PassageMail Weather — Frequently Asked Questions
Last reviewed: 2026-10-07 UTC. Current mobile guidance; version-dependent behavior is identified below. This document is the canonical customer-support source, not evidence of store availability or Iridium certification.
The basic workflow
What is PassageMail Weather for?
PassageMail is for adventurers and explorers in the most remote regions of Earth — designed by ocean sailors. Its audience includes offshore crews, hikers, overlanders, expedition teams, field and polar researchers, and emergency personnel working beyond reliable connectivity. It sends and receives @passagemail.com email and requests supported NOAA weather products over regular Internet or an Iridium GO! satellite connection. Received mail and complete chart files remain available offline.
Is PassageMail only for sailors?
No. Ocean sailing is the experience behind its design, not a restriction on who can use it. PassageMail is built around intermittent, low-bandwidth communication on land or at sea: prepare and queue work offline, sync when a supported link is available, and keep received information available afterward. Weather-product coverage varies by region and source; the audience is worldwide, but that does not promise every weather product everywhere.
Can I use PassageMail on a remote inland expedition?
Yes, its offline email and supported-link sync workflow also serves remote hiking, overlanding and research. Iridium GO! connectivity requires a GO!, suitable service and sky view; installing the app alone does not create a satellite link. Device GPS depends on hardware and permissions. Apple Weather snapshots require regular internet; on-demand GO weather snapshots are not yet included. Check the coverage and issue time of each weather product. PassageMail is not a rescue-dispatch service or a substitute for emergency equipment.
Does the product vision mean every planned feature is available now?
No. The founding vision includes remote blogging, social connections, navigation, chat and field research tools. A roadmap or historical website description is not proof that these features are shipped in your mobile build. Current support and release notes take precedence over historical plans.
What is the simplest chart workflow?
- Browse or choose a preset.
- Add the products you want to Queue.
- Tap Send Request(s).
- Sync in Connect.
- When the prepared response is available, watch received KB / total KB.
- Open complete, viewable files in My Charts.
Send Request(s) hands the selected products to the outbound sync queue; it does not wait for NOAA or download charts. The selection queue and outbound Sync Queue are different stages. Server acceptance clears the outbound item, not the later download obligation.
Conditions and units
How do I enable Automatic GPS for local weather and storm alert regions?
In the paired mobile build 404 workflow, open Settings → Storm alert regions → Automatic GPS. It is available even when location use is off. Confirm Allow GPS for Weather; this saves Allow location for weather, selects Automatic GPS and enables current local weather. Allow device location while the app is active when iOS or Android asks. The one saved weather authorization covers this device, connected GO! GPS and other supported sources; Weather → Conditions reflects it without another Use device location switch. Device location may combine GPS, Wi-Fi and cellular sources, and some tablets lack a dedicated satellite receiver. A denied device permission does not prevent an eligible connected GO! fix from being used. Older builds 385–402 have the separate Conditions device-location control.
Are weather GPS and email-location sharing the same permission?
No. Allow location for weather and Add location to email are independent, optional Settings choices, both off on first install. Each has its own purpose explanation and saved authorization; enabling one does not enable the other. Weather use can send an eligible position and its original time to PassageMail for current weather and alerts. Email use can insert an available GO! or permitted device position, its original time, and available speed/course into new drafts. Recipients can see it; edit or remove it before sending. These choices do not enable GPS history, voyage/public tracking, or position-report publication. The operating system still controls access to device location, and an unsupported future GPS source is not made available by granting consent.
What happens when I turn off Allow location for weather?
The app asks you to confirm that location-based local conditions and automatic storm-region selection will stop. Cancel keeps the permission on. Turn Off & Choose Regions disables weather location and Automatic GPS, stops weather requests, and opens manual storm-region selection. All regions stays All regions if you cancel manual selection; saved manual choices are preserved; save the regions you want, or deliberately choose none. Email sharing, GPS-history and tracking choices remain separate. Nearby warnings cannot be selected without an authorized eligible position. Weather Conditions reflects the change; it does not request a second weather GPS opt-in.
Does weather update automatically over satellite?
