Apps That Control Your Car From Your Phone: What Each Kind Can Do (2026)
Three kinds of app reach a car from your phone: the carmaker's own app, a cross-make app like CarConnect, and an OBD2 app that reads the engine through an adapter. We make CarConnect.
TL;DR
We make CarConnect, one of the apps this guide describes. Any app that locks, unlocks or finds your car from a distance works through the connected service your carmaker built into the car, so the first step is the same whichever app you pick: add the car to your carmaker account in its app or at the dealer, and make sure connected services are on. CarConnect then links to that account and puts every car you own on one screen, across 45+ car makes, for $19.99/month or $99.99/year. OBD2 apps such as Car Scanner ELM OBD2 and Carly do a different job. They read the engine computer through an adapter in the OBD2 port.
How this guide was put together
What this guide says about other companies' apps was read off their live US App Store pages on 22 September 2026. Those pages change, so check the listing before you buy. The apps are not ranked, because they do different jobs and one car can use more than one of them: your carmaker's app and CarConnect read the same account.
Step one: your carmaker's app
The Ford app, myChevrolet, MyHyundai with Bluelink and the Tesla app each come from the company that built the car, and each works with that make only. All four are free to download. MyHyundai needs an active Bluelink package for some features, and what myChevrolet can do depends on the OnStar plan you are enrolled in.
This app is also where the car joins your carmaker account, and every remote app in this guide works from that account, CarConnect included. If you bought the car used, the account may still be in the previous owner's name. Our guide to transferring connected services after buying a used car covers that step.
Each app also carries features tied to its brand. The Ford app books service with a dealer you choose and schedules over-the-air updates, and myChevrolet requests Roadside Assistance. MyHyundai has an Apple Watch app, and the Tesla app can summon the car and manage a Powerwall. Each of them covers one make, so a household with a Ford and a Hyundai runs two apps with two logins.
CarConnect: every car you own on one screen (we make it)
CarConnect links to the same carmaker account. When you add a car, you sign in with your carmaker account through Smartcar, the connected-car platform, and CarConnect never stores your password. Every car you link then sits in one list.
For each car you see its location on a map, its fuel level or EV charge and range, the odometer, and whether it is locked. From the same screen you can lock or unlock it, and start or stop charging on an EV.
On iPhone, Siri can lock or unlock the car, and the Home Screen quick actions lock it or find it. A widget shows fuel or battery, range and lock state, and on Apple Watch you slide to lock or unlock.
The VIN tab works with no car connected. Type any 17-character VIN to see the make, model, year and engine, plus open NHTSA safety recalls for that model.
CarConnect covers 45+ car makes on iPhone and Android and costs $19.99/month or $99.99/year. A free compatibility check in the app shows what your car supports before you pay.
OBD2 apps: reading the engine computer
Car Scanner ELM OBD2 and Carly reach the car through an adapter plugged into the OBD2 port under the dashboard. They read what the car's computers report, such as fault codes, freeze frames, live sensor data and emission readiness. They do not lock, unlock or locate the car.
Car Scanner works with an ELM327-compatible Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE adapter that you buy separately, and its permanent Pro unlock was listed at $7.99. Carly sells its own Universal Scanner. On the brands it supports it can code hidden features, and its used-car check looks for mileage manipulation. Its plans were listed from $21.99 (Toyota) to $118.99 (All Brands plus Smart Mechanic).
Because they read the port, these apps also work on cars too old for connected services. Car Scanner's page says that covers most cars built after 2000 and some back to 1996.
Which kind you need
To lock, unlock or find your car from your phone, start with your carmaker: add the car to your carmaker account in its app or at the dealer, and make sure connected services are on. Then add it to CarConnect, along with every other car in the household, and they all sit on one screen.
To read fault codes, or to check a car too old for connected services, use an OBD2 app with an adapter.
Before you buy a used car, Carly's used-car check looks for a rolled-back odometer, and CarConnect's VIN tab lists open recalls for that model.
See what your car can do
Run the free compatibility check — pick your make, model and year and know in seconds. 15-day money-back guarantee on every plan.
