Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/reddit
I don't know about you, but I've been using OBD2 apps for many years, especially because I could get them up and running with a super-cheap ELM327 adapter.
My favorite app has long been Torque, as the Pro version provided plenty of advanced functionality in addition to the standard parameters and options to view and remove trouble codes. However, getting it to work on Android Auto has been quite a struggle.
A few years ago, Torque Pro came with a dedicated plugin that allowed the app to run on Android Auto, displaying all the vehicle information on the infotainment screen. The plugin stopped working in 2020, mostly due to Google's Android Auto updates and API changes. The developer didn't care about the plugin and never shipped updates, paving the way for a painful demise.
I then switched to a combination of Torque Pro and Performance Monitor to view the information on Android Auto, but the mix never seemed 100 percent reliable.
The developer of dashOBD, an OBD2 car scanner available on the Google Play Store, addresses all these struggles with a dedicated release for Android Auto.
The app lands on Android Auto with two versions. The basic one displays two parameters and allows users to view the trouble codes (if any). The premium version unlocks more parameters and allows clearing the trouble codes.
dashOBD should work with any OBD2 adapter – setting it up with my $10 ELM327 adapter took only a couple of minutes on Android Auto wireless (I use a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and I encountered no errors). If you can't get the app to work, make sure you install the latest version. The original release included a bug that prevented it from running on some devices, but the developer has already shipped an update to resolve the problem. The interface isn't exactly the most refined I've seen, but it serves its purpose just right for the first version, especially because it's the first release in a category that's likely to keep growing in the coming months.
The OBD app landed on Android Auto thanks to Google unlocking the Internet of Things (IoT) software category in the car. The same category is now home to other advanced apps, including software to control smart homes and Internet-connected garage doors.
The app's developer says they're already working on adding more parameters, including for hybrids and EVs. A future update will also enable Wi-Fi support to connect to OBD dongles if Bluetooth is not available. Additionally, the developer says an iOS version is already on the roadmap (possibly with CarPlay integration, too), but the full focus is now on the Android version.
A similar app brought OBD2 data to CarPlay not long ago, so if you run Apple's experience in the car, you can check it out until the dashOBD developer releases an iOS version.
A few years ago, Torque Pro came with a dedicated plugin that allowed the app to run on Android Auto, displaying all the vehicle information on the infotainment screen. The plugin stopped working in 2020, mostly due to Google's Android Auto updates and API changes. The developer didn't care about the plugin and never shipped updates, paving the way for a painful demise.
I then switched to a combination of Torque Pro and Performance Monitor to view the information on Android Auto, but the mix never seemed 100 percent reliable.
The developer of dashOBD, an OBD2 car scanner available on the Google Play Store, addresses all these struggles with a dedicated release for Android Auto.
The app lands on Android Auto with two versions. The basic one displays two parameters and allows users to view the trouble codes (if any). The premium version unlocks more parameters and allows clearing the trouble codes.
dashOBD should work with any OBD2 adapter – setting it up with my $10 ELM327 adapter took only a couple of minutes on Android Auto wireless (I use a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and I encountered no errors). If you can't get the app to work, make sure you install the latest version. The original release included a bug that prevented it from running on some devices, but the developer has already shipped an update to resolve the problem. The interface isn't exactly the most refined I've seen, but it serves its purpose just right for the first version, especially because it's the first release in a category that's likely to keep growing in the coming months.
The OBD app landed on Android Auto thanks to Google unlocking the Internet of Things (IoT) software category in the car. The same category is now home to other advanced apps, including software to control smart homes and Internet-connected garage doors.
The app's developer says they're already working on adding more parameters, including for hybrids and EVs. A future update will also enable Wi-Fi support to connect to OBD dongles if Bluetooth is not available. Additionally, the developer says an iOS version is already on the roadmap (possibly with CarPlay integration, too), but the full focus is now on the Android version.
A similar app brought OBD2 data to CarPlay not long ago, so if you run Apple's experience in the car, you can check it out until the dashOBD developer releases an iOS version.
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