Car app

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Android, Windows, and iPhone Operating System (IOS) all offer software to connect a smartphone with a car. Car Play and Android Auto apps transmit the home screen of any Android or IOS smartphone to the car built-in display. Therefore, apps installed on the connected smartphone will become available on car screen.{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/07/google-brings-android-auto-to-the-phone/|title=Google brings Android Auto to the phone|work=TechCrunch|first=Frederic|last=Lardinois|date=November 7, 2016}} Sometimes car apps require additional hardware which plugs into the on-board diagnostics (OBD) port to record, collect and provide the data about engine errors. Some apps, along with additional hardware, give keyless access to the car and let the owner start the engine using a smartphone.{{cite news|url=http://www.oneindia.com/international/toyota-develops-app-start-up-car-from-smartphone-2249098.html|title=Toyota develops app to start up car from smartphone|work=OneIndia|date=November 1, 2016|author=English, Ians}} Drivers can install a dash cam app and use a smartphone to capture the driving process. Information about the owner's driving habits can be recorded by car software with the help of OBD port. If the vehicle's speedometer is not functioning properly, car apps can provide accurate car speed.{{cite book |last=McCord |first=Keith |date=2011 |title=Automotive Diagnostic Systems: Understanding OBD I and OBD II |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyEtsrPk9ZQC|publisher=CarTech Inc|isbn=978-1-934709-06-1}} Car software collects live data about road signs, speed limits and traffic cameras ahead. Some car apps send real-time notifications about road accidents[https://www.proquest.com/openview/a3ce94d1103f91dddb9cc4bc66a0a6a8/1?pq-origsite=gscholar Integrated Traffic Information Service System for Public Travel Based on Smart Phones Applications: A Case in China] and traffic jams{{cite book|chapter=Scaling the Real-Time Traffic Sensing with GPS Equipped Probe Vehicles|first1=P. J.|title=2014 IEEE 79th Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC Spring)|last1=Tseng|first2=C. C.|last2=Hung|first3=Y. H.|last3=Chuang|first4=K.|last4=Kao|first5=W. H.|last5=Chen|first6=C. Y.|last6=Chiang|date=1 May 2014|pages=1–5|via=IEEE Xplore|doi=10.1109/VTCSpring.2014.7023085|isbn=978-1-4799-4482-8|s2cid=33902659 }} en route.

On-board Diagnostic apps require an additional piece of hardware called an OBD adapter to be plugged into the OBD port.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0UUiCgAAQBAJ&pg=PT283|title=Idiot's Guides: Auto Repair and Maintenance|last=Stribling|first=Dave|date=Aug 4, 2015|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-1-61564-764-4|page=283}} The OBD app is installed on an appropriate smartphone or tablet, connecting to the OBD adapter through Wifi or Bluetooth signals. Car owners can monitor their vehicle in real time, and receive information about engine temperature, and car performance. OBD codes indicate the location and nature of problems. Often OBD apps offer additional features such as journey recording, CO₂ emission calculation, horsepower evaluation, dynamo meter, fuel consumption, and driving time. An alarm feature is usually present as well – such apps alert the driver about speeding, low voltage, and high temperature. Some apps perform an analysis of driving behavior, recording car owner's habits, calculating money spent on every mile, and giving tips on improving the riding process.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vW2PCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA404|title=Book of Bloggs|last=Nawrocki|first=Waldemar|date=2016|publisher=Artech House|isbn=978-1-60807-933-9|page=404}}

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Navigation software can provide data on altitude, moon phase, traffic cameras, and traffic jams. Users can look for addresses using geo-tagged images, and some apps provide a worldwide maps feature where one app contains maps of various cities around the world.{{cite web|url=http://www.androidauthority.com/best-gps-app-and-navigation-app-for-android-357870/|title=10 best GPS app and navigation app options for Android|date=19 April 2017}} Some software can calculate speed, distance covered and provide estimated time to the destination point.

Dash cam apps record everything that happens on the road and can provide essential evidence when investigating road accidents.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2016/02/12/this-app-turns-your-iphone-into-a-dash-cam-with-machine-vision/#658e2a457cac|title=This App Turns Your iPhone Into A Dash Cam With Machine Vision|first=Aaron|last=Tilley|work=Forbes|date=February 12, 2016}} Most dash cam apps have YouTube integration and upload the recordings to the driver's YouTube account.{{cite web|url=http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/dash-cam-android-comparison/|title=3 Dash Cam Apps For Android, Compared: Which One Can Protect You Best?|date=15 April 2020 }} Some software can turn on automatically when detecting shakes or sudden changes on the road, and record video. The video is recorded in high resolution, and when the device's memory is full, old videos are usually deleted automatically to save space.

