support

new to jmgi?

start with the manual for the controls and everyday use. the answers below cover connections, delivery, saved data, and common problems in version 1.3.

nearby connections

what do i need for nearby messaging?

install the current jmgi version on each participating device. nearby channels use bluetooth and an optional local-network connection; they do not require an internet connection or jmgi account. v1.3 supports ios and ipados 17 or later. v1.2 and v1.3 nearby messaging do not interoperate, so update both devices.

why can the devices not find each other?

1. open jmgi on both devices and bring them close together.
2. leave gather's radio-silence mode and make sure the nearby radio is active.
3. turn on bluetooth in device settings and allow jmgi to use it.
4. turn on wi-fi and allow jmgi's local network permission for the additional connection path. if this permission is denied, bluetooth can still work.
5. check menu › settings › blocked senders if a particular vessel is missing.

keep both apps open while they link. distance, obstacles, radio interference, and ios background scheduling affect range and delivery. there is no fixed guaranteed range.

messages and delivery

what does queued mean on 16?

for a vessel you have connected with before, jmgi can encrypt and hold a direct text for up to 24 hours. it tries to send when a direct connection or a route through participating devices becomes available. another device may carry the encrypted text without being able to read it. a queued message has not yet been confirmed as received.

leaving the sender and recipient open and nearby gives a direct connection the best chance to complete. queued delivery is not guaranteed, and expired messages are no longer carried.

what do sent, received, and not confirmed mean?

sent is not a read receipt. received means a receiving device acknowledged the message. on 68, the received count is the number of confirming vessels. not confirmed means an acknowledgement has not reached your device; it does not prove that the other person saw nothing.

which channels carry audio?

16 and 68 support deliberate short audio messages of up to 30 seconds. 16 audio needs a live connection; it is not queued for later. 68 broadcasts to directly linked nearby vessels. 72 relays are text only. received audio plays only when tapped.

are these actual marine radio channels?

no. the channel numbers are part of jmgi's interface. the app communicates with other jmgi devices through bluetooth, local networking, or optional online fleets. it does not transmit or receive marine vhf signals and cannot call emergency services for you.

private online fleets

what does online require?

an internet connection and a working icloud account on the device. you do not create a separate jmgi login. private fleet messages and attachments are encrypted before cloudkit upload. cached content may remain readable during an outage, but new messages and uncached attachments need a connection.

how do invitations work?

the admiral can invite a linked vessel or share a reusable link. the link expires after seven days, and each join request must be approved. the fleet is limited to 20 vessels. the invitation itself does not give someone access, and new members see only messages sent after they join.

if the link opens a download page, install jmgi, return to the original message, and tap the invitation again. an expired link needs to be replaced by the admiral.

what if icloud is unavailable?

check your internet connection and the apple account signed in to icloud in device settings, then reopen online. if apple services are having an outage, try again later. nearby messaging can still work independently.

fleet attachments and replies

why has my attachment not sent?

adding media, pasting content, or finishing an online audio recording only adds it to the draft. tap transmit to send it, with any message text and reply. changing fleets or icloud accounts discards the old draft rather than moving it to another conversation.

what can i send?

photos, animated gifs, short videos, audio, files, and web links. each message can contain up to six attachments and 20 MB of combined attachment data. the per-item limits below apply to the prepared attachment, after any app processing.

the app labels its size limits in MB. image dimensions, animation complexity, file format, and available storage can also prevent an attachment from being prepared. try a smaller or shorter item when the app reports a limit.

why are photos and videos shown as buttons?

attachments stay closed until you choose to open them. tap open photo, open gif, play video, play audio, open file, or open link. jmgi does not automatically download web-page previews or autoplay received audio and video.

why does paste behave differently for different content?

use add › paste. a standalone copied web address becomes a link attachment, ordinary text goes in the message field, and supported copied media or files become attachments. the system paste control provides only the items you choose to paste.

why does it say hold longer to record audio?

a brief tap is too short to make a usable clip. hold the recording control while speaking, then release. online audio stays in the draft until you tap transmit. nearby audio sends on release. allow microphone access if the system asks.

how do replies work?

long press a fleet message and choose reply. send your text or attachment as usual. the reply refers back to the original message; if that original has expired, been cleared, or is not available to you, its preview may be unavailable.

notifications and the background

in menu › settings, choose private fleets, nearby radio, and passage watch reports separately. also allow notifications for jmgi in device settings. turning an alert switch off does not delete messages or stop a passage.

nearby background delivery and online notifications are best effort. ios can suspend the app or delay bluetooth and cloudkit activity. force-quitting jmgi stops background relaunch and nearby alerts until you reopen it. keeping the app open improves the chance of a timely nearby connection.

nearby and fleet message alerts use generic text. open the app to read the content. online messages refresh when you open online even if its alerts are off.

gather and apple intelligence

gather works with nearby participating devices. radio silence pauses ordinary messaging while the screens dim and the session timer continues. leave gather for a channel to resume.

trivia has a built-in harbor mix when apple intelligence is unavailable. generating a custom-topic round requires a supported host device with apple intelligence and its on-device model available. other participants can join without generating the questions themselves. generated questions can be wrong.

optional smarter squelch and varied passage reports also depend on on-device intelligence availability. the standard filter and passage work without it.

saved data and clearing history

channel 16 conversations have a 24-hour window, channel 68 messages a one-hour window, and channel 72 relays a seven-day window, subject to storage limits. queued direct texts expire after at most 24 hours. optional text logs are separate from the visible message windows.

private fleets show up to the newest 500 messages within a seven-day window. attachment access can expire, and local cache limits can remove cached files earlier. this is a short-lived conversation history, not an archive.

choose menu › settings › clear local messages to remove nearby messages, saved nearby audio, local queued and carried content, hidden history, last contact, and optional in-app message logs. contact keys, identity, block lists, and some replay-prevention state remain. captain's log, gather history, passage progress, and online fleets are separate.

clear captain's log with its own control. a fleet admiral can clear shared fleet history; other members can request it. cloud deletion is retried as the relevant devices reconnect and can take longer than the removal of visible history.

clearing local data cannot recall copies already received or carried by another device. screenshots, exports, saved files, backups, and email outside jmgi remain outside its control. see the privacy policy for details.

blocking, reporting, and squelch

long press a message or vessel to see its available actions. nearby blocking clears the sender's visible nearby history and last contact and ignores future traffic. a 72 message can also let you block the relay vessel that delivered it. online blocking hides that sender's messages and alerts without clearing the shared fleet history. manage blocked senders in settings.

report by email prepares a draft with the selected message and identifiers. review it before sending. the mail app may save or sync a draft; nothing is sent unless you choose to send it.

squelch is an on-device filter for some potentially harmful content. it can miss a message or hide one incorrectly. reveal hidden messages or adjust squelch in settings. when available, smarter squelch adds an optional on-device assessment of message meaning.

jmgi is not an emergency service or a replacement for marine vhf.