Garmin ActiveCaptain®

In-app purchases
3.7
5.33K reviews
1M+
Downloads
Content rating
Everyone
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About this app

The free ActiveCaptain app creates a powerful connection between your compatible mobile device and Garmin chartplotter, charts, maps and the boating community. Whether you use your Garmin products for cruising, fishing, sailing or diving, this all-in-one app will help you enjoy your time on the water.

Just pair the app with your compatible chartplotter to wirelessly transfer and access charts and maps, software updates, routes, waypoints and helpful feedback from the ActiveCaptain Community. And, with the purchase of the OnDeck™ hub(1), you can track and monitor your boat from virtually anywhere.

Please note that this app is intended for Garmin chartplotter owners and is not recommended for use as a stand-alone navigational app.


FEATURES AVAILABLE:

- ONECHART™:
> New Garmin Navionics+™ and premium Garmin Navionics Vision+™ cartography, featuring a Navionics® style appearance, advanced Auto Guidance+™ technology(2) and a one-year subscription to daily updates, is available now for North America and Europe, and coming soon to the rest of the world.

Purchase our newest-generation charts or legacy BlueChart® g3 charts from your mobile device, and upload them to registered Garmin chartplotters on your vessel.

You will get exceptional coverage, clarity and detail with charts that feature integrated Garmin and Navionics data and much more. Plus, the NOAA raster cartography(3) and premium features can be downloaded for free through the ActiveCaptain app. Visit Garmin.com/marinemaps.

- PLAN A TRIP: Plan your trip, or e-scout a new fishing spot before you’re on the water. Then, transfer your data to your chartplotter where you can view your routes and waypoints.

- USER DATA SYNC: Automatically back up and sync your data between your chartplotter and the ActiveCaptain app.

- ACTIVECAPTAIN COMMUNITY: Join a community of boaters to get up-to-date feedback on marinas, boat ramps and other points of interest (POI). Check ratings, read reviews, and view pictures of POIs to make informed decisions on the water. Contribute your own POI, reviews and pictures from your compatible mobile device.

- CONTROL YOUR CHARTPLOTTER: Using the built-in Helm™ feature, the ActiveCaptain app lets you view and control your compatible(4) chartplotter from your smartphone or tablet, even when someone else is at the helm(5).

- EASY SOFTWARE UPDATES: Receive notifications about software updates from the app, and update your chartplotter wirelessly.

- ONDECK HUB: Use the ActiveCaptain app to track, monitor and control any number of switches with the OnDeck system(1) from nearly anywhere. Door open? Bilge running? Peace of mind comes in the form of text alerts and updates.

- GARMIN QUICKDRAWTM COMMUNITY: Download the latest 1’ HD contour maps shared by your fellow boaters, and sync with your chartplotter. You can also upload your own Quickdraw Contours map data.

- SMART NOTIFICATIONS: Connect the app to your chartplotter, and turn on smart notifications(4) to see calls, text messages and more on the chartplotter display while your phone is somewhere safe and dry.



FOOTNOTES
1) OnDeck hub sold separately and requires an active subscription plan
2) Auto Guidance+ is for planning purposes only and does not replace safe navigation operations
3) NOAA raster cartography cannot be viewed on echoMAP™ CHIRP and ECHOMAP™ Plus combos but can be viewed on mobile devices via the ActiveCaptain mobile app
4) Helm feature is not compatible with ECHOMAP series chartplotters
5) Check device compatibility on the ActiveCaptain app web page; visit https://www.garmin.com/c/marine/marine-apps/
Updated on
Jan 16, 2024

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region, and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
This app may share these data types with third parties
Location, Personal info and 4 others
This app may collect these data types
Location, Personal info and 4 others
Data is encrypted in transit
You can request that data be deleted

Ratings and reviews

3.6
5.04K reviews
Matthew Camarato
March 25, 2024
Loved this app before the update, you could read the contour maps from your phone and mark waypoint to put on your fish finder. Now it's unusable. You select a square to download it downloads a random part around it. You delete a square and previous undownloaded squares pop up. I almost wish they would roll back the update so I could see lakes again !!!
5 people found this review helpful
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Larry Lu
December 30, 2023
I have used the app for many years. It was working fine but after I upgraded my phone to Google Pixel 8 Pro and the latest version of the app, downloading maps became a nightmare. The area I wanted to download requires selecting multiple times. However, latter downloads would make the previous areas disappear. If I delete the visible map, then the missing map would show up. Regardless which order I use to download, I couldn't finish the whole thing. Very frustrated.
13 people found this review helpful
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A Google user
August 9, 2019
It's OK. Seems finicky with version downloads. You have an update so you download it, it connects to device, then no update needed, then you disconnect and it says you have an update. So frustrating. I bought Garmin because I consider them more of a software company than any of the other brands. Had to reset the app on the phone for the download to take. Then it says I need to insert an activecaptain card (which I had inserted and was using all along), but it wouldn't recognize it. It wouldn't recognize the updated software version from the device until I inserted a card, which basically means I had to format and re-transfer my maps (over an hour). These loops of errors are SOOO frustrating. I'll give it 2 stars for at least not bricking my device and because it at least has a way to proceed, although extremely time consuming and frustrating. So after syncing and transferring the maps, it still doesn't recognize the newer software on the device. I guess I'll have to live with the app constantly telling me I have new software to download. Buggy and annoying. I was thinking about getting a Garmin watch, but no way after this. Fitbit isn't nearly as buggy.
99 people found this review helpful
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What's new

Updated UI
Bugfixes and performance improvements