# iCarMode: Drive Safe Dashboard — user reviews > 129 indexed App Store user reviews of iCarMode by Diego Resnik, rated 4.00/5 from 249 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icarmode-drive-safe-dashboard/id457404275/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icarmode-drive-safe-dashboard/id457404275.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 145 · 4★ 31 · 3★ 30 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 34 ## What do users think of iCarMode? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Great app for older vehicles without infotainment - 🚀 Simple and easy to use interface - 💡 Customizable shortcuts and widgets - 🚀 Performs flawlessly as advertised **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes - 🔋 High battery drain when not in use - 💡 Limited customization options - 🔒 Requires iTunes login for music functionality **Commonly reported bugs** - Buttons sometimes display incorrectly on launch - Music controls don't work when connected via USB - Contacts setup frequently crashes the app **Most requested features** - More app integration options (e.g. Spotify, Waze) - Ability to rearrange and resize shortcut buttons - Compass widget in the banner - Automatic launch when connected to car Bluetooth ## Newest reviews (10 of 129) ### 4/5 — Very nice App *2025-12-27, version 8.5* Very nice! ### 2/5 — Not a true dashboard, no trial period *2025-10-21, version 8.3* This tool only groups shortcuts to the some apps and is not a driving dashboard, and definitely not a CarPlay alternative. Shortcuts only open apps in their native format which isn’t helpful when driving. If you are looking for a tool that overlays audio controls (play/pause/next track etc) of your favourite music app (e.g. Tidal) over your favourite navigation app (e.g. Waze) this is not it. The lack of a trial period meant that I couldn’t test this functionality until after I purchased it. ### 3/5 — Geht so *2025-08-12* Verbindet sich nicht automatisch mit dem Handy. Setzt manchmal aus. Und sobald der Strom weg ist kann man Nix mehr überprüfen weder wo das Auto geparkt wurde noch andere Daten. Ansonsten während der Fahrt ok. **Developer response:** Danke für Ihr Feedback! Um Ihnen besser helfen zu können, senden Sie uns bitte weitere Details an support@icarmode.com. ### 3/5 — No free trial? *2024-06-24, version 7.9.3* To my surprise there doesn’t seem to be a free trial at the very least. I understand the business model, but don’t understand paying for something before you can see it in full. I DID get a popup offering one, however, it only keeps saying invite code expired. ### 3/5 — Wish I could try *2022-12-19, version 7.2* The app seems to be okay however without being able to check out the entire app I will just go my own route.Navi would have been nice to see and interact with, curious if there is music control while on map and if map can be changed or trips recorded. ### 5/5 — Great App *2022-07-15* I’ve had this app for years. It works great in my new and old cars. Love it! ### 5/5 — Genau was ich gesucht habe! *2022-04-02* Perfekt für Radio und Podcast im Auto sicher you nutzen. ### 5/5 — Fits my needs *2021-11-10* I have been debating getting a new head unit for my newish car so i can use apple car play but I would lose some important safety features. This fits the bill nicely to still be able to access the apps like apple car play without paying a lot to upgrade. The price of the app is very reasonable and the podcast upgrade is totally worth it as well. No monthly subscription bills like the other app I considered. Well done, developer! ### 3/5 — ??? *2021-08-13* I would love if you could view your maps / music at the same time. This seems like the obvious answer as these are the two most commonly used apps while driving, yet no car play ios app has yet to do it. **Developer response:** Stay tuned… As promised, version 7.0 includes turn by turn navigation built in and it allows music control while navigating. Enjoy! ### 2/5 — Music Button Functions Need Work *2021-08-10* When using the Music function with Apple Music, the ‘Previous’ track button when pressed actually moves the music to next track forward, as opposed to backwards. Both Previous and Next track buttons perform same function. Huge bug that needs fixing. Nice improvements of late, but your software QA needs work. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. This bug was fixed. