Best Apps For Gearheads

‍What Are The Best Apps For Gearheads?

No matter if you’re working with an Apple product (iPhone, iPad, etc.) and using iOS, or you have some sort of Android device (Samsung, Google, etc.), we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the best apps that you can download today if you’re a gearhead. No matter what you’re into or what type of device you have, I’m confident you’ll find a few apps for you in this list!

Gearhead Pro

Available on: Google Play

One of the best overall automotive apps that you can get — only for Android devices — is Gearhead Pro. Considering everything that the app can do, it basically replaces a handful of other apps and wraps them all up into one convenient, easy to use app. So if you’re going to download only one app from this entire list, I strongly recommend you start with this one!

In essence, Gearhead Pro is the go-to app for anything having to do with automotive calculations and the effects of changing things up. Stuff like engine timing, spark, gearing, tire sizes, suspension angles, the effects of adding forced induction, and even weather effects. See how all of this and more will affect your car’s performance with Gearhead Pro.

Torque Pro

Available on: Google Play

As a gearhead, you probably know that just about every aspect of a modern car is either controlled or monitored by the car’s electronic computer system. And on all vehicles produced since January 1, 1966 use an OBD II port to project that information onto a handheld scanner or tool. Basically that just means that in order to read the computer system and see what’s going on with the vehicle, you need an OBID II scan tool.

Well, that used to mean that you needed to buy a separate scan tool. Until apps like Torque Pro came out, available for Android. To use Torque Pro, you’ll need an OBD II adapter for your phone so that you can attach to your car’s computer system. But once you do that, the app basically transforms your phone into a handheld scanner. With Torque Pro, you can run diagnostics, check codes, and even monitor real-time data and information so you can see exactly what the vehicle is doing.

OBD Fusion

Available on: App Store

As the name of this app suggests, it’s another one that allows you to connect to your car’s computer and electronics systems via an OBD II adapter, just like Torque pro above. But conversely to the app above, OBD Fusion is available only from the App Store for Apple products. So it’s basically the Apple product version of Torque Pro, and the two apps largely do many of the same things.

With OBD Fusion, you get an inside look into everything going on with your car. You can run diagnostics, read error codes, monitor emissions, and get a real-time look at what the vehicle is doing and how it’s performing. These apps only cost a few dollars and have many of the same capabilities as a scanner costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

Gearhead Drag

Available on: Google Play & App Store

If you’re an avid racer and you like to spend your weekends at the track, then you probably know all too well how much of an impact changing just one thing can have on your ¼ (or ⅛) miles times. And the best app to plug in various parameters to see how it will change your racing performance is Gearhead Drag, available for Android devices.

Similar to Gearhead Pro above, but with a much stronger focus on drag racing, Gearhead Drag has basically every parameter that will affect drag racing built-in to the easy-to-use calculator. With this app, quickly see how changing your suspension, tire size, gearing, and engine parameters will alter your acceleration, grip, and times.

GasBuddy

Available on: Google Play & App Store

With gas prices going up around the country, you can save some serious money by finding the best gas prices near you. But instead of driving around town and searching for the best prices — which will burn even more gas in the process — it would be much easier to just check an app on your phone and see where to go. That’s where GasBuddy comes in.

Available from both the App Store and Google Play, the app automatically shows you the stations near you with the best gas prices. This is especially when you’re modifying your car and making it perform better, because most performance-based modifications will negatively affect your gas mileage. Get some of that money back by saving at the pump with GasBuddy.

Waze

Available on: Google Play & App Store

Although many people still use the default navigation maps on their phones — Google Maps for Android devices and Apple Maps on Apple products — there is a better option out there no matter what kind of device you have. And that option is Waze. Think of Waze as sort of the social navigation app, where drivers work together to provide the most real-time information on the roadway at all times.

That’s right, with Waze, users come together and update the app in real-time. Things like construction, road work, accidents, roadkill, and even police speed traps can all be added (and subsequently verified) by Waze users. This way, you always get the most up-to-date traffic and roadway information and the app automatically adjusts your route based on what’s really going on. Available from both Google Play and the App Store, Waze is perfect for everyone!