Automatic current-weather snapshots use regular Internet while PassageMail is active and eligible location is available. They do not start a GO! data call. Official storm advisories and nearby warnings still arrive through sync; source coverage and expiry apply. The current-weather feature can be turned off separately in Conditions without granting or revoking another GPS permission.
How do I create a schedule from my chart selection?
Open Weather → Queue and choose Create Schedule. The label describes creating a schedule; it does not immediately send requests or imply that a server schedule has already been saved. Follow the existing schedule configuration and confirmation flow.
Does the app start in Dark or Light mode?
First launch defaults to Dark, including when the device uses Light mode. Choose Light, Dark or Auto in Settings → Device → Appearance. Light uses a white background and black text; Auto follows the device appearance. Your saved choice is retained.
Where are device location, altitude, weather and pressure readings?
In mobile build 378, open Weather → Conditions. The duplicate device Conditions card has been removed from Connect, which remains focused on transfers and GO management. GO hardware power diagnostics remain under Connect → Iridium GO! Management.
Can I display altitude in feet and choose other distance units?
Yes. In build 378, Settings → Units has separate Length (meters, feet, centimeters, inches), Distance (nautical miles, kilometers, miles), and Height / altitude (meters, feet) choices. Horizontal position accuracy uses Length; altitude and vertical accuracy use Height. Temperature, pressure and speed choices remain available. These preferences only change presentation: recorded meters and pressure-alarm calculations are unchanged. iOS altitude is labeled mean sea level; Android altitude is labeled WGS84 ellipsoid. Changing units does not make those reference surfaces identical.
Do I need to select Follow again for every new storm advisory?
In build 378, a new advisory for a storm already followed on this account opens with Follow enabled. Keep it enabled and acknowledge to continue following; turn it off and acknowledge to unfollow. New or previously unfollowed storms start off. Existing chart selections are preserved when continuing; acknowledging does not automatically select new chart recommendations. Ignoring routine advisories does not suppress qualifying warning or critical escalations.
Queue and delivery
What belongs in Sync Queue?
Only user-created outbound items that have not yet been accepted by the server: queued email and queued chart requests. Deletes, folder moves, read flags, backup maintenance, accepted chart requests, and expected downloads are deliberately not shown there.
Why did my chart request disappear from Queue before the chart arrived?
That is correct. It means the server accepted the outbound request. The request is no longer waiting to be sent. NOAA and the PassageMail server may still be preparing the chart, and a later sync will download it.
Where do I see what is coming from the server?
In Connect, the downloading counter shows the exact compressed response as received KB / total KB after the server announces a response. The Incoming details name messages and charts only when the response actually contains them.
What does 100% mean?
All response bytes have arrived, not necessarily that sync succeeded. PassageMail still verifies and saves the response and commits sync state. In build 336 and later, saved data awaiting server verification is reported as pending, not successful. Leave the saved data intact and allow the next sync to finish verification; do not delete or re-request charts solely because verification is pending.
What does Transfer verified mean, and how does the hash work?
Build 337 adds exact byte-length and SHA-256 checks for complete engine response packets before applying them. A hash checks that the packet arrived intact; it does not prove that an email was sent or a request accepted. Matching authoritative server evidence in the packet can eliminate the final verification request. If that evidence is absent or invalid, the app retains the server-verification request. The no-extra-round-trip path is deployed on the server and was confirmed in live satellite syncs over an Iridium GO! on both iOS and Android. The wording describes the completed transfer snapshot, not a guarantee that no newer mail can arrive.
Does a new email body arrive with its header?
New incoming email is intended to arrive with its body. Body not yet synced, a blank body, or raw MIME text can indicate an incomplete transfer or a delivery/rendering defect; it does not prove your password is wrong. If it persists after sync, preserve the message and send diagnostics to support. Do not repeatedly download the same chart package or reinstall the app to try to repair email. A universal repair for previously affected messages has not yet been verified.
What happens to an email I compose offline?
It remains in Queue until a sync sends it and the server accepts it. PassageMail preserves queued mail across connection drops and app restarts.
Why are other email accounts unavailable on Iridium GO!?