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Super buggy *2025-05-25* Waze integration is a joke at best, dashboard breaks constantly, editing layout has to be exited and re-entered. The navigation is near useless compared to my Waze account. The screen swaps constantly fail. It’s a waste of $25 **Developer response:** Hi j.maxwell, Thanks for your feedback and sorry to hear about your experience. Just to clarify: iCarMode includes a built-in turn-by-turn navigation system (with a major upgrade coming soon). While it can also launch apps like Waze, its main purpose is to offer its own easy-to-use tools—navigation, music/radio/podcast players, quick dial and more—designed for safe driving. If you could share more details about the issues you encountered, I’d love to look into them. Please feel free to reach out at [support@icarmode.com](mailto:support@icarmode.com). Thanks again for helping us improve. ### 1/5 — Bad product *2024-10-23, version 7.9.7* This product does not display on my dashboard as advertised, money not well spent ### 1/5 — Nice idea, badly implemented *2023-02-09* This could be a great app.. if it worked as it’s supposed to. The music app doesn’t integrate properly with Spotify or Apple Music like it says it does, you can’t even get simple access to your created playlists. The contacts app has the icons not scaling properly and text is hidden below contact type icon. It doesn’t integrate with your preferred navigation, you either have to use the bad built in one, or create a link to launch your preferred app.. the home screen icons don’t make full use of the screen space, so they’re way more fiddly than they need to be.. all in all if they could get this set up properly it could be a great app. As it stands it’s a buggy mess. **Developer response:** Hi, I’m sorry to hear you are not satisfied, I think this feedback could be much more effective if you just send an email to support@icarmode.com so you could share screenshots and I could explain some stuff you missed. Apple Music IS fully integrated, size of icons is controllable through settings, external navigation apps are external…but there is a full integrated navigation turn by turn…contact me by email, I’m sure we can solve these issues in no time. ### 1/5 — Was a great app but sadly no longer worth it *2023-01-20* Further update 20th January 2023: I bit the bullet and decided to support the author and pay the subscription however I’ve just cancelled it today as sadly a new update has now been pushed which has ruined the previous interface and it no longer works properly in landscape mode and the buttons left align and are smaller, the first button is hidden behind the iPhones notch at the top of the screen, the weather and time are now vertically stacked which means they dont look right in Landscape mode either and the background for the time etc is no longer transparent which hides the desktop, one of the only reasons I subscribed so I could theme it to my car brand. Definitely not worth the subscription fee Previous Review: I loved this app and paid for it but sadly the developer has changed the payment model and made it subscription only. As a previous purchaser I am supposed to be able to use my version unhindered however unfortunately the app now pops up advertising trying to entice you to buy the subscription version. I voiced my annoyance with this to the developer especially as this pop up appears after you have started your journey often which means in order to close it you have to pull over and stop driving to close the screen down, as it is illegal here in the U.K. to touch a phone screen whilst driving but it seems to have gone on deaf ears. More annoyingly is that some of my own suggestions were brilliantly included in the app design like showing the time on the screen and now in the subscription version another one of my suggestions of customisable wallpapers is also now available. I already have turn by turn navigation in other apps and nothing offers makes this worthwhile for paying an annual charge in my opinion, each to their own but as I can no longer use this app legally due to the nag sales screens I reluctantly have had to stop using it, if you don’t mind paying subscriptions then enjoy, but if you feel like me you are someone who paid for an unrestricted version and then the goal posts were moved you can see why I now feel the disloyalty leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I understand if the dev can’t make a business model from a one time purchase setup, but this is not fair on people who paid for something in good faith and now find they have a hindered product. Real shame … **Developer response:** I’m sorry to hear you’re disappointed, actually legacy users can keep using the app as always without subscribing. As for user interface issues you mentioned, the last update allows you to control the size of buttons, the transparency of the information above and also fixed the notch bug. Please contact me if you have additional feedback at support@icarmode.com - would be much more efficient, considering all the above - an updated rating would be appreciated. ### 1/5 — Too many ads! *2022-12-31, version 7.2* UPDATED REVIEW: Downgrading to 1 star due to so many freaking ads! I bought this app a few years ago and even with a few issues, I could live with it. With the latest versions, it started to just bombard you