Review Insights · App Store
Navionics® Boating
Garmin · 2,243 ratings · ★ 2.9
2.9
★★★★★
2,243 ratings
🎯 Build a better version
Top complaints - extracted from 82 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"garmin"
25 negative reviews mention this · 30% of all complaints
★★★★★ "They killed it. It used to be incredible. Then garmin acquired Navionics and destroyed it." - Starving Pilgrim
2
"subscription"
21 negative reviews mention this · 26% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Garmin steals your money. Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for …" - qmjen
3
"navionics"
19 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Stopped working. I had relied on Navionics for years to plan and calculate trips. But without notice or update the route calculation tool stopped working. No matter the distance or complexity, I receive a "Not Able to Calculate Route" error. Guess I'm in th…" - meiriceanach76
4
"years"
16 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Stopped working. I had relied on Navionics for years to plan and calculate trips. But without notice or update the route calculation tool stopped working. No matter the distance or complexity, I receive a "Not Able to Calculate Route" error. Guess I'm in th…" - meiriceanach76
5
"money"
15 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Garmin steals your money. Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for …" - qmjen
6
"maps"
15 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Garmin steals your money. Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for …" - qmjen
7
"year"
14 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Stopped working. I had relied on Navionics for years to plan and calculate trips. But without notice or update the route calculation tool stopped working. No matter the distance or complexity, I receive a "Not Able to Calculate Route" error. Guess I'm in th…" - meiriceanach76
8
"paid"
13 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Scammers. I paid for this years ago then they take it away when you upgrade your phone and want you to pay $50 a year" - Kick1199
9
"phone"
10 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Stops updating while underway. I really like this navigation App for the dock to dock routing and ETA using my IPhone in addition to my MFD. Unfortunately, it stops updating randomly after a few minutes which isn’t always obvious (not what you need when you’re underway …" - ErikExp
10
"subscribe"
9 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Garmin steals your money. Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for …" - qmjen
11
"already"
9 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Garmin steals your money. Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for …" - qmjen
📋 All 82 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Stopped working
I had relied on Navionics for years to plan and calculate trips. But without notice or update the route calculation tool stopped working. No matter the distance or complexity, I receive a "Not Able to Calculate Route" error. Guess I'm in the market for a new solution.
They killed it
It used to be incredible. Then garmin acquired Navionics and destroyed it.
Garmin steals your money
Purchased the subscription through the app. Maps will not load. Keeps asking me over and over to subscribe to see maps. Click subscribe for it to just tell me I am already subscribed (which I know…). Maps still won’t load and re-prompt for a subscription. Repeat on loop with no way to contact support. Yes, i purchased the correct map subset. Will be disputing the charge with my credit card.
Subscription Loop
The app is currently broken for new users. I keep being prompted to subscribe even after having already purchasing a subscription. I’m not able to download load any maps. Put a request for refund in with apple.
Dangerously unreliable
We have been using this app for over 3 years and it in general has worked well. But in the last 6 months or so the app randomly stops updating our position or freezes altogether. This can happen at the worst possible time - navigating a tricky inlet or shallow anchorage, etc. Restarting the app usually but not always restores normal operation. Fortunately we have a chartplotter and Aquamap as alternatives but not being able to rely on accurate position data makes Navionics Boating a danger to safe navigation. I am not the only one with this problem. YouTubers Sailing Magic Carpet recently reported the same exact issue that we have observed. The overall quality of Navionics map data is good but the quality of the app itself is unacceptable.
Greedy
Not worth the subscription price of !!!!!$50!!!!!
Do better greedy goblins.
Do better greedy goblins.
Got way too expensive
This was a decent app when it was more reasonably priced. $50/year feels very steep. Would not recommend.
No good
This app does not work. Does not show my location on the map. Shows my arrow jumping all over the map. Got ripped off 50$ on this app.
