Frequently asked questions

Do I need internet to set up my GOAT device?

Not to start — you connect your phone directly to the device's own hotspot. The device does need WiFi (or your boat's internet) to finish registering.

Why won't the app find my device during setup?

Turn on your phone's location/WiFi so it can scan for the device hotspot, and make sure the device is powered and broadcasting its SVGOAT-XXXX network.

Setup failed with a "Timeout" — what does that mean?

A Timeout almost always means the WiFi password you entered was wrong, so the device couldn't join the network to report back. Re-run setup and re-enter the password carefully.

Can I set up the device from the web dashboard?

No. Device setup happens only in the phone app, because your phone connects to the device's local hotspot. The web is view-only.

How do I move my boat to a new/replacement device?

Set up the new device and it takes over the boat; your boat, history, and settings stay with your account.

Does "Restore from Cloud" bring my device back?

No — Restore from Cloud only restores your voyage logbook and tracks. It has nothing to do with the physical device.

What's the device's hotspot name and password?

The hotspot is named SVGOAT-XXXX (the last four characters of your device ID). The app connects to it for you during setup.

Can the device remember more than one WiFi network?

Yes — you can store several networks so the device reconnects automatically as you move between them.

My boat has no WiFi — can I still use it?

Yes. Use Direct Connect Mode: the device keeps its own hotspot and your phone joins that directly.

If I reinstall the app, do I lose my boats?

No. Your boats and their settings are tied to your account and come back when you sign in again.

Why is the Add-Boat button greyed out?

Adding a boat requires your account to own a GOAT device, and you may have hit your account's boat limit.

How do I stop the anchor alarm?

Open Anchor Watch and tap STOP to silence the siren, or Stop alerts on this phone to silence this phone for the rest of the watch. Tap RAISE ANCHOR when you're actually leaving.

Which chartplotters show the SV.GOAT tile?

B&G, Simrad and Lowrance chartplotters (Navico) on the same network as your GOAT device. It has been tested on a B&G Zeus. Furuno is coming later.

Does the anchor watch on the chartplotter need internet?

No. The chartplotter talks to the GOAT device over the boat's own network, and your phones on the boat Wi-Fi still sound the alarm. Only phones away from the boat need the boat to be online.

Will my phone alarm if I set the anchor at the chartplotter?

Yes, if it's the owner's phone on the boat Wi-Fi with SV.GOAT 2.0.217 or later on Android, or 2.0.202 or later on iPhone and iPad. On iPhone and iPad, keep the app open.

Why doesn't the chartplotter make a sound?

Chartplotter browsers have no speaker, so the alarm there is a flashing red banner. The sound comes from your phones.

Why does the anchor page say "View only"?

Only the chartplotter can change the watch, and only while Chartplotter control is on. Other screens can look.

Who can change the anchor watch from the chartplotter page?

A chartplotter on the boat network can. Other screens, such as a phone's browser or a laptop, see the page view-only. The boat owner can turn Chartplotter control off in the app.

Why does a card show dashes instead of a number?

Dashes mean no live data right now (usually a connection gap); a greyed card means that sensor isn't on your boat; a 0 is a real reading of zero.

Can I do everything from the web dashboard?

No. The web is view-only for boat data — no device setup, anchor drop, radar, coach, weather, or offshore toggle.

How do I reorder or add dashboard cards?

Enter edit mode to drag cards into order, and use the + button to add custom cards from discovered sensors.

What does a GOAT device add?

A GOAT device unlocks AIS radar, performance polar and coach, weather and storm alerts, marine intelligence, remote monitoring, and longer history.

What works without a GOAT device?

Core monitoring, the map, voyages, tanks, and anchor watch work on their own; a GOAT device adds radar, polar, weather, marine intelligence, remote monitoring, and more.

How do I unlock the extra features?

They unlock on their own once a GOAT device is set up and online on your account — there is nothing to switch on in the app.

How do I set up a tank?

Add and configure a tank from the Tanks tab or Boat Configuration, then it appears on your dashboard.

How do I connect my Victron VRM?

Use Configure VRM in device management and enter your Victron credentials — they're encrypted before being stored.

How do I set a low-battery or high-wind alarm?

Tap the bell on the relevant card, set the threshold, and save. Wind and battery thresholds are owner-only.

Why can't I silence the anchor alarm the normal way?

The anchor alarm can't be snoozed — it's safety-critical. Tap STOP to silence the siren, Stop alerts on this phone to silence this phone for the watch, or RAISE ANCHOR to end the watch.

Will I still get alerts when the boat is offshore?

Alarms still sound locally on the boat with no internet, but away-from-boat push is paused in offshore mode to save data.

