4 free CarPlay apps that hold me entertained on lengthy roadtrips

There’s not a lot on this world I dislike greater than a subscription. I am the kind of one who pays for full-year subscriptions to apps or different providers at one time, then thinks about renewing them the subsequent 12 months. That very same mentality extends into my automotive. I’ve written about infotainment here at Pocket-lint for fairly a while now, and these 4 apps keep in my rotation it doesn’t matter what.

Whether or not it is getting your audiobooks without spending a dime by supporting native libraries or maintaining along with your favourite faculty sports activities groups, there are many free apps that may hold you greater than entertained and knowledgeable in your every day commute. It simply takes some digging to seek out them. Fortunately for you, I’ve achieved all of the digging.

That is my new favourite technique to get audiobooks

I nonetheless subscribe to Audible, however this makes me really feel significantly better

Did you ever go to the library as a child? There have been loads of days when a tiny Tanner was bopping across the native library with a load of books in hand. I nonetheless have my previous library card mendacity round the home, someplace. Nonetheless, after shifting to West Texas, I discovered the Libby app, which led me to get my free library card on the native library.

In doing so, I now have entry to over 5,000 audiobooks in my native library and over 10,000 Kindle books, all with my library card. The very best half? You possibly can take the audiobooks on the highway with Libby’s CarPlay compatibility. If you do not have a fairly well-stocked native library, Libby won’t give you a lot, however when you’re wherever close to a big metropolitan space, I can promise it is definitely worth the brief journey to get your new library card. On prime of all of that, you are supporting local libraries within the course of, which is about probably the most healthful factor you are able to do in 2025.

Sustain with each sports activities group you comply with

As a fan of a number of faculty groups, this app is wonderful

The Varsity Community app is the brainchild of Learfield, the licensing firm that most likely owns the rights to your faculty’s radio and audio packages. Learfield is not going broke anytime quickly, however which means its revenue margins do not depend on charging customers to make use of an app. In the event you’re like me and end up behind a steering wheel each time your favourite groups are enjoying, the Varsity Community app is the perfect free resolution you may ask for.

The app offers play-by-play audio streams from the radio voices you most likely already know and love. I used it final weekend to hearken to Mississippi State’s first SEC win in two seasons, and plan on utilizing it this weekend to maintain up with Texas Tech and BYU (together with the remainder of the nation, it appears). In the event you’re like me and reside on the highway, there is no higher app for holding you in contact with the groups you already love.

Podcasting could be improved, imagine it or not

Till Spotify will get its act collectively, I will be utilizing this

My greatest beef with Spotify podcasting, which I have been quite vocal about on this very website, is that the app by no means performs the episode or present I need it to after I end my first episode of every day on my commute. Overcast, nevertheless, enables you to construct podcast playlists to tailor your every day podcast dosage to your individual liking.

It is unimaginable to me that Spotify hasn’t found out a technique to make the identical perform a bit extra intuitive in their very own consumer interface but. Nonetheless, till it does, you will solely catch me listening to my favourite podcasts by way of Overcast. From the perfect sports activities exhibits within the enterprise to hard-hitting every day information feeds, Overcast retains me knowledgeable and entertained, all without spending a dime — a declare that the majority third-party podcasting apps can’t make.

Figuring out the climate in your route has by no means been simpler

I put 30K miles a 12 months on my automotive, and I must know what’s forward of me

Whereas it might not have the perfect popularity, MyRadar’s CarPlay software remains to be the perfect in its class by a protracted shot. It offers pretty up-to-date Doppler climate radar info alongside any route or at any location a driver could select.

Figuring out the climate at any given time is a strong instrument for deciding when to go away on a extra prolonged highway journey or just for figuring out what lies forward. Just lately, as flying has develop into costlier, I have been taking longer and longer highway journeys, and I’ve discovered that MyRadar is one in every of my most-used utility apps within the CarPlay ecosystem. Does MyRadar have a popularity for promoting knowledge? Completely. Fortunately, I’ve it on good authority that MyRadar is about to get a brand new competitor in that house, so hold a watch out.