Has Anybody Here Installed Any Third Party Apps On Their Garmin Device?
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    19 years
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As posted in the subject line, I am just wondering if anybody here has installed any third party apps on their Garmin devices? After watching this YouTube video, I am considering trying this.
For those wondering why, I would love to have Polaris Ride Command on my Garmin Zumo XT for ATV navigation. I currently have VV Mapping, which works fine, but it doesn't have maps for every state that we have ATV/UTVed in.
My wife currently uses Polaris Ride Command on an old Anroid smartphone with a RAM Mount. While it does work, one of the shortcomings is the screen brightness or shall I say lack of brightness. Many legacy smartphones can be challenging to see outside in the direct sunlight. Many newer smartphone are now brighter, but many people are reluctant to use a $1,000 Apple iPhone on their ATV/UTV because of the dust, must and rain.
When you research the topic of ATV/UTV navigation, as well as motorcycle navigation, there are three common methods for equipment.
One if a dedicated navigator, like a Garmin Zumo or Tread. While they generally have brighter screens, they generally are limited to Garmin format maps. (Yes, I have added Open Street Maps to mine.)
The second common way is a smartphone or tablet, either Android based or Apple. There are some smartphone and tablets that have very bright screens. Tripltek, DMD and Blackview are a few names, but There are others as I mentioned in previous posts.
The third way is to use aftermarket motorcycle and ATV Android Auto/CarPlay consoles are rugged, waterproof smart screens that mount directly to your handlebars. They wirelessly mirror your phone, allowing you to use navigation (Google Maps, Waze), voice controls, and music while your phone stays safely stowed away. Carpuride and Chigee are a few names, but there are others, too.
As most of us on POI Factory know, equipment is one piece of the equation. You still need maps for navigation.
I have been pondering buying either a dedicated bright, rugged smartphone or tablet. Many of the systems are towards $1,000. Some are only 4G. Typically, one with 5G bands are more expensive. There is also the issue of the Operating System (OS). Usually, the ones with a newer OS are more expensive.
The Android Auto/CarPlay devices definitely have an appeal to me. Having your smartphone somewhere safe is a good thing. As you get a new (replacement) Android or iPhone, the console will continue to mirror your smartphone display.
Since many of us here already have Garmin automobile navigators, this might be a way to get some additional use out of them. Many, with newer vehicles, already have Android Auto/CarPlay in dash.
But, not everybody has a newer vehicle, so I wanted to offer this here for anybody that might be interested.
Also, you should know that Garmin does not support this. This is what it say on the website about that>
"Your device is capable of reading .apk files, which are files that contain Android-based applications for use on Android-based mobile operating systems. Loading a third-party app to an Android device using one of these files is commonly known as "sideloading".
Although your device is capable of sideloading .apk files, Garmin does not offer support on the location, installation, or troubleshooting of these files and applications. If you decide to sideload an .apk file, it may or may not work correctly on the device. Garmin does not offer any suggestions on where to find these files and suggests that you only obtain these from trusted sources."
I also found out about another app today for off-road navigation called Trail X Trail. It works on Android and iOS, but not natively on Garmin, of course!
The YouTube video shows a Garmin Tread, but this might work on other Garmin devices, too.
I will also add that I ultimately would like to use T-Satellite for navigation away from cellular service. I would also like to have the ability to use Android Auto/CarPlay. That narrows it down to onX Offroad. I may still end up buying that, since it is 50%, or more, off, right now.
However, if I can sideload Polaris Ride Command on my Garmin Zumo XT, that would be a less expensive solution right now.
https://youtu.be/XZT_F5hWvpo?si=_H_wFYrP4pajsXOh
https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=Uq5I6GKFO639rZTkzdqQs8....
Cool that they are using Android
Didn't realize you could install third party apps on the Tread series. But can you really do that on a Zumo?
Garmin made the Monterra handheld for a short while, I believe it was a big flop for them. But it was an Android based handheld. Seemed like a really cool idea to be able to have a traditional Garmin handheld that could also use other apps. I never saw one in person, and am not sure if they locked it down to prevent using other apps.
https://www.garmin.com.my/products/discontinued/monterra/#sp...
I got a Nuvi 5000 long ago, it was actually Linux-based. I remember reading where people were able to log in to it as root somehow with a network connection. Never bothered to dig that deep myself. The 5" screen was cool on that model, but processor was very slow.
It would be nice to see Garmin finally get all of this right and let their devices realize their full potential with third party software.
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