Dangerous app
The apps new updates has false bottom features and lies about depth, seamount and many critical navigation landmarks. Reported the problem and was told that they make false features as a way to copyright their maps. False depth and bottom contours are dangers. Don’t trust this app to be accurate
Scammers
I paid for this years ago then they take it away when you upgrade your phone and want you to pay $50 a year
No longer works and no support
I’ve happily used this for years, but this app no longer works on my iPhone. A couple of my friends are having a similar issue as well. When trying to download maps, it asks me to subscribe, and because I’m already subscribed I get a message that I’m already subscribed and then I’m caught in a continuous error loop. I emailed for support and still have never received a response.
Lifetime subscription stolen by garmin
I was an avid user of Navionics and ponied up the money for a lifetime subscription only to have it stolen and taken away when garmin acquired the company. They decided greed was more important than grandfathering and honoring paid subscriptions. Never will I use this trash and fund this greedy, two timing company.
Way to expensixe
I have a garmin on my boat , i can’t get maps for a phone for ice fishing?
Trash
The last 3 months regardless of WiFi or device I have with me if I zoom at all on the app the lake simply disappears. I absolutely refuse to pay 50 dollars a year on something I only use a handful of times. The real question is why does it not render big lakes? WiFi nor data work.
Professional Mariner
This app is absolute trash. Do not waste your money with a subscription. Garmin was great for the mini van in 2009, but they have horrible marine products.
big bug of App
When I use this app, it often crashes. This has happened on both my iPhone and iPad. I purchased the service from the China region of the Apple App Store. Please release an improved version as soon as possible.
Overpriced
Garmin ruined this app I paid for a lifetime subscription over 10 years ago and they ended that. I hope that you do not ruin JL audio now that they purchased them.
No Magnetic Heading 👎
I genuinely like many/most of the features of Navionics, I like the interface, I love the infinite direction pointer, fast to load, dashboard is OK, but that all is lost because it delivers heading and bearings in True North and not Magnetic North. This makes the app almost useless for real navigation and true chart plotting. Without Magnetic North this is only a little better then Google maps with navigation boys overlay.
I honestly can’t believe they would put out a serious nautical navigation tool without Magnetic North, it makes it feel like a toy.
I honestly can’t believe they would put out a serious nautical navigation tool without Magnetic North, it makes it feel like a toy.
Crash Course!!
Just upgraded to the 17 Pro Max. App crashes constantly!! I re-downloaded. Argo and other apps work fine!
Do not purchase for Lake Powell
This app is extremely inaccurate for Lake Powell, I was in place where it sad there was no water and the depths was 75 feet and then other areas where islands were just under the surface but it didn’t show an island and it was hundreds of feet deep. Don’t waste your money.
Subscription required
Makes you create a log in, gets your information then informs you need a subscription. Says there are free features but can’t access anything without subscribing or starting free trial.
Garmin RUINED Navionics
Nothing works since Garmin took over Navionics. Most of the time I can’t even open the app because it times out. I’d possibly subscribe if it were at least reasonable for a occasional users (and worked more reliably)….sad to see a good thing gone.
Failed
Unreliable data
Dangerous
While in the middle of my subscription, while boating my charts disappeared! No notice and the subscription had not ended. This company appears to have no concern about the safety of their boating consumers! Be very careful that all your eggs are not in one basket!
Bloated, Overpriced
The app was on, definitely bloated, fine for the old $10 annual subscription for mobile app. The new $49.99 annual subscription will a the deal breaker. Going to C-MAP.
Garmin step up your game
App worked perfectly until garmin came and kooked it, progressively getting worse…
Vhere is Navionics Europe :( give my money
Vhere is Navionics Europe :( give my money
Still terrible
Subscribed again after taking a year off, hoping things might have improved. They haven’t. If you have a Garmin chart plotter and subscribe to Garmin’s charts for it, Active Captain is a much better option. Otherwise there are better and much less expensive options available (TZ iBoat)
Corporate greed ruins everything
Paid for this app years ago and once Garmin got ahold of it they’ve ruined it. That’s why their ratings are so low. They’ve slowly taken away features and made it useless just to make you pay their yearly subscription.
