

It’s not surprising that the Garmin inReach Messenger provides TracBack. That it allows it to be used without a paired smartphone is welcome.

Reverse charging

Even though the Garmin inReach Messenger is a capable device on its own when not paired to a smartphone, the smartphone is still required to access custom on-the-fly messaging. However, as many of us Garmin inReach Mini users will testify, the moment our smartphone dies is the moment that “typing” custom messages on the Mini becomes awkward enough to elicit enormous frustration. This is particularly problematic if you don’t have access to a portable battery charger, or in the case of an accident, your phone charger is inaccessible.

The Garmin inReach Messenger provides reverse-charging capability. That means if your phone dies or the battery is extremely low, you can use the Garmin inReach Messenger in reverse charging mode to keep your phone charged at a low level. This could be of great importance while communicating during an SOS event.

Garmin-messenger-companion-app-2
Screenshots from the Garmin Messenger companion app that is installed on a smartphone that is paired to the inReach Messenger. Source: Garmin.

FAQs (Updated 30.Sep.2022)

Does the Garmin inReach Messenger have a dedicated phone number?

A dedicated phone number on a satellite device makes it easier for anyone with a cell phone and SMS capability to send a text message to the device.

The Garmin inReach Messenger does not have a dedicated phone number. Here’s why (response from Garmin):

The inReach Messenger does not have a dedicated phone number. We have found significant challenges with SMS messaging, things like sending a message with a map link or delivering to a country with a restrictive cell carrier. We’ve found that many of our international customers are using internet driven apps like Whatsapp or Facebook Messenger instead of SMS anyway. We chose to focus our efforts on our Garmin Messenger app and delivering a rich messaging experience where participants can see things like delivery confirmation, read/unread state, and even if a friend or family member has joined the Messenger app community. This gives us the freedom to do things like send a message location or create a group message and know that we control the experience from within our own app.

Keep in mind that we do still support the other methods of communicating with someone who doesn’t want to install the Messenger app, you can send them a message using their SMS number or their email address. You can also send them your MapShare link which has the ability for a visitor to send a message to the inReach device owner. We feel that the Garmin Messenger app is a good solution for close friends and family who want the rich messaging experience and we feel that the original SMS/email/MapShare solution is a reasonable solution for those who don’t want the app.

How will the inReach Mini 2 integrate with the Garmin Messenger (when that support is released) and Garmin Explore apps?

Response from Garmin:

Please note that the inReach Mini 2 will be compatible with the Garmin Messenger app when we release our firmware update, however the first generation inReach Mini will not be compatible. The first generation Mini was launched in 2018 and has some hardware limitations that prevent us from bringing it forward to new apps like the Explore app and the Messenger app. The inReach Mini still works as designed with the Earthmate app for messaging, tracking, safety, planning and navigating, it’s just not able to take advantage of the internet messaging features found in the Garmin Messenger app.

As you’ve seen, the inReach Messenger device does not support any planning or navigation features and is not compatible with the Explore app. Our inReach devices like the inReach Mini 2 will use both apps for their different specialties – the Messenger app for messaging, tracking, and safety, the Explore app for planning, navigating, and reviewing activities. The two apps will be seamlessly linked so that the user doesn’t have to exit one app to go to the other, they will just choose the Messages tab in the Explore app to have the Garmin Messenger app open with the Messages tab displayed. The same thing will happen if someone using the Garmin Messenger app views details on a message and chooses to view the location on the map, the Explore app will open to show that detail.

How do people using the inReach Mini (or Mini 2) initiate contact with people using inReach Messengers in the backcountry? How about vice versa?

Response from Garmin:

inReach users will be able to message back and forth between all inReach devices, the same way they can now. Users with an inReach Messenger and Garmin Messenger app will be able to enter the inReach address for an older inReach device owner like an inReach Explorer+ and have it routed correctly. That same user can send their own inReach message to the inReach Messenger user and it will route to that owner’s Garmin Messenger app automatically. We are working very hard to support our new inReach Messenger and Garmin Messenger app users, as well as our existing users who might have older inReach devices. We want to make sure that everyone can communicate with each other and that we are continuing to advance the inReach ecosystem with exciting new features like internet messaging and group messaging.

Is the messenger app required for “friends and family” who don’t have an inReach or can they use their native phone texting app? Or does the messenger app provide added features/functions that one’s native SMS app won’t have?

Response from Garmin:

Messenger app is not required for “friends and family” who don’t have an inReach. A benefit for non-inReach users to use the free Messenger app is participation in group messaging. If an individual (who isn’t using Messenger app) is put in a group chat by the inReach user in the Messenger app, they will only receive responses from the inReach user, not other participants of the group.

Final Comments

Until now, internet debaters have been drawn to the (mostly strawman) discussion of the Garmin inReach Mini vs. the Zoleo Satellite Communicator. However, these two devices have notably different use cases and purposes. One (the Zoleo) is primarily a network-independent messaging device requiring a paired smartphone, and the other (the inReach Mini) is a satellite-only messaging, tracking, and navigation device that doesn’t require a paired smartphone to access its complete feature set.

The Garmin inReach Messenger, however, changes the decision calculus for hikers who are primarily interested in messaging features. With network-independent seamless messaging, the inReach Messenger is a direct answer to the Zoleo Satellite Communicator. With its on-device display, the ability to send custom messages, group messaging conversations, TracBack, reverse charging, and increased battery life, the Garmin inReach Messenger may now be the feature-defining product within the category of seamless satellite/cellular/WiFi messaging devices.

If you are interested in photo and voice memo sharing, see the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus.

Garmin inReach Messenger PLUS
Garmin inReach Messenger PLUS

The Garmin inReach Messenger Plus is currently the only satellite messaging device on the market that can transmit photos and audio messages (voice memos) via satellite.

WEIGHT: 4.1 ounces (116 g)
WHAT'S UNIQUE:
  • can transmit photos and voice memos
  • reverse-charging capability
  • integrates with both Garmin Messenger (messaging) and Garmin Explore (navigation) smartphone apps
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