Reviews of Garmin Explore™

By: Garmin

List of user reviews and ratings for Garmin Explore™

Total ratings

3.74 (Rating count: 5,402)

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Review summary

User reviews for Garmin Explore on Android are mixed. Many praise Garmin ecosystem integration and waypoint management in principle, and some report stability gains after updates. However, the majority cite serious reliability and UX issues: frequent crashes, unpredictable behavior, and data loss (waypoints deletion; offline data not accessible). Map details and offline maps are inconsistent or unreliable, and route planning features fall short for some users. Additionally, the subscription price and recent updates that remove features (messenger, weather) fuel dissatisfaction. Overall, the app works for some but has notable regressions that hinder critical backcountry use.

Pros

Solid Garmin device integration and data syncing (e.g., syncing hunts from Alpha handheld) and waypoint management capabilities.
Helpful waypoint management UI on supported devices (clear UI for managing waypoints).
Overall usability for some users and peace of mind on solo adventures.
Updates have, for some users, improved functionality and usefulness.

Cons

Frequent crashes and reliability issues (app closes on launch; crashes during sync; laggy).
Poor UI/UX with non-intuitive organization and inconsistent behavior (inconsistent zoom/UI) .
Maps/offline data quality and reliability problems (names not showing, offline data inaccessible, map details unreliable).
Data loss risks such as waypoints being deleted or not syncing properly.
Subscription price/value concerns and recent updates that remove features or degrade functionality (e.g., messenger, weather).

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 2.80

All time rating average: 3.74

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15% (62)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-06-27	OC*****	Flawed. Ludicrous routing problem. create a course. 01. click and place the start point 02. select 2nd point, (or turn) 03. Now, if you deviate from a footpath or road that isn't open to public, you can change to the black line icon /creator. if you try to pull a magenta track from a public footpath to a track you want but isn't public it will not do so, BUT it will randomly draw a path across a field. so I can't go anywhere except where the map algorithms dictate. useless when hiking
Flawed. Ludicrous routing problem. create a course. 01. click and place the start point 02. select 2nd point, (or turn) 03. Now, if you deviate from a footpath or road that isn't open to public, you can change to the black line icon /creator. if you try to pull a magenta track from a public footpath to a track you want but isn't public it will not do so, BUT it will randomly draw a path across a field. so I can't go anywhere except where the map algorithms dictate. useless when hiking
2026-06-27	Ma*****	Moved previously free offline maps function behind a paywall. I already gave you quite a lot of money for a watch with said functions.
Moved previously free offline maps function behind a paywall. I already gave you quite a lot of money for a watch with said functions.
2026-06-26	Al*****	it works great.
it works great.