Share your iPhone’s GPS with an iPad or Mac

Plan big and set off with the same map

A Mac or iPad gives you plenty of room to check Tracks, bridges, locks, tides, and departure times before setting off. Your bookmarks, Tracks, and settings are ready there just as they are on the iPhone.

Aboard, the same large display can become your map. MacBooks, iMacs, and Wi-Fi-only iPads have no built-in GPS, so Rivers & Seas simply uses the accurate position from the iPhone you already carry.

The iPhone continuously supplies position, speed, and course. The boat therefore remains in the right place on the large map, including during steady travel on calm water.

There is no Bluetooth GPS receiver to buy and no manual pairing. Open Rivers & Seas on both devices. On the same Wi-Fi network or Personal Hotspot, they find each other automatically, and the direct transfer does not need internet access underway.

1. Allow the iPhone to send its position

Open Rivers & Seas on the iPhone first. Allow access to your precise location, then choose Always when asked. This lets the iPhone continue sharing its position while Rivers & Seas is in the background or the iPhone is locked.

Also allow access to the local network. The iPhone does not search for devices; it simply makes its position available to your iPad or Mac. Sharing is initially switched on automatically.

2. The large map searches for the iPhone

1. Open Rivers & Seas on the iPad or Mac.
2. When no accurate position of its own is available, “Use the iPhone’s Position” appears after a moment.
3. Tap “Allow Device Search”.
4. Confirm the system request so Rivers & Seas can search the local network.

That is all. The iPad or Mac finds the iPhone and connects automatically.

3. How to tell that it is connected

Once connected, the position received from the iPhone appears as a green device marker on the large map. Rivers & Seas also uses it for speed and course over ground.

For heading, an iPad prefers its own compass. A Mac has no compass, so it receives the available direction information from the iPhone.

You can now lock the iPhone or leave Rivers & Seas running in the background. For a longer trip, keep the iPhone where it has a clear view of the sky and connect it to power.

4. Wake the iPhone automatically and save battery

After the first successful connection, Rivers & Seas offers to wake the iPhone automatically when its position is needed. Position sharing does not have to remain active continuously, which saves battery while still giving the iPad a current position whenever it needs one.

1. Wait until “Wake Your iPhone Automatically” appears on the device.
2. Tap “Allow Bluetooth”, then confirm the request from iOS or iPadOS.
3. Allow this on the iPhone and on the iPad or Mac, and leave Bluetooth switched on on both devices.

That is all. The large map can now reach the iPhone automatically when needed. There is no device pairing and no setting to open before every trip.

What both devices need

If the iPad or Mac cannot find the iPhone

1. Check that Rivers & Seas has been opened on both devices.
2. Check that both devices use the same Wi-Fi network, or that the iPad or Mac is connected to the iPhone’s Personal Hotspot.
3. On both devices, open Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network and allow Rivers & Seas.
4. On iPhone, open Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services › Rivers & Seas. Choose Always and turn on Precise Location.
5. Open Rivers & Seas again on both devices.

Your position stays between your devices

Rivers & Seas sends position, accuracy, speed, course, and, when needed, heading directly from the iPhone to the connected iPad or Mac. No Rivers & Seas account is required, and the position is not uploaded to a Rivers & Seas server.

Only allow searching on your own iPad or Mac, and use Wi-Fi or a Personal Hotspot you trust.