Support & FAQ

EvmetricsOBD is an OBD2 diagnostics app for iPhone, iPad and Mac that works with both electric and petrol/diesel vehicles. It connects to a standard ELM327 adapter and gives you live sensor data, battery telemetry, charging graphs, fault-code (DTC) scanning, a vehicle audit and professional diagnostic reports — across 22 vehicle-specific templates.

It reads diagnostic data only. It never changes anything in your car.

Two things: a supported vehicle and an ELM327-compatible OBD adapter (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB). Plug the adapter into your car's OBD2 port, open the app, go to the Dongle tab and tap Connect.

No account, no sign-up and no proprietary hardware required.

Yes — the core is free: the live sensor dashboard tailored to your model, charge session logging, the PID scanner and CAN monitor tools, and the compatible-dongle guide with a Bluetooth checkup.

Advanced tools — the trouble-code scanner, diagnostic reports, vehicle audit, CarPlay, journeys, workshop, fleet and more — are part of EvmetricsOBD Pro.

iPhone, iPad and Mac. The same app scales from a quick check on your phone to a full workshop session on a Mac.

Yes. Turn on Demo Mode in Settings (free). It fills the app with a whole sample car, with journeys, charges, fault codes and reports, and opens the Pro screens so you can see what they do.

Demo Mode can't read a real car: connecting is refused while it is on, and a banner stays on every tab so you always know you're looking at sample data. Turn it off and your own garage comes back untouched.

Yes, after the first connection. The very first time you open the Dongle tab and tap Connect yourself, so the app never races the iOS Bluetooth permission prompt. From then on it automatically reconnects to your last adapter whenever it comes back in range — over Bluetooth this costs essentially no battery.

Retries back off sensibly so an adapter left plugged in overnight won't be hammered, and tapping Disconnect pauses auto-reconnect until you connect manually again.

Any ELM327-compatible adapter. Ones we've tested and recommend include the Vgate iCar Pro, OBDLink CX / MX+ / EX, Veepeak BLE+ and Carista.

See the full adapter guide for picks by connection type and vehicle.

All three work over ELM327:

• Bluetooth LE — the default and most convenient on iPhone and iPad.
• Wi-Fi — connects to the adapter over your local network.
• USB serial (FTDI, CP210x or CH340 adapters) — the most stable for long, uninterrupted workshop sessions on a Mac.

Pick whichever your adapter supports.

Try these in order:

• Make sure the adapter is plugged in and the car's ignition is on.
• Grant the Bluetooth permission when iOS asks.
• Run Bluetooth Checkup in the app — it verifies Bluetooth is on, permitted and working.
• Check the adapter's name: the app looks for OBD adapters whose name contains obd, elm, link or carista. A generic device advertised only as “Battery Monitor” is filtered out on purpose.
• Some adapters need to be un-paired in iOS Settings first — ELM327 dongles connect directly through the app rather than through iOS Bluetooth settings.

When you first connect to a Wi-Fi adapter, iOS shows a Local Network permission prompt — you must allow it, or the app can't reach the dongle.

Then join the adapter's Wi-Fi network and confirm its IP address and port match the adapter's manual (many use 192.168.0.10 : 35000). You can re-enable the permission later in iOS Settings › EvmetricsOBD.

First check whether you disconnected explicitly — after you tap Disconnect, the app deliberately won't silently reconnect on its own until you tap Connect again. Otherwise auto-reconnect keeps trying with sensible backoff, and if the link is flapping (dropping within seconds of connecting) it slows down on purpose.

The Dongle tab keeps a Connection History of your last ten sessions — each one records how it started and why it ended (dropped link, failed handshake, manual disconnect), which usually points straight at the culprit.

Use the built-in Connection Test. It runs the ELM327 handshake step by step and shows a live log, so you can see exactly where a connection succeeds or fails — useful for diagnosing a flaky adapter or an unusual vehicle.

