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Bluetooth Troubleshooting for Earthmate and inReach Devices

inReach® satellite communicators pair with the Earthmate® app via Bluetooth to send and receive messages using your mobile phone or tablet.

When having Bluetooth connection issues, you may experience some of the following symptoms on the inReach device:

  • inReach device shows connected but phone does not

  • Phone shows connected but inReach device does not

  • Unable to send or receive messages in Earthmate app

  • Unable to start or stop tracking within Earthmate app

Before trying the troubleshooting steps below, make sure the latest firmware updates have been installed to the inReach device. For more details, see - Updating inReach Firmware and Syncing Account Changes with inReach Sync.

Troubleshooting Options

Resolving Bluetooth Connectivity Issues

  1. Verify Bluetooth is enabled on the inReach device:

    1. Select Settings from the main menu (inReach Mini - Select Setup).

    2. Select Bluetooth.

    3. Select Enabled.

    4. Select On.

  2. Verify Bluetooth is enabled on the mobile device.

    • Enabling Bluetooth setting will vary by phone model. The Bluetooth menu is typically located in the mobile device’s general settings.

  3. Open the Earthmate app.

The phone and inReach device will now attempt to connect and communicate. The connection status can be checked within the Earthmate app by selecting Three horizontal lines (Android) or More (iOS), then My inReach.

If the Earthmate app shows Paired and Connected, the unit is communicating properly and ready to use. If it says Not Connected, try rebooting both the inReach and the mobile device. If it still says Not Connected, continue to the next section of this FAQ.

Unpairing and Repairing

If Bluetooth is enabled on the paired inReach and mobile device but they still do not connect, they may need to be unpaired and repaired.

Steps for inReach SE®, inReach SE®+, inReach Explorer®, and inReach Explorer®+ Handhelds

  1. Select Settings from the main menu.

  2. Select Bluetooth.

  3. Select Connected. 

  4. Select Forget Device. 

  5. Press the X button to return to the bluetooth page.

  6. Select Pair Device.

    • If prompted, select Pair Again

Steps for inReach® Mini

  1. On the inReach® Mini handheld, press OK to open the main menu.

  2. Select Setup.

  3. Select Bluetooth.

  4. Select Forget Device.

  5. Select Pair Device.

Once the inReach device is waiting to be paired, follow the steps below according to the mobile device being used.

Android

  1. Touch Three dots for options.

  2. Touch Unpair.

  3. Touch Three dots for options.

  4. Touch Pair.

  5. Select your inReach model.

  6. Touch Connect.

  7. Touch the inReach once it appears in the list.

iOS

  1. Open the iOS Settings.

  2. Touch Bluetooth.

  3. Touch Info selector next to the inReach.

  4. Touch Forget This Device.

  5. Touch Forget Device.

  6. Open Earthmate.

  7. Touch More.

  8. Touch Options.

  9. Touch Pair Device.

  10. Select your inReach model.

  11. Touch Connect.

  12. Touch the inReach device once it appears in the list under Select An Accessory.
    NOTE: It may take 1-2 minutes for the device to appear in the list

The inReach unit should now be properly paired and connected to the Earthmate app. If the connection issues persist, continue to the next section of this FAQ.

Resetting the inReach Device

If the Bluetooth issues persist, it may be necessary to reset the inReach device.

Steps for inReach Explorer, inReach Explorer+, inReach SE, and inReach SE+ Handhelds

  1. Select Settings from the main menu.

  2. Select Recovery Options.

  3. Select Restore Factory Settings.

  4. Select Reset.

Steps for inReach Mini

  1. Select Setup from the main menu.

  2. Select Recovery Options.

  3. Select Restore Defaults.

  4. Press Ok

  5. Select Reset.

After the unit has finished the reset process, follow the pairing steps for Android or iOS.

IMPORTANT: Resetting an inReach will remove contacts, waypoints, and other saved data. Sync the inReach device after resetting. For information on syncing, see - Updating inReach Firmware and Syncing Account Changes with inReach Sync

First, on the inReach Device:

  1. Select Settings from the main menu. (On inReach Mini select Setup)

  2. Select Bluetooth.

  3. Select Pair Device.

    • If prompted, select Pair Again

Once the inReach unit is waiting to be paired, follow the steps below according to the mobile device being used.

Android

  1. Open Earthmate.

  2. Touch Three dots for options.

  3. Touch Pair.

  4. Select your inReach model.

  5. Touch Connect.

  6. Touch the inReach device once it appears in the list.

iOS

  1. Open Earthmate.

  2. Touch More.

  3. Touch Options.

  4. Touch Pair Device.

  5. Select your inReach model.

  6. Touch Connect.

  7. Touch the inReach device once it appears in the list under Select An Accessory.
    NOTE: It may take 1-2 minutes for the device to appear in the list

The inReach unit should now be properly paired and connected to the Earthmate app.

What if Bluetooth Issues Continue?

If Bluetooth issues continue to occur after taking the steps above, it may be necessary to uninstall and reinstall the Earthmate app to the mobile device being used. 

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Earthmate for Android

NOTE: General steps are provided below as a guide, but may vary based on the Android version you are using. If more specific instructions are needed, visit Google Play Help.

  • Uninstalling

    1. Open the phone or tablet's Settings menu.

    2. Touch Apps.

    3. Touch the Earthmate® app.

    4. Touch Uninstall.

  • Reinstalling

    1. Open the Google Play Store app on the phone or tablet.

    2. Search for the Earthmate app.

    3. Touch Install.

Uninstalling and Reinstalling Earthmate for iOS

NOTE: General steps are provided below as a guide, but may vary based on the iOS version you are using. If more specific instructions are needed, visit Apple Support.

  • Uninstalling

    1. Open Settings on the iPhone or iPad.

    2. Touch General.

    3. Touch iPhone/iPad Storage.

    4. Locate Earthmate® in the list of apps.

    5. Touch Earthmate.

    6. Touch Delete App.

    7. Touch Delete App again to confirm.

  • Reinstalling

    1. Open the App Store app on the iPhone or iPad.

    2. Search for the Earthmate app.

    3. Touch Get.

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