Connected Car App: Setup, Costs and Selling Your Car

What a connected car app does

A connected car app is a phone app that reaches your car through the car's own cellular connection, so you can check on it and control it from wherever you are. Depending on the car, it can lock or unlock the doors, show where the car is parked, and report things like fuel level and tire pressure.

Some cars have the connection built in, which is called embedded. Others get it through the driver's phone, which is called tethered. For a fuller explanation of what a connected car is and what services carmakers offer, see our guide to connected car services.

How to tell if your car is connected

You can usually find out without any tools.

• Infotainment settings: Look on the car's screen for a menu called Connected Services, Modem or Connectivity.
• Carmaker's app: Add your car by its VIN. This is the step that links the app to the car.
• Owner's manual: Look for the name of your carmaker's connected-services program. It usually has Connect or Remote in the name.
• Window sticker: If you still have it, connected services are often listed with the other features.
• Overhead console: An SOS or assist button above the mirror is a common sign the car has a built-in connection.

How to set up your carmaker's app

Setup follows the same basic pattern for most brands. Some brands ask you to confirm the link on the car's screen, so it helps to sit in the car with it switched on. Our guide to activating connected services covers this step in more detail.

• Download the official app: Get your carmaker's app from the App Store or Google Play and create an account.
• Add your car: Enter or scan the VIN. It is on the driver's door jamb, on the dashboard by the windshield, and on your registration or insurance card.
• Activate connected services: Turn on the modem or connected services when the app asks.
• Check the trial terms: Find out whether remote features stay free or need a subscription once the trial ends.

What it costs

Cost depends on the brand, the model and the year. Some carmakers include basic remote features at no cost once connected services are activated. Others charge after a free trial, and the trial length can vary by vehicle.

Check your carmaker's app or website for your car's current terms before you count on a feature.

• Free features: Which remote features are included once connected services are on.
• Trial length: How long any free trial lasts for your exact car.
• After the trial: What a monthly or yearly plan costs and which features it covers.

Selling or buying a used connected car

A connected car stays linked to your account until you remove it. The FTC's consumer alert on selling your car (June 23, 2022) says to disconnect the app from the car when you sell it or trade it in. A factory reset may not be enough on its own, because satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot and data services may still be linked and need to be canceled or transferred.

• Remove the car from your app account: Do this before you hand over the keys. Look in the app's vehicle settings for an option to remove the vehicle.
• Cancel or transfer subscriptions: Include satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspot and connected services.
• Factory-reset the infotainment system: Then check that it worked.
• Clear personal data: The FTC lists phone contacts, mobile app login information, digital content, location data such as home and work routes, and garage door codes.
• If you just bought a used car: Check that the previous owner's account has been removed. A previous owner's app account can stay linked if it was never removed, and WGME, a local TV station, reported that a previous owner may still be able to control the car remotely. If an old account is still linked, contact the carmaker.

Your data and privacy

Connected cars collect data about where and how you drive, and that data can be used for things like usage-based insurance. The FTC's Office of Technology has warned that car data, including location, can be sensitive, and that collecting or using it unlawfully can violate the law.

In January 2026 the FTC finalized an order against GM and OnStar over driving and location data. Under that order, GM and OnStar must clearly ask for and get your consent before collecting, using or sharing connected car data. You must be able to request and delete your data and, where the car supports it, turn off collection of precise location data.

Before you sign up, read what your carmaker's app says it collects and who it shares that data with, and look in the app's settings for privacy and location options.

Using one app for more than one brand

If you have cars from more than one brand, or you don't like your carmaker's app, some third-party apps can work with several brands in one place. Some are built on Smartcar, which says it works with 40+ vehicle brands across North America and Europe. You pick your car's brand, sign in with your carmaker connected-services login, and approve the permissions. It is the same kind of sign-in as Log in with Google, and the app can't do anything with the car until you approve it. Our roundup of the best apps to control your car from your phone compares the options.

What works depends on the make, model, year, trim, optional packages, software version and active subscriptions. Location and mileage are the most widely listed. In Smartcar's compatibility matrix (June 2026 export), 94% of the 655 US entries (make, model, powertrain and year range) list precise location and 97% list the odometer, while fuel level is listed for 90% of gas entries and battery level for 92% of fully electric ones (as of October 19, 2026).

CarConnect is one of these apps. It reads the car's built-in connected services through Smartcar, so nothing is plugged into the car. It needs an active connected-services account with the carmaker and does not replace it, and every feature depends on your car's make, model and year and on that account. You sign in with your carmaker login through Smartcar's secure sign-in screen. The app does not store your carmaker password, and car access tokens are kept on the app's servers, not on your phone. On eligible cars you can lock and unlock, see the car on a map, and check fuel or battery level, range, odometer and tire pressure. You can keep more than one car in one account and remove a car in the app at any time. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with any carmaker.

Common questions

Do I have to pay for a connected car app? It depends on the brand, model and year. Some carmakers include basic remote features once connected services are activated, and others charge after a trial. Third-party apps also need an active connected-services account with your carmaker.

Can I unlock my car with my phone? Yes, if your car has connected services and remote lock and unlock is available for it. Add the car in your carmaker's app, activate connected services, and check which remote features appear.

What if my car isn't connected? A phone app needs the car to have a connection, either built in or through your phone. If your car has neither, an app can't reach it.

Is a factory reset enough before I sell my car? The FTC says it may not be. Also remove the car from your app account and cancel or transfer services like satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspot and connected services.