Boating Usa App Reviews

Good app. However the UI needs some work, it’s rough around the edges. Here’s a good example I found a bug. If you are a paid subscriber on a iPhone and you search for the Navionics app using quick search, it reverts to the free app with basic features. However if you open the app directly (not from search) it works fine with sonar and all the premium features. Your developers need to work on the UI and your QA team needs improvement. Much more work is needed to justify the cost.

Can’t even open it, paid 10$ and it crashes every time I open it, what a waste of money

This app literally saved my life as we got caught in a very thick fog on Lake Michigan (August 2018). Visibility was 20-50 yards however I followed my route from Muskegon to Grand Haven and we made it home safe! I wish I could somehow post some photos from our “adventure” that could have ended quite differently had we not had Navionics on board... I’ve been a subscriber since 2012 and never had any issues with the app. This app pays for it self in fuel savings as I always use my own preconfigured routes as well as the auto-routes...

Navionics is the best map company on the market for boating, fishing, any kind of water sports! They are always updating, adding new areas, and making things better. The depth shading for contour ranges and the addition of Active Captain is a game changer.

Needs proper Split Screen support for iPads.

Hey I’m trying to talk to someone about the app. Wondering if something could be added to the program to help me and other fishermen

Bought this app and it worked well until they decided to make me buy it again- took away all the features of the original and to get them back I had to upgrade for the same price I already paid once for the same product-is this what we call customer service now?

What a shame to lose the best boating app to this new bait and switch tactic.....This was at one time the highest rated boating app, hows this bait and switch working out?

Paid the $10 for this app now its being discontinued and I have to download another and pay again? You people are absolute scumbags. 🖕🏻🖕🏻🖕🏻

This app used to be an amazing resource! Now all of a sudden I cannot use the apps feature THAT I ALREADY PAID FOR without paying for a “subscription”. This is a scam! Super disappointed. Definitely feel cheated considering I’ve already paid for this app and loved the features. Now I updated the app and have to pay to use the same features I already paid for. Would love a refund, but we all know that won’t happen. Find a different app. This company just killed their customers.

Ripped off when they make you switch to the new app and here to repay for the app what a joke! I’m done

This app has switched to junk! Not what I paid for a couple years ago. Use to show depths for the Mississippi River now only shows in certain spots. Never been happy with smaller lakes because they never showed depths or contour. Now this app is totally worthless to me. Can’t believe a app can do this to a customer after they have purchased the app. Now I have to buy upgrades to maps I already paid for. Negative rating if possible!

Various features that were paid for when purchased years ago at the $9.99 price point are attempting to be re-sold to me with a monthly subscription fee. Was a good app but it appears those days are gone, the old bait and switch.

This app was the best but like the others, I bought this app and really liked it until they updated it and took away the overlays that I paid for really disappointing that they would do this and very wrong I read that the ISO bull crap they are trying to tell us but my app was working perfectly till it says you should update because there are things you are missing out on but don’t fall for it is a dirty f&$) trick!!! When I bought this app it was a one time fee I doubled checked before buying it! I want my money back!! Navionics you should be ashamed! I told so many of my friends that this was the best app to have and now this bull crap !! Find a different app !!

When I first purchased this app years ago you could choose Google Map, shallow area shading, etc. This company keeps asking me to upgrade for crap I PAID for and once got! If you want a bait and switch app then pay for it. I paid for all those features so GIVE them back to me. This is BS!

I used to get the overlays and several different options with the original navionics app that I purchased. Now, they have removed these options and are trying to sell them as an upgrade to navionics+ So dumb and I will be looking for a different app now. Way to piss off your base...

Find another company, Garmin is taking advantage of its consumers. I bought this a month or so ago just to loose access and now they want more money. There are better options from honest companies.

Used to love this app, paid for it so I had all the features, now I am supposed to pay again? That’s a ripoff and a scam, have some business ethics.

Was satisfied with this app until recently. All my markers for my fishing spots are all gone somehow. I’d suggest using a different app so you don’t run into this problem. I now have to relocate all my fishing spots on multiple lakes.

When I just opened my purchased Boating USA app it said it is being discontinued. It said to download a new app. I did. Now instead of a nice accurate layout of lake all I get is a crappy block shape supposedly of the lake. A pop up says buy/pay more to get what I already paid for and use to get. I am wondering class action lawsuit? This is BS.

Charts are not detailed at all. This would be sad, as a free program. I felt ripped off even for $10.

