Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/reddit user OkEgg2001
Android Auto and CarPlay are becoming more useful and advanced, especially as Google and Apple open up the two platforms to more software categories.
This time, the driving task category added to the CarPlay app ecosystem allowed one developer to bring OBD2 data to the dashboard screen using a very clever approach.
Called OnTrack, their new app connects via Bluetooth to an OBD2 dongle and then imports vehicle data to display it on the CarPlay screen.
The interface is clean and simple, but that's precisely what a driver needs anyway, especially as the data should be straightforward and read. The developer currently uses standard OBD2 codes, so it's just generic information that every adapter should be able to import via an OBD2 connection.
On the other hand, manufacturer-specific data would certainly come in handy, so the developer says they're also considering custom PIDs as well. Hopefully, this feature would come to the app sooner rather than later, especially as having more detailed information on the screen in the cabin would certainly come in handy.
The application can be used for the first two sensors free of charge, so you can use it to read oil and coolant temperature on the CarPlay screen. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for additional information.
The developer says they used iCar Pro from Vgate to test the application, but some ELM 327 adapters could work as well. Sure enough, if you've tried to connect your iPhone to an ELM 327 adapter before, you probably know already that things aren't necessarily as reliable and straightforward as expected, and apps capable of pulling data via OBD2 are fairly limited on iOS. Android apps somehow offer a more convenient experience, and this is probably why the Google Play Store offers such a large collection of OBD2 apps working smoothly with generic adapters.
In the meantime, Android Auto and CarPlay are slowly but surely getting more advanced, and the expanding app ecosystem is living proof the two platforms are here to stay, no matter what General Motors tries to suggest. The carmaker is ditching phone mirroring systems for Android Automotive, and despite the technology allowing both platforms to be offered side by side, the company has no intention of doing so.
General Motors will only provide access to Android Automotive in its cars, blocking Android Auto and CarPlay completely in all new models. The company says it will provide drivers with a significantly upgraded experience that wouldn’t otherwise be available on phone projection systems. The first model to embrace this new strategy is the 2024 Blazer EV, with all the other zero-emission vehicles to follow in its footsteps until 2035, when GM's entire lineup is projected to go electric.
Called OnTrack, their new app connects via Bluetooth to an OBD2 dongle and then imports vehicle data to display it on the CarPlay screen.
The interface is clean and simple, but that's precisely what a driver needs anyway, especially as the data should be straightforward and read. The developer currently uses standard OBD2 codes, so it's just generic information that every adapter should be able to import via an OBD2 connection.
On the other hand, manufacturer-specific data would certainly come in handy, so the developer says they're also considering custom PIDs as well. Hopefully, this feature would come to the app sooner rather than later, especially as having more detailed information on the screen in the cabin would certainly come in handy.
The application can be used for the first two sensors free of charge, so you can use it to read oil and coolant temperature on the CarPlay screen. Otherwise, you'll have to pay for additional information.
The developer says they used iCar Pro from Vgate to test the application, but some ELM 327 adapters could work as well. Sure enough, if you've tried to connect your iPhone to an ELM 327 adapter before, you probably know already that things aren't necessarily as reliable and straightforward as expected, and apps capable of pulling data via OBD2 are fairly limited on iOS. Android apps somehow offer a more convenient experience, and this is probably why the Google Play Store offers such a large collection of OBD2 apps working smoothly with generic adapters.
In the meantime, Android Auto and CarPlay are slowly but surely getting more advanced, and the expanding app ecosystem is living proof the two platforms are here to stay, no matter what General Motors tries to suggest. The carmaker is ditching phone mirroring systems for Android Automotive, and despite the technology allowing both platforms to be offered side by side, the company has no intention of doing so.
General Motors will only provide access to Android Automotive in its cars, blocking Android Auto and CarPlay completely in all new models. The company says it will provide drivers with a significantly upgraded experience that wouldn’t otherwise be available on phone projection systems. The first model to embrace this new strategy is the 2024 Blazer EV, with all the other zero-emission vehicles to follow in its footsteps until 2035, when GM's entire lineup is projected to go electric.
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