Do you need a Garmin inReach, a ZOLEO or a handheld GPS?
Often, no. For most day hikes and weekend backpacking trips, an iPhone 14 or later with BackpackMap does the jobs people buy those devices for: it shows where you are with no cell signal, keeps topo maps offline, warns you when you leave the trail and sends a text by satellite. You skip the extra device and its monthly satellite plan.
The short answer
- Position with no signal: the iPhone's built-in GPS works with no cell service. You do not need a handheld GPS to know where you are.
- Maps with no signal: BackpackMap downloads topo maps for your whole route before you leave the trailhead.
- Staying on the trail: BackpackMap checks your position against your route. Drift off it and the iPhone buzzes, shows how far off you are and draws a line back.
- Texting out from no signal: on an iPhone 14 or later on iOS 18 or later, Messages can send a text by satellite where Apple offers it. BackpackMap uses that: one text goes out, and the reply brings the weather, active fires and flash-flood risk for your spot.
- Cost: BackpackMap is free. The texts go through Signal Fire, a separate service with its own account that BackpackMap integrates with. Signal Fire is free during the beta.
Job by job
| What you need on the trail | Dedicated device | iPhone with BackpackMap |
|---|---|---|
| Know where you are with no cell signal | Handheld GPS, or the GPS in a Garmin inReach | The iPhone's built-in GPS, which needs no cell signal |
| See the map with no cell signal | Maps loaded on the device | Topo maps for the whole route, downloaded before you leave |
| Know when you have left the trail | Watch the track on the device screen | The iPhone buzzes, a banner shows the distance off route, and a blue line points back |
| Know the distance to the next shelter or water | Count along the track by hand | Touch the trail at that spot: Tap-to-Measure gives the distance along the trail and the time at your pace |
| Send a check-in or get the weather with no signal | Garmin inReach or ZOLEO with a paid satellite plan | Messages via satellite on an iPhone 14 or later on iOS 18 or later, where Apple offers it; the reply brings weather, active fires and flash-flood risk, and your Camping pin lands on the trip map at home |
| Call for help with no signal | SOS button on a Garmin inReach or ZOLEO | Emergency SOS via satellite on an iPhone 14 or later, where Apple offers it (an Apple feature, not a BackpackMap feature) |
| Record the track you walked | Handheld GPS | Hike recording, with the screen locked |
| What it costs | A device to buy, and a monthly plan for satellite messages | BackpackMap is free; Signal Fire is free during the beta |
When a dedicated device is still the better choice
Be honest with yourself about the trip. A dedicated satellite communicator or a personal locator beacon (PLB) is still the better choice when:
- Your iPhone is older than the iPhone 14, it is on an iOS version older than iOS 18, or you carry an Android phone. BackpackMap is for iPhone only, and older iPhones cannot text by satellite.
- You travel where Apple does not offer satellite messaging or Emergency SOS via satellite.
- The trip is long and you cannot recharge, or it is very cold. One phone battery is a single point of failure. At a minimum, carry a charged power bank and a cable.
- Someone at home must watch your position live and continuously, or your employer or trip leader requires a dedicated beacon.
- The trip is remote and the consequences of a problem are high. Many people carry a PLB as a backup in any case.
A satellite text also needs a clear view of the sky, and it can take minutes to send. BackpackMap is in beta: do not rely on it as your only navigation or safety tool.
What you need
- An iPhone on iOS 17 or later for BackpackMap.
- An iPhone 14 or later on iOS 18 or later for satellite texts.
- The TestFlight app from the App Store, because BackpackMap is in a free TestFlight beta.
- A Signal Fire account for the texts. Signal Fire is free during the beta.
Questions people ask
Can an iPhone replace a handheld GPS for hiking?
For most trail hiking, yes. The iPhone's GPS works with no cell signal. What a handheld GPS adds is a longer battery life, a tougher case and buttons that work with gloves. With offline topo maps and off-route warnings in BackpackMap, the iPhone covers navigation on marked trails.
Can an iPhone replace a Garmin inReach or a ZOLEO?
For texting out and for Emergency SOS on an iPhone 14 or later, in places where Apple offers satellite features, the iPhone covers the same basic jobs without a separate device. A Garmin inReach or ZOLEO is still better for continuous live tracking, very long trips without charging, and travel outside Apple's satellite coverage.
Does BackpackMap work with no cell signal?
Yes. Maps are downloaded before you leave, position comes from the iPhone's GPS, and the off-route warning works with no signal. Texts go out as regular texts when there is signal, or as satellite texts on iPhones that can send one.
Is BackpackMap free?
Yes. BackpackMap is free. Signal Fire is a separate service with its own account; it is free during the beta.
How do I get BackpackMap?
Join the free TestFlight beta and Apple emails a TestFlight invite.