The first thing that tweaked me was when I downloaded the app it promted me to "register/sign in". These are two different ideas but one icon. It asked for my email and password. I didn't have a password yet so I was confused. Should I use my Apple ID and PW, should I use my Yahoo email username and PW? It ended up that when I stuck my yahoo password in that the next screen recognizes that you don't have a PW yet and it THEN registers you with that PW. If there had been a "Registration" icon right from the beginning I wouldn't have been confused. i.e. - I wouldn't have clicked a "Sign In" icon because I knew I didn't register yet. STRANGE! My initial purpose with the APP was to help me navigate my lake going to a fireworks display about 15 miles from my house. I wanted to start at my dock, drive to the event in the daytime when I can see all the obstacles and simlply drive a clean patch to the location. THEN at night I wanted to simply follow the track safely home. Well the APP starts with a weird draw a box around the area I want to navigate. That function was somewhat smart but my phone's screen is small and creating the box was hard to get around exactly the area I wanted which was simply my lake. creating the box gives you more land features around the lake and that's cool except it doesn't give streets and their names. So what good is the land around the lake if there's no streets named? The logic in hitting the start button (to create a track) makes no sense to me. It seems like nothing is happening. Just a line vector showing the way you are going. But no "track" line is created. i.e. - after you go a few miles a line should be on the screen showing you where you came from. So when I noticed nothing happening I changed over to "Route". It isn't until you hit "stop" that a prompt comes up asking you to "save". When you save a track is created. Then you can call up a track in menu and see where you started and ended up, There are some cool features nonetheless and certainly it does what it is supposed to do but it is not logical in some respects. These days it seems like an app could be created that totally is "easy to understand" and user friendly. For example I would have a "new user register here" icon. Another icon could say "registered users sign in here". How about a "set home" icon as in any car navigation system. For me it is the hoist at the end of my dock. For another it might be the boat launch they launch out of. Another icon could say "create track". You click it and the track is showing up as you are traveling. This way you know you are creating one. And then yeh after you get to where you going you hit "Stop Track" and then it prompts you to save. That is my 2 cents...

I purchased awhile back now they they want more money to to see satellite view or anything else. Don’t waste your time with this app. With today’s technology you can look at others for free no need to throw money to these vultures.

You buy the app, then buy the maps, and every update they take more and more features away and make them all subscription based only! Biggest waste of money in the entire App Store. 😡

I bought this app several years back. I paid full price and have been informed that the “premium upgrade” now costs money. It will no longer chart for me. Find another app instead of paying $15 plus an annual fee. I would have rated it zero stars if possible.

I found the reviews for this app pretty harsh. It could use a good usability audit and some Ui work, but it’s a quality app for creating charts, reviewing bottom contours and finding good spots to start searching out fish. I use it every trip offshore.

I paid for and used this app for years as a guide. I had hundreds of waypoints and data. After a recent update everything was lost. I was never asked to create an account during the time I had the app, now it wants me to log in and they tell me if I didn’t previously have an account then none of my data is retrievable!!!

I wish you could label your waypoints.

Has all the maps you need to go boating. Try buying the maps for an external chart plotter. You’ll save hundreds with this app!

The auto routing feature is nice. However the only way to import or export waypoints is with plotter sync to a compatible chart plotter which ALSO has Navionics charts. You have to purchase charts separately for iPhone and iPad. And it’s not clear what happens if you have to replace or update your device - probably have to re-purchase all the charts. I prefer iSailor, which associates charts with your iCloud account, meaning you can access them from all Your iOS devices, and don’t lose them if you upgrade your phone or lose/break a device. AND you can easily download list of waypoints, or export and share routes with your flotilla buddies.

Just be nice if they could locate all the lock and dam locations on the Mississippi.

Its not as user friendly as the real deals are, but for a phone and a back up navigation method its great. Just turn your phone on ‘airplane’ mode when you head off shore then activate the tracking. You will see where you are/went and the coordinates if you intend on coming back later ;)

I use this app every time I go fishing. It is very accurate and helpful. One feature that would be helpful is to be able to turn on an overlay of all my tracks so I can see on the map where I have been. This would be helpful especially in my area with sandbars, oyster beds and rocks.

I paid for this app, and now it’s asking for more money. I will not pay again to use the app I’ve already paid for. I will be deleting this app today. Which is too bad, because it was a good app.

I used this app for ice fishing, it worked great to find deep holes for Tullibees. Wish they had a tutorial but wayyyy better than buying a GPS. I don’t know why there are so many bad reviews, this app is great. I can mark all of my fishing spots and I will definitely be using this for a long time.

This app uses True North bearings & headings rather than compass headings/bearings. There is no indication of that in setup. No big deal unless don’t mind being off course while using your navigation software.

after researching several similar apps I bought this app thinking it would be useful when ice fishing an area for the first time. i used the app over a dozen times. it was wrong every time! it was off by 6ft to 15ft when on a lake with an average depth of 24ft. I was very disappointed to say the least. don’t waste your time or money on this app!

