Garmin InReach Mini 2 – Can’t Pair with Garmin Explorer or Messenger Apps

[mahmoud]

Hi everyone,

I’m having a persistent issue with my Garmin InReach Mini 2 that I can’t seem to resolve. The device pairs fine with my phone’s Bluetooth settings (shows as connected), but when I try to pair it within the Garmin Explore or Garmin Messenger mobile apps, it always fails and never shows up in the apps.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

Paired the InReach Mini 2 directly through Bluetooth first — connection successful but apps still can’t detect it.

Tried unpairing from Bluetooth completely and then connecting only through the Garmin apps — still fails.

Reset both the phone and the device multiple times.

I also noticed something strange about the firmware version:

My device was on firmware v2.80, which is quite old.

When I connected it to Garmin Express, it updated to v3.90.

However, on Garmin’s firmware page, I can only find v3.33 (Nov 1, 2022) and the next release listed is v4.10 (Dec 19, 2022).

The latest official version shown there is v4.32 (Feb 20, 2025), but Garmin Express doesn’t offer anything beyond v3.90 for my device.

So my questions are:

Why can’t my InReach Mini 2 connect to the Garmin Explore or Messenger apps even though it pairs over Bluetooth?

Why does Garmin Express only show v3.90 as the latest available update for me when newer firmware versions exist?

Any advice or insight from Garmin support or anyone who’s experienced the same issue would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

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[GPSrChive]

Please:

1. Forget any any and all phones on the MINI 2 and reboot the MINI 2.

2. Remove ALL Bluetooth connections to the MINI 2 on your phone and reboot the phone.

3. Put the MINI 2 into Pairing Mode.

4. Open the Messenger or Explore app on the phone, sign into your account, and start the ADD NEW DEVICE setup.

5. Do exactly what the app indicates.

DO NOT do any Bluetooth pairing outside of the app, only when the app tells you.

[mahmoud]

Thanks for the quick response!

Just to clarify — the first step isn’t possible on my InReach Mini 2, as there doesn’t seem to be any option to “forget” a previously paired phone. Under Bluetooth, the only options I see are:
• Bluetooth: On / Off
• Not Paired (there is no response or action when select this)
• Pair Device

There’s no menu or list of previously paired devices to remove. I can toggle Bluetooth off and on, and start the pairing process, but it always fails during the connection stage.

I have done a factory reset to clear any old settings. Is there another way to reset Bluetooth connections specifically?

Thanks again for your help!

[GPSrChive]

Move on to step 2!