How to Choose a Simple Speedometer App for iPhone

What makes a speedometer app "simple"?

Many speedometer apps come with maps, navigation, saved trip logs, sharing, leaderboards and ads. If all you want is to know how fast you are going right now, fewer features usually mean a clearer screen, nothing to set up, and less to worry about for battery and data.

In this article, "simple" means no map, no ads, no trip log and no account: just a speedometer on the screen. Keep the App Store page open and go through the checklist below.

Checklist: 8 things to look for in a simple GPS speedometer app

No map, ads, trip log or account
A readable display (analog needle or digital number)
km/h and mph
Portrait and landscape
Keeps measuring with the screen off, and is careful with the battery
How it handles your location (the privacy label)
Treats GPS speed as an estimate
Fits a use where the driver never looks at it or touches it

1. No map, ads, trip log or account

Check the description and screenshots for a map view, saved trips, a sign-in requirement, and ads. Ads are usually mentioned in the description, and screenshots and reviews help too. An app that needs an account may be built to store your data off the device. If you only want to see your speed, an app that works right away without signing up is the easiest.

2. Readability: analog needle vs. digital number

A digital readout is best for reading an exact number. An analog needle is best for seeing at a glance roughly how fast you are going and whether you are speeding up or slowing down. Because you read the angle, small jumps in the number are less distracting.

Contrast. Bright markings on a dark background are easier on the eyes at night.
Scale range. A low top speed suits cycling or running; a higher one suits cars or trains, so the needle actually moves. See whether you can pick the scale.
Clutter. Extra buttons and banners make the speed itself smaller.

3. Units: km/h and mph (and knots if you need them)

One mile is exactly 1.609344 km, so 60 mph is about 96.6 km/h. If you travel between countries that use different units, switching between km/h and mph matters. Boats use knots. See our km/h, mph, knots and m/s conversion chart.

4. Portrait and landscape

Portrait is natural in your hand; landscape often works better on a stand or a table. Check that both are supported and that the gauge gets bigger when you rotate.

5. Background measuring and battery

To get the distance, average speed and top speed right, the app should keep measuring when the screen is off or you switch apps. GPS and the display both use battery, so these help:

An automatic GPS shut-off when you have not moved for a while, in case you forget to stop it
A dimmable screen. Apple notes that dimming the screen extends battery life
Care with heat and cold. Apple says iPhone works best at 0 to 35 °C (32 to 95 °F) ambient temperature, and heat above 35 °C can permanently reduce battery capacity. Do not leave the phone on a sunny dashboard

6. Location data: how to read the App Store privacy label

Every App Store product page has an App Privacy section. It is self-reported by the developer and grouped into "Data Used to Track You", "Data Linked to You" and "Data Not Linked to You". An app that collects nothing shows "Data Not Collected".

In Apple's guidance for developers, "collect" means transmitting data off the device so that it can be accessed for longer than needed to handle the request in real time. Data that is processed only on the device is not "collected". So a speedometer can use GPS and still be "Data Not Collected" if it never sends your location off the phone. For a speedometer, check that Location does not appear under tracking or under data linked to you.

You can review the permission in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services: pick the app to see whether it has access such as "Always", and turn Precise Location on or off.

7. GPS speed is an estimate

According to GPS.gov, GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft) radius under open sky. Accuracy gets worse near buildings, bridges and trees, indoors, and when signals bounce off walls (multipath). Losing the reading in a tunnel is normal, and speed can jump in a city. Read more in how accurate is GPS speed and why your car speedometer and GPS disagree.

8. The driver never looks at it or touches it

Follow the traffic laws where you are. In Japan, for example, Article 71, item 5-5 of the Road Traffic Act says that while driving a car, a moped or a bicycle, you must not gaze at images on a display device mounted on or brought into the vehicle, except when stopped, and there are penalties. Bicycles are included. A speedometer app is for passengers, or for after you have stopped. While driving, the speedometer you follow is the one in your car.

A simple speedometer fits moments like these:

By the window on a high-speed train
On the deck of a boat or ferry, in knots or km/h
As a passenger in a car
Checking your average pace after a run or a walk

Quick recap

No map, ads, trip log or account: just the gauge
A needle or a number, whichever reads best for you, on a scale that fits
km/h and mph, portrait and landscape
Keeps measuring with the screen off, with an auto shut-off
The privacy label shows that your location stays on the device
GPS is an estimate. The driver never looks at it or touches it