AdventureLive vs Garmin LiveTrack: which should you use?

What is the difference between AdventureLive and Garmin LiveTrack?

LiveTrack is Garmin's feature for sharing a live page from a Garmin device. AdventureLive is a separate service that can read a LiveTrack feed and show the trip on its own page. It sits on top of LiveTrack. It does not replace it, your Garmin, or Garmin Connect.

We make AdventureLive, so weigh our view with that in mind. What we say about LiveTrack comes from Garmin's own manuals, linked under Sources. Those manuals differ by device, so treat the details as a guide and check yours. This page is part of our guide to the best live tracking for adventures.

At a glance

What does Garmin LiveTrack do well?

LiveTrack is the easiest option if you already wear a Garmin. You set it up in Garmin Connect, choose recipients from your contacts and share. The Edge manual says viewers can follow your current location and see your live data on a web page, in real time. The Drive manual adds that viewers can see your current location and the path of your recent travels. It needs no extra hardware or subscription that the manuals mention.

There is nothing to plan or link. For a run or ride near coverage, it just works, and your Garmin does the recording. The Edge manual also tells you to think about whom you share with, which is good advice for any live link.

Its limits come from the same manuals. The Edge 1040 manual says the device must have GPS enabled and be connected to Garmin Connect over Bluetooth. That makes the phone part of the chain. The other Edge manual says the Edge pairs with a compatible Android phone and that live event sharing is enabled for 24 hours. The pages we read did not say what recipients receive.

What does AdventureLive do well?

AdventureLive gives followers one page for the whole trip. They get a 3D satellite map with your planned route, the line travelled and your dot. They see the weather where you are now and for 48 hours, with safety alerts for strong wind, gales, severe cold, heat, heavy rain and thunderstorms, where you are and on the route ahead. They open it with no app and no account.

You can link several trackers: a Garmin with LiveTrack and an inReach or SPOT. The freshest position wins, so there is one dot. You name up to five home contacts. If an inReach or SPOT sends a HELP message, each gets an email with the time, the place on a map and the trip page. HELP emails come from an inReach or SPOT, not from LiveTrack.

It has limits. It needs the device behind it. LiveTrack through AdventureLive still needs your phone to have signal. There is no phone app. Your dot is only as fresh as your device's own interval.

How do you use LiveTrack with AdventureLive?

Plan the trip on the web: Plan your trip. Sign in with your email and password, confirmed by a 6-digit email code, or with Google. In My trackers, choose Garmin LiveTrack. AdventureLive gives you a personal address that starts with the letter "a". In Garmin Connect, add that address as a LiveTrack contact and switch on Auto start. The steps are in Garmin LiveTrack in AdventureLive and link a tracker. From an hour before a leg starts, the first position puts the trip live.

What should you check before you rely on LiveTrack?

Read your own device's manual, because the three we read differ. Confirm which phones it pairs with, how long sharing stays on and what your contacts receive. Test it on a short outing before the trip, with your phone in the same bag and the same settings you will use. Then decide whether the gaps in your route, where the phone will have no signal, are acceptable to the people waiting at home. If they are not, add a satellite tracker.

When should you choose Garmin LiveTrack alone?

• You wear a Garmin and mostly run or ride near coverage.
• Your contacts are happy with a simple live page.
• You do not need the weather or a planned route on a map.

When should you choose AdventureLive?

• You want weather and safety alerts next to the dot.
• You carry an inReach or SPOT as well, and want one dot.
• You want named people to get an email on HELP.
• You are planning a long trip, with legs and a route to fly in 3D.

Which is better for a long day in the Dolomites?

If your phone has signal for most of the day, LiveTrack is simple and may be all you need. If you will cross passes or valleys with no signal, a watch or bike computer paired to a phone will drop out, and followers will see a gap. An inReach or SPOT keeps reporting over satellite, and AdventureLive can show it with the weather where you are, which matters when a storm builds over a ridge. You can link both and the freshest position wins. Compare the other Garmin option in AdventureLive vs Garmin MapShare, and see inReach vs SPOT vs ZOLEO if you are choosing a device.

Can you use both?

Yes. That is the point. Keep LiveTrack running and add AdventureLive on top. For a day with no phone signal on a mountain, LiveTrack goes quiet. The AdventureLive page then keeps showing the last position, and an inReach or SPOT keeps it moving. Read Garmin LiveTrack without phone signal for what to expect. Rescue is the job of Garmin Response or SPOT's emergency centre, not LiveTrack or AdventureLive. The forecast is a guide, so check local forecasts and warnings.