Garmin InReach Messenger Plus Adds Photos and Voice to Emergency Messages

When motorcycle adventuring in remote locations with poor cell service, it’s crucial to have a reliable way to contact help in an emergency. Garmin’s InReach communicators are a popular choice among adventurers, both on and off a motorcycle.

Now, Garmin has introduced the new InReach Messenger Plus. This is the company’s first emergency communicator capable of sending photo and voice messages over a satellite network.

The Messenger Plus can operate either with or without the Garmin Messenger mobile application. When not connected to the mobile app, it works as any emergency satellite communicator, allowing you to send an emergency message to your specified contact in case of an accident.

Paired with the Messenger app, the communicator gains a bunch of new features. If Wi-Fi or cellular network are available, the Messenger Plus will prioritize those connections. Off-grid, it will swap to a satellite connection to deliver the new capabilities, including:

• Sharing photos
• 30-second voice messages
• Two-way group texts up to 1,600 characters
• Interactive SOS messaging including text, photo, and voice
• Sharing GPS coordinates and embedding location to messages
• Off-grid navigation (with the Garmin Explore app)
• Weather updates and forecasts

You can use the photo and voice capabilities simply to share a beautiful picture you snapped from a distant mountaintop. However, they can also help you communicate more effectively with emergency responders.

By sharing a picture or voice messages, you may be able to give rescuers a clearer idea of your situation and possible injuries. Sharing the GPS location can help guide them to your location as fast as possible.

Physically, the Messenger Plus is a compact, roughly palm-sized device. It resists high and low temperatures, and has an IPX7 waterproofing rating, which allows it to survive underwater at a depth of three feet for around 30 minutes.

Garmin says the battery can last for up to 600 hours (when sharing one text message or location update every 10 minutes in low-power mode). When used only for emergency messaging, the manufacturer’s claimed maximum battery life is up to one year.

Should your phone battery die, it’s possible to use the Messenger Plus as an emergency power supply to send messages through the Garmin Messenger app.

The Garmin InReach Messenger Plus retails for $499.99. Using the device requires a separate satellite network subscription.