I understand you need WiFi or cellular data to connect to databases, stay updated etc etc but when your stuck somewhere with bad phone service it won’t work (only mentions Bluetooth but the data required always is inside after you buy it....) my $15 OBD2 will save the day if you have no service and you can use apps to update it when possible and uses Bluetooth and has many of the same features without the gimmick premium service..really, 7.99/mo? I’m a developer and can’t believe for certain services you need premium when some should be optional. I like the like the live gauges with a mounted tablet, but you need data to login lol.... other apps that connect to much cheaper OBD2 devices with live gauges work with no data (why would you need service data for that..?) oh, you need a required account to login with device to access that, dumb. I’ll stick to something else where I don’t need live data to login, especially if you’re stuck in a dead zone with no service. Come on. Would give 5 stars with such minor development work and fix many of the negative reviews. I could go on more how this can be easily improved while still giving out a premium option but this is just a disappointment (for me) I’m sure it’s fine for others that are not aware of unlocked OBD2 devices that cost 1/4 the price.
Hello! I'm our lead developer and wanted to reach out to you about your review, and as another developer give you some insight into why some things are the way they are (and what our plans are to improve). So first, a bit about what's going on: OBD2/CAN is way way more complicated than it first appears. Those $15 scanners and their apps are typically very limited with small on-device code databases scraped from wikis and single-protocol single-module support. They usually have no error filtering or advanced inner-frame parsing for collecting data from "problem" vehicles, and are typically running static one-size-fits all scripts on a very limited set of addresses. Once you start to support non-engine modules (airbag, TPMS, seatbelt, transmission, etc), multi-protocol communication (some of these modules speak different protocols which requires mid-stream protocol changes and negotiation), require specific baud rates, etc etc, and it's ALL unique to make/model/year), and anything above basic mode 3/7/9 hex -> code parsing it gets real fun real fast. It quickly becomes impossible to store all of the various branches for every vehicle in-app. To top it off, some of these commands/instruction steps are licensed/proprietary to a manufacturer and not publicly available (car companies want big money for access). So rather than store a multi-GB db on your phone we scan your car, assess its capabilities, and download the latest customized command list on a per-vehicle basis. We have a crack team of engineering interns who target a module (say 08-12 Toyota Airbags) and deploy test scripts, collect data, write custom parsers, and deploy updates. Since these scripts are refreshed/fetched every login your app will get new code capability every time it launches even without an update. Unfortunately this means API calls, which means network access & auth tokens. Now we do cache these scripts locally, but you need network to get them in the first place. As for logins, I completely agree. We were a small 4-man startup not long ago and we built our entire infrastructure around having an account. We're actually in the middle of a major refactor to optimize the signup process (auto-account generation) but it's going to take some time. In the medium-term, I am working on an "offline mode", where if you've signed in before (and cached all the required information) we'll let you in to the app (perhaps with an "OFFLINE MODE" warning banner) w/reduced functionality. Also note, network access isn't required for Live Data. We just need network to auth/log you in and fetch the latest stuff on launch. Once you're in you don't need network to do live gauges in a car. As for scanning/reading codes though I don't think we'll ever be able to do that offline for the above reasons. We do currently have a network error prompt that saves your scan data, so that if you login > scan > lose internet you will get a popup that caches your scan data. Tapping "Retry" on this when you have connection again will re-submit the raw data for us to parse and continue the scan normally. As for Premium: FIXD Premium is an optional service we're offering that provides features that have an ongoing/recurring cost to us. For example, the confirmed fixes come from a 3rd party company that pays mechanics for data (and we pay them *per api call*). We would never be able to offer that w/o a subscription, same with issue forecast (issue aggregation, ML analysis, and lots of other fun stuff behind the scenes etc etc). We understand this isn't for everyone, and we've tried to improve our messaging/more clearly show what is/isn't premium. Once again thank you for your feedback, and I hope you stay tuned as we have some exiting new features on our roadmap for this year (both free and premium)!EDIT: Offline mode is live! Checkout version 7.1.1. Note: You need to log in successfully at least once for the new "Offline Mode" to function. You can now see what the basic codes are from a scan as well (check the network error popup when you try to scan in offline mode). This is just a first pass and we'll be improving this feature over time.