Deep, model-specific support today covers the Jaguar I-Pace (2018+) and JLR petrol/diesel models — Jaguar XF, XJ, XK/XKR, F-Type, F-Pace and XE, plus Land Rover Range Rover (L405), Velar, Range Rover Sport, Discovery and Defender V8.

On these you get manufacturer-specific data like HV battery health, module temperatures, oil temperature and level, boost and gearbox temperatures. See the vehicles page for the full list.

On the Jaguar I-Pace the app reads State of Charge and State of Health, individual cell voltages, and a live charging graph of power against SoC. The Battery Cell Modules scan goes deeper: per-module voltage, two temperatures and state of health for all 36 pack modules, colour-coded against the pack average.

It's read-only telemetry straight from the vehicle — nothing is written back to the pack.

Yes. On any ELM327-compatible vehicle the app reads the standard OBD2 modes ($01–$09) — live sensors, fault codes, freeze-frame and readiness monitors. A built-in Generic OBD-II template is auto-assigned when your car's VIN matches no specific platform, so any OBD-II car gets a working dashboard, report and DTC scan out of the box. It lets the adapter detect the protocol, so it also reads cars that don't speak 11-bit CAN: pre-2008 GM, Chrysler and Asian cars, 29-bit CAN, J1850 and K-line.

Brand-specific templates for Hyundai/Kia E-GMP, VW MEB & MQB, Ford (including the petrol Mustang from 1996 on), American Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram (2013–2018), Toyota TNGA, Mazda SKYACTIV, Mercedes, Stellantis e-CMP, Volvo/Polestar, Porsche (including the pre-CAN K-line 996 and 997.1 911, Boxster and Cayman) and Rivian ship in the app now, marked Unvalidated until we have confirmed them on a real car.

Yes — the Trouble Codes scanner is part of Pro. It reads diagnostic trouble codes across every ECU it can reach, names them from a database of over 2,000 codes bundled with the app (no internet needed), and lets you clear them. Each code comes with reference guidance: what it means and where to start looking. It is guidance, not a diagnosis.

Clearing only resets the stored code and warning lamp — it doesn't fix the underlying fault, so if a code returns it's telling you something.

A read-only catalogue (in Tools, part of Pro) of dealer-activatable features your JLR or Porsche could receive — things like Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, Configurable Dynamics, adaptive cruise and ambient lighting. Porsches also list Sport Plus without Sport Chrono (Macan), InnoDrive and Lane Keep Assist, instrument cluster personalisation, rear light bar and body coding, and full-region PCM map updates. The app probes the car and marks each one Active, Hardware present, Not equipped or Check availability, with typical pricing.

EvmetricsOBD never codes or activates anything itself — the advisor tells you what's possible and refers you to a JLR or Porsche specialist for the actual work.

Yes. Both the PID scanner and the Full Vehicle Scan save their progress, so an interrupted session — a dropped connection, the car going to sleep, or you just stopping for the day — can be resumed where it left off instead of starting over.

It's read-only for anything that matters. EvmetricsOBD reads diagnostic data and, at your request, clears stored fault codes.

It never modifies, unlocks, re-flashes or resets manufacturer security or control systems. The only way to send a raw command to the car is the developer console under Reverse Engineering tools, and it warns you at the start of every session.

Anything that changes a module's state or sweeps the bus only runs while the car is parked, and stops if the car starts moving. That covers Diagnostic Mode, the Full Vehicle Scan, the PID Scanner, Probe Other Buses, the Reverse Engineering console, the battery cell scan and Clear Trouble Codes. The app knows the car is moving from its own speed reading and from GPS, so no new permission is needed; if it can't tell, it asks you to confirm the car is parked.

• A one-time safety notice appears before the app talks to any vehicle.
• Each vehicle's first scan, and the first after a platform change, is run parked from a First Scan sheet. Until then only standard OBD-II reads go to the car, and journeys still record.
• On a petrol or diesel car, clearing trouble codes needs the engine off.
• Diagnostic Mode switches itself off after 10 minutes.

