Link: Connect Your Boat Reviews

I’ve been using the this app app on my iPhone to serve as a remote display and control for my Simrad NSS9 Evo 3 unit with FMT tracks for over a year now. The clarity of the satellite image is equal to that showing on the unit, and all the control functions do work. However there is some lag in the screen updates that would prohibit trying to use only Link at a second helm. But for my slow speed use while fishing away from the helm it’s just fine.

As some have noted the WiFi connection to the unit does result in a non working internet connection error on a cell phone, but considering there typically isn’t a cell signal where I’m fishing it’s really not a problem.

Based on the success of my using Link on my iPhone I’m going to start using it on my iPad so I don’t have to zoom in/out as much. Mounting is simply a GoPro adhesive camera mount stuck on the back of an Otterbox case that I put on my GoPro claw mount. EzPz.

Part 1: Upgraded to 4.3.5. As others report simply doesn’t work correctly.

Do not upgrade! Need to bring back older version. I am very upset by this. Future hardware upgrades on my Swan will not include Navico unless better software management isGuys: this is important stuff that has to work for additional safety. Put an older version up, even the old B&G gofree worked better and then play to your hearts content. “Working on it” is a poor response when a simple revert to an older version will satisfy your users until you get finish beta testing your sexy new product. Very poor software management.

Part 3:
B&G GoFree is back on Link store, at least I could pull it from my purchased list now, when before it linked to this app version 4.3.5. It works fine with my Zeus touch.
Perhaps Navico has taken their first step toward better software management rather than “app” development. If so, thank you. Wish they could communicated with me but at least I have a working system. Note that “this app” is hard to find on Link store. Maybe they should go back to the GoFree name.
A commitment towards legacy support is more important for sailors, but less sexy, than adding unneeded buggy new app stuff for boat show demos with full connectivity. Lets see a move in that direction and i will buy more Navico gear.
Last note that leaving reviews seems to be the only way to get a response, however minimal, from Navico.

Somehow, the execution of Link continues to get worse with every release. The latest release (4.3.5) displays the remote-connected devices’s screen in a smaller “window” experience (We have a Zeus3 chart plotter).The full-screen mode is no longer available (like the advertised images on Link Store show) and basic panning functionality on the interface has gone away. The degradation in basic functionality has rendered this, virtually, useless on our race boat to gain a quick view of our Zeus3 chart plotter (installed below deck).

Although Link seems to be a great idea,the actual works are flawed. First things first which is a big one. When connected to Link via WiFi you loose internet service on a mobile device with data ( iPhone ) there seems to be no way to manually connect the Lowrance unit without using the automatic mode which in turn adds dns info which prevents from using LTE while connected to the Lowrance unit. Dumb. Should be able to have mobile data work when connected to unit. Also does not rotate on an IPhone 8+. Can only use the phone one way. Again, dumb. Link would be pretty nice when these two things get fixed. Until then it’s pretty crappy.

The mirror/control function of Link played a huge role in my purchase of my Simrad GO9. Now I realize that I can’t use the this app app and my LTE connection on my iPad at the same time and I’m really disappointed!! Also, the connection drops a lot and it swipes the screen when trying to scroll which causes it to lose connection.
There are several apps that allow a static network connection which allows LTE to still function. When setting Link up as a static connection it will not connect at all.
I feel like this is a basic feature that a device at this price point should absolutely be able to accomplish.

Link used to work full screen. Now it is windowed and that seems to have broken a lot of things. You can’t pan around on the map or is loses connection. Same happens if you try to pull down from the time to turn radar on/off. Using the virtual power button works but actually interacting with the unit seems to lose connection all the time. Still seems to do it after upgrading the Vulcan 9 to 20.1 too.

Software connects nicely to my HDS gen 2 Touch/iPhone 7+. Remote control works fine. I’d like to see a feature where I can download screenshots to the photos app on my phone. Seems like that would be high on the feature list. Hope they add it in a future update. Want to save/send screenshots easily in real time rather than downloading from my memory card once I’m home. This sort of feature is what the WiFi should do for me. Make my life easier.

The latest update now no longer uses the full screen for remote control on either an iPad or iPhone - showing only a small remote screen. Also, now on the iPhone screen rotation no longer works. These are serious regressions and make Link so much less useful. None of this was mentioned in the update notes either.

Also this new version has trouble staying connected to my Zeus chart plotter - often disconnects and can’t reconnect unless I restart Link . Never an issue until this last app update.

Link has completely turned me against Lowrance products. After contacting tech support it seems no one knows what to do Link does not fill the full screen and for me I’m looking for Lowrance to buy my products back because they do not perform as promised.... I wrote this review over a month ago and was told they were working on a fix. However to date there is no fix... Lowrance has completely lost trust with me. I have decided to take the loss and get new Hummingbirds Lowrance is behind in technology in ever manner.. Lowrance SMH

What Happened? I use to be able to see my unit full screen in landscape view. I was going to purchase an IPAD to use with Link but now I changed my mind because of the changes. Please Please Please fix this issue. This was one of the main reason I bought the HDS Live unit. Being able to preplan trips, add waypoints, review sonar logs, and control the unit from anywhere on the boat was a dream come true. Now it’s all in the pass if this issue isn’t fix. Lowrance, please fix this for your customers. Thank you for your help!

