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10 best driving apps for Android

You shouldn't use your phone while driving, but some apps can make your trip a little easier.
By
April 3, 2023

Driving is a major form of transportation all over the world. You already knew that, though. Cars are equipped with plenty of things to help your commute. You have a radio, an instrument cluster, and many vehicles these days have Bluetooth, smartphone integration, and other niceties like built-in GPS navigation. Still, there are some apps that can help you along the way. Here are the best driving apps for Android

A good driving app should be one that you can set and forget. We do not condone distracted driving, and you should not be using any apps while you are physically driving unless you can use them without looking at your phone.

The best driving apps for Android

Android Auto

Price: Free

Android Auto is one of the essential driving apps. You pop this on your phone and then plug your phone into your car. Then, you use your car’s existing display to engage with Android Auto. It makes managing your media, messages, and navigation much easier while on the road. It can read texts out loud. You can also respond to them with your voice, thus leaving your hands for the important task of not crashing. Most modern cars have this by default or you can buy a replacement for your existing car’s screen that has Android Auto. Additionally, it works on your phone without the need for a car if you prefer to use a mount instead. It’s fairly solid overall and some cars even come with wireless Android Auto now for even more convenience.

AutoMate

Price: Free / Up to $3.99

AutoMate is a decent alternative to Android Auto or similar driving apps. It acts as a driving dashboard for you while you drive and your phone is mounted somewhere on your dashboard. It gives you quick access to your navigation app of choice, your phone dialer, your messages, media controls, and more. This one is especially neat because it comes with OBDII and Torque integration in case you use those tools as well. Some people have some issues with it so be sure to test it with your vehicle and your setup to make sure it works right for you.

Drivemode

Price: Free / Up to $4.00

Drivemode is one of the better driving apps. Like the others, this one makes stuff easier to use while driving. It responds to voice commands. It also has support for Google Maps, Waze, HERE Maps, many music apps, many messaging apps, and more. The app even has Google Assistant integration. It can read texts out loud, turn off notifications entirely for peaceful driving, and auto-reply to texts. We really liked the interface on this one as well.

Google Assistant

Price: Free

Google App screenshot 2020

Google Assistant is useful for a lot of things. It also works well as a driving app. You can ask Google to do just about anything you need your phone to do. That includes playing music, responding to (or listening to) a text message, or searching for directions. It’s not a full-on driving mode app like some others. However, it works well for people who want similar functionality. It’s also completely free with no in-app purchases. Some vehicles also include Amazon Alexa which allows for similar functionality. If yours does, we recommend looking into that as well!

GPS Speedometer and Odometer

Price: Free / $1.10

GPS Speedometer and Odometer screenshot

GPS Speedometer and Odometer is one of the better driving apps. It uses your GPS to calculate how fast you’re going. It’s not 100% accurate. No apps like this are. It’ll give you a good indication, though. The app boasts a 98% accuracy when online and slightly less when offline. It’ll also show your average speed, total distance traveled, maximum speed, and more. It won’t read texts or anything like that. Not everyone needs that kind of stuff. This one is free with ads. You can pay $1.10 for the pro version.

HERE WeGo

Price: Free

Here WeGo Maps screenshot 2021

HERE WeGo is one of the better offline GPS apps out there. It has support for most countries around the world. You can download and use maps offline as you please. It can help find faster alternatives if there is a traffic jam. It also has integration with other apps to provide data on nearby businesses. It’s a rock-solid navigation app. It’s not as up-to-the-minute as Waze. It also doesn’t have as much info on businesses as Google Maps. HERE WeGo does offline better, though.

Google Maps

Price: Free

Google Maps screenshot 2021

Google Maps is one of the obvious driving apps. It has support for virtually the entire world. There is also information on local businesses, traffic conditions, public transit, and a whole lot more. The app also does offline maps and it’s not difficult to use them. There are some restrictions, but nothing serious. It also features Google Street View so you can scout where you’re going before you actually get there. Millions of people use this one for a reason. You probably do already. You should probably just keep using it.

Waze

Price: Free

Waze screenshot 2020 2
Joe Hindy / Android Authority

Waze is another one of the really good driving apps. It focuses more on navigation than anything else. The app uses crowd-sourcing for traffic data. It shows up-to-the-minute traffic conditions. The app also shows police officer locations, accidents, and other potential obstacles. It also has some fun features, like various navigation voices from celebrities to spice things up a bit. It has support for Android Auto. The app isn’t as powerful as Google Maps. It won’t do offline as well as HERE WeGo. However, it does active traffic conditions better than pretty much any other service.

Whatever music or podcast apps you use

Price: Free / Varies per app

Podcast Addict screenshot 2021

There are too many music streaming services to pick just one for a driving apps list. However, we can help you narrow it down a little bit. Apps like Spotify, Google Play Music, Apple Music, and several others allow you to download music for offline listening. That works great if you’re road tripping through the boonies where there is no Wi-Fi signal. iHeartRadio and Pandora are great for just casual listening. TuneIn Radio, Podcast Addict, or CastBox are excellent for you talk show fans out there. They’re all excellent driving apps. Especially for longer commutes or trips where it can get boring really quickly.

For those who have Android Auto already, we have a list of the best music apps that are compatible with Android Auto if you want more suggestions.

Car manufacturer apps

Price: Free / Varies

Many modern vehicles have companion apps. These apps can sync with your car and give you all kinds of important information. You can see your fuel range, get quick details for your check engine light, and you can even contact OnStar in some cases. Some even allow things like a remote start for your car over the old key fob method. Each manufacturer has a different set of features. It all depends on what you own and what you’re looking for. Some of these apps are rough around the edges. Not many third-party apps will give you fuel estimates, though. These apps usually have really long free periods. However, most of them eventually have a yearly subscription fee. Check with your dealer to find out more.


If we missed any great driving apps, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.