Apps which support voice commands help users drive safely. These apps make calls, dictate messages, announce the current time, and read weather forecast. Some of the apps also offer Android Auto connectivity Google Maps integration. All of these functions can be controlled with voice commands.{{cite book |last=M. Mishra |first=Sanjay |date=Apr 29, 2016 |title=Android Auto Tour Guide: App Development for Android Auto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42e6jwEACAAJ|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|isbn=978-1-5186-7246-0}}

Some apps provide an alternative to standard car radio.{{cite journal|title=Rise of the in-car app|first=Paul|last=Marks|date=14 May 2011|journal=New Scientist|volume=210|issue=2812|pages=20–21|doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(11)61094-4}} Apps such as Android Auto, Spotify, and Tune In Radio allow the driver to stream music.

Car history apps maintain a car's maintenance log. It can help in proper maintenance of it and also in increasing its resale value.{{Cite web|url=https://info.gapless.app/en/blog/how-to-maintain-a-cars-resale-value/|title=How to boost a car's resale value: maintain a good car history!|last=|first=|date=2019-10-08|website=|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302102923/https://info.gapless.app/en/blog/how-to-maintain-a-cars-resale-value/ |archive-date=2020-03-02 |access-date=2020-03-02}} Without a vehicle history, it's not possible to know the damages or product recalls it may have suffered during the past.

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Apps for car dealers have various features to showcase vehicle inventory. Some of these apps let dealerships show vehicle history reports by reading the Vehicle Identification Number,{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US6259354|title=System and methods for vehicle identification number validation}} which can provide detail on all recorded owners, road accidents, repair works, and visits to mechanics. Using this software, dealerships can give their customers detailed report of the car state – damages, year made, provide images, add vehicle options.[http://www.autoxloo.com/products/vehicle-inspection-report-software.html Vehicle Inspection Report] Some apps offer catalogs of vehicles, GPS indication of inventory location, business management on the go, reports, email integration, SMS integration, add and edit stock info. Some apps are able to collect actual car prices around the world and select the best offers; based on vehicle inspection the software can compare the price and condition of the car. This allows users to compare retail listing prices from the most famous sites.{{cite book|author=Alexandre Sevan Acemyan|title=Mega Distributed Dealership: Transforming the Houston Car Dealership Into an Autoscape|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TQ7Tl1PSSE8C|year=2008|publisher=Rice University|isbn=978-0-549-57546-7}}

Some of the alerting apps use crowd sourcing – this helps collect up-to-date information about road accidents, traffic jams, and police traps along the route. Some software can automatically send data about the user's location to your friends and family, as an opt-in feature. Apps can also work as a collision-prevention system – they can detect when the car in front suddenly starts to stop using smartphone cameras. Real traffic information is a usual feature of modern vehicle software – a user can shake his smartphone to notify others about jammed street; the app can also offer you an alternative way to your destination to avoid heavy traffic.

A car can be shared using notifications in the system, a user sets the time the car is available and other people will use it (Link & Co).{{cite journal|doi=10.1111/j.1530-2415.2003.00015.x | volume=3 | issue=1 | title=Car Sharing: A New Approach to Urban Transportation Problems | year=2003 | journal=Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy | pages=65–86 | last1 = Katzev | first1 = Richard}}{{cite journal|title=From ownership to service use lifestyle: the potential of car sharing|first1=Franz E.|last1=Prettenthaler|first2=Karl W.|last2=Steininger|date=1 March 1999|journal=Ecological Economics|volume=28|issue=3|pages=443–453|doi=10.1016/S0921-8009(98)00109-8|bibcode=1999EcoEc..28..443P }} Uber is a car-sharing app which helps users quickly pick up a car that is nearby and go to the point at cheap rates instead of taking a taxi; or one can offer his car and himself as a driver.

CAFU A petrol delivery app that enables customer to get their petrol delivered and filled at their doorstep. They can save time and money by this.{{Cite web|title=In a rush? New Dubai-app delivers petrol straight to your car|url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/transport/in-a-rush-new-dubai-app-delivers-petrol-straight-to-your-car-1.1544005551836|access-date=2020-10-28|website=gulfnews.com|date=5 December 2018 |language=en}}

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Car app