I have been using Link for the past 2 years, no problem until the latest update a few days ago. The Lowrance display now comes up on the iPad in a small window filling about half of it, thus only filling about 1/4 of the iPads display instead of a full screen display as before this update. Making it pretty much useless as a second “larger” display

I downloaded this vaguely-named app to my iPhone 6S, linked to my new Vulcan 9 chart plotter, and it works as advertised, even controlling the chart plotter from the phone, which is the only enhancement over GoFree that I have found. Be aware that the small screen of a phone makes text and finger targets rather small, and the image is grainy, being just a repeat of the low resolution of the Vulcan. Usability on a tablet is much better.

Used to be great. Then losing connection and getting grainy. Now it loses connection and gets really grainy all the time. On top of that the screen no longer rotates on an iPhone after the last update. You are now stuck in portrait mode with a tiny little screen.

I used to easily this app to my SimradNSS8 until I updated Link . Now I can’t this app automatically or manually. Sailing in the Bahamas now without the use of my iPad as a remote.

Update - latest version says it will work with NSS8. It does not. And so far tech support has not been able to help me. So now I have a useless GoFree that I bought just 2 yrs ago.

Final update - my error in trying the latest update. It does actually work now. Thanks. Would have been nice if they just acknowledged they had an issue & said they were working on it.

Not sure how they let this one out of the barn. The chartplotter now shows up in a small window and trying to scroll on the chartplotter makes the window move up instead. This makes it mostly unusable. Not sure if the recent IOS 13.7 update, my 2nd gen Ipad Pro, or my B&G Zeus 2 running have anything to do with the issue. Hopefully Navico can resolve this issue quickly, and perhaps budget for a little more testing before they release the next update.

So I got Link to this app with my Simrad dual display system. The main reason is that my quarters are forward in the boat and when I set my perimeter alarms and anchor alarms I want to know if they’re going off.

The problem with this is if I’m not sleeping at the home on the flybridge the audible is useless. So I thought this would be the answer I could go to my bunk and if there was an alarm they were repeat on my iPhone…… oops no sound very disappointing might want to think about this feature seriously

This "new and improved" version does not work with any MFD older than a Zeus 2. That means your NSS, NSO, Zeus Touch, do not work with this! And there is no way to go back!

This is what Navico tech support told me after I "upgraded" my iPad version of this. There’s is no way to go back to the old version. This version destroyed the functionality of my WiFi system. “Sorry” they say.

And the description STILL says it works with the older versions of MFD! Is this just incompetence? Or a way to force an upgrade?

This is a great idea but you can’t view in full screen on your iPad or iPhone. Also I don’t need my phone or tablet to remotely control my sonar unit. I only need it to mirror so people in different boat positions can see what’s going on. I feel like Lowrance doesn’t want this to work too well because it replaces 2nd and 3rd expensive sonar units in the boat. I really don’t understand how Link continues to progressively get worse. Come on developers!

This used to be an excellent product until they tried to improve it with their latest version. I never used to have any problems. Now it constantly gets disconnected from the display and I experience “buffering” which I never had before. When I get disconnected from the display, I am still connected to the wifi so I had to select the unit again. Do you not quality control and test tour application updates prior to publishing them?

Took over an hour to connect a phone to the graph. However once we got one connected the second one was easy. Now we have multiple phones hooked up at the same time. And everything works great. Please make it easyer to hook devices up to a graph.

As mentioned before, this is a really great idea, but poorly implemented. I used it today and it would lock up every time I took a screen capture. Also, there is no auto-rotate feature, so you are stuck in landscape mode, but only in one orientation. Also, when connected to your unit via WiFi, you loose the ability to use cellular data. This means you have to constantly disconnect and reconnect from the unit. Tested on an iPhone XS using both a Lowrance Elite 7Ti and HDS 9 Live. It’s better than taking pictures of the screen, but just barely. If they can work out the bugs, this will be a really useful application.

I was prompted by Link Store to upgrade from the clunky but working GoFree this app software to this. Now on my iPhone one of my chartplotters is highlighted in red and Link won't connect. On my iPad one chart plotter isn't even listed. Broken software. Conveniently I'm crossing the Atlantic in a week and one of the "features" of $15,000 dollars worth of gear has been broken by the manufacturer. How long has IP networking been in existence? An absolute software fail.

From the very beginning, I’ve been able to use my iPad and the this app app to connect to and remote control my Elite 7 Ti2. After updating to 20.0, I’m able to connect to the unit and view the screen, but I’m unable to control the unit remotely from my iPad. Help! When resolved I’ll change to five stars!

I was thrilled to use Link the first few times I tried it. Unfortunately, the latest version no longer detects any MFD devices (chart plotter etc.) on our ship's network, it just displays "Searching Surya's network for MFD displays..." and spins a little icon endlessly. Very, very disappointing. I hope they update Link to work with the latest MFDs and/or iOS updates. Until then... useless.

I have had many instances of the system unable to find the server. Sometimes when I was just using it a few minutes prior. Basically a unrealizable piece of hack software. In addition the quality of image less than VGA makes you wonder why not go with all IOS native navigation apps. Nav icon software engineers should be sent packing.

Previous Gofree version worked perfectly on my IPhone & IPads. This update does not detect Simrad MFD even tho the Simrad detects Link . Please fix or just republish the older version.

Today (Jan 21, or 22 in NZ) Link was “updated” so that it again works with my Simrad plotter.

It will not connect to my iPad! Lowrance was no help! My iPhone will connect AND control the Elite 7i. Lowrance tech said the iPhone should only be able to view.

It is frustrating to buy an expensive device that does not work as promised out of the box. Would have loved to been able to view the elite output on the large iPad screen, but no go!