# EL Tracker — For CTA Riders > Free Chicago transit app with real-time departures, alerts, and accessibility. (iPhone/iPad app by Davit Khachatryan.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-tracker/id6499103522 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Davit Khachatryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1742442257) - Category: Navigation, Travel - Price: Free - Rating: 4.91/5 from 75 App Store ratings · 20 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 15.0 · 24 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2024-05-27 - Data updated: 2026-08-26 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-tracker/id6499103522/reviews.md ## What is EL Tracker? EL Tracker is an app by CTA riders, for CTA riders. We are the only completely free Chicago transit app that offers: - Customizable widgets displaying departures, with SmartWalk delay - Siri support and low-vision accessibility - Multiple languages (including Spanish and Polish) - Tailored alerts with push notifications We are Chicagoans, who were irritated by the lack of a simple Chicago transit app. One night, we said, "Why can't I have a widget that shows me when the train is coming?" And from there, EL Tracker was born. We strive to create technology that has a positive impact on the lives of everyday Chicagoans. We also want to make traveling around the city as accessible as possible, which is why we provide low-vision support, ADA accessibility notations, elevator outage push notifications, and multiple languages. EL Tracker is not an official CTA app, nor are we endorsed by the CTA. ## Key features - Customizable departure widgets - SmartWalk delay calculation - Siri support - Low-vision accessibility - Multiple language support - Tailored push notifications ## What do users think of EL Tracker? **Pros** - 🔥 Reliable and intuitive app - 🖼️ Gorgeous and customizable UI - 🔍 Detailed CTA information and train arrival times - 🔌 Convenient widget feature with nearby station and arrival updates - 🗺️ Helpful map view - 🔊 Amazing Siri and accessibility features - 🆓 No paywall or ads **Cons** - ⚠️ Widget sometimes doesn't update automatically - 🔍 Widget doesn't open directly to the displayed station ## Recent user reviews (10 of 20) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/el-tracker/id6499103522/reviews.md ### 4/5 — Great App, Small Bug *2025-04-03, version 3.4* Great app! Use it multiple times daily. Unfortunately, the most recent update appears to have broken the readability of widget text. In my case I'm using dark, grayscale icons on the homescreen (iOS 18 feature) and recently the text appears white against a white background. I can't read any information on direction or arrival time. Please fix! ### 1/5 — Broken *2025-03-14, version 3.2* This was great but as of today the data doesn’t load ### 5/5 — This app rocks. I would pay $$ for it. *2025-01-26, version 3.2* 2025 Edit: I got a new phone with updated iOS. Yea, hands down the best El app out there. It’s not even close. I’ve recommended this to a ton of people and would totally pay to download it. It’s that easy, convenient, and gorgeous. Devs, y’all are awesome. What I wrote in 2024: The devs took all my criticisms of other El apps and corrected them. The widget feature is so convenient. The app is gorgeous, intuitive, and customizable. It all rocks, but I do have to constructive criticisms related to the widget: 1. Widget sometimes won’t update. I have an old iOS device so this might be the reason, but there will be times I’ll look at the widget, sprint to catch a train, only to realize the train passed my station 5 min ago and my widget says that it was updated 8 min ago. It definitely takes away from the convenience when the widget doesn’t update automatically every time. As I said, might be an old phone issue, but might I suggest adding a small refresh button in the top right corner of the widget? Just so I can manually refresh it when needed? 2. When i can tell it’s not refreshing, I click the widget, and the widget opens the app. I would loovveee if the widget can open right to the station it was displaying instead of going to the main screen. That’s especially helpful when the widget is set to the “closest station” setting (which also rocks, btw), because the nearest station might not be in my favorites and I’d have to go search for it. Other than those two things, everything about this app is amazing and still hands down the best app I’ve used for the El. It’s so clutch, thank you devs for taking the time to do this! ### 5/5 — Best CTA Tracking App!!! *2024-12-06, version 3.2* The folks who’ve put this together are miles above Ventra and the rest of the trackers. Great UI, great loading and update times. Super responsive to feedback and suggestions for improvements. Keep up the great work!!! ### 5/5 — Awesome *2024-09-23, version 2.8* I was looking for an app exactly like this. After using for the first day transit times are accurate. Very excited for the bike widget to be ready! ### 5/5 — The best CTA app *2024-08-15, version 2.4* I love how clean and organized this app is. I see only my train stations and bus routes, and nothing more unless I want to. It has been 100% accurate the whole time I have used it. I deleted all my other transit apps since downloading this one. ### 5/5 — CHICAGO PLEASE HIRE THIS GUY *2024-07-24, version 1.5* Great app. Life changing! ### 5/5 — Can’t wait for bus tracking! *2024-07-08, version 1.5* I agree with many reviewers here that the widget function is a game-changer. I appreciate the UI and color palette resembles CTA UI as well. Lo único que le falta es poder tener datos de guaguas como widget. 👍 ### 5/5 — Fantastic app and love the widget *2024-06-24, version 1.5* This app is super reliable and I love the widget of nearby stations with arrivals. Thanks for the great app!!! ### 5/5 — Love it! *2024-06-24, version 1.5* The widgets are beautiful and so intuitive. Cant wait for busses to be added. PS - Transit stop runs ads and has a far worse UI. If you guys need to put a banner or two on the page to keep the servers running, please do! ## Frequently asked questions about EL Tracker ### What does EL Tracker do? EL Tracker is a free Chicago transit application designed for CTA riders. It provides real-time departure information, customizable widgets, tailored alerts with push notifications, and accessibility features for low-vision users and multiple languages. ### What are the key features of EL Tracker? Key features include customizable widgets that display departures with SmartWalk delay, Siri support, low-vision accessibility options, multiple language support (including Spanish and Polish), and tailored alerts with push notifications. It also provides elevator outage notifications. ### Is EL Tracker a free app? Yes, EL Tracker is a completely free Chicago transit app. It does not have in-app purchases or advertisements, making it a no-cost solution for users. ### Who is EL Tracker for? This app is designed for everyday Chicagoans and visitors who use the CTA transit system. It aims to make traveling around the city easier and more accessible, especially for those who need features like low-vision support or multi-language options. ### Is EL Tracker an official CTA app? No, EL Tracker is not an official CTA app and is not endorsed by the CTA. It is an independent application developed by CTA riders for CTA riders. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 4.4 — 2025-08-07 Fix Argyle Station Location ### 4.3 — 2025-07-18 Lawrence and Berwyn are back. Life is great. ### 4.2 — 2025-06-21 - Bug fixes ### 4.1 — 2025-06-19 We are excited to announce our partnership with Transit Tees! ### 3.5 — 2025-04-08 - Bug Fixes - GTFS Updates ## Apps similar to EL Tracker | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Chicago CTA Bus Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chicago-cta-bus-tracker/id1369778129) | 4.2 (184) | Free | Navigation | | [Transit Stats - CTA Analytics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/transit-stats-cta-analytics/id6747690858) | 4.8 (12) | Free | Navigation | | [CTA Transit Tracker](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cta-transit-tracker/id6477437106) | 4.6 (182) | Free | Navigation | ## Related topics [wcichicago](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wcichicago) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-26.*