Help & Support

Getting started

Use Explore to browse maps, Record to start an iPhone GPS session, Sessions to review tracks, and Settings to manage preferences. You can record on iPhone without an Apple Watch. To record on your wrist, install MarinePath on your paired Apple Watch.

Location access

Allow location access when prompted. If the app says Location Access Needed, open the device's Settings, allow MarinePath to use your location, and check that Location Services is enabled. You can start a session before a GPS fix is available, but route points are recorded only when usable location data is available. Move outdoors for a clearer GPS signal.

The location arrow controls map following. Panning pauses following; tap the arrow to follow again. Showing your location marker and following your location are separate settings.

Maps and marine charts

Downloading maps requires an internet connection. If tiles are missing, check connectivity and try again. On iPhone, Settings > Advanced > Clear Map Cache removes downloaded tiles so they can be fetched again.

NOAA marine chart and channel marker coverage is regional, not worldwide. Missing chart coverage does not mean an area is safe. MarinePath is not certified for navigation; use official charts and appropriate navigation equipment.

Recording on iPhone

Open Record, choose your Sport, and tap Start. The recording panel shows active elapsed time, distance, and current speed. Tap Pause, then Resume to continue or End to finish. Sessions shorter than 60 seconds of active time ask whether to save, discard, or cancel. A saved session opens with its statistics and is available in Sessions.

Location permission is required; Watch pairing, Health permission, an account, and an internet connection are not required for iPhone recording. Maps still need downloaded data or a connection. Switching tabs or panning the map does not pause recording; tap the location arrow to follow yourself again.

When allowed by iOS, a Live Activity shows recording status, elapsed time, and distance outside the app. User-started recording supports background location, but force-quitting or system termination can interrupt it. Relaunching can recover eligible interrupted recordings as partial saved tracks; it does not restart recording automatically.

iPhone and Watch recordings are separate sessions. They do not automatically hand off or merge.

Watch workouts and Water Lock

Start, pause, resume, or end a workout from the watch. Allow Health access for workout saving and available heart-rate statistics. Pausing stops track recording; movement during a pause is not joined into a straight recorded route.

When enabled, Apple's Water Lock prevents accidental screen touches. Unlock using the Digital Crown as instructed by your watch. MarinePath can check Water Lock's state on your watch, but cannot unlock it for you.

Missing tracks on iPhone

Phone recordings save directly to Sessions. If saving fails, keep the app installed and use the offered retry or recovery action.

For a missing Watch recording, keep the paired iPhone and Apple Watch nearby with connectivity enabled, then open MarinePath on both devices. Check pending-track status on the watch and use its retry action if needed. Do not delete the watch app while unsynced tracks remain.

Water depths and map labels

Enable Water Depths in Map Layers on iPhone, or Menu > Map Layers on Apple Watch. Choose feet or meters in Settings > Units > Water Depth on iPhone, or Menu > Units > Water Depth on Watch. Depths are off by default, depend on chart coverage and zoom, and represent charted soundings rather than live water levels.

Map Layers also lets you choose marker numbers, waypoint names, distances, or combined labels. Phone and Watch map-layer preferences are independent.

Sharing and deleting tracks

Review a saved track in the iPhone Sessions tab. Use its menu to export GPX. Only share tracks with people or services you trust: they can reveal where you were.

Delete local tracks from the Sessions list. Tracks on another device, exported files, and associated workouts in Apple Health must be managed separately.

Deleting or reinstalling the app

Export important tracks as GPX before deleting the app. Deleting MarinePath removes its local sessions. Reinstalling does not automatically restore sessions that were already synced to iPhone; Watch sync is not a backup. MarinePath does not restore GPS tracks from Apple Health or a cloud account.

Do not delete the watch app while unsynced tracks remain. Clear Map Cache removes downloaded map tiles, not saved sessions. Reset to Defaults preserves your tracks and waypoints.

Guides

• Record a Downwind Foiling Session on iPhone or Apple Watch
• Understand NOAA Marine Chart and Channel Marker Coverage
• Export a Recorded Track as GPX from iPhone

Contact

For support or privacy questions, email marinepathapp@gmail.com.

When reporting a problem, include your app version, iPhone/watch models, OS versions, and steps to reproduce. Do not include private routes or health information unless you choose to share them.