Pro adds the professional toolkit:

• Trouble Codes — read and clear DTCs across every ECU, with offline code names and reference guidance
• Diagnostic Reports — shareable PDF/HTML reports
• Vehicle Audit — including odometer-rollback detection
• Battery Health Report: a one-page PDF of an EV's battery health, capacity, cell voltages, temperatures and isolation resistance
• Cylinder Misfire scan on petrol/diesel models
• Vehicle Timeline and Backups (daily on-device snapshots)
• Garage — multiple vehicles with diagnostic history
• Full Vehicle Scanner and the CAN Buses view
• CarPlay Power Monitor
• Journeys — automatic drive logging with PDF/GPX export
• Track Day: GPS lap timing, a live track dashboard and session exports
• Workshop checklists and Fleet cost tracking with a 12-month forecast
• the Feature Advisor and Reverse Engineering tools

From your phone's GPS. Put a start/finish line on a satellite map, tap Set start/finish here as you cross it, or just drive: in a free session the app finds its own line the first time you come back round to a spot you drove earlier. GPS updates about once a second, and the crossing is worked out between fixes, so lap times come out to about a tenth of a second. Sectors and point-to-point stages are optional.

Mount the phone firmly for G-force. The app assumes the screen faces you; you can calibrate with a tap, and it learns the forward direction from your first hard stop in a straight line. How fast engine and EV readings refresh depends on your adapter: Channel Health shows the live rate of every channel.

Track Day is part of EvmetricsOBD Pro on iPhone and iPad. Sessions are saved as you drive, so an interrupted one is still in your history, and each can be shared as a PDF, CSV, GPX or .evmtrack file. Only drive on a closed circuit or where it's legal, and keep your eyes on the road, not the screen.

EvmetricsOBD Pro is £24.99 per year, an auto-renewing subscription billed through your Apple ID. Everything runs on-device — there's no separate account to create.

If you reinstall or switch to a new device, open the paywall and tap Restore Purchases. That re-checks your Apple ID entitlements and reactivates Pro.

Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple ID you bought it on.

Subscriptions are managed by Apple, not in the app. On iPhone/iPad go to Settings › your name › Subscriptions › EvmetricsOBD; on Mac it's App Store › your name › Subscriptions.

Cancelling stops the next renewal, and Pro stays active until the end of the paid period.

Yes — it's in development. The Mac edition will be a one-time purchase sold from store.vladalexa.com (through Lemon Squeezy, not the Mac App Store), with no subscription: every feature is included, including wired USB adapters for workshop use.

Email hello@evmetrics.co.uk if you'd like details.

Nine Home Screen widgets, five Lock Screen widgets, two Live Activities, a Connect to Car control for Control Center, the Lock Screen and the Action button, nine Siri shortcuts, twenty Shortcuts actions, Spotlight search, Quick Actions on the app icon and a CarPlay app.

The Widgets, Siri & Shortcuts page lists every one of them; the answers below explain how to set each one up.

Yes — CarPlay is a Pro feature. You get a dongle picker and a Power Monitor screen that refreshes about every two seconds, with power, range and charging trends drawn as compact inline sparklines.

Because CarPlay uses Apple's standard driving-safe templates, it shows key figures rather than full graphics, and State of Charge is intentionally left off the CarPlay screen. You can connect over Bluetooth, USB or Wi-Fi from CarPlay.

There are nine: Garage, Charge, Journey, Power Monitor, Battery Pack, Temperature Monitor, Tyres, Climate and Track Dial, each in small, medium and large sizes. To add one:

1. Touch and hold an empty area of the Home Screen until the icons jiggle.
2. Tap Edit in the top corner, then Add Widget.
3. Search for EvmetricsOBD and tap it.
4. Swipe through the widgets and sizes, then tap Add Widget and Done.

Drop one widget onto another to build a stack you can swipe through. Widgets you add also show in StandBy when the iPhone is charging on its side; swipe across to the widget view and touch and hold it to change them.