How do I start or stop a voyage?

Voyages record automatically as you sail — you don't need to start one. You can end the current voyage from the map.

My total mileage looks stuck — why?

Total miles is the server's canonical figure; if it looks behind, sync your odometer/tracks and it will update.

Where are my journey photos stored, and who can see them?

They're saved only in your phone's own photo gallery and never uploaded — guests, the web, and other phones don't see them.

My photos disappeared — how do I get them back?

On the same phone, open the map and use Gallery to re-import them from your gallery. A different phone won't have them.

Why was I suddenly signed out?

20 wrong app-lock PIN tries signs you out, and switching accounts on a shared phone clears the previous one. A brief blip is usually just the network.

Why is the web dashboard showing old data?

The web mirrors a snapshot that refreshes about hourly (and pauses offshore) — it's never live. Use Sync Now or open the app.

The app can't connect to my boat — what now?

On the boat, join its WiFi; away, you need Remote Access and internet both ends. A fleet-wide remote outage is a service issue, not your device.

Why is my map grey or blank?

Map tiles load from the internet, so offline the background may be grey — your tracks still draw on top. Reconnect and pan to reload.

Why does Performance Polar say "unavailable"?

The polar needs certain sensors (like true wind) detected on your boat; until they're present and discovered, it stays unavailable.

Are the coach and energy forecasts powered by AI?

No — the polar coach and energy forecasting are deterministic calculations, not AI. They give the same answer for the same inputs.

Why can't I edit a boat that was shared with me?

Guests are read-only by design — you can view the boat's data, but not change settings or arm the anchor watch.

How do I share my boat with someone?

Invite them by email from the boat's Share option; they accept from their own app or the web.

What can a guest do on my boat?

Guests can view all data, but can't arm the anchor watch or edit config, thresholds, sharing, setup, or backup.

How do I stop sharing my boat?

The owner can revoke a guest's access at any time, and a guest can leave a shared boat.

How is my data and privacy handled?

Your boat data is private to you and the guests you invite; guests are read-only, and journey photos never leave your phone.

Can I get alerts on my TV?

TV pairing is owner-only — pair your boat to the GOAT TV dashboard from the app to show it on a screen.

How do I sign in?

Sign in with your account email and PIN (or Google). Your account PIN can be reset on the web if you forget it.

Will I get logged out when I'm at sea?

No — sessions are permanent, so a boat offshore is never signed out on its own. A brief "Session Expired" is just a network blip.

What's the difference between the two PINs?

The account PIN logs into your account (resettable on web); the app-lock PIN unlocks the app on this phone. They can be different.

Can I unlock with Face ID or a fingerprint?

No, biometric unlock isn't supported — use your PIN.

I forgot my PIN — what do I do?

Use "Forgot your PIN?" for a recovery email, or reset your account PIN from the web dashboard.

How do I export or delete my account?

Account data export and account deletion are handled from the web dashboard's account settings.

Why am I not getting any notifications?

Check that push is on, notifications are allowed by your phone, and (on Android) the app is excluded from battery optimization — and remember offshore mode pauses away-push.

Can I turn off anchor alerts?

You can turn off the anchor notifications your GOAT device sends for a boat under Settings → Notifications → Anchor & safety; the anchor screen then shows DRAG ALERTS ARE OFF. The phone running the anchor watch still raises its own drag alarm.

Why didn't my low-battery alert come through at night?

Warning-level alerts like low battery are held during quiet hours and delivered when quiet hours end; critical alerts ignore quiet hours.

Do alerts work with no internet?

On the boat, alarms sound locally with zero internet. Away-from-boat push needs internet on both your phone and the boat.

What is offshore mode?

Offshore mode cuts back cloud check-ins to save satellite data; it's a data-saver, not offline mode, and alarms still work locally.

Is my boat configuration backed up?

Yes — your boat details and settings are backed up to your account automatically and return when you sign in.

What exactly does "Restore from Cloud" restore?

It restores your voyage logbook — voyages and tracks — not your device, your photos or your POIs (those stay on the phone).

Are my journey photos backed up to the cloud?

No — photos stay on your phone only. Use your own iCloud or Google Photos backup to protect them.

How do I restart my device?

Use Reboot in device management, or power-cycle the device on the boat.

How do device updates happen?

Updates install automatically over the air when the device has internet — you don't need to do anything.

How do I check if my device is online?

The device status screen shows whether it's online and its last check-in; offshore, check-ins are only about every 30 minutes.

When should I factory reset the device?

Factory reset only when giving the device away or moving it to a new owner — it wipes ownership and network settings.