Best Car Tracking App: The 101 Guide To What Really Works Best!
Think of how saddening and frustrating it would be if you lost your car and had no way of finding it. On the other hand, think of how convenient and relaxing it would be if you had the best car tracking app & were able to know exactly where your vehicle is. Everyone’s first instinct when they lose their vehicle is to report it as stolen to the police. Now, what if I told you that there was more you could do than just this?
On to today’s main agenda…
As important as reporting your vehicle to the authorities as missing is, there’s more that you could do to hasten the process of finding it. By getting the best car tracking app, you could do this much more simpler and less troublesome.
That being said, how about we take a look at the key things you should consider when looking for the perfect car-tracking app and? We’re all about making things much easier for you. After all, with lots of car trackers in the market today, it would be difficult to narrow down to the best ones without a proper guide
How Car Tracking App Works
Thanks to modern technology you can not only able to communicate with someone that is on the other side of the world but you can be able to know the location of your car as well. The best part about this is that you won’t have to spend a single penny.
Android and IOS devices normally have a GPS within them which, sadly, most people don’t take advantage of. Instead, one will end up purchasing a GPS tracker which demands quite a lot of things from the installation to its use. With an android/iOS car tracking app, all you need to do is have your mobile phone in your vehicle and you’re good to go.
From keeping track of how much money you spend on gas to basically being able to know the location of your kid, a car tracking app will surely come in handy in more ways than one.
Things To Consider in Choosing a Car Tracking App
What does it really take to have an actionable car-tracking app? Well, as much as pinpointing your vehicle’s location is all that’s needed at the end of the day, there’s more to consider than just this.
Below is everything you should bear in mind if you really do want the useful car tracking app.
Should Be Easy to Use
The thing about most apps is that even though they are advertised as the best car tracking apps, this Is not reflected when it comes to their ease of use. This being the case, most people end up discarding them after a while.
It is however okay that an app has a lot of features. This, on the other hand, should not make the car tracker app challenging to use. The last thing you want is to fiddle around with the app before you can arrive at the function you want to execute.
As important as ease of use, it is not expected that you have a grip on any app right from the start. As such, you should take some time to play around with it. Try to find your way around using the basics and if you have a grip on everything after using the app for a while, then it does qualify as being good enough for you.
On the other hand, if you feel completely lost after using it for a while, then it would be best if you discard it. Remember every minute you waste trying to find your way around using the app, the chances of your vehicle getting lost completely increase.
Is Geo-fence Capability Necessary?
As mentioned earlier on, a vehicle tracking app is not all about being able to track your vehicle’s location. This being the case, a geofence feature is quite an important plus on your side should you choose to prioritize it.
With this, there’s going to be a virtual perimeter all around your vehicle such that you’ll receive an alert when the mobile device in the car enters or exits the perimeter. This will come in handy when you’d like to track your employee’s location or that of your child.
As amazing a feature as this is, most apps, unfortunately, do not consider including it. It is therefore important that you do vast research on this if it is a priority to you.
The Battery Life
Now here’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly whatsoever. If it’s not on, there’s no way of knowing where your phone is, right? On the tracking app, you should be able to know the battery life of your tracker as this will enable you to know when it is necessary to charge it up rather than relying on guesswork to do this.
The Rate of Location Updates
Other than the battery life, the update frequency is yet another important feature to have on your car tracking app. Depending on your necessity of the app, this may vary but the rule of thumb is that the greater the update frequencies it allows, the better off it is as a motor tracking app.
Even better, you should go for an app that allows you to set when you want to have the updates for the sake of versatility. This will normally come in handy if you’re running a business or have lent your car to someone else.
All in all, it’s about getting an app with which you’re comfortable. As such, if your needs do not demand setting different update rates, you could settle with the fixed update rates.
Text Notifications
Though they have been around for a really long time, most apps don’t utilize them whereas they could be really important.
Let me explain how…
You’d definitely want to know about the status of your tracker, right? As such, it is important that the app be able to send you a push notification either through a text message or an email. Some apps don’t really do this so you should consider settling only for the ones that do have this feature.
Smart Alerts- Are They Necessary?
