XRS Connect vs TrailBand
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
XRS Connect
This app allows you to easily configure and update your GMRS radio via a compatible smartphone. It features active mute for phone calls, voice playback for recorded transmissions, and CrewTalk for group communication with reduced interference.
- Radio configuration and updates
- Active Mute for phone calls
- Voice Playback of received transmissions
- CrewTalk for group communication
- High-contrast display speaker microphone control
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XRS Connect - A New Era In GMRS 2-Way Radio Your GME XRS Connect Two-Way radio is designed, engineered, and manufactured in Australia and is the most advanced GMRS radio available. XRS Connect Two-Way radios combine the latest in electronic hardware and software to produce an extremely compact GMRS radio with innovative features and outstanding specifications and performance. The XRS Connect speaker microphone with high-contrast display and front-mounted speaker provides clear sound and total control from the palm of your hand. The XRS Connect app allows you to easily configure and update your radio via a compatible smartphone. Visit gmeus.com for more information. XRS Active Mute XRS Connect Active Mute allows users to manually mute the radio when receiving a phone call to their mobile phone. The XRS Connect App is able to detect incoming phone calls and automatically mute the XRS Connect radio for the duration of the call, ensuring uninterrupted phone conversations. XRS Connect Active Mute uses smart phone and Bluetooth technology to either mute or lower the XRS Connect radio volume automatically when the user makes or receives a phone call. This allows the user to focus on their conversation rather than manually adjusting the volume on the XRS Connect radio. XRS™ Voice Playback XRS Connect Voice Playback, enables users to record voice transmissions received from other radios. Ideal for noisy cabins or for users who are in and out of their vehicles, this feature makes missing transmissions an issue of the past. XRS Connect Voice Playback records and stores the first 30 seconds of each received transmission, with a total recording time of 12 minutes. XRS Crewtalk CrewTalk is a new XRS feature that allows you to automatically configure pre-defined Net-Scan lists to allow a group of users to have communications with far less chance of being blocked by users outside your group, or hearing unwanted transmissions. When CrewTalk is configured, normal scan functionality is overridden. Whenever scanning is started by pressing the SCAN button, CrewTalk will be active. The radio display will indicate that XRS CrewTalk scan is active, and indicate the Group number that is being used. If other radios in the group are configured to enable CrewTalk with the same Group number, and they are scanning, the radios in the group can communicate with limited outsider interference, using Net-Scan in a transparent way.
TrailBand
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TrailBand turns an FRS, GMRS or MURS channel number into the exact frequency and settings to program into a handheld radio. Built for offroad and overland groups, where some vehicles have bubble-pack FRS walkie-talkies and others have programmable radios, and nobody can work out how to make them talk to each other. • All 35 channels: FRS/GMRS 1 to 22, the eight GMRS repeater pairs, and MURS 1 to 5 • Receive and transmit frequency, offset, bandwidth, tuning step and power setting for every channel • CTCSS tones and DCS codes, with the bubble-pack privacy code number shown beside every standard tone • Search by channel number, or by a frequency you heard • Favorites for the channels your group runs • Export a CHIRP-compatible CSV to program a radio over USB • Send a plain text programming card to the group so every radio ends up identical • Reference articles on FRS vs GMRS, MURS, matching consumer radios, using a repeater, and choosing a trail channel Frequencies and power limits follow the US FCC allocations in 47 CFR Part 95. TrailBand is a reference tool: no account, no data collected, works entirely offline. A radio must be certified for the service it transmits in. TrailBand says plainly where the popular Part 90 handhelds stand.
Screenshots
Verdict
XRS Connect and TrailBand are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | XRS Connect | TrailBand |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 312 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | GME PTY LTD | Skunk River Restorations, LLC |
In-app purchases
XRS Connect
No in-app purchases
TrailBand
No in-app purchases









