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 that pays for full-year subscriptions to apps or different providers at one time, then thinks about renewing them the subsequent yr. That very same mentality extends into my automobile. 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 at no cost 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 carried out all of the digging.

That is my new favourite technique to get audiobooks

I nonetheless subscribe to Audible, however this makes me really feel a lot 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 I nonetheless have my outdated library card mendacity round the home, someplace.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 most effective half? You possibly can take the audiobooks on the street with Libby’s CarPlay compatibility. If you do not have a fairly well-stocked native library, Libby may not give you a lot, however in case you’re wherever close to a big metropolitan space, I can promise it is definitely worth the quick journey to get your new library card. On high of all of that, you are supporting local libraries within the course of, which is about essentially the most healthful factor you are able to do in 2025.

Sustain with each sports activities crew 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. When you’re like me and end up behind a steering wheel at any time when your favourite groups are taking part in, 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). When you’re like me and stay on the street, there isn’t any higher app for holding you in contact with the groups you already love.

Podcasting may be improved, consider 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 once I end my first episode of every day on my commute. Overcast, nonetheless, allows you to construct podcast playlists to tailor your every day podcast dosage to your personal liking.

It is unbelievable to me that Spotify hasn’t discovered a technique to make the identical perform a bit extra intuitive in their very own consumer interface but. Nonetheless, till it does, you may 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 at no cost — a declare that the majority third-party podcasting apps can not make.

Realizing the climate in your route has by no means been simpler

I put 30K miles a yr on my automobile, 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 an extended shot. It offers pretty up-to-date Doppler climate radar data alongside any route or at any location a driver could select.

Realizing the climate at any given time is a strong software for deciding when to depart on a extra prolonged street journey or just for realizing what lies forward. Not too long ago, as flying has change into costlier, I have been taking longer and longer street 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 information? 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.