Make your drive much more enjoyable
Texting while driving may be illegal, but your phone can be a huge benefit while on road trips. Between GPS functionality, music, and more, your iPhone can help the miles pass that much faster.
There are a lot of different apps that are compatible with Apple Carplay. Finding the best Apple CarPlay apps will help you control your car with ease; after all, you don’t want to navigate through a dozen different apps. It’s better to find apps that combine multiple functions with ease.
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Messages
Apple’s built-in messaging application is the go-to method to text friends. Even if you’re on the road, messages don’t stop–and many of them contain important information you need to know. The Messages app works over CarPlay and will read your texts aloud and allow you to respond via voice.
Google Maps
If you have a non-existent sense of direction, Google Maps is a lifesaver. The app is updated more regularly than Apple Maps and provides up-to-the-minute traffic information. A few years back, Google Maps acquired Waze, so you can also see where traffic stops, accidents, and other road hazards are with just a glance.
Waze
Although Waze functionality is integrated into Google Maps, many people prefer Apple Maps. If you fall into this camp, but you still want minute-by-minute traffic information, Waze is the way to go. This app gives you information on your route, as well as wrecks and speed traps.
Spotify
No drive is complete without your favorite tunes. Spotify is the primary source for music today, even more so than Apple Music or bygone services like Pandora. It does more than just play music, though — Spotify is also home to hundreds of podcasts, news broadcasts, and more. Whether you want to listen to in-depth sports analysis or just rock out to your favorite songs, Spotify is a must for Carplay.
Overcast
If you want a dedicated podcast service and Spotify just doesn’t quite do the trick, Overcast is the next best option. Overcast improves on Apple’s built-in podcast service with additional options like Voice Boost to remaster the audio and Smart Speed which shortens dead moments and speeds up the audio. You can also choose to play podcasts up to three times as fast to listen to more content in less time.
Zoom
Meetings don’t stop just because you have somewhere to be. If you have to take that meeting but you can’t be at your computer, you can still join Zoom through CarPlay without putting yourself at risk. Zoom has a “Safe Driving Mode” that limits your control of the app, but you can still join meeting invitations, mute yourself, or start a call.
Audible
If music isn’t your thing and you’ve run out of podcasts to listen to, Audible is a great way to find the hottest new audiobooks. If you’re someone that spends a lot of time on the road, audiobooks help you stay up to date on all the latest releases from your favorite authors, even if you don’t have many opportunities to sit down with a book. Audible allows you to select a title to play, pause the book, and more through CarPlay.
Audiobooks.com
Audible is an excellent service, but it isn’t exactly the most affordable option for audiobooks, especially if you listen to a lot of them. Audiobooks.com offers a more budget-friendly way of finding audiobooks to scratch the itch after you’ve burned through all of your Audible credits for the month.
ChargePoint
If you drive an electric vehicle, ChargePoint is a must. This app makes it easy to find the nearest electric vehicle charging station. You can use the app on your phone to start charging your car and receive a notification when your car is finished charging. It also hosts reviews from other drivers that warn you of anything you might need to know about the location.
PlugShare
While ChargePoint is a charging network of proprietary charging stations, PlugShare provides a map of more than 440,000 electric charging stations across the country. If you drive an electric vehicle of any sort, PlugShare will ensure you always know the nearest place to stop and charge your car. You can access the app or view the map online to see any charging “dead zones”.
TuneIn
If you love browsing radio stations,” but the ones in your area are nothing but Top 40s nonsense, TuneIn is the perfect app. TuneIn lets you browse more than 100,000 radio stations from all over the world, including plenty that host live sports. Regardless of whether you’re a baseball fan with fingers crossed that the Braves will win the World Series or you’re going on a late-night drive to catch a rugby match in another country, TuneIn is the app for you.
NPR
NPR is a popular radio station with thought-provoking commentary on current events and issues. If you enjoy listening to NPR, check out their app. It provides access to shows and podcasts from NPR, as well as content from local radio. You can also take advantage of its Catch Up function to hear any news you might have missed.
Your phone is a vital tool for everyday life, but you should never use it while driving. Not only is it dangerous, but there are severe legal consequences if you drive while distracted. CarPlay offers a safe alternative that ensures you can still use your favorite apps without putting yourself or anyone else at risk.
