Comparison

Garmin VIRB vs Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Garmin VIRB

Control and manage your Garmin VIRB action cameras, including the VIRB 360. Playback, edit, and share your footage, or even live stream directly from your mobile device. Features include remote control, live viewfinder, and advanced editing tools.

Highlights
  • Remote camera control
  • Live viewfinder
  • Video editing
  • 360 video playback and editing
  • Live streaming
  • G-Metrix data overlays
  • Multi-camera control
Features
Read full description

Connect and control all your Garmin VIRB cameras with the VIRB app, which now supports VIRB 360! Quickly playback, edit, share, and live stream** directly from your mobile device.*** Also, has playback and video editing support for Speak Plus, Dezl 785, Drive Assist 51, Dash Cam 45/55/65W, and GDR E530/E530Z/E560/S550! Features: • VIRB 360 support – Easily view and edit 360 videos, add 4K spherical Stabilization, watch footage in VR Mode and add Augmented Reality G-Metrix™ data overlays • Frame your shot – See what your camera sees with live viewfinder • Remote control – Full remote control of camera functions and settings • Browse Content – Playback recorded videos and photos • Edit Your Videos – Trim a clip, adjust playback speed, add G-Metrix™ overlays and music • Highlight Detection – Find the most interesting parts of the video quickly using highlights in editor timeline • Share Your Content – Push photos and videos to sharing services • Live Broadcast – Stream from your VIRB live to YouTube or Facebook Live • Manage Your Files – Browse and delete files on your microSD card • Multi-Camera – View, control and access up to 8 VIRB action cameras simultaneously when VIRBs are in Multi-Cam mode, or many more when connected to a wireless router. • Locate Camera – Use the app to help find your lost VIRB • HyperFrame Director Mode - Reframe 360 video content after filming using smooth camera pans, impressively wide angles, and tiny planets Camera Compatibility • App is compatible with VIRB 360, VIRB Ultra 30, Speak Plus, Dash Cam 45/55/65W, Dezl 785, GDR E530/E530Z/E560/S550, Drive Assist 51, VIRB X, VIRB XE, and VIRB Elite cameras only Visit virb.garmin.com to learn more about VIRB. * Available with VIRB 360 **Available with VIRB 360 & VIRB Ultra 30 ***Playback, editing, and live broadcast features not available on VIRB Elite.

About

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

Control multiple GoPro cameras simultaneously using low energy Bluetooth. Start/stop recording, tag moments, manage settings, and monitor camera status remotely. Offers advanced features like live preview and media download for enhanced shooting experiences.

Highlights
  • Start/stop recording via Bluetooth
  • Tag moments
  • Set camera date and time
  • Power off camera
  • Locate camera
  • Show camera state
  • Control multiple cameras simultaneously
Features
Read full description

The Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® cameras app allows you to control multiple GoPro® cameras via low energy Bluetooth. The app is compatible with: GoPro® Hero 3 (White, Silver, and Black Edition) GoPro® Hero 4 (Silver and Black Edition), GoPro® Hero 5 Black Edition, GoPro® Hero 5 Session, GoPro® Hero 6 Black Edition, GoPro® Hero 7 White/Silver/Black Edition, GoPro® Hero13 Black, Hero12 Black, Hero11 Black, Hero10 Black, Hero9 Black, and Hero8 Black, GoPro® Hero 11 Mini, Hero 2024, Lit Hero, GoPro Mission 1 Pro, GoPro® Max and Max 2 360°, and GoPro® Fusion 360° cameras. Demo video: https://youtu.be/wDL1kgewIZQ ## Features - Start/stop recording via low energy Bluetooth (requires much less battery than WiFi!). - Tag moments. - Set the camera's date and time. - Power off the camera. - Locate the camera (via beep sound). - Quickly show the camera state (recording time, free space, number of recorded photos and videos, estimated number of remaining photos and video recording time, battery state, GoPro® Max lens mount state, GoPro® media mount microphone state). ## Pro Features - Start and stop recording and tag moments on multiple cameras at the same time. - Change camera settings. - Create and edit presets on Hero 8 and newer models. - Show the live preview of one camera in full screen mode. - Download media (photos, videos) from one camera. - Control GoPro cameras with external Bluetooth keyboards: https://www.cameraremote.de/camera-tools-keyboard-shortcuts-for-controlling-gopro-cameras/ - Control GoPro cameras via Bluetooth: Hero 5 Session, Hero 5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13, Max, Max 2, Fusion, GoPro Mission 1 Pro. - Control GoPro cameras via WiFi (one camera at the same time only!): Hero 3, 4 (Session/Silver/Black Edition), Hero 5 Session, Hero 5/6/7, Fusion. - Control GoPro cameras via USB (iPad Pro only): Hero 8, 10, and 11/12/13, Max 2, GoPro Mission 1 Pro. ### Disclaimer This product and/or service is not affiliated with, endorsed by or in any way associated with GoPro Inc. or its products and services. GoPro, HERO and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc

Screenshots

Garmin VIRB3 screens
Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® at 4.0 against Garmin VIRB's 1.9. Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® also leads on ratings volume (619 vs 205). Garmin VIRB's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Garmin VIRB asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 205 and 619 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Garmin VIRB's written reviews are positive against 21% of Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Garmin VIRB ships an update monthly, Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Garmin VIRB versus Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGarmin VIRBBluetooth Remote for GoPro®
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.9 (205 ratings)4.0 (619 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.3% of reviews20.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings205619 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB91 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGarminHarald Meyer

Customer experience

Garmin VIRB

All ratings205 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral5.4%
Negative74.6%
Written reviews245 reviews
Positive16.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative69.4%

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

All ratings609 ratings
Positive72.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews102 reviews
Positive20.6%
Neutral1.0%
Negative78.4%

User reviews

Garmin VIRB

From 205 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app for Garmin dashcam
  • 👍 Works well with dashcam
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Connectivity issues with dashcam
  • 🐛 Unreliable and unstable
  • 🐛 Doesn't work with newer iOS versions
  • 🐛 Slow video transfer speeds

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

From 619 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app to control GoPro cameras
  • 👍 Reliable connection and control
  • 💡 Useful features like spot metering

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connection issues
  • 🤔 Confusing setup and instructions
  • 💰 Paywall for full functionality

Bugs and requests

Garmin VIRB

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App doesn't detect dashcam
  • Can't connect to dashcam via WiFi
  • Crashes when trying to view videos
  • Dashcam footage not showing up in app

Requested features

4 requests
  • Live video preview
  • Ability to view and download videos directly
  • Improved video editing features
  • Better compatibility with wider range of dashcams

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Doesn't work with older GoPro models
  • Live preview lags or doesn't work
  • Unexpected charges or billing issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Apple Watch app for remote control
  • Ability to rename cameras
  • Improved UI and organization

In-app purchases

None

Garmin VIRB

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®

One-time1
  • Activate all features$9.99

Questions

Is Garmin VIRB free?
Garmin VIRB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® free?
Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Garmin VIRB or Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®?
Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® is rated higher. Garmin VIRB averages 1.9 out of 5 from 205 ratings, while Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® averages 4.0 from 619 ratings.
Do Garmin VIRB or Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® have ads?
Neither Garmin VIRB nor Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Garmin VIRB or Bluetooth Remote for GoPro®?
Garmin VIRB ships an update monthly, and Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® every 3 weeks. Most recently, Garmin VIRB was updated on November 6, 2026 and Bluetooth Remote for GoPro® on November 7, 2026.

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