Why do we have to renew? It was fine the way it was.

The more I use this app and realize the depth it has, the more I love it. Very useful on the water.

What did you do just guess what the depths were not even close

Paid 20 bucks for a app that removed all access and I now have the same version that freemium folks access. Took away all the great features that made this app well worth the investment. Can you say class....

This is the second time that Navionics is “discontinuing” their app to get extra money out of us and this time they are making us do a monthly subscription. There is no practical difference between the first and current generation of the app. They “add” bells and whistles that don’t get used, just so they can up charge you. Just looking for a program that does charts, distances and tracking. I’m not paying again. And will wait for the current version to eventually stop working because...that’s what the last one did. SCAM

I really enjoy the USA app. For $4.99/ year it is great value. I received a note within the app that said it would no longer be supported and to update to the new app, at no additional cost. It is true that they will move you to the new app and you don’t pay anything, but when it is time to renew your subscription the price is now $14.99. I feel that this is a shady tactic on Navionics part. I don’t even see any difference in the two apps to justify a 200% increase in price. Your customers deserve better.

Update to previous review. After update this app is once again outstanding. Great detail and easy to use.

Great app. I've been relying on it for years. Recently I notice when using the wind forecast, when I touch the wind speed symbol (wind barb) the actual wind speed does not appear. In past versions of the app the wind speed would appear after a tap. Please fix this.

Although the iPhone app may not be accurate/safe enough for real-time navigation, the disclaimer makes that clear, and the details and technology of the app are excellent for information and planning. The technology and route planning is more sophisticated than many chart plotters, for a fraction of the price. I am a big fan!!!

This app is seriously messed up. The map contours never fit the outline of the lake and it constantly moves all over the place. It shows I'm going up to 2mph when I'm laying in my bed looking at it. I have a paid subscription and expect a working app!! Please fix asap!!!

I use this app in the Pacific Northwest, including the Columbia & Willamette rivers and so far I'm very impressed. I don't really have much to compare it to, but the charts are very detailed and (so far) extremely accurate. The plotter page is wonderfully intuitive with easy tap-to-place waypoints and very professional speed, BRG, dist next windows. You can input your boat's specs to anticipate leg-length and fuel consumption. It even has a massive search database for locating fuel and any written info on sections of your voyage. I'm astonished, frankly, to be the first person to write a review here and if I'd seen others, I might have actually rated it a 5.

I use this app all the time when I visit Charleston. Simple and easy for anyone to use. I highly recommend trying it

Good app very accurate and is great for storing your favorite fishing holes.

I bought the this app for both my iPad and iPhone. Paid for all the advance options and use the IPad as my main source for boating navigation since it updates very easily when it's connected to the Internet. I have saved all my fishing spots and potential spots when it hit 200 spots it stop allowing me to save anymore. You can not buy anymore waypoints so now I have to start deleting spots which I hate doing. "I am hoping they fix this as soon as possible". If they don't I will have no choice but to start using another navigation app which allows more waypoints. I have been told by Navionics that Andriod does not have such a small limit why can't they get this fixed on IOS10

This is a great app for boating and fishing but it is missing one critical feature - the ability to import markers/waypoints. There are other GPS and marine apps that have this feature. I have many lists of GPS coordinates for fishing reefs and there is no way to import them into this app.

I am this app all year! Great way to plot my ice fishing trips. Instead of plugging a bunch of holes and dropping my flasher I can pick out land marks and get close to where the fish should be. Saved me so much time and effort and got me fishing! Only dowłnfall is I have had to buy this twice I just switched to iPhone and had to purchase it again. There should be a way to port it over.

I've had this app for yrs now. Now u want me to pay for it again? Oh and for every year after that like a yearly subscription to keep using ur app. Sorry, Not anymore!

This app is amazing for any lake, bay, or ocean. I uploaded the local lake maps of the area and already have the fishing spots ready to go with lures to match the depth of the water. This app is revolutionary and for $9.99 this will be the best tool in your tackle box.

Why limit waypoints????Your STILL limiting waypoints... WHY?????

Literally the most beneficial fishing tool I have ever came across, specifically when targeting areas ice fishing, due to the fact that, unlike most chat plotters used on open water, most ice flashers do not have any means of navigation or topography. Simply pull out your phone and hop on the sled to quickly target designated contour areas and composition changes. An absolute game changer. Best part... ITS FREE. Why not spend the money on the rods we know your gonna buy anyways (because when do we ever stop buying new fishing gear). I will also have you know this is the only app review I have ever written, due mainly because I'm pretty confident I use this app more then the text messaging and calling features on my phone.

