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HomePort no Longer Works on my Mac Computer

Note: HomePort has been discontinued. For additional information regarding the discontinuation, see  HomePort Application Discontinued


With the release of macOS Catalina, Homeport is no longer compatible with Mac computers. HomePort is no longer updated, so a different program will be needed for route planning, creating waypoints, etc. If you are no longer able to launch the HomePort program on your Mac computer, the user data may still be retrieved and transferred to another Garmin program. Basecamp software can create waypoints, routes and tracks or to backup user data but marine charts are not compatible with this program. 


Recovering user data after macOS update:

First, download the free Garmin BaseCamp software.

      1. Open your Macintosh HD folder

      2. Open your User Folder

      3. Press Command+Shift+Dot to enable hidden files

      4. Open Library->Application Support->Garmin->HomePort->Database->2.3

        • Note that '2.3' is the version of the database.  Your version number may be different

      5. To migrate to BaseCamp copy AllData.gdb & FolderData.gfi to Library->Application Support->Garmin->BaseCamp->Database->2.3

        • Note that your database version number may not be 2.3.  Be sure to use your database version number in the folder tree


The data is backed up and present in BaseCamp; it can access and manage your data using:   


Garmin ActiveCaptain Application on an Apple or Android Smart Device

Steps to export from BaseCamp (Mac):

      1. Open the BaseCamp Application

      2. Select the information to be exported:

        • My Collection can be selected to export all user data stored

        • A specific list or folder can be selected to export only its contents; for more information, see related content below

        • Highlight specific items in the lower-left pane by clicking a single route/track/waypoint or using CTRL+Click or Shift+Click to highlight multiple items

      3. Click on the File drop-down menu

      4. Highlight Export

      5. Export the file to the desired location

      6. Email the file to an email address accessible on your smart device OR save the file to a micro/SD card

To import the user data to the ActiveCaptain application using the email:

      1. On your smart device, open the ActiveCaptain application so that it is running in the background

      2. Open the email containing the GPX file

      3. Tap on the GPX file attachment

        • Android - Will automatically go to ActiveCaptain and give the Import option

        • iOS - Press on the Share button (the square with up arrow) and choose the ActiveCaptain application, then select Import

To import the user data to the ActiveCaptain application using a compatible chartplotter and micro/SD card, see related content below.

HomePort for Windows

Import into HomePort (Windows OS):

      1. Highlight My Collection

      2. From the Menu bar, select File->New List or New List Folder to recreate the folder structure in HomePort

      3. Highlight the new list in the left pane

      4. From the Menu bar, choose File->Import Into "List Name."

        1. Choose the location where you saved the exported file

        2. Highlight the corresponding file to Import into the selected List

        3. Select the Import button

BaseCamp for Mac/Windows

Export each list will be used to import into BaseCamp.  For each list, you must do the following:

Import into BaseCamp:

      1. Highlight My Collection

      2. From the Menu bar, select File->New List or New List Folder to recreate the folder structure in HomePort

      3. Highlight the new list in the left pane

      4. From the Menu bar, select File->Import Into "List Name."

        1. Choose the location where you saved the exported file

        2. Highlight the corresponding file to Import into the selected List

        3. Select the Import button

BaseCamp Limitations:

      • Create/edit/manage routes, waypoints, and tracks only

      • Marine charts are not compatible with BaseCamp

      • Some marine waypoint symbols are not supported


Alternative Method

If the above methods are unsuccessful, it is possible to take the data from a macOS system, place it on to a micro/SD card, and then import it into HomePort on a Windows computer. 


macOS to Windows via micro/SD Card


From Mac:

      1. Insert micro/SD card 

      2. Open Finder 

      3. Select Go

      4. Select Go to Folder

      5. Select ~/Library

      6. Select Application Support 

      7. Select Garmin

      8. Select HomePort

      9. Select Database

      10. Select version 2.3

      11. Copy and paste the .GDB file into the micro/SD card

From Windows:

      1. Insert micro/SD card

      2. On the keyboard, press Windows Key + R

      3. Select %appdata%

      4. Select Garmin

      5. Select HomePort

      6. Select Database

      7. Select version 2.3

      8. Delete the .GDB and .GDB.BAK file and replace it with the .GDB file from the Mac

      9. Open HomePort

The user data should load into HomePort instantly.


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