Buick App Guide: How myBuick Works and What It Needs

The official Buick app is myBuick

The official Buick app is called myBuick, and it is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. It is made by General Motors Company and lets you start, lock and unlock your Buick from your phone if the car has those features, check fuel, tire pressure and oil life, and schedule service.

Watch out for look-alike listings and websites. Look for myBuick by General Motors Company. The real app always lists General Motors Company as the publisher.

• iPhone: download myBuick from the App Store. There is also an Apple Watch app.
• Android: download myBuick from Google Play and make sure the publisher is General Motors Company.
• Data connection: the app needs a data connection on your phone.

What you can do with myBuick

The App Store listing includes these features. Each one works only if your Buick has it.

• Remote commands: in myBuick, start the engine and lock and unlock the doors.
• Vehicle status: check fuel level, tire pressure and oil life.
• Cabin comfort: in myBuick, adjust cabin temperature remotely.
• Electric models: view charging status and find chargers.
• Getting around: plan trips.
• Help and upkeep: request Roadside Assistance and schedule service.

Do you need OnStar to use the Buick app?

For the remote features, yes. The App Store listing says the app requires a trial or paid plan and a car that has the feature, so remote commands such as engine start only work when both your Buick and your OnStar plan support them.

Which features you get depends on your car and your OnStar plan. Plans and prices change, so check current plans with OnStar or your Buick dealer before you sign up.

Remote start has one more requirement: the car must already have a factory-installed remote start system. The app cannot add remote start to a Buick that was built without it.

How to set up myBuick and add your car

Have your VIN handy before you start. You can find it on your registration, your insurance card, the sticker on the driver's door frame, or the lower corner of the windshield on the driver's side.

• Step 1: Download myBuick by General Motors Company from the App Store or Google Play.
• Step 2: Sign in or create an account with your GM account email and password. Using the same email you gave the dealer when you bought the car can help the car link automatically.
• Step 3: If your Buick does not appear on its own, tap your initials in the upper-right corner, choose Add Product (or Manage My Products, then Add Vehicle) and enter the VIN. You can add the car even if its OnStar plan has lapsed.
• Step 4: Check that your OnStar plan is active and includes remote commands.
• Step 5: Try a simple command such as lock to confirm everything works.

If your Buick will not link or a feature is missing

Check these first if your car does not show up in the app or a button is missing.

• VIN not recognized on a new car: a newly bought car can take a while to show up in GM's systems. Try again later, and if it still does not appear, contact a Buick or OnStar advisor.
• VIN typed wrong: check each of the 17 characters. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q, so anything that looks like O is a zero and anything that looks like I is a one.
• Different email: if you signed in with a different email than the one the dealer has, try signing in with the dealer email or ask the dealer to update it.
• Remote start button missing or not working: the car needs factory remote start and an OnStar plan that includes remote commands.
• Still stuck: contact Buick or OnStar support. Buick's U.S. support site has a page on adding and removing vehicles from your owner account.

If you have a Buick and cars from other brands

myBuick only covers Buicks, so a household with a Buick and, say, a Ford or a Toyota ends up switching between several carmaker apps.

CarConnect, the app made by the team behind this site, shows cars from 45+ car makes together in one list on iOS and Android, and for a Buick it connects to your existing OnStar account while you keep using myBuick as before. You need an active OnStar account, features depend on your car's make, model, year and plan, and a free in-app compatibility check shows what your car supports before you pay, with no account or card needed. You sign in on GM's own login page through Smartcar, so your password goes to GM and never to us, and the app is an independent product from Loop Mobile FZCO that is not affiliated with or endorsed by Buick, GM or OnStar.

Common questions

Is the Buick app free? Yes, myBuick is free to download. The remote features need an active OnStar trial or paid plan.

Can I remote start my Buick from the app? Only if the car came with factory remote start and your plan includes remote commands.

Why can't the app find my new Buick? It can take a while for a new car's VIN to appear in GM's systems. Make sure the VIN matches exactly, and try signing in with the email the dealer has on file.

Does myBuick work on Apple Watch? Yes, myBuick has an Apple Watch app.