We all desire to get a vehicle tracking app for different purposes, right? Whereas the main purpose is to track the location of your vehicle, you could need one for different needs such as security, tracking management, safety, and efficiency.
Think for instance of a scenario whereby you would like to check for overspending. In such a case, it would be wise to get an app that pays attention to this.
Distress Function
Yet another feature you should take into account is a distressing feature. Most GPS modules come with a distressing feature. I’d recommend that you also go for the same on a GPS app. This comes in handy especially when you want to alert the person on the other end of your vehicle’s location.
With the distress feature, one could notify the authorities of the vehicle’s location when it needs be or alternatively ask for directions when they’re stranded. Either way, it’s all about getting as much help as you can in the event of an emergency situation.
It Should Have a Real-Time Tracking
Since most mobile devices have a GPS, it would be efficient if the car tracking app of choice were able to achieve real-time monitoring.
Even though this may not be as accurate as the GPS devices themselves, it would be too great a feature to overlook. On it, you should see the present state of your vehicle whether it’s moving, idle or parked.
The Trip History
Yet another important must-have feature on a motor tracking app is the ability to record the trip logs. This should not only include the distance covered and the routes taken but should have features such as the stoppages, the average time the vehicle was in motion, and much more.
You should also consider getting an app that analyzes the vehicle information for the past few days and provides graphs and reports of the same.
The User Management
Probably one of the most important features for business owners, access control is necessary, especially when dealing with a large number of vehicles. You should, for instance, be able to dictate the access privileges and assign different roles to one or many users. This basically allows you to track either a single vehicle or a group of vehicles as a single unit to ensure they’re keeping on the right track.
5 Best Car Tracking Apps For iOS And Android
In the second section, let’s have a look at some of the workable car tracking apps you could get for your smartphone.
Hurdlr
Specifically designed for the self-employed, this car tracking app is for you if driving is part of your work. Hurdle allows you to see the money you’ve spent on gas, the amount of distance you have covered, and routes taken among other statistics.
This app is also integrated with companies such as Uber and PayPal to make things much easier for you and is also inclusive of other tools such as expenses for self-employed people. Most importantly, this app is available for free.
Google maps
Probably one of the most versatile car tracking apps that you could get for free, google apps can do quite a lot of things.
One of the biggest updates it has had over the years is allowing you to see the location of your car on the map. Meant for anyone who’s visiting a new place, google maps will give you step by step directions on how to best find your car.
Other additional features include re-routing your way thttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.hurdlr.como avoid obstacles on your way such as traffic or road constructions. You can also explore new neighborhoods for social amenities among other things.
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SpotAngles
Simple as it is, it can turn out to be one of the most convenient car-tracking apps. On it, you’ll be able to see where you parked your car. Other than this, you’ll also know of the parking zones you can avoid getting a ticket.
The only dealbreaker about this is that whereas you’ll be able to save a parking spot for the future in all cities, the same does not apply to where you can avoid parking tickets as this feature is only available in some cities. On the bright side, however, people can report where you’re most likely to get a parking ticket.
Evertrack
Yet another versatile car tracking app, this one allows you to track cars and other vehicles with Activity Recognition Technology. So as to use it to track vehicles, all you got to do is invite drivers and install the app on the owner’s phone.
It can also be able to record the vehicle routes automatically and also detects the driving. The vehicle tracking system is most suitable when you’d like to manage multiple vehicles on the field as it is both flexible and affordable
Zubie
One of the most powerful car tracking apps, zubie will allow you to know all the safe tracking zones. With safety being the most important objective of this app, you’ll know when the speed limit is breached and in which case, you’ll get a notification.
It also lets you know of nearby fuel stations with the cheapest prices and also gets a maintenance alert if your vehicle needs it. On the app, you’ll also know of the track expenses, of the trips, and also have custom alerts among other things.
Final Verdict
Well, there you have it, I’m quite positive that it is much easier for you to narrow down your options to the best car tracking app for you. Remember, this is not similar to the conventional GPS modules you’ll get in your vehicle but instead.
With everything listed above regarding choosing the right car tracking app, it’s important that you weigh out your options and pick one that you really need.
