Great news for the marine navigation community: TimeZero has officially released TZ iBoat v4, marking a significant milestone by introducing the popular app to the Android ecosystem alongside a comprehensive interface rebuild for both iOS and Android platforms.
What’s new in TZ iBoat v4?
The application moves to a much cleaner chart interface built around the new TZ Screen Bar. Key features include
- Dedicated Workspaces: Switch easily between full screens for Navigation, Weather, Instruments, Logbook, and Anchor Watch, making key features simpler to access and use.
- Upgraded Weather: A new dedicated weather screen, accessible directly from the TZ Bar, centralises all essential forecast information. It also introduces a next-generation Rain Radar overlay that integrates real-time lightning strike data.
- Dedicated Lat/Lon keyboard: An extra-large keyboard designed to make coordinate entry highly reliable in a moving environment. It only enables valid coordinates keys, helping prevent input errors in rough seas.
Integration with AIS Transponders & Wi-Fi Gateways
TZ iBoat v4 introduces a new Instrument Connections panel, where you can add multiple data sources and manage them easily. This is where Digital Yacht devices help you take full advantage of TZ iBoat features and allows you to connect your NMEA 2000 network or NMEA 0183 devices with the app.
NMEA & Instrument Data on TZ iBoat
Digital Yacht offers NMEA to WiFi gateways for both legacy and modern marine electronics installations.
Whether you choose the NavLink2 for NMEA 2000 networks or the WLN10/WLN30 series for older NMEA 0183 systems, these interfaces will stream your boatreal-time GPS, depth, wind, AIS, and speed data straight to your tablet over Wi-Fi, displaying it instantly within TZ iBoat.
AIS Targets on TZ iBoat
You can also display AIS targets from an AIS transponder directly on TZ iBoat.
In addition to dedicated Wi-Fi gateways, Digital Yacht offers AIS transponders with built-in wireless connectivity that link directly to the app, such as the iAISTX or AIT6000. Pairing the app with a wireless AIS transponder allows you to overlay real-time AIS targets around your vessel for better situational awareness and reliable AIS collision avoidance.
Autopilot Control on TZ iBoat
TZ iBoat is one of the few navigation and charting apps on the market to support autopilot integration via Wi-Fi (TCP/UDP). Thanks to our bidirectional WiFi gateways, you can receive instrument data on your mobile devices and send navigation commands back to your steering system.
When you activate a route or waypoint on your touchscreen, TZ iBoat outputs the navigation data wirelessly over the NavLink2 or WLN10/30 back to your navigation system. Our interfaces securely deliver these routes and waypoint to your autopilot and chartplotter, transforming your smartphone or tablet into afully functional navigation hub.
TZ iBoat v4 is available starting June 2026 on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Contact the Digital Yacht team or visit digitalyacht.net to find the right AIS or Wi-Fi gateway for your boat electronics setup and learn how to configure the app with our devices.