Tremec Toolbox

Available on: Google Play & App Store

One of the best apps on the market for anyone that likes to plan their builds ahead of time is Tremec’s Toolbox app. When you’re planning your next build or trying to figure out which parts you need to order, it’s important that you have an idea about how everything you do is going to affect the final performance of the car.

With the Toolbox app from Tremec — available from the App Store and Google Play — you can quickly and easily see how things such as tire sizes and gearing will affect top speed, acceleration, and RPM ranges. To make it easier, the app also has the gear ratios of many popular domestic transmissions and vehicles preloaded so you don’t have to look anything up. And if that wasn’t enough, the app also makes your phone into a leveling device so you can quickly and easily adjust driveline and suspension angles.

Radarbot

Available on: Google Play & App Store

One of the worst parts about driving a car is the risk of getting a speeding ticket. While I never recommend speeding and driving the speed limit is the safest and best way to avoid getting speeding tickets, knowing where speeding cameras are might also help you out a bit. And with the app Radarbot, available from Google Play and the App Store, that’s exactly what you’ll know thanks to the software itself and network of users.

The makers of the app claim that it’s entirely legal to use, but this is not legal advice and you should check with your own municipalities before using a service like this. That said, Radarbot detects fixed cameras, traffic light cameras, and even mobile cameras that have been reported by users. This app, which is an option for both Apple and Android products, is a combination of GPS/navigation and real-time alerts to keep you up to speed (pun intended) on any sort of speeding ticket cameras.

PlugShare

Available on: Google Play & App Store

Vehicle manufacturers across the board are adding more and more electric cars to their fleets seemingly every year. And one of the biggest issues about driving an electric car is being able to charge it up effectively while en route. Since there isn’t an electric car charging port off every exit like there is a gas station for regular cars, it can be difficult to plan a road trip. But that’s where an app like PlugShare comes in, available from the App Store and Google Play.

You can think of PlugShare as the EV version of GasBuddy from above. With this app, the developers and users alike can add in charging stations around the world so that you can easily find the closest station to you as well as effectively plan out a road trip. The app includes a network of nearly 150,000 global charging stations across North America and Europe, so you should have no trouble finding a place to charge your EV during the trip of a lifetime with PlugShare.

Find My Car

Available on: Google Play & App Store

Have you ever come out of the grocery store or the mall and forgotten where you parked? Or even worse yet, maybe you’ve been out of town for a few days and can’t remember where you left your car at the airport. Well that’s where an app like Find My Car comes in. Available for both Android and Apple devices, Find My Car does exactly what you think — helps you find your car.

By using previously saved GPS data from when you were driving, the app will show you exactly where you left your car last time you took it out for a spin. As you’re walking around the parking lot, the app shows the location and real-time distance between you and your car’s last position so that you can quickly and easily find it.

HUD Widgets

Available on: Google Play & App Store

Although a heads-up display (HUD) is typically reserved for some of the top-tier cars on the road and things like fighter jets, you can get yours today with an app like HUD Widgets. Available for download from both the App Store and Google Play, HUD Widgets was created as a non-distractive way of providing you with trip information while driving.

If you just use your phone’s screen to present the information — such as speed, directions, and weather, then the app basically turns your phone into a small infotainment system. But to really take advantage of the app, you’ll need to purchase the HUD Glass accessory for your phone. Then the screen can project the information onto the glass and give you a true heads-up display right in front of your windshield!

Drag Racing

Available on: Google Play & App Store

While all of the other apps you’ve seen so far in this guide have focused on improving your driving experience or making working on cars a bit easier, we couldn’t go through a list of apps without including at least one game. And when it comes to automotive apps and finding the best ones for gearheads, by far the best option for either Android or Apple devices is Drag Racing.

As the name implies, Drag Racing is an app focused on, well, drag racing. But in the app, you get to choose from a number of cars and customize them exactly the way you want as you race the computer and friends alike. Tune, race, and upgrade your favorite cars in an exciting game that gets more adrenaline pumping than you might think. With realistic physics and effects, put your knowledge to the test and see if you have the fastest car on the streets with Drag Racing.