with ads to the point where you need to tap to remove, which in turn takes your focus away from the road and onto the app, making it a safety hazard. I understand the premium, subscription based version removes the ads and adds a ton of features, but for someone like me that paid for the app and does not need all the features, this has become unusable due to the ads. All good things do come to an end, sigh… —————————————— Great app but needs to be more configurable. I mainly use this for music while driving. I wish you can configure the default music subscription. It would be cool if tapping music chooses the last playlist I have in Spotify. It currently defaults to Apple Music and it takes a lot of taps to get to a Spotify music, which isn’t great when you're driving. Three stars as I’ve stopped using it as it takes a lot of steps to get to Spotify playlists… ### 1/5 — Nice idea but awful implementation *2022-08-20* Having previously purchased this app and found it unusable, I decided to trial the new and updated version 7. Having navigation built into the app and working seamlessly with the audio player seemed to be just what the app needed, however the reality is that the app is truly awful. The navigation system is basic and lacks the finesse of dedicated apps such as Waze, TomTom etc. It has a very poor points of interest database, absolutely no traffic information, and no speed camera alerts. All of these are basic requirements for a nav app. Most concerning of all though is the extremely high battery drain when not using the app. Less than 2 hairs after taking my iPhone off the charger and with the app not running (not even in the background) my battery was nearly drained and 68% of that usage was down to icarmode. I have now deleted it and cancelled my subscription. **Developer response:** I’m sorry to hear you’re not enjoying iCarMode’s new version. As for your feedback: 1. Navigation feature is new, it’s not full of navigation features like veteran apps such as Waze but it’s evolving. 2. Points of interest database is from Google…I think it’s quite rich, but it obviously different in each location. Same goes for traffic. I will check about speed cameras - good point, thank you for that. 3. iCarMode is full of features that those apps do not. It’s not just a navigation app and evolving as mentioned before. 4. As for battery drain, my guess is that you forgot the navigation open in the background, that’s the only case I can think this would happen…I believe same goes for any other navigation app that you’ll leave in the background for sometime, iOS does not allow other feature to stay for longer than a few minutes. You can see the color bold of the location indicator when navigation is running in the background as a reminder/warning and of course remind you to stop the navigation session if not needed. Anyway, I thank you for your feedback, it’s ashamed you cancelled your subscription, but I will keep improving iCarMode for iCarMode’s users, who knows?!maybe will win your subscription back someday 😊 ### 1/5 — Cancel *2022-05-20, version 7.0.2* Not a great app ### 1/5 — Far from finished *2021-09-22, version 6.5.1* I don't use Apple music, but it's the only shortcut to a music app. Need to go through 3 screens to get to Spotify. Not great while driving. Can't figure out how to change app shortcuts. Incessantly prompts for permissions that it wants for features I don't use or need. Uninstalled. ### 1/5 — Not worth it *2021-08-05, version 6.5.0* I bought this hoping to have a dashboard view integrated into my phone since I just purchased an older car with no infotainment system. Immediately, the app spams you with a pop up to purchase their podcast extension… no thanks, I use Spotify for that. Speaking of Spotify, it doesn’t operate within the app. The app only serves as a launcher for your music app, your Navi, etc. again, no thanks. I can launch Spotify on my own before I start driving and open maps on my own. Irritating. ### 1/5 — App still clunky and bbc radio stations still don't function after being told it was fixed. *2021-08-03* Spotify is odd as I can't seem to see my play lists but see random songs that aren't even mine. BBC radio stations don't work and after being promised it was fixed it still doesn't. Probably a work in progress. But it didn't cost a fortune. **Developer response:** BBC radio stations are fixed, this was due to address changes in BBC. Please contact me at support@icarmode.com so I can help you out. