inReach Messenger Plus
“The most capable inReach yet for users who want to send pictures of where they are, not just words. Iridium-network photo and voice messaging is the headline feature; everything else in the inReach playbook (two-way text, location share, SOS, Garmin Response dispatch) is intact. Won the 2025 CES Best of Innovation award.”
Where to buy
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About the brand
Garmin
Overview
The inReach Messenger Plus is Garmin's first satellite communicator to add photo and voice messaging on top of the two-way text and SOS feature set that defines the inReach line. The unit runs on the Iridium satellite network, works standalone or paired to a smartphone via Bluetooth, and routes SOS calls through Garmin Response — the 24/7 emergency-dispatch center that's coordinated more than 14,500 inReach activations to date.
Built around the same palm-sized form factor as the regular inReach Messenger, the Plus adds 30-second voice messages, photo sharing, 1,600-character texts (vs. 160 on the standard Messenger), and group chat with emojis through the Garmin Messenger app. Battery life is the standout spec: 600 hours in low-power messaging mode (one message or location ping every 10 minutes), with Garmin claiming up to a full year of standby on a single charge for occasional users.
IPX7 water-resistant, operating temperatures from -14°F to 140°F. The internal lithium-ion battery charges over USB-C and can also send a top-up charge to a paired phone in an emergency. An active inReach satellite subscription is required; consumer plans start at $14.99/month.
Specifications
- network
- Iridium
- bluetooth
- Yes
- weight oz
- 4
- sos dispatch
- Garmin Response (24/7)
- two way text
- Yes
- water rating
- IPX7
- charging port
- USB-C
- emergency sos
- Yes
- price msrp usd
- 499.99
- warranty
- 1 yr
- group messaging
- Yes
- satellite photo
- Yes
- satellite voice
- Yes
- smartphone apps
- Garmin Messenger, Garmin Explore
- battery life max
- Up to one year on a single charge for occasional users
- operating temp f
- -14 to 140
- standalone capable
- Yes
- subscription required
- Yes
- text message max chars
- 1600
- battery days typical use
- 28
- voice message max seconds
- 30
- battery life low power hours
- 600
- battery pass through to phone
- Yes
- subscription starting monthly usd
- 14.99