PassageMail's GO! sync path serves your PassageMail account, not arbitrary third-party mail accounts. Its per-call firewall enables HTTPS (TCP 443) and DNS. This is not an Iridium ban on encryption, and an open port is not a guarantee that another provider or app is supported.
Charts and presets
When does a chart appear in My Charts?
Only after the complete chart file has been received, verified, and saved so it can be opened. A chart email, accepted request, or partial download is not listed as a usable chart.
What does the My Charts badge count?
Unread, locally available charts, not queued requests or charts still being prepared. Queue counts belong to their respective queue views.
What chart products are available?
The catalog contains more than 1,400 NOAA products across Arctic, Atlantic, Great Lakes, and Pacific groupings, including fax charts, satellite imagery, text forecasts, and tropical products.
Are preset size and time numbers exact?
No. They are planning estimates based on current catalog product sizes, your selected link speed, and successful prior deliveries on the device. Product sizes change, and satellite performance varies. Estimates are not caps. The authoritative transfer total is the compressed received KB / total KB shown when the response begins.
Why can a preset be much larger than expected?
Satellite imagery and some JPEG products can be hundreds of KB each. Catalog v3 replaced the old uniform 30 KB placeholders with NOAA-derived sizes where NOAA publishes a current file. PassageMail also learns from successfully delivered product sizes.
How long does NOAA take to prepare a chart?
Timing varies by product and NOAA service conditions. Server acceptance only confirms that the request was sent; it does not mean the chart is already ready. Sync again later if no chart payload is available yet.
What does Stop All Chart Downloads do?
It cancels outstanding chart requests, discards partial chart-transfer data on the device, and sends a control command telling the server to remove its prepared chart response. Email is unaffected. Charts already saved in My Charts remain available. If offline, the server command goes on the next sync.
Satellite sync
Can a low battery or heat affect my Iridium GO! even while it is charging?
Low battery or excessive heat can severely impair or stop GO operation. For the original Iridium GO!, a healthy installed battery is required for satellite operation; plugging in a charger does not bypass a depleted or failing battery. PredictWind documents this hardware characteristic in its GO! power guidance. Iridium specifies a battery charging range of 0–45°C (32–113°F) and says charging stops at temperature extremes. A charging symbol alone does not prove the battery percentage is increasing. In our field testing, call setup appeared more reliable with a better-charged, cooler GO; that observation does not establish a universal battery-percentage cutoff or a data-call failure temperature. Check battery level and its trend alongside temperature, sky view and call status when troubleshooting. These notes apply to the original GO!, not automatically to GO! exec.
What should I do if the GO! battery stays low or calls keep failing?
If you can pause communications, stop the data call, turn the GO! off, and let it cool naturally in a shaded, ventilated, dry location before charging within Iridium’s specified range. Use Iridium-approved charging equipment and check the cable and charging port. Confirm that the battery percentage actually rises before resuming a long satellite session. If charge does not improve, contact your GO! supplier to check the battery, charger and charging system. Do not use a swollen or damaged battery. Preserve PassageMail’s saved transfers; do not reinstall, clear data or factory-reset the GO! as a routine charging fix. Low battery or heat may contribute to trouble, but strong signal or a charger connection does not rule out call, software or server faults.
Where can I see GO! battery current and temperature?
The expanded power panel in mobile build 377 is under Connect → Iridium GO! Management → Live Status. It shows GO battery percentage, battery presence, reported charging state, signed battery current, battery/board/CPU temperatures and the last reading time. Temperature follows Settings → Units. Refresh GO power reads the GO over local Wi-Fi without starting a satellite data call. Positive current indicates charging and negative current discharge; one sample and the charging icon do not establish a charging trend. Missing readings show Unavailable, failed refreshes are identified, and the 0–45°C (32–113°F) range applies to battery charging, not a universal call-failure cutoff. Earlier builds, including 376, do not have the expanded current/temperature panel.
Where does the GO! battery and temperature guidance come from?
