# WatchMate > Remote control and situational awareness for Vesper Marine AIS Transponders. (iPhone/iPad app by Garmin New Zealand Ltd.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Garmin New Zealand Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484) - Category: Navigation - Price: Free - Rating: 3.50/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 14 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2012-10-16 - Data updated: 2026-06-01 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481/reviews.md ## What is WatchMate? The WatchMate App connects with your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder to place remote control functionality and situational awareness in the palm of your hand on your iPhone or on your iPad. The WatchMate App becomes the user interface for configuring and remote control of your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder, especially where it does not have its own display such as the Vesper Marine XB-8000. - View AIS Targets received by your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder. - Setup and manage collision prevention alarm profiles. - Manage your MOB alarms. - Control and view your Anchor Watch alarm. - View your AIS Transponder's own GPS Position, Course and Speed. - Check the operational status of your AIS Transponder. - Remote control of your AIS Transponder settings. - Switch easily between Silent Mode and Normal Transmitting mode. - Configure your Vessel's AIS Static data. (MMSI, Call Sign, Vessel Type, Vessel Size) - Perform firmware upgrades. Connects to your WatchMate device's WIFI access point or by being on the same wifi network. - Supports Vesper Marine XB-8000 AIS Transponder. - Supports Vesper Marine WatchMate Vision®. The complex nature of our innovative WatchMate App makes coding mishaps difficult to eliminate despite the superhuman efforts of our developers so please remember Vesper Marine does not warrant that this product is error-free. As the adventurous user it's your job to exercise common sense and the best navigational judgement you can muster. Although we think the WatchMate App is awesome nothing beats using all your human senses, so best you still rely on these at least as much as you rely on the WatchMate App for making navigational safety decisions. Our advice is; even with the WatchMate App it’s still a clever idea to maintain a permanent watch and use more than one aid for navigation. ## Key features - View AIS targets - Manage collision prevention alarms - Control Anchor Watch alarm - View GPS position, course, and speed - Remote control transponder settings - Configure vessel AIS static data - Perform firmware upgrades ## Recent user reviews (9 of 9) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/watchmate/id557485481/reviews.md ### 2/5 — There must be better AIS alarm apps *2025-08-29* For one this does not appear to stay active while in the background on iPadOS. Does not appear as a an app in Background App Refresh settings. Then it does not recognize when a target has passed and continues to alarm if I bring it into the foreground. As much as I don’t care for Navionics AIS it does seem to provide reasonable and appropriate collision alerts. Considering they are both Garmin owned now you would think they could benefit from each other. However this seems to be a classic problem as companies are swept up. ### 3/5 — Range ring bug *2024-07-30* It was great to see an update to the app after 2 years as I had feared Garmin had abandoned this software. Unfortunately, they introduced a new bug whereby AIS tracks plot at the wrong distance from your position relative to the range rings (the track details display the correct target range). **Developer response:** Thanks for your feedback. This bug has been fixed in 2.5.21. ### 2/5 — Buggy software *2022-09-11* Software has bugs. I regularly need to force close the app and re-open to get my anchor data to load. No alarm history. Basic functionality for AIS. No Ability to “silence” an AIS target for 10 minutes, the alarm just constantly goes off every few seconds. Random WFi connection issues. ### 3/5 — Anchor watch feature needs work *2021-08-22* I know the GPS coordinates of my anchor. Why can’t I enter or at least see the coordinates? Twenty five foot increments for distance limits is too large. If I have dragged even 10 feet I should be warned. ### 1/5 — Connection Failure *2020-10-06* IPhone and iPad do not connect to the Vesper XB-8000. Can not use the WatchMate app. When trying to connect to the Vesper XB-8000 device it just says ‘No Internet Connection’ and never connects. Have been in contact with Vesper and they can not resolve. Do not waste your time with this app or any other, such as Navionics, that you want to connect to the Vesper WiFi. **Developer response:** This is probably due to a new privacy setting (local network) introduced