Each widget shows the latest data the app captured and taps straight through to the matching screen. The live widgets dim and show an Updated time once their reading is more than a minute old. Widgets can't talk to the adapter themselves, so open the app (or CarPlay) to wake the connection and refresh them. The full list is on the integrations page.

There are five: Charge Level, Warnings, Tyres, Last Charge and Dongle Status, which shows whether the app is connected to your adapter and stays put when it isn't. To add one:

1. Unlock the iPhone with Face ID or Touch ID, but stay on the Lock Screen.
2. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, then tap Customize and choose Lock Screen.
3. Tap the widget area below the clock (or the date above it, for the inline Charge Level).
4. Find EvmetricsOBD in the list, tap a widget to add it, then tap Done.

Each shows the last reading the app captured. See what each one shows.

Yes. With iOS 26 the CarPlay Dashboard can show widgets, and the Home Screen widgets, such as Power Monitor, Tyres and Climate, work there. This is free and separate from the Pro CarPlay app.

1. On the iPhone, open Settings, then General, then CarPlay, and choose your car.
2. Open its widget settings and add the EvmetricsOBD widgets you want.
3. On the car's screen, swipe to the Dashboard to see them.

The Live Activities appear on the CarPlay Dashboard on their own while a car is connected.

While a car is connected, two Live Activities: the adapter link (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB, and whether the drive is being recorded) and the drive or charge in progress. Both appear on the Lock Screen too, and tapping either opens the matching screen. There is nothing to start: they appear as soon as the app connects.

When a drive or charge ends, its card becomes Last drive or Last charge with the final figures. iOS removes Live Activities from the Dynamic Island after 8 hours and from the Lock Screen 4 hours after that. On the CarPlay Dashboard and in a paired Apple Watch's Smart Stack, the cards use a full layout. iPhone only.

To turn them on or off:

1. Open iOS Settings, then Apps, then EvmetricsOBD.
2. Switch Live Activities on or off.

To clear a card from the Lock Screen, swipe it left and tap Clear. Live Activities don't appear in Demo Mode.

Add the Connect to Car control. It opens EvmetricsOBD and connects to your OBD adapter in one press.

Control Center

1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
2. Tap + in the top-left corner, then Add a Control.
3. Search for EvmetricsOBD and tap Connect to Car.

Lock Screen (in place of the torch or camera)

1. Touch and hold the Lock Screen, tap Customize, then Lock Screen.
2. Tap − on one of the two controls at the bottom, then tap + in its place.
3. Search for EvmetricsOBD, choose Connect to Car, then tap Done.

Action button (iPhone models that have one)

1. Open iOS Settings, then Action Button.
2. Swipe to Controls and tap Choose a Control.
3. Search for EvmetricsOBD and choose Connect to Car.

In Demo Mode the control opens the Dongle screen instead of connecting.

There is nothing to set up: the phrases work as soon as the app is installed. Say "Siri" (or press the side button) and then a phrase with the app's name in it, for example:

• "What's my battery level in EvmetricsOBD"
• "How much range is left in EvmetricsOBD"
• "Check my tyres with EvmetricsOBD"
• "How hot is the battery in EvmetricsOBD"
• "Connect to my car with EvmetricsOBD"

The reading answers come from the last reading, with the phone locked and the app closed, and always say how old that reading is. "Connect" and "Scan for fault codes" (Pro) open the app.

To see every phrase, open the Shortcuts app, go to the Shortcuts tab and tap EvmetricsOBD under App Shortcuts. The full list is also on the integrations page. If Siri doesn't recognise a phrase, check that Siri is allowed for EvmetricsOBD in iOS Settings, then Apps, then EvmetricsOBD.