See PredictWind: Power issues with the Iridium GO! for battery dependence, and the Iridium GO! User Manual, printed pages 7, 16 and 18 for charging temperature and equipment guidance. Our September 2026 field observations are troubleshooting evidence, not an Iridium specification or a diagnosis of every failed call.
What happens if sync is interrupted?
PassageMail saves partial responses and attempts to resume the same cached packet from the saved byte position. A changed, expired, or invalid packet may require a fresh transfer; already committed data stays saved. Keep the app open and on GO! Wi-Fi when practical. Auto Sync and Auto Data Connection are separate controls; with automation off, start the data call and Sync Now yourself. Operating-system suspension can delay background work. Zero-progress failures use backoff; there is no user-data size cap or fixed retry cap.
Does interrupted or canceled mean I pressed Cancel?
Not necessarily. Older builds used canceled for connection loss or an internal session restart too. Check the displayed status and diagnostics before attributing the interruption to the user or to weak signal. Strong signal bars alone do not prove that the data call or HTTPS request is healthy.
Why sync when my outbound queue is empty?
There may be incoming mail/charts, saved partial data, pending verification, or backup/control work. With no known work, Auto Sync can make a small server check and back off after idle or failed checks. It is not proof of an unnecessary full download. Auto Login, Auto Data Connection, and Auto Sync are independent settings, not a promise of uninterrupted overnight operation.
Can two devices use GO! Wi-Fi together?
Yes. Local login and status such as signal and battery do not require a data call. Only one device may automatically use the data call: the app instance whose call start was accepted. Current test builds offer Terminate data call with Yes/No: Yes ends the existing data call, while a new call is a separate manual Start Data or normal automatic action; No leaves the call alone. Build 370 retains its accepted call through a temporary local-link interruption and verifies the same GO and fresh call status before resuming. If a false ownership warning persists, save diagnostics and contact support. Wi-Fi login alone does not grant data-call ownership, and factory reset is not a routine fix.
Are GO! SMS and PassageMail email the same?
No. GO! SMS uses the device's SMS service rather than the PassageMail email data sync. Treat GO! SMS as shared device information, not a private per-tablet mailbox. Availability depends on GO! permissions and service; this does not mean every device-management action is unrestricted.
Is satellite traffic encrypted?
Mobile builds 332 and later require certificate-validated HTTPS to the PassageMail relay over both ordinary Internet and satellite, with no HTTP fallback. The satellite route still reaches an Internet service; it is not inherently private. Local GO! device-control HTTP is a separate hardware-interface exception. Older mobile builds used cleartext satellite relay requests; update them. TLS failures are connection failures, not proof of incorrect credentials. See the privacy policy.
Why does Iridium GO! signal rise and fall?
Iridium satellites move through low Earth orbit. Handoffs, short pauses, changing speeds, rigging, cabin structure, boat motion, and antenna placement all affect the link. A clear all-around sky view is more useful than aiming toward one compass direction.
Does PassageMail send unrelated data over satellite?
Satellite sync carries queued outbound email/chart requests, queued settings and GO backups, and authorized incoming new email, requested charts, alerts, acknowledgements, and small control metadata. Full catalog replacements, full settings restore, and automatic historical-data repair wait for regular Internet. On mobile builds 366 and later, catalog deltas use normal sync with explicit satellite approval and a displayed payload size.
How are catalog updates delivered?
Satellite sync can carry a small change notice. On mobile builds 366 and later, compatible catalog changes arrive as a small delta through normal sync after you choose Update over satellite. The offer shows the delta size; connection and sync overhead are additional. Wait for regular internet defers the update. Full catalog replacements require regular internet. Earlier builds may show the old full-catalog offer.
Weather alerts and location
How does PassageMail select relevant tropical storms?
Storm alert regions default to Selected regions with Eastern North Pacific (EP) chosen. Selected regions requests only the chosen basins; deliberately choosing none requests none. All regions requests all tropical basins. In the build 404 workflow, Automatic GPS is always available: choosing it requests weather authorization if needed. With permission, an eligible GO! GPS fix is preferred, then an eligible permitted device location; the original fix time is retained. Without an eligible fix, all tropical regions are requested. Explicitly followed storms remain separately eligible until expiry. Earlier builds offer Automatic (GO GPS) only after weather location is enabled.
