Please review the important announcements below, update your GO exec to the latest Firmware and App, and consider switching your GO exec plan before using Web/App profiles to ensure you do not experience bill shock or data overages.

Iridium has released a new GO exec App version which includes new Firmware for your GO exec, version 1.0.10. The new Firmware includes two new WhatsApp profiles, WhatsApp Full and WhatsApp Text.

These two new profiles significantly improve from the old default WhatsApp profile. They are much more effective in restricting your data usage to WhatsApp only and limiting background data transfers.

PredictWind recommends using the WhatsApp Text Web/App profile only and time-limiting sessions to 15 minutes. Carefully monitor the Data Usage meter in the GO exec App or on the device touchscreen when connecting with any WhatsApp Web/App profiles, old or new.

Please review this help article for steps to update your GO exec if you still need to do so. The new GO exec App versions are iPhone 1.0.6(40) and Android 1.0.7-33.

PredictWind has launched the Unlimited PredictWind Data plan to prevent bill shock and data overages. This gives you unlimited data for PredictWind services and pre-paid AnyApp data for when you need full internet access. You can read more about the Unlimited PredictWind Data plan or change to the Unlimited Plan now.

Please read on if you have already switched to the Unlimited PredictWind Data plan. If not, please read the article How to prevent bill shock/data overages, and consider switching.

The Iridium GO exec has a range of built-in Web/App profiles to minimize your data usage and quickly complete your Internet tasks. There are profiles for many popular activities and applications such as WhatsApp and web browsing.

Important Note: You can use a lot of data quickly by having any apps or websites open on your devices or settings that are not optimised for satellite connections. Please exercise caution! We recommend you disable automatic device backups such as iCloud while offshore.

We highly recommend that you primarily use apps optimized for data usage on a satellite connection and leave your GO exec Web/App profile set to All Blocked.

If you do not, high data usage may cause overages, resulting in bill shock.

Satellite data is more expensive than cellular data, so it’s important only to allow the data you want to go over the satellite network. Web/App profiles set the rules to allow or block traffic over the satellite network, so choosing the right profile for your data connection is important. These profiles can be accessed from the GO exec device touchscreen or in the GO exec App:

Below the Connect Button on the GO exec Touchscreen and App, the Data Usage is displayed. Please carefully monitor this usage to ensure you do not experience bill shock.

NOTE: When connected, the active profile can be changed at any time from the GO exec device touchscreen or in the App. From experience, if you wish to change profiles, you may need to disconnect first, close the App on your device, and then connect again on the correct Web/App profile before reopening it.

Eleven default Web/App profiles are available for the GO exec as of Firmware 1.0.10.

This profile allows text messages, emoticons, and audio calls. It does not support sending photos, media attachments, voice notes or stickers. When using this Web/App profile, sending your first text message may take around 15 seconds. After that, it will be near real-time.

This profile allows full access to most WhatsApp features, including sending photos, media attachments, voice notes and stickers.

For sharing photos, your GO exec will upload 22Kbps and download 88Kbps. Sending large images, even when compressed, may be slow. We recommend sending photos via PredictMail or downloading an App to resize and compress images before sending.

Before you use WhatsApp, please read the article GO exec how to use WhatsApp.

This profile allows full access to most WhatsApp features, including sending photos, media attachments, voice notes and stickers.

Important Note: This profile also opens up your connection to all Apps created by Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. These devices may consume a large amount of data, even if only open in the background.

We do not recommend using this profile; please update your Firmware first.

We recommend you do not use this profile. This profile allows all your devices and all their app full, unrestricted Internet access. You will likely use a large amount of data quickly, incur overages and experience bill shock.

We advise caution using this profile and careful monitoring of data use. This profile opens TCP ports 80 and 443 and blocks all others. It will allow web browsing with Apps such as Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Opera.

We advise caution using this profile and careful monitoring of data use. This profile allows access in a web browser to https://mbasic.facebook.com. Set your PC or mobile browser to this URL for efficient access to Facebook content.

We advise caution using this profile and careful monitoring of data use. This profile also allows other services from Google. If you have any other Google Apps open when using the Gmail App, all these Google Apps may use a large amount of data quickly.

Gmail is not optimised for a Satellite connection. Sending a 1,500-word email with Gmail transfers approximately 0.2MB on the Iridium network. With satellite overages of up to US$5MB, this could cost US$1 per email.

We recommend the best way to send email through your GO exec is to buy a DataHub, subscribe to PredictMail and switch to the GO exec Unlimited PredictWind Data plan. PredictWind designed this plan and suite of products to offer the best value unlimited email worldwide.

We recommend you do not use this profile. Teams is a Microsoft Office App which allows chat, desktop sharing and video calling. Teams is not optimized for a Satellite connection. This profile may quickly use a large amount of data as it opens Internet ports 80 and 443 to all devices and Apps. Web browsers and many other Apps use these ports, even in the background.

Until the launch of PredictChat in Q4 '23, we recommend careful use of the WhatsApp Text profile for real-time chat with family and friends.

We advise caution using this profile and careful monitoring of data use. This profile also allows other services from Microsoft. If you have any other Microsoft Apps open when using Outlook, these Apps may use a large amount of data quickly.

Outlook, like Gmail, is not optimized for a Satellite connection. For the reasons mentioned for Gmail above, for email, we recommend you buy a DataHub, subscribe to PredictMail and switch to the GO exec Unlimited PredictWind Data plan.

We advise caution using this profile and careful monitoring of data use. This profile allows limited access to WeChat messaging features. Many secondary features and mini-programs may not work. WeChat is not optimized for a satellite connection.

Until the launch of PredictChat in Q4 '23, we recommend careful use of the WhatsApp Text profile for real-time chat with family and friends.

We recommend you do not use this profile. Our testing has shown you will use a large amount of data quickly using this profile and the iMessage app.

This profile allows all connected Apple devices full access to all Apple servers, including services such as iCloud backups. iMessage is not optimized for a satellite connection. Until the launch of PredictChat in Q4 '23, we recommend careful use of the WhatsApp Text profile for real-time chat with family and friends.

We recommend setting the All Blocked profile as the Web/App profile if you are not actively using another profile on the device.

This profile blocks all Internet data transfer through the GO exec to the Internet unless temporarily modified by an App designed to use it, e.g. the PredictWind Offshore App and DataHub services such as GPS tracking, AIS and PredictMail.

If the App or service you wish to use does not have a default profile, you can create a Custom Web/App profile for the GO exec to use when desired to allow your App to connect to the Internet. Once made, a custom profile will appear at the end of the list of Web/App profiles to select before connecting.

To create a custom Web/App profile in the GO exec App:

Web/App rules can be deleted and copied. Drag left on the Web/App profile or Profile Rule to show the ‘Delete’ and ‘Copy’ commands.

Important Note: User-defined Web/App Profiles are deleted when the GO exec is factory reset. We recommend taking a screenshot or photo as a backup.