# Bivy - Messaging & Navigation — Satellite Messaging. > Outdoor adventure discovery, navigation, tracking, and satellite communication. (iPhone/iPad app by Headgate Studios.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bivy-messaging-and-navigation/id747595150 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Headgate Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/747595153) - Category: Health & Fitness, Sports - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 3.50/5 from 109 App Store ratings · 57 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 140 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2016-06-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-02 - Monetization: free with in-app purchases - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bivy-messaging-and-navigation/id747595150/reviews.md ## What is Bivy? * 21 different adventure types, Hiking, Biking, Kayaking, Rock Climbing and Backcountry skiing all in one app. * 40,000+ adventures fully mapped - never get lost again! * Share adventures with your friends, build up your profile and contribute your favorite photos and routes. * Share your location with friends and other Bivy users. Make it easy to stay safe and found. FIND • Easily find any kind of outdoor adventure near you. Filter by activity type, difficulty, and quality. • Bivy has 17 different adventure types: Hiking, mountain biking, road biking, trail running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, camping, rock climbing, mountaineering, backcountry skiing, canyoneering, bouldering, aid climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, sea kayaking, SUV, UTV, Snowmobile, ATV, and Motorcycle. • Search by map or list. Get directions to the start of every adventure TRACK • Let Bivy track your location on the full path of every adventure. • If you go off-route, Bivy will alert you to get back on the right path. • Keep track of your pace, mileage, calories burned, top speed, resting time and ETA. SHARE • Locate other friends and Bivy users in the outdoors. See other adventurers near you. • Find out who has completed adventures you are interested in. And see comments on each adventure • Build status in the community by completing adventures and uploading your own adventures, photos, comments, and corrections. Be the most accomplished adventurer in your neck of the woods. • Every uploaded adventure is vetted by our knowledgeable staff so you can trust the accuracy and quality of the data. SAFETY • Share your location with friends or other Bivy users. If you don’t come back on time, they will be able to see your path and location. • Every adventure description gives you detailed information on distance, elevation, and difficulty • While you are tracking, Bivy will tell you how much further you have and your expected time of arrival at your current pace. BIVYSTICK • Connect via Bluetooth to the Bivystick. Turn your Cell phone into a satellite communication device. • Send and receive text messages when you are out of phone service • Send an SOS and get in communication with EMS from ANYWHERE in the world. • Access to point weather forecasts • Detailed downloadable maps that can be used when you are offline or without service. Note: Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. ## Key features - 21 adventure types - 40,000+ mapped adventures - Location sharing - Offline maps - Satellite messaging - Adventure tracking ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **One-time purchases** | Purchase | Price | Type | | --- | --- | --- | | Premium One Month | $2.99 | one-time | | Premium One Year | $29.99 | one-time | ## What do users think of Bivy? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🗺️ Useful for finding new trails - 👍 Easy to use interface (recent updates) - 🛰️ Handy for staying in contact out of cell range - ✅ Great for tracking and recording adventures - 🌟 Lots of variety for outdoor activities **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent app crashes - 📉 Poor tracking reliability - 😵 Confusing and cluttered interface - 📱 High phone battery drain - 🙈 Difficult to see in daylight - 🛒 Forced in-app purchases for download - ❓ Unclear instructions and navigation - 📍 Incorrect location data - 🌐 Limited dataset outside USA **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes on startup constantly - Tracking is nonexistent or unreliable - App glitches when tracking - Does not properly send or receive messages - Crashes when looking at user guide and other menus - App crashed in backcountry, unable to send messages until reinstalled - App crashes constantly - App crashes on start after last update - Unable to activate Bivy via the app - App requires in-app purchase before download - App crashes every time when sending a text - Lost message responses - App initiated tracking issues - App stopped working on iPhone 11 iOS 14 - Unable to log in, says no connection even on Wi-Fi - Tracking stopped mid-day and missed most of the hike - Check-ins sending with old locations - Basic editing functions don't work - Moving between screens sometimes doesn't work - Keyboard won't disappear, forcing app closure - Find Me feature does not work - Incorrect river trail data leading to private property - Device heats up and battery drains on iPhone 11 - Top part of the app screen is clipped on iPhone X and 11 **Most requested features** - Improve search results to exclude paid advertising - Allow searching for places by lat/lon coordinates - Enable password pasting and visibility on iOS - Make the app less cluttered and more focused on core features - Add an option to opt out of paid search results - Allow creating waypoints directly from the map - Add more camping options to the map - Allow saving favorite activity types - Improve visibility of routes on topo maps - Add arrows to routes for direction guidance - Provide a way to clear contacts from message threads without reinstalling - Allow users to exclude campgrounds from the map - Increase the number of adventures in the database - Add more climbing types to filters - Optimize app for iPhone X and 11 screen sizes ## Recent user reviews (10 of 57) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bivy-messaging-and-navigation/id747595150/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Awful