Driving can be a very fun and enjoyable experience, but for many, it can also become a stressful experience. Luckily, there are lots of helpful apps that can help solve people’s driving problems or just help to make the activity of driving a little less boring. Here are our top picks of apps to make car enthusiasts and car buyers’ lives easier.
Waze is an easy-to-use popular car navigation and entertainment app. The application has 130 million users, so it has proven to be a success. The app is available to download on iOS and Android.
The special features on the Waze app are:
Price of the App: The app is free to download and there are no in-app purchases. Although Waze does strongly advise their users to make sure they have a mobile data plan with their phone providers, as mobile data is used to make the app usable on the go.
Ease of use: The app is full of interesting features, but that does not make it difficult to use. The format of the app is based around a map, so this makes it very easy for users to navigate through the app.
Other comments: It is important to make sure your smartphone is positioned appropriately in your vehicle when you are using Waze. The driver needs to be able to view the screen of the phone whilst also being able to look at the road ahead.
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The Smart Dash Cam is an app that allows its users to use their smartphone as a dashcam. This app is useful because some dash cams are expensive to buy and install, so this app is ideal for people who want to record the road but do not want to fork out lots of money for a dashcam.
The special features on the Smart Dash Cam app are:
Price of the App: Free to download, but there are in-app purchases.
The ease of use: The app may appear technical to new users at first glance, but once the user has used the app a few times they will become more familiar with how to use the app.
Other comments: The app is easy to use and the fact that the user can directly email the footage, makes the app very trustworthy and reliable. The app definitely gives its users reassurance that any potential accidents and disputes on the road will be recorded.
Spotify is one of the world’s leading music streaming applications. Spotify can easily turn a long boring drive into a happy, relaxing drive because of the variety of music the app has to offer. The app is also compatible with onboard entertainment systems such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features on Spotify are:
Price of the app: The app is free to download and users can use Spotify for free with advertisements. Users can use Spotify Premium which removes advertisements and it allows the user to download playlists and podcasts, so they can listen when there is no wifi or mobile data, so this is ideal for traveling in case users are in areas where there is no internet connection.
Spotify Premium plan costs:
Individual– 1 account, £9.99 per month
Duo– 2 accounts, £13.99 per month
Family– Up to 6 accounts, £16.99 per month
Each Spotify Premium plan offers its users the first month free, so users can see whether they enjoy the Premium features before their monthly payments start.
The ease of use: The app is very easy to use, the app is also aware when its user is driving, so it goes onto drive mode, where icons become very big. However, it is not recommended to touch your phone whilst you are driving as in the UK there are laws against using your phone whilst being in control of a vehicle.
Other comments: If you are using the Spotify app in your car, it is important that it is used safely and is not a distraction from your driving. Spotify works safest in a car when it is connected to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Plugshare is a useful app for electric car owners. It is common for new electric car owners to experience EV range anxiety, this is where the drivers have a worry or fear about running out of power on a journey and not being able to find a nearby charging point. This is where Plugshare, helps to solve this problem. The app is designed to relieve EV drivers of their anxiety by showing the driver nearby electric charging stations.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features on Plugshare are:
Price of the app:
The app is free to download and there are no hidden fees. It is unclear whether there are advertisements on the app, but even if there are some advertisements it shouldn’t be too much of a nuisance because this is a quick and easy-to-use information application.
Ease of use: The app is a simple information app that is designed to make it easier for electric car users to find nearby stations.
Other comments: The app can be used internationally, so it isn’t limited to British roads, this makes the app ideal for those who intend to take their electric vehicle on an international road trip.
AppyParking helps to take the stress out of parking. The app can be used by all types of drivers and the app even tells the user about the parking fees of the car park it can also find the user free on-street parking, which will definitely help the user to save money on parking. The app is also designed to help professionals, such as couriers find destinations across the country.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features of the AppyParking app:
Price of the app:
The app is free to use, there are no hidden fees for using the application.
Other comments: The app has lots of positive reviews from its users, the application seems to be reliable, honest, and trustworthy. It is fair to make the assumption that the app takes the stress out of parking in unfamiliar places.
PetrolPrices.com is an informative app that gives users accurate information regarding the pricing of fuel at petrol stations. The app cleverly shows the price and location of the petrol stations on an interactive map.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features of the PetrolPrices.com app:
Price of the app:
The app is completely free to use, it is a helpful information app.
Other comments: The app is ideal for all types of road users who fill their vehicles up with fuel. It definitely takes the anxiety away from struggling to find nearby petrol stations when your car is low on fuel.
The BPme app makes filling up your car very easy. Users no longer have to leave their vehicles to pay for their fuel. The app is designed to be used at BP fuel stations and customers can earn points from using the app.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features of the BPme app:
The price of the app:
The app is completely free to use, it is simply an app created by BP to help make filling up vehicles at their stations less of a hassle.
Other comments:
The app is easy to use and it is ideal for those who frequent road users, as it saves time on queuing up at busy petrol stations and it is also helpful for drivers who are driving in new areas and trying to find their nearest BP fuel station.
Apple Maps is an application that is pre-installed on the iPhone. Apple classes this app as essential and that is why all iPhone users have access to it. The application is helpful to drivers because its SatNav system is very accurate and the application is very easy to use.
Screenshot from the App Store
The special features of the Apple Maps app:
The price of the app: The app is completely free to use, it doesn’t need to be downloaded onto iPhones. If Android users are looking for an almost identical alternative to Apple Maps, they can use Google Maps.
Final thoughts
We hope you have found our information on the best car apps to download useful. Here is a summary of our thoughts.
Best overall car app: Waze
Best safety app: Smart Dash Cam
Best entertainment app: Spotify
Best app for electric cars: Plugshare
Best app for convenience: AppyParking
Lastly, it is important to make sure applications do not distract you from driving, if in doubt, always safely pull over and stop the vehicle to intensively use applications.
Discover how much your car is worth! Get the instant offer by entering just two details about your car. You will be instantly matched with the right car buyer ready to pay cash for your car.
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