Support

Do I need a satellite messenger?

No. Going Blue can send a forecast request three ways: over an ordinary internet connection, as a text message, or from a satellite messenger. The app is useful with nothing but a phone — the satellite path is there for when you are past the end of cell service.

Which devices work?

Any satellite messenger that can send and receive SMS. We have tested Garmin inReach and iPhone satellite messaging. The Setup section in the app walks through each one.

How do I request a forecast?

1. On the Builder tab, set a location, pick a weather model, and choose the variables you want.
2. Choose your device and send the request — Internet fetches the forecast over your data connection, SMS texts it from your phone, and inReach copies the message to paste into your satellite messenger.
3. Paste the reply into the Decoder tab to see the full forecast.

The reply will not decode

Two things cause this:

• The message is incomplete or has extra text. A forecast has to be pasted whole and on its own. Some messenger apps add text when you copy — remove anything that is not the reply itself.
• The app is out of date. Forecasts carry a protocol version. If a reply uses a newer version than your app understands, the Decoder says so — update the app and request a new forecast.

How do I delete my data?

Steps:

1. Open the Going Blue app.
2. Tap the gear icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Scroll down to "Delete my data" and confirm.

This immediately erases your token from the server and erases all data stored on your phone. Request records are kept on the server with the token removed so that they can't be linked back to you.

Data cannot be deleted outside the app, since the app's stored token is the only way a token is linked to you. If you delete the app before deleting your account, the anonymous token will remain on the server but there will be no way to link to you. Delete your account before deleting the app if you want the token erased from the server.

Where does the weather data come from?

Forecasts are retrieved from Open-Meteo, which serves models from NOAA in the United States, ECMWF in Europe, and Environment and Climate Change Canada, among more than thirty regional models. The app can pick the highest-resolution model for your location automatically, or you can choose a forecast center yourself and compare them.

Why is the forecast one short message?

Satellite messengers charge per message and limit how much each one carries, so a forecast has to fit in a single 160-character reply. Going Blue uses a compression codec built for that limit: the reply is not readable text but a dense encoding the app unpacks into a full multi-day forecast. That is why it has to be pasted into the app rather than read directly.

Forecasts are informational

Forecasts may be inaccurate, delayed, or unavailable. Do not rely on Going Blue as your sole source of weather information for decisions affecting safety, including in remote or backcountry settings.