EvmetricsOBD adds twenty actions to the Shortcuts app, from Connect to the Vehicle and Get Charge Level to Read a Sensor and Open an EvmetricsOBD Screen. To open the Dashboard every time CarPlay starts:

1. Open the Shortcuts app and go to the Automation tab.
2. Tap +, choose CarPlay, then Connects, and set it to Run Immediately.
3. Tap New Blank Automation, then Add Action.
4. Search for EvmetricsOBD and choose Open an EvmetricsOBD Screen (pick Dashboard) or Connect to the Vehicle.

Another idea: an Arrive automation at home that runs Scan for Fault Codes, or a shortcut that runs Get Charge Level and sends the answer in a message.

Scan for Fault Codes, Save the Current Drive and the Journeys, Fleet and Workshop actions need Pro. See the full list of actions.

Swipe down on the Home Screen and type a registration, a fault code such as P0420, or a symptom. Your Garage cars, the latest sensor readings and the whole fault-code database are indexed; with Pro, your journeys and workshop jobs are too. Tap a result to open it in the app.

The index is built on your iPhone and stays there. If nothing from EvmetricsOBD shows up, open the app once (it indexes your cars at launch), then check that search is allowed for the app in iOS Settings, then Apps, then EvmetricsOBD. Demo Mode data is never indexed.

1. In EvmetricsOBD, open Settings and tap Quick Actions.
2. Choose up to four screens. The defaults are Dashboard, Garage, Journeys and Fleet.
3. Back on the Home Screen, touch and hold the EvmetricsOBD icon and tap a screen to jump straight to it.

Files. Files EvmetricsOBD exports (.evobd vehicle data, .evmwt workshop templates, .evmtrack track sessions, .evmfleet fleet, .evmjourney journeys and .evmcharge charges) open straight into the app. Tap one in Files, Mail or Messages, or accept it over AirDrop; if iOS asks, choose EvmetricsOBD.

Links. A link such as evmetricsobd://dashboard opens the app on that screen. Use it in a Shortcuts Open URL action, a note or a reminder. The full list of screens is on the integrations page.

Not your vehicle data. EvmetricsOBD has no user accounts and no advertising, and the diagnostic data the app reads from your car is processed and stored on your device — never sold or shared for marketing.

The iOS app collects anonymised usage analytics (which screens are used, whether connections and scans succeed — never VINs, locations or sensor readings) to help improve the app. You can turn this off any time in Settings › Privacy › Share anonymous usage data. See the full privacy policy.

Almost never. The app goes online for three things: a small settings file from our website on launch (it tells the app whether an update is available), anonymised usage analytics, which you can turn off in Settings, and, only if you switch it on under Settings › Privacy › Look up vehicle details online, a lookup of your VIN in the US NHTSA vPIC database for make, model, year and trim. That lookup is off by default. The app makes no AI requests of any kind.

Everything else works offline, right next to the car — including trouble-code names, which come from a database bundled with the app.

With your permission the app uses location to record journeys (route maps and distance) and to keep logging power, charge and temperature while your phone is locked during a drive or charging session.

Location history stays on your device and is never sent to us. The app works fine if you deny it.

Optional. If you turn it on, your Garage vehicles, Workshop checklists, Fleet costs and journeys sync through your own private iCloud container, protected by your Apple ID. We have no access to it, and it's off by default.

When a new version is out, the app offers it once with an Update available alert; tap Later and it won't ask again for that version. Very rarely, an old version has a problem serious enough that it has to be replaced, and the app shows an Update required screen with a link to the App Store (or, on Mac, the download page).

The check never blocks you for lack of signal: with no connection the app just carries on.

To keep logging while the phone is locked — during a drive or a charge — the app needs Location set to “While Using the App.” Grant that and capture continues in the background; power, charge and temperature keep recording until you disconnect.

Occasionally you'll see a value that can't be real — a temperature of −50 °C, for example. This is often a sign of a low 12 V supply or a brownout during cranking rather than a genuine sensor fault: when voltage sags, ECUs report sentinel or garbage values.

Check the 12 V battery first. Our use cases walk through real examples of exactly this.