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Enjoying it! *2026-03-05* Great app. I purchased it to get a CarPlay like interface on an actual iOS device (iPad) that I’m using as a replacement for the infotainment system in an older vehicle. So far it has performed flawlessly and exactly as advertised. The built in customization features allow for an aesthetically pleasing display with substantially more flexibility in display content over CarPlay. App also features some handy widgets including weather, time, location and speed overlayed in a very pleasing top banner with a customizable transparent background. I’ve only encountered a minor glitch where the app opens up with large buttons in lieu of the saved configuration but it automatically corrects itself after a few operations. For the iPad users, providing more options in customizing the shortcut buttons (size, image, screen placement), more selection of category icons (like a currency $ symbol) and the addition of a compass widget in the banner would further enhance the product. **Developer response:** Thank you for the detailed review and for choosing iCarMode! I’m really glad to hear it’s working well as an infotainment replacement on your iPad. I also appreciate the thoughtful suggestions regarding shortcut customization, additional icons, and the compass widget — feedback like this is extremely valuable when planning future improvements. If you’re open to it, I’d love to hear more about your ideas and the use case you described. Please feel free to contact me through the support section in the app or at support@icarmode.com. ### 5/5 — Bob *2026-02-25* This is app is great in my MG4 as it saves me using wired CarPlay in car ! ### 5/5 — Great app for cars that don’t have infotainment screens *2024-12-08* I really like this app. I got it for my granddaughter who has a 2017 fiat Panda. It works great here in the USA and I will update this review when she gets it installed in Italy where she is working on her graduate degree. ### 5/5 — Nirjf *2024-09-29, version 7.9.3* Egged ### 5/5 — Thoughtfully designed *2024-02-05* I have enjoyed using this app and watching it grow to be better, as with all things, things that are worthy of use they only get better and this app has proven to be one of them. With every vehicle in this day and age having dash cams and backup cameras and owners like having an older vehicle without the mentioned devices would be elated to be able to adapt them to this app through an adapter, I use an iPad installed in my dash so I personally be thoroughly satisfied, thank you for sharing this with us. **Developer response:** Thank you so much for this feedback, of course I appreciate all type of feedbacks…but hearing such review fuels me up to keep those updates going. So Thank you again and drive safely! PS: Please send me a picture of your setup to support@icarmode.com - that would be awesome! ### 5/5 — I love this *2024-01-23* This is actually easy and simple to use I love it ### 5/5 — Top! *2024-01-05* Wird mit jedem Update besser. Ich bin sehr zufrieden und nutze die App mit einem jährlichen Abo. Erleichtert sehr die Nutzung gängiger Apps während der Fahrt. ### 5/5 — Thoughtfully designed *2023-10-12* I have enjoyed using this app and watching it grow to be better, as with all things, things that are worthy of use they only get better and this app has proven to be one of them. With every vehicle in this day and age having dash cams and backup cameras and owners like having an older vehicle without the mentioned devices would be elated to be able to adapt them to this app through an adapter, I use an iPad installed in my dash so I personally be thoroughly satisfied, thank you for sharing this with us. **Developer response:** Thank you so much for this feedback, of course I appreciate all type of feedbacks…but hearing such review fuels me up to keep those updates going. So Thank you again and drive safely! PS: Please send me a picture of your setup to support@icarmode.com - that would be awesome! ### 5/5 — Wow ! we love this App *2023-02-09, version 7.3.5* I have to congratulate the developers of this great App …You can use your phone or like me I am using a mini ipad 6 in a holder attached to the car , also with the Ipad i have set it not to auto lock so it stays on …If you want to use Waze you need to have IOS 16 which is only on mini Ipad 6 and above . We love it , we can’t have Carplay in our car so we searched and downloaded ICarMode Drive safely , You only have to ask Siri to play this song , skip a song ect, ect , and works perfectly, all played through your car speaker using blue tooth , also you can ask Siri for directions using Waze if you don’t like Apple or Google maps …. just ask Siri to phone one of your contacts that are stored in the app and works perfectly , no need to touch your screen and no distractions while you are driving ! we love it , and can’t wait for more updates, we were thinking of different coloured icons similar to car play 👍 from One happy subscriber ### 5/5 — Top App - top Support *2022-10-02* The support from Diego is great. Never experienced such a quick and professional reply and help. My issue was quickly identified and resolved! I can recommend the App and the support very much!!! --- *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 2026-08-12.*