With the increasing demand for vehicle diagnostics and maintenance, the use of On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) scanners has become popular among car owners and mechanics. These scanners allow users to monitor and assess the performance of their vehicles in real-time, helping them to identify potential issues and troubleshoot problems quickly. Many of these scanners can be paired with mobile devices such as Android smartphones and tablets, providing a convenient way to access diagnostic information on the go. In this article, we will explore the best Android apps for OBDLink scanners and how they can help improve vehicle maintenance and performance.
OBDLink scanners are known for their compatibility with a wide variety of vehicles and their ability to provide accurate and detailed diagnostic information. These scanners can be used to read and clear diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs), monitor fuel efficiency, track vehicle speed, and much more.
We have compiled a list of 7 Best Android Apps For Obdlink for your consideration, which have undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by our team of experts.
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7 Best Android Apps For Obdlink
1. Torque Pro (OBD 2 & Car)
Torque is a diagnostics tool and scanner for vehicles that can provide real-time information about your car’s performance, sensor data, and OBD fault codes. It uses an OBD II Bluetooth adapter to connect to your vehicle’s OBD2 engine management/ECU. You can customize your own dashboard with the widgets and gauges of your choosing. It is also equipped with GPS tracking and OBD engine logging features that can track your journey and see what you were doing at any given time. Additionally, it can read and reset DTC/CEL/fault codes, and has a massive fault code database for various manufacturers. Torque works on any vehicle that uses OBD 2 standard and can be installed on tablet devices like Motorola Xoom, Dell Streak, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and Nook. However, it requires a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter to work, which can be found on their website. Many vehicles made by different manufacturers are supported, but some vehicle ECUs may support more/less features than others. New features are added in every release, and there are forums where users can request for additional features.
2. DashCommand (OBD ELM App)
DashCommand offers an app that allows Android devices to act as a customizable monitoring system for vehicles. The app can monitor and data log engine and vehicle performance, fuel economy, and check engine lights. Users can also utilize a professional skidpad, a race track mapping feature, an inclinometer, and data logging capabilities. DashCommand has won several awards, including a SEMA Show 1st runner-up for best mobile electronics product and four-time SEMA Global Media Award winner. However, it is important to note that the app requires a compatible third-party hardware interface, which must be purchased separately, to communicate with the vehicle. DashCommand supports all OBD-II and EOBD compliant vehicles sold worldwide, and manufacturer-specific data is available for select vehicles through in-app purchase. Not all OBD-II compliant vehicles will be compatible with all parameters. A list of supported hardware is available on the manufacturer’s website.
3. OBDLink (OBD car diagnostics)
The OBDLink app is designed to work exclusively with specific OBD adapters, including the OBDLink MX+, OBDLink LX Bluetooth, OBDLink MX Bluetooth, OBDLink Bluetooth, OBDLink MX Wi-Fi, OBDLink WiFi, OBDLink EX USB (with Android 3.1 or newer), and OBDLink SX USB (with Android 3.1 or newer). The app is not compatible with any other brand of OBD adapter.
With the OBDLink app and compatible OBD adapter, users can turn their phone or tablet into a diagnostic scan tool that can read and clear diagnostic trouble codes, check emissions readiness, estimate fuel economy, and display real-time data on over 90 parameters. The app also features customizable dashboards, fuel economy calculations in MPG, l/100km, or km/l, multiple trip meters, and the ability to log data to CSV format for compatibility with Excel.
Other features of the OBDLink app include the ability to retrieve vehicle information such as VIN number and calibration ID, oxygen sensor results (Mode $05), on-board monitoring tests (Mode $06), in-performance tracking counters (Mode $09), and GPS tracking to plot vehicle parameters on a map in real-time. The app also generates full diagnostic reports that can be e-mailed and supports both English and Metric units. Additionally, the app is ad-free and provides free unlimited updates.
4. BlueDriver OBD2 Scan Tool
BlueDriver is a high-quality diagnostic scan tool used by professional mechanics, car enthusiasts, and everyday drivers who want to understand how their vehicle is operating and troubleshoot any issues that may arise. It offers a variety of features such as generating, printing, and sharing repair reports, scanning for trouble codes, and conducting enhanced diagnostics for several popular car brands.