in iOS 14. Open Settings in iOS. Scroll down until you see the WatchMate app. Select the WatchMate app. Look for the Local Network setting, and toggle access to on. Close and restart the WatchMate app. You can look for the article about this issue on https://support.vespermarine.com (FAQ) ### 5/5 — Excellent app for an excellent device *2018-03-31* Vesper’s AIS unit is excellent, and this app enables essentially full remote control of the device. It appears very reliable, and I find it extremely useful when on passage, as well as when anchored. So, almost always... Vesper’s Vision unit has a very well thought out anchor alarm, and being able to quickly see the anchor alarm display when away from the nav station is very useful. Ditto for AIS data, of course... Highly recommended for Vesper AIS owners. ### 5/5 — Must-own app for VesperMarine AIS! *2016-05-28* If you own a VesperMarine AIS, then you'll want this app on your phone/pad. My Watchmate Vision is down at the navstation because I didn't want that many more wires being routed through the binnacle. This app makes it easy to use the new anchor watch system when dropping the anchor. ### 5/5 — L *2015-01-21* Good ### 5/5 — Great update *2014-09-07* The addition of the plotter view took this app from merely useful to fantastic. Now it functions as a great backup to the chartplotter while at sea. ## Frequently asked questions about WatchMate ### What devices does WatchMate support? WatchMate is available for iPhone and iPad. It connects to Vesper Marine XB-8000 and WatchMate Vision® AIS Transponders. ### How does WatchMate connect to my AIS Transponder? WatchMate connects to your device's Wi-Fi access point or by being on the same Wi-Fi network as your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder. ### Can I set up alarms with WatchMate? Yes, you can set up and manage collision prevention alarm profiles, as well as manage your MOB alarms and control your Anchor Watch alarm. ### Does WatchMate have ads? No, WatchMate does not contain advertisements. ### How often is WatchMate updated? The latest version is 2.5.21, last updated on October 23, 2024. Updates are released periodically to improve functionality and address issues. ### What is the user rating for WatchMate? WatchMate has a rating of 3.5 stars from 11 ratings, indicating a mixed but generally positive user reception. ### Is WatchMate suitable for beginners? While WatchMate offers advanced features, the developer advises users to exercise common sense and rely on multiple navigation aids, suggesting it's best used by experienced mariners. ### Can I upgrade the firmware on my AIS Transponder using WatchMate? Yes, WatchMate allows you to perform firmware upgrades for your Vesper Marine AIS Transponder directly through the app. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.5.21 — 2024-10-23 Garmin is constantly working to improve WatchMate and strives to make your boating a safer and more enjoyable experience.  This version includes a bug fix that fixes plotting of targets at high latitudes. ### 2.5.20 — 2024-07-16 This version has a number of improvements to the WatchMate app experience including: - Bug Fix - Target names now display in night mode. - Added a link to Garmin's privacy policy. - Updated support links. ### 2.5.19 — 2022-04-19 Bug fixes and updating the app for iOS 15+. ### 2.5.18 — 2019-07-10 Added 'Received' time to target details screen This version introduces stability and efficiency improvements. Ready for iOS13. ### 2.5.17 — 2019-03-07 Fixes an issue by which GPS was incorrectly displayed as disconnected App version is displayed correctly under "Support" Minor upgrades ## Apps similar to WatchMate | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [ALTOTRACK](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/altotrack/id6447070840) | — | Free | Navigation | | [智在行](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id6444788040) | — | Free | Navigation | | [Idaho 511 Road Conditions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idaho-511-road-conditions/id6445962800) | 4.6 (986) | Free | Navigation | | [VBB GuideMeGo](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vbb-guidemego/id6446939380) | — | Free | Navigation | | [Louisiana 511 Traffic Cameras](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/louisiana-511-traffic-cameras/id6448687840) | 4.7 (456) | $2.99 | Navigation | | [ADR-21](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adr-21/id1584101020) | — | Free | Navigation | ## More apps by Garmin New Zealand Ltd - [Cortex Monitor](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-monitor/id1456678376) - [Cortex Onboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-onboard/id1483406085) All apps by Garmin New Zealand Ltd: https://appshunter.io/developer/557485484 --- *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 2026-06-01.*