GPSrChive Discussion Forum

Users Beware!

Adding your Garmin GPSr to Garmin Explore on your Android device can result in a loss of all data on the GPSr after syncing!

Backup all important data on your GPSr BEFORE adding your device to Garmin Explore!

This is a longstanding bug that has been present since inception and Garmin have yet to correct as of Explore v2.5.2

Two years later, and Explore is still up to no good, deleting all user data on device microSD cards while duplicating waypoints, tracks, routes, etc three or more times each in the Explore Cloud Database...

Just stay away from Explore if you can.

There is a reason I often refer to Garmin Explore as Perses....

Yep, also did run one time into that bug and all my stuff was duplicated.

I haven't used Garmin Explore on the iphone yet. To be honest I am not sure what exact use it would have. Shall I just not bother at all with Explore and delete the app?

If you haven't needed it yet, I would recommend leaving it alone!

inReach devices require it, otherwise I don't touch it.

Thanks for the advice.

Has Explore had any updates to fix these issues?

Oop North John wrote: ↑Fri Sep 02, 2022 6:12 am Has Explore had any updates to fix these issues?

Unfortunately I don't think anyone, except maybe Garmin, really knows without a changelog or confirmation. At this point, I would argue we can only prove that it's still broken, not that it's fixed, since issues didn't happen for everyone.

From my own experience - using Explore with a Montana 700i, Solar Instinct 1, and GPSMAP 64st, I have not experienced any loss of data on device, and recently have not had data duplicated (say last 6 months or so, hard to say exactly).

However, there is currently a bug with the browser version of Explore where most tracklogs and activities say "No location data available", rendering the web version generally unusable. The Android apps (on my phone and tablet) do not exhibit this issue and have been working ok.

Personally, I make sure any important data is saved into BaseCamp (etc) ASAP.

Here's the Explore website issue on Garmin's Forums for anyone interested -

Spoiler

https://forums.garmin.com/apps-software ... ent-1286=1

Explore is living up to the 'Perses' nickname we have bestowed upon it, and still proving it is the destroyer of worlds.

Today, all data contained within multiple Explore Collections has been mysteriously deleted!

All waypoints.
All Tracks.
All Routes.
All Courses.
All Activities.

GONE.

All show 'zeros' on synced devices, Explore Mobile App, and Explore Web.

Tip: Avoid Garmin Explore at all costs. You will be happier for it. We promise.