PassageMail Weather — Frequently Asked Questions

Last reviewed: 2026-10-29 UTC. Current public mobile guidance. 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. Enabled Apple Weather conditions can arrive in a normal GO! sync; manually refreshing current weather requires 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 the current app. Current support and release notes take precedence over historical plans.

What is the simplest chart workflow?

1. Browse or choose a preset.
2. Add the products you want to Queue.
3. Tap Send Request(s).
4. Sync in Connect.
5. When the prepared response is available, watch received KB / total KB.
6. Open complete, viewable files in Weather Maps.

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?

Choose Settings → Storm alert regions → Automatic GPS. Allow device location if the system asks; an available GO GPS fix can still work if device permission is denied. This does not enable email-location sharing or tracking.

Can I enable current weather directly from Conditions?

Open Weather → Conditions and turn on Enable current weather. This also turns on weather location if needed; the device may show its system permission prompt. Turning current weather off preserves weather location for alerts.

Are weather GPS and email-location sharing the same permission?

No. Both start off and require separate permission. Weather location is shared with the weather service to select conditions and alerts; Add location to email can include position, time and available speed/course for recipients to see. Edit or remove it before sending. Neither enables tracking.

What happens when I turn off Allow location for weather?

Weather and automatic local region selection turn off immediately. Choose regions directly in Settings. Email-location sharing and tracking remain separate.

How do I read Set and Drift in Tide and Current?

Set is the direction the current flows toward, in degrees true (°T). Drift is its speed in knots (kn). Flood is shown as positive Drift and ebb as negative on the graph. In UK and European almanacs this is the tidal stream: Set is its direction, Drift is its rate.

Where do current weather conditions come from?

Conditions uses Apple Weather. Enable current weather and allow weather location; updates arrive through normal sync or Refresh weather on regular Internet. Read the displayed observation time and age.

Does weather update automatically over satellite?

With current weather and weather location enabled, your normal GO sync can bring Apple Weather conditions. Sync does not start a separate weather call. Received conditions show their observation time and age for up to two hours; Refresh weather uses regular Internet.

Does the app start in Dark or Light mode?

First launch uses Dark. Choose Light, Dark or Auto in Settings → Device → Appearance. Auto follows your device; your choice is saved.

What do Allow location for weather and Add vessel location to email do?

They are separate settings, both off by default. Allow location for weather lets current weather, nearby U.S. thunderstorm warnings and Automatic storm alert regions use your GO! position, or your device location if you enabled it under Weather → Conditions. While it is on, each sync sends that position for nearby warnings in any storm-region mode. Add vessel location to email, next to your email signature, starts new emails with the GO!'s last known position; you can edit or delete it before sending.

Where are device location, altitude, weather and pressure readings?

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. 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?

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 happens after I tap Stop Sync?

Sync stays stopped for this account, even with Auto Sync on and after reopening the app. Queued items and downloaded progress remain saved. Tap Sync or Resume to continue. A dropped connection during an active transfer can still resume automatically.

What does Transfer verified mean?

The completed transfer has been checked. A later sync may still bring new mail or charts.

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. 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?

PassageMail checks that each completed response arrived intact before applying it. 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.

Email

Can I include weather in my emails?

In Settings → Email, turn on Include current conditions. It starts off. New emails can include already received, authorized Apple Weather conditions with the original observation and last-known position times. Coordinates are omitted. Unavailable weather is left out; no extra GPS request or data call is made. You can edit or remove the inserted text. Existing drafts and queued emails remain unchanged.

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

How do I create a schedule from my chart selection?

Open Weather → Queue → Create Schedule. Review and save the schedule; tapping the button alone does not send a request.

When does a chart appear in Weather Maps?

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 Weather Maps 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 Weather Maps remain available. If offline, the server command goes on the next sync.

Satellite sync

What if another device is using the data call?

Wait for the other device’s transfer to finish. Terminate data call interrupts it; use that control only when everyone is ready.

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 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.