Can't download maps
I loved this app till Garmin took it over. Si ce then I can't download maps. It keeps telling me to subscribe to download, then when I try to, it tells me I'm already subscribed. I've tried everything. Delete the app. Repurchase the app. New account. New password. Still the same problem. Tried support several times. Waiting, waiting, waiting then you hung up on me. Very difficult to contact support or even the chat option. Only a few hours for us around the world. Please improve this support. I've purchased other apps to try and solve this but I am so used to this one and it has all my photos on it, I prefer to keep using it.
Garmin messed this up
Have used this applicator years before Garmin took it over. All my old charts disappeared . Tried to renew and they took my money but can’t access the renewal. They hot my money but program still says it is expired. Will look elsewhere for chart plotter program. Very disappointed.
Not happy
Just not happy with this app. My location constantly gets flipped around. Especially when reversing route. When I chart a new course sometimes it makes a straight line from point a to point b over land. Very frustrating to use. Will not be renewing if it doesn't get better.
Do not subscribe
I’ve been a long time user but the cost of the app is insane now and not worth it for how poor the quality the app is. Take the other reviews seriously. Everything mentioned is 100% true.
Chart a course to a different app
Believe the negative reviews. It’s just a garbage app now, focused solely on generating revenue.
Please take your money elsewhere and let this app and the company behind it die.
Please take your money elsewhere and let this app and the company behind it die.
How does one spell money grab? G-A-R-M-I-N
In response to the Developer reply, I’m aware of that, and you obviously didn’t comprehend the issue at all. If someone has already paid a lot of $$$ for your product (in this case the 943xsv AND a subscription to Navionics+ for said chartplotter) a company that cares about its customers should offer a discount if one wants to supplement with another Navionics subscription for a phone/tablet. Having to pay full price for both is a sleazy tactic. It’s not a difficult concept to comprehend.) My original review still applies a year later. Despite having the exact same chart info on my Garmin GPSMap 943xsv, I’m forced to pay twice for the info - once for this subscription, and a separate price for the 943xsv subscription. How Garmin has not made a discounted bundle available for loyal customers is absurd. That a premium subscription to this mobile app isn’t included with a Navionics+ charplotter subscription, that was also purchased from Garmin, is insulting. Not to mention the asinine decision to allow only TWO devices to access the charts at a time. Why? Does Garmin really think this program is being shared like Netflix? So when we’re cruising and plotting in real time, if we want the iPad to always have the information available, one of us has to sign out of Navionics on our iPhones.
update buggy
suddenly “boat” not tracking correctly in chart while underway. Orientation off etc.
Does not synch with Garmin GPS
Spending an hour on the phone with the Garmin help desk, I was told that I needed to buy a different Garmin navionics app in order to sync it with my Garmin GPS on my boat. Absurdly complicated and difficult.
Worthless
Wanted to buy this app in hopes of navigating local lakes and reservoirs. Finding that they have not placed all topographical info in my local bodies of water. This app is a waste of money! I highly recommend saving your $50 on any other app then this one.
Used to be amazing before Garmin bought it
I’ve been using Navionics since about 2011 and it was the best phone navigation app for its time. I paid a one time fee of $50 for maps from Navionics and once Garmin took it over in 2014, they stuck both their m1ddle fingers at customers and said, “We’re gonna reset the app so you’re forced to redownload, delete everything you previously bought with Navionics and now we’ll charge you annually to use the app!” Furthermore, they progressively made the app worse over the years. Amazing! So much technology in the world and Garmin has been able to somehow go backwards with this app. I just downloaded Argo Nav, which is $40/year and seems good so far. There’s a special place in the universe for Garmin’s responsibility in destroying this app that everyone loved.
