BART Watch vs AC Transit Mobile
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BART Watch
This app provides a discreet way for public transit riders to report suspicious activity directly to transit police. Users can send text messages, photos, and location data, with options for anonymity. It also features alerts for persons of interest.
- Report suspicious activity
- Send text messages and photos
- Discreet reporting with disabled flash
- Location sharing
- Anonymous reporting option
- Direct call to transit police
- Be On the Look Out (BOLO) alerts
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BART Watch: Free Security App for Riders. The BART Watch App offers the public a quick and discreet method for reporting suspicious activity directly to BART Police. The app can send pictures, text messages, and locations of suspicious people or activities. From the home screen, users have two easy options for contacting BART Police: * The “Report a Problem” button allows users to send text or photos directly to BART Police. To ensure discretion, the camera flash is automatically disabled when photos are taken through the app. When reporting an issue, users can select locations and report categories to assist BART Police. Riders can also send reports anonymously if they chose. * The “Call BART Police” button will connect customers directly to BART Police. The application is designed for BART. If you send a report in an area without cellular connectivity, it will be stored and sent when connectivity returns. The system is also designed to send text messages before pictures so that BART Police can get app reports as quickly as possible. Additional Features BOLO (Be On the Look Out) Alerts. BOLO Alerts on the BART Watch App may display alerts from BART Police about specific persons of interest. For example, BART Watch may display information about a missing person or child, such as where they were last seen. If you see a person from a BOLO, immediately call 911 and send an app report to BART Police discreetly. Help keep BART safe, "See something, Say something."
AC Transit Mobile
Plan your journeys and travel conveniently with real-time bus predictions and mobile fare payment. Access customer service directly and manage your transit account seamlessly. This app simplifies your commute across the East Bay.
- Trip planning and schedules
- Real-time bus arrival predictions
- Mobile fare payment
- Clipper account management
- Customer service access
- iOS accessibility integration
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Plan your trip and ride with ease using the AC Transit mobile app. Stay connected across the East Bay with real-time predictions, mobile fare payments, and direct access to customer service. Key Features: • Trip planning and schedules, right in the app • Real-time bus arrival predictions • Mobile fare payment • Clipper account management • Seamless integration with iOS accessibility tools • Quick access to AC Transit customer service Download today and make your AC Transit trip simpler, smarter, and faster.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: BART Watch at 4.4 against AC Transit Mobile's 2.6. BART Watch also leads on ratings volume (2.8K vs 11) and review sentiment (34% vs 24%). AC Transit Mobile's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
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.
BART Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BART Watch has 2.8K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of BART Watch's written reviews are positive against 24% of AC Transit Mobile's.
BART Watch ships an update every 3 months, AC Transit Mobile every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BART Watch | AC Transit Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (2.8K ratings) — better | 2.6 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 34.1% of reviews — better | 23.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.8K — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 72 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ELERTS Corp | Alameda Contra Costa Transit District |
Customer experience
BART Watch
AC Transit Mobile
Bugs and requests
BART Watch
Reported bugs
3 issues- had a good connection but unable to upload
- Can't file a report and a kid is lighting things on fire in the BART car. Obvious the camera doesn't work. Good job!
- Don't see an option for fare evader
Requested features
2 requests- Need a way to report non-police matters too
- Upload a photo of disruptive behavior
AC Transit Mobile
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BART Watch
No in-app purchases
AC Transit Mobile
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is BART Watch free?
Is AC Transit Mobile free?
Which has better reviews, BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile?
Do BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile have ads?
Which is updated more often, BART Watch or AC Transit Mobile?
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