I find this app useful for freshwater lake navigation. It has some nice features that I really don't need or use, but would be useful for some boaters. A must have if you launch in unfamiliar areas.

Honestly if your a fisherman just spend the 10 dollars and you won't regret it one bit! Not kidding either. I love this app and use it all the time

Definitely worth the $10!! Just a heads up tho it drains your battery very fast, bring a charger. $5 renewal after a year, it will always be a part of my fishing arsenal! Jamie

Great to get a general layout of the lake. Depth contours can be a little off in their accuracy. If you can figure out which way it's off you're golden. Wanted to fish near a sand bar and stopped short of it on the map but was nearly on top of it. Had to reverse twenty feet or so to find the drop off which then said it should have been shallow again. Good to know where the real shallows and rocks are though.

Best 10 bucks I've ever spent on the boat. So helpful, can't describe. Replaced thousands of dollars in paper charts.

I am very impressed with the quality of the maps - depths and markings are spot-on and even seem a little more accurate than the printed lake maps I have. For only $10 I was wondering how this would work since they sell their USA lake map chip for $200... When you start the app (or at any time) you select the area you want to download - I'd imagine there is a limit. I downloaded several of my surrounding counties which got me all of the corresponding lake maps in excellent detail. I use this ice fishing in place of a 200 - $300 GPS and it works perfect. I can see exactly where I am and the depth / structure and the Vexilar confirms what the map is showing. I somewhat agree with one other review about the limit on waypoints, however, with my iPhone, when I want to mark a spot I just switch to the maps app and mark it there - which I can always use again to get right back to that spot - easy workaround.

This is a very useful app with no bugs (yet) extremely detailed!

Not worth the trouble. Save your money. Sad that they want to charge for this crap.

I wished I checked the reviews on Navionics before I purchased.

The app works great for its intended purpose but it has a flaw that ruins it. For some reason they placed a very light colored link that easily blends into the background to something called openstreet. It is placed right in the middle lower section so almost every time you try to scroll your map, the link will get activated and it takes you to this website and away from your map. It is very worrisome if you are tracking your way points through a tough channel and suddenly your map is gone. I have the paid version of navionics too. If they could get rid of that s***** link it could be a great app.

I can not say enough how valuable this app is. It's great for planning. Great as a backup electronic navigation device. I don't use it tied to electronics..only on its own. With this and a good case, on both my iPad and iPhone it's a go-to thing!!

Really great App when it works while boating I bought it a second time because it would not update stopped working suddenly I feel ripped off Now works but still will not update even though I have over 300 days left to my paid subscription

Get Fish Spots app instead, has all the FREE FEATURES navionics USED TO HAVE FREE BUT TOOK AWAY UNLESS YOU PAY AGAIN!!! I just turned on my navionics app to notice that the satellite information is no longer available. I bought this app for $10 a few years ago. When I had bought it, it came with these features. So now you're going to s**** me and make me pay for the same features that I've already paid for??? What you're doing is wrong and most likely illegal and if nothing else, seriously unethical. You can't charge people for an app that has certain features then release an update that does not have those features and attempt to charge them to get the features back. I will report this app to the Apple App Store, the Better Business Bureau and my local states attorney for nefarious business practices. I won't be deleting this app because I already paid for it once and I won't pay for "premium "features that already came with the app when I paid $10 for the first time!!!!! Thieves!!!!!

As an early adopter, this is the second time I purchased a chart plotting app from Navionics and the second time I am being forced to re-purchase a product I already paid for. Now they want a subscription. At $50 for an app, you would think they would grandfather those of us who funded the development of their products - NOPE - Nothing! I hope it was worth it, because you have the last dollar I will ever spend with you.

Thank you for adding the element on the speed indicator that shows that I am in a “no wake zone”. What an awesome addition. I needed it so many times in my SeaDoo.

We bought a new boat in Maryland and had to drive it home to the north shore of Long Island through waters we were completely unfamiliar with. The equipment on the boat was not functioning as hoped and this app came to the rescue. Our trip was plotted for us easily and the we found fuel docks with the app and navigated home easily and safely with no problems. Thank you Navionocs!!

The map is never right. It's says I'm 18' but when I drill and find that I'm in 8' of water

Love the app but still getting use to it. Can't find any documentation for how to use it. I saved a track I made yesterday hoping I could use it as a guide going out on the boat today, but I can't figure out how to bring up yesterday's track on the chart, or if it is even possible to do so. No instructions within the app nor on the website. If there's a way to do this I'd give it 6 stars!

