Free maps on your Garmin watch
Watches with map support come with Garmin maps for their region, and you can add more for free. OpenStreetMap volunteers map the whole world, and several projects turn that data into ready Garmin map files. This guide shows which file to download, where it goes on the watch, and how to switch it on.
Does your watch show maps?
Only models with map support can use these files, for example most fēnix 6 Pro and later models, epix, Enduro 2 and 3, and Forerunner 955, 965 and 970. If your watch has a Map page or a map setting in its menu, it can show them. Check free storage first: a country can take from tens of megabytes to several gigabytes.
Travelling abroad? Load the map before you go
A watch usually comes with maps for the region where it was sold, so check the map before you fly. Newer models with Wi-Fi can download other Garmin map regions in the Map Manager on the watch, or you can add one with Garmin Express, but check the coverage first: a hiker who loaded the Southeast Asia map for a trek in Nepal found the trails empty, because Nepal is not in that region. If no Garmin region covers your country, a free OpenStreetMap map of it does the job. Map files are large, so copy them at home over a cable rather than over slow travel Wi-Fi.
Which file you need
The watch reads one assembled file named gmapsupp.img (or gmapsupp2.img, gmapsupp3.img and so on) in its GARMIN folder. Download maps offered for the device or as gmapsupp. Many downloads are made for the desktop program BaseCamp instead: a folder with dozens of .img files plus .TDB, .MDX and .TYP files. Those do not work on the watch; look for the device version of the same map.
Where to download free maps
Good starting points are the Garmin maps of OpenTopoMap, with contour lines for hiking, and the list of free Garmin maps on the OpenStreetMap wiki. Pick your country or region and the device format. The map data is © OpenStreetMap contributors. Downloads often come as a .zip: unzip it and use the gmapsupp.img inside.
Copy the map from Windows
- Connect the watch with its USB cable and open it in File Explorer.
- Open Internal Storage (or Primary) → GARMIN.
- Copy the file into GARMIN as gmapsupp.img. If a gmapsupp.img is already there, name yours gmapsupp2.img so you do not overwrite it.
- Wait for the copy to finish; large maps take a few minutes. Then unplug the cable.
Copy the map from a Mac
A Mac cannot open newer Garmin watches over USB, so the watch does not appear in Finder. Our USB file transfer copies the map from Chrome or Edge: connect the watch, drop the .img file, and it checks the file, picks a free gmapsupp name and writes it to the GARMIN folder. It also tells you when a file is only a BaseCamp tile.
Switch the map on
On the watch open Settings → Map → Map Manager (on some models Configure Maps) and turn the new map on. If it overlaps a Garmin map of the same area, you can turn one of them off to keep the map tidy.
Questions
The Garmin map is installed, but the trails are empty. Why?
Check two things: that the country is really inside the region you downloaded, and that the detailed map, not only the base map, is turned on in the map manager. If the region does not cover your country, add a free OpenStreetMap map of it.
Will a free map replace my Garmin maps?
No. It is added next to them, and each map can be switched on or off in the map manager.
Why does the watch not show my map?
Usually the file is a BaseCamp tile rather than a gmapsupp.img, it sits outside the GARMIN folder, or it is switched off in the map manager.
Can I add several regions?
Yes, as separate files gmapsupp.img, gmapsupp2.img and so on, as long as storage allows.