The tool is wireless and communicates with the vehicle through a Bluetooth OBD2 sensor, which must be purchased separately. The sensor can be easily connected to the data port inside the car, which has been a standard feature in all cars produced since 1996. BlueDriver has global vehicle compatibility and can be used around the world.
One of BlueDriver’s unique features is the Repair Report Database, which contains millions of reported fixes for trouble codes. The report is specific to the vehicle’s make, model, and year, and offers validated fixes for trouble codes. The report saves time and helps prioritize the vehicle’s repairs. The report can be previewed in the app without purchasing the sensor.
Some additional features of the BlueDriver include mode 6 on-board monitoring test results, smog readiness checks, freeze frame data, and multi-data interactive graphing and logging. The app is free to install, but the purchase of the BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 Sensor is necessary to communicate with the vehicle. The app is available on Facebook and Twitter for user feedback and support.
5. Carista OBD2
Carista App is a mobile application that offers do-it-yourself (DIY) car mechanic features such as code features, warning light diagnosis, live data monitoring, and car servicing. The app is designed to save car owners time and money from visits to the workshop. It enables users to customize their car’s behavior, diagnose dashboard warning lights, and perform simple DIY procedures quickly and easily. Carista App supports certain Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus, MINI, Nissan, Scion, SEAT, Škoda, Toyota, and Volkswagen models, and offers advanced app settings for these brands.
Carista App offers brilliant customer service and frequently adds new features and brands to its app. The app is user-friendly and straightforward, with a wide range of car brands supported. To use the app, users need an OBD2 adapter such as Carista OBD2 adapter, OBDLink MX+, OBDLink CX, OBDLink MX Bluetooth, LX adapters, Kiwi3 adapter or a generic ELM327 v1.4 WiFi adapter. These adapters can be purchased from the Carista App website.
All paid features of the app are available with an in-app purchase of the Pro functionality, which is an auto-renewable subscription at $49.99 USD/year or $19.99 USD/3 months or $9.99 USD/month.
6. OBD Auto Doctor car scanner
OBD Auto Doctor is a mobile app designed for vehicle diagnostics, utilizing an OBD scanner to communicate with the car’s onboard system. The app allows users to monitor vehicle data, track car performance, and check and reset diagnostic trouble codes. Its features include reading readiness monitor status, On-Board Diagnostic Monitors, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), and Freeze Frame. Additionally, the app supports multiple electronic control units, real-time monitoring of OBDII sensor data, imperial and metric units, and fuel consumption tracking.
OBD Auto Doctor is compatible with all cars sold worldwide that are compatible with OBD2 or EOBD. The app requires a separate OBD adapter using Bluetooth, BLE, or Wifi to communicate with the car. Genuine ELM327 adapters are recommended over cheaper clone ELM devices. Quick start guides for Bluetooth and WiFi adapters are available on the app website.
The app is free, but a subscription is available using an in-app purchase to unlock all features. However, it is important to note that the app’s features rely on the vehicle’s capability to provide information. The developer of the app is not responsible for incidents resulting from the use and/or interpretation of the data in the application. Users’ activities inside the app are tracked and reported anonymously.
The app’s website provides more information, including compatibility information for various countries. If users have any issues or concerns, they can reach out to the app’s support team via email.
7. Carly — OBD2 car scanner
Carly is an OBD2 scanner app and device that provides diagnostic and repair insights, coding, and maintenance functions for car owners. The app and scanner work for almost all car brands in the world with an OBD2 port. The Carly app offers a free lite version with basic features such as health, live data, and emission check for the engine and transmission. Advanced features are available for a yearly license fee that varies with the car brand or all brands.
The advanced features include the ability to read from all built-in electronic control units (ECUs) of the car, gauge the severity of problems, clear fault codes, get detailed fault descriptions, perform simple car maintenance independently, access hidden features set by the manufacturer, and detect mileage manipulation. Carly is designed to support almost all car brands with an OBD2 port built in 2001 or later, works with both iOS and Android scanner software, and comes with a 30-year warranty and premium customer support.
To use Carly, car owners need to check which features are available for their car model, order the Carly Universal Scanner, plug it into the OBD2 port, and log in to the app to check what works for their unique car. The scanner and app are unique to every car, with features varying with the model, build year, hardware, and software.