Love the app but please make it easier to add waypoints. And quit calling them markers, they should be called waypoints.

Got this app to help me isolate points and depth for ice fishing. I live in Colorado and our "lakes" are small granted, but to advertise as an accurate topographical map is an insult. I have verified by boat and depth finder the inaccuracies of the app for one lake I love to fish. This may be a better application where larger bodies of water are found, but not for Colorado. I rue the purchase.

Tons of great features. Very reasonably priced. Two complaints: 1) asks to agree to terms EVERY time you open the app 2) it's plotted a route through land a few times.

What you see today might not be what you see tomorrow. I used this app that I purchased to fish flats with the satellite overlay. Now they have made satellite a subscription service. What will they take away next?

Purchased this app after purchasing the previous version because Navionics felt it was good treatment of their customers to make them buy the same app again instead of upgrading the original version. Then after buying this version which came equipped with satellite images, they have now taken that away and require the annual subscription to Navionics plus. This company treats its customers almost as bad as United Airlines.

I've commented before there's no functional purpose requiring location services be on "always" or "never". This binary option is for the collection of data plain and simple. Now pop-up's? Really? I got an obtrusive "message" about a Sea-Tow service (which isn't available in my area by the way) on screen while I was navigating. Now I see the true purpose of Navionics always-on location tracking. Selling adverts. I thought smarter app developers were beyond this kind of nonsense. It's simple: if you need the money offer a small fee to users to AVOID this type of disturbance. Especially while navigating!! This is a pretty good app and I use Navionics software on my Raymarine systems. But the developers are going to ruin it and lose customers with this nonsense.

When the orientation switches to landscape the details (speed, heading, etc) disappear. Please fix this.

Works great

I don't understand why the App needs to track my location when I'm not using it. When I turn it on, I obviously get it, but not when I'm no where near the water and not using the App. In this age of heightened sensitivity to privacy, all of my other apps that need to know where I am have added a 'Only when using the App' to the Privacy>Location Services options so as users we have more control vs the binary Always/Never option you only have now. I hope you'll add one as well.

Good app, just wondering why I've been charged twice?

It would be great if the developers offered the very logical option of enabling location while the app is in use instead of only "Always or Never". Kinda silly. Do not buy.

This app is horribly inaccurate, it tells me depths that are no where near the actual depths of the areas, on almost every lake I've ever looked at it on, save your money, this app is trash

I have fished out of a kayak for a long time and have a basic depth finder. This app replaces the need to upgrade to a more expensive unit as it replaces the lake mapping. If you're simply fishing specific structure lines and specific depths, especially while trolling, this can replace a depth finder completely The GPS on the app is very accurate

I found the app to be ideal for USA Lakes!!! Super helpful for navigating new waters and knowing the typography of the lake you are fishing. For a $10 app I found it to be feature rich and very user friendly.

Used sailing up the North River (currently named Hudson River). Catalina 36, way easier to use than NavX, very practical

Great app, but doesn't have the option to only use my location when I'm using the app, so it kills my battery. Please fix this feature.

I wish I hadn’t talked so great about this app bc now they are trying to charge extra for everything. The owners of this are just as greedy as the rest of these s*** bag corporate people like when netflix cancelled popular shows and tried to make you pay extra. We must stand together and refuse to be taken advantage of by another company like navionics.

I have tried all the apps. This one is the best. All the other ones are very hard to figure out and don’t chart your route for you. This one does. Its not the easiest. But for planning a route. It is the best so far

Pretty good app with lots of options. The navigation in som cases guides you through shallow waters instead of guiding you around it (Miami Biscayne Bay Area). The navigation initiation requires a lot of clicks, cancel, then initiate, then start = too many clicks. Tides are available separately, but if the maps would take the tides into consideration, it would be amazing.

Iwhile underway I keep this app open on my iPad to back up my chart plotters. The constantly updated charts are super accurate . Not overly intuitive to use, but neither is my Furuno or German.

I like the idea of this app, but the contours and depths are so far off it's totally worthless for fishing. On one lake I fish it says there is a 20 foot deep hole but when I went there it's nothing but 9 foot deep, and the official survey of the lake says there is a max depth of 9 foot. Complete waste of money for any fisherman.

Paid for it a while back. Now I need to download a new lake and it wants me to pay again. Think I’ll pass this time. Seems strange that they change the rules after you pay the first time.

Paid $10 for this ap last year and now I have to pay again to get satellite images again. Screw that. I will get a different ap.

Where’s the off button??? My battery goes dead overnight. I’ve had many GPS’s all came with an off button. Idiots.