App *2023-03-09, version 9.05* I’m returning my Bivy stick, piece of crap…the app tracking is nonexistent, crashed on startup constantly…not worth the 60 a month…get a HAM radio 📻 walky talkie or a Noah weather band radio 📻 you’re better off ### 2/5 — Not good for people with poor vision *2022-11-13, version 8.02* The fonts and color of the fonts are difficult to see for someone with anything but 20/20 vision. The map legends and narratives can’t be zoomed and are tiny. It seems to be grey on black. Difficult to see in daylight. ### 1/5 — Do not buy *2022-11-06, version 8.02* Really horrible interface that glitches out when tracking (can’t back out of menus), doesn’t properly send updates or receive messages, and crashes when looking at the user guide and a few other menus. Really regret this purchase ### 2/5 — It's better than nothing. *2022-10-05, version 8.01* After buying a Bivy stick I quickly found that when searching for places the results are that of paid advertising many hundreds of miles away from the location searched for. Also discovered locations cannot be searched for in lat lon ie you cannot enter a coordinate and have it take you there on the map. The only way the places searched for were found was via topography land marks and then The location was saved so it could be found again. This app could use some improvement. It should be able to search places on topo maps and should have an option to opt out of paid search results. Hopefully they get the message HERE. ### 1/5 — Useless *2022-09-13, version 8.01* The app crashed while in the backcountry and I was unable to send messages until I had service and re-installed it. Don’t risk your safety or families peace of mind ### 1/5 — Bad *2022-08-23, version 8.01* Terrible app to navigate and nothing is explained very well, the tracking is a joke(if you can figure it out) ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2022-08-21, version 8.01* The app and the BIVY stick are less than desirable. The app and the mobile device has NOT been throughly tested. You will be very disappointed. ### 1/5 — Constant Crashing *2022-08-06, version 8.00* The app is terrible. It crashes constantly. I will give it one update but will return it and switch to Zoleo if it doesn't improve. ### 1/5 — Return or do not buy *2022-06-06, version 8.00* Garbage. App crashes on start every time since last update on an iphone Xs Max. What a waste of money. Idk what I was thinking getting a satcom device that requires an app to hit the SOS button. Buy the inreach. ### 4/5 — Password pain *2022-06-05, version 8.00* Can’t tell you what a pain it is on iOS to get a password in. If it’s strong then you can’t paste it. Also can see the password to make sure you’ve got it right. Please, please fix. Enable paste and enable visible text on password if desired. ## Frequently asked questions about Bivy ### What does Bivy do? Bivy is an app designed for outdoor adventurers. It helps you discover and navigate over 40,000 mapped adventures across 21 different activity types. You can track your progress, share your location with friends for safety, and even use it with a satellite device for communication when you're out of cell service. ### What are the key features of Bivy? Key features include access to 21 different adventure types like hiking, biking, and climbing, with over 40,000 fully mapped adventures. It offers location sharing for safety, detailed adventure tracking with metrics like pace and mileage, and the ability to connect to a Bivystick for satellite messaging and SOS capabilities. ### How much does Bivy cost? The app itself is free to download and use, offering access to its discovery and navigation features. However, it does have in-app purchases, likely for premium features or services, such as enhanced satellite communication capabilities with the Bivystick. ### Can I use Bivy without cell service? Yes, Bivy is designed for use in areas with limited or no cell service. You can download detailed maps for offline use. Furthermore, by connecting to the Bivystick accessory, you can send and receive text messages and even an SOS signal from anywhere in the world, regardless of cellular coverage. ### Who is Bivy for? Bivy is ideal for anyone who enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, and kayaking. It's particularly useful for those who venture into remote areas, as it provides navigation, safety features like location sharing, and the option for satellite communication when traditional phone service is unavailable. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 9.42 — 2026-07-16 Bug Fixes ### 9.41 — 2026-06-19 Bug Fixes ### 9.40 — 2026-04-21 Bug fixes and improvements. ### 9.31 — 2026-02-04 Bug fixes. ### 9.30 — 2025-12-08 Bug Fixes ## Apps similar to Bivy | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [komoot - hike, bike & run](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/komoot-hike-bike-and-run/id447374873) | 4.7 (9,158) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Cairn – Hiking Safety Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cairn-hiking-safety-tracker/id964300002) | 4.7 (529) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Relive: Hike & Ride Memories](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relive-hike-and-ride-memories/id1201703657) | 4.8 (69,582) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alltrails-hike-bike-and-run/id405075943) | 4.9 (1,034,726) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [OpenRunner – Bike, hike, trail](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openrunner-bike-hike-trail/id1134599112) | 4.5 (15) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [TrailLink: Bike, Run, Walk](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/traillink-bike-run-walk/id636875425) | 4.6 (7,396) | Free | Health & Fitness | ## More apps by Headgate Studios - [Utah's Trail Country](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utahs-trail-country/id1483994904) All apps by Headgate Studios: https://appshunter.io/developer/747595153 ## Related topics [bivi](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bivi) · [bivi pagos](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bivi-pagos) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-02.*