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. An interruption message can appear after connection loss or a 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. Terminate data call offers 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. The app checks call status after a temporary local Wi-Fi interruption. 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.

Why does my car say Apple CarPlay is unavailable while my iPhone is connected to Iridium GO! Wi-Fi?

For wireless CarPlay, the iPhone may need to join the car's CarPlay Wi-Fi instead of the GO! network. When safely parked and after any active GO! sync finishes, leave PassageMail tracking on, disconnect the iPhone from GO! Wi-Fi, and try CarPlay again. Keep Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled. This resolved a reported Range Rover connection problem; it does not mean the PassageMail tracker controls CarPlay. Rejoin GO! Wi-Fi when you need a GO! sync. For wired CarPlay, check the car's CarPlay USB port and try another cable. If CarPlay still fails while disconnected from GO! Wi-Fi, follow Apple's CarPlay troubleshooting and tell support whether your connection is wired or wireless.

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?

The current mobile app requires 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. 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. 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. 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.

Voyage tracker

How do I record a track?

Open Blog → Tracks, choose a track name, activity and location source, then tap Start track and review the tracking notice. New tracks start Private. Device recording can continue while locked or in the background, subject to location permission, GPS availability and the operating system. GO firmware reporting is controlled separately.

When are recorded positions uploaded?

Positions stay saved until sync confirms receipt. Ordinary automatic sync uploads tracks when the two-hour interval is due; Sync Now can send them sooner. Tracking alone does not start a GO data call. Stop track ends recording and keeps unsent positions for the next sync; Withdraw upload consent stops recording and removes unsent positions.

Can I include weather on my track?

While recording, open Blog → Tracks and turn on Include current conditions. Allow weather location first. The option starts off and does not change visibility. The Blog shows a temporary Apple Weather header near the last shown position, with a separate observation time and attribution. Conditions are not saved in position history. Turning off weather location queues removal of weather sharing from this installation’s saved tracks. Sync to send that change.

How do I create or edit a Blog post?

Open Blog → My Posts to create a draft or edit a saved post. Publish queues it for sync; wait for publication confirmation.

What happens if I tap Publish again for the same Blog post?

An unchanged post stays queued once. Wait for publication confirmation; to change it, edit the saved post and choose Update post.

Can mail sync succeed while my voyage tracker positions are still waiting to upload?

Yes. Mail and weather download can finish while saved tracker positions are still waiting to upload. Keep the app and its saved data in place. Check for an available app update, then sync again when connected. If the positions still do not appear, send a private diagnostic snapshot to support. A successful mail sync by itself does not confirm that all tracker positions reached your Blog.

When will my voyage appear on my Blog tracker?

Accepted positions are kept on the server. A voyage set to Public with Immediate display can appear on its Blog tracker as soon as the upload is accepted; Private and delayed voyages follow their chosen display rules. The map keeps track lines visible when zoomed out. Individual GPS fix dots appear at zoom 12 or closer, with a choice of 30 minutes, 60 minutes or 24 hours between visible dots. This display setting does not delete or limit stored positions. If an upload appears missing, check the voyage visibility and display mode, then send diagnostics rather than clearing saved positions.

Weather alerts and location

How does PassageMail select relevant tropical storms?

In Settings, storm alert regions default to Selected Regions with the Eastern North Pacific (EP) chosen; Selected Regions requests only the chosen basins, and choosing none requests none. All Regions requests all tropical basins. Automatic (GO GPS) appears once you turn on Allow location for weather; it uses a recent, GPS-sourced, timestamped GO! fix to select the tropical basin, and without an eligible fix it requests all tropical basins.

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. 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. A recent GO! GPS fix, or your device location if enabled, 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 should I protect my account?

Keep your password private and review location-sharing choices. Share diagnostics only with trusted support. See the privacy policy (https://passagemail.net/privacy/) for how information is used.

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. A successful individual sync does not establish certification or store approval. Check the actual public release notice and installed app version. 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.