Paid $25 and you still need subscription to do downloading offline maps
Paid $25 and you still need subscription to do downloading offline maps. Thankfully there appear to be many more modern fishing apps nowadays without so many 1-star reviews
Disappointment
I have used this app for years, but it no longer works when I try to use any of the features. It tells me that I need a subscription when I go to subscribe it tells me that I’ve already paid until 2026. There is no clear path on how to fix this. I have tried updating the app, deleting the app and adding it back on without any luck. Now I have a $60 app that I can’t use.
latest version 23 has issues with mapping for tracks
tracks that used to work are now displaying as going over land
Unusable
Half the time now you can’t even login. It just shows a spinning icon forever. It just keeps getting more and more buggy
So much worse than it should be
This app is so much worse than it should be. My main complaint is that its GPS position tracking at low speeds repeatedly freezes up. Other apps will be accurately tracking my location, but Navionics will stop updating. The only way to fix it is to force quit and restart the app. I had to do this a half a dozen times the other day. Are you drifting onto a hazardous reef? With Navionics you’ll never know!
Other minor complaints: The relief shading is great, but it’s not used to report depth, so depths are often extremely inaccurate, even in areas with high resolution relief shading. The app is a battery hog.
Other minor complaints: The relief shading is great, but it’s not used to report depth, so depths are often extremely inaccurate, even in areas with high resolution relief shading. The app is a battery hog.
Won’t let you unsubscribe
Don’t download bc it won’t let you out of the temp subscription
Greedy
I purchased a navionics card for my fish finder for $100+. I should be able to view the charts I have ALREADY PURCHASED on my mobile devices without having to pay an additional fee. Very disappointing
Robbed me
This app blows compared to the old navionics when it compares to ease of use and I paid for a lifetime membership that is no longer honored by garmin someone should make a new navionics
Photos don’t offer an “Only Me” privacy setting
Garmin regressed the Navionics app…
-Markers that were tied to photos didn’t migrate over (photos are gone!) and so is the option to add them
-Photos are now their own maker only they don’t allow an “Only Me” privacy setting like markers
-If you don’t want your data to be synced, it literally deletes everything. Routes. Markers. Tracks. It’s not stored locally.
-Speaking of locally, I reside near Garmin HQ (Kansas, USA) which is 600 miles from the nearest ocean
-I don’t need tide or other fancy ocean info…I only need a SINGLE map of 1 local lake…$50
-The maps don’t reflect changing water level at Lake of the Ozarks (ya know…right by Garmin HQ)
-Also, if your $50 subscription ends, all of your map details are DELETED. It reverts you to a VERY basic map.
-Markers that were tied to photos didn’t migrate over (photos are gone!) and so is the option to add them
-Photos are now their own maker only they don’t allow an “Only Me” privacy setting like markers
-If you don’t want your data to be synced, it literally deletes everything. Routes. Markers. Tracks. It’s not stored locally.
-Speaking of locally, I reside near Garmin HQ (Kansas, USA) which is 600 miles from the nearest ocean
-I don’t need tide or other fancy ocean info…I only need a SINGLE map of 1 local lake…$50
-The maps don’t reflect changing water level at Lake of the Ozarks (ya know…right by Garmin HQ)
-Also, if your $50 subscription ends, all of your map details are DELETED. It reverts you to a VERY basic map.
Satellite overlay non existent, accuracy?
I purchased this app because the Navionics map is completely inaccurate where I’m sailing, of course after downloading and paying for the app the “overlay of satellite” doesn’t exist where I’m located. It exists about 500 feet away but misses the important areas. If they are going to charge 50 USD for the app, it should both be accurate and contain the as advertised overlay of satellite imagery. It is pretty much useless to me, nothing worse than relying on inaccurate maps in an area full of reefs (Fiji).
Garbage
Don’t waste your money! You have been warned
+ 32 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
42%
Positive (4-5★)
11%
Neutral (3★)
46%
Negative (1-2★)