Can I follow a storm outside my selected basin?
Yes. Explicitly following a storm keeps future advisories for that storm included until the follow expires or you remove it. A prior follow can therefore explain an otherwise out-of-region alert.
Does PassageMail warn about nearby thunderstorms?
Yes, within the United States (builds after 385). With Allow location for weather on, each sync can deliver active National Weather Service severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings and thunderstorm special weather statements when your position is inside the warning area or within 50 nautical miles. An eligible GO! GPS fix or permitted device location under the saved weather authorization is required; without one, no nearby warnings are selected. Nearby warnings work in any storm-region mode. PassageMail does not replace official warning receivers such as NOAA Weather Radio.
Backup, restore, and replacement devices
What does Settings Backup contain?
Operational preferences such as link speed, schedules, presets, alert targeting, connection settings, and calibration data. It is not a full backup of mailbox history or chart files.
Does backup maintenance use satellite airtime?
The app saves the backup locally first. Queued settings and GO backups travel in the normal outbound sync, including over satellite, and clear only after server confirmation. Full settings restore remains a separate regular-Internet operation.
What if my phone or tablet is lost overboard?
On a replacement device, sign in with your PassageMail email and password to regain operational account access. The satellite recovery path is intentionally lean: it does not rebuild historical mail, old message bodies, attachments, or chart files. Request new charts as needed. Use regular Internet later for full settings restore.
Account and support
How do I reset my PassageMail password?
Visit mail.passagemail.com to reset your PassageMail password. Use regular Internet for account recovery. After resetting it, update the saved password on each device or mail client that uses your PassageMail account. Re-entering a license key or signing in again does not reset a forgotten password. Never give your password or license key to a website chatbot.
Is resetting a forgotten password the same as changing a known password?
No. For a forgotten password, visit mail.passagemail.com. If you know the current password, the mobile app also provides Settings > Change Password. GO! device-login and Wi-Fi passwords are separate from your PassageMail email password.
Can account creation and password changes be done over satellite?
Use regular Wi-Fi or cellular for account creation, subscription actions, password changes, and full restore. These are not part of the lean satellite sync path.
Should I re-enter credentials whenever sync fails?
No. GO! login, the GO! data call, and PassageMail account authentication are separate. A timeout, TLS failure, lost call, or pending verification does not mean the password is incorrect. If an explicit account-authentication rejection asks for credentials, enter the password exactly as set, preserving case. Never share passwords or license keys with support or a website chatbot. If the recovery screen prevents reaching Connect, report that as an app defect rather than repeatedly changing the password.
Can I get diagnostics without changing away from GO! Wi-Fi?
Yes. In Settings, choose Share diagnostics, then Save for USB. This saves a snapshot locally without enabling automatic upload. On iPad, retrieve Documents/PM-app-logs with Finder file sharing or Files. On Android, use an authorized trusted USB computer and the support retrieval tool; the export is in the app's external Diagnostics directory. Tap again for a newer snapshot. Do not uninstall or clear app data. Treat diagnostics as private and share only with trusted support.
What should I send support?
App version/build, device model and OS version, time/time zone, whether connected through GO! or ordinary Internet, exact status text, what you tapped, and a diagnostics snapshot. A screenshot helps but is not proof of the underlying failure cause. Website chat cannot see your device or logs unless you deliberately provide information. It must not claim to have verified your sync or completed a repair.
Is this an Iridium certification or store-release announcement?
No. Certification is the first submission, not re-certification. Neither a passing build nor a successful individual sync establishes certification, store approval, or that the latest test build is available to everyone. Check the actual release notice and installed build. Thunderbird extension support and release status must be checked separately from mobile; do not assume mobile changes shipped there.
Where is the current manual?
The in-app Help tab works offline. The shore-side manual is at passagemail.net/support. Support email is [email protected].
Chart-data disclaimer
PassageMail requests and delivers official NOAA weather products. Dates and validity periods are supplied by NOAA on the product. Users are responsible for reading and understanding every chart and forecast, including its validity information.