MotorMate by Confused.com FAQs

What is the app? How does it work?

Think you're a good driver? Find out for sure with Confused.com MotorMate.

The app runs in the background as you drive, recording details of your trips.

You'll receive a breakdown of each trip when it's complete, and you'll see a snapshot of your driving style. Your journey score is based on a variety of factors:

• How you brake, accelerate and corner;
• The speed at which you drive;
• How you anticipate the road.

After 250 miles of recorded driving, we’ll give you a score out of 100: your Confused.com Score. This score is a reflection of your long-term driving habits, and the types of journeys you take.

We also give you feedback, so you can tell where there’s room for improvement.

How much does it cost?

The app is free to download and use. It's available on Google Play and the iPhone App Store. Mobile phone data charges may apply.

How do I record my trip?

Take your phone on the journey with you. If it’s slipping and sliding all over the place, that could give a skewed result as it may affect the GPS signal lock – so try and keep the phone as secure as you can within the car, ideally in a cradle.

Before you set off, turn on the app and press the ‘Start’ button. And, when the journey’s complete, press the ‘Stop’ button. It’s that simple! The more journeys you record, the better an overall picture we can paint of your driving.

Can all phones download the app?

We only support Android and iPhone at the moment. You need Android version 2.2 or later, or an iPhone running iOS 6 or later to run the app.

How much of my data allowance will be used by the app?

It depends on the type of driving. It’ll differ between town and motorway driving, for example. But a good rule of thumb is: if you drive 9,000 miles per year, you can expect to use about 1MB per month of your data.

How often does the app send data?

The app will send data at the end of a trip. If it can’t, then it’ll send the trip data next time you have coverage.

What happens if I'm not in mobile network coverage?

If the app can't send data, it'll retry each hour until you have coverage.

Can you send the data over Wi-Fi?

Yes, the app will use Wi-Fi if it's available.

Will it affect the performance of my phone?

The app should have little or no noticeable effect on the performance of your phone. It'll typically use 1-4% of the processor's time when logging your trip, depending on your phone model.

You can continue to use other apps with Confused.com MotorMate running in the background.

Does the app consume much battery power?

The app uses GPS, which does tend to drain the battery more than regular use. If you're going on a long journey, it's probably a good idea to use an in-car charger.

What information will you record

We'll record the following:

• GPS co-ordinates, and signal strength and time
• The trip's date and time
• Your acceleration
• Your deceleration
• Your G-rating, which effectively measures your cornering
• Your phone model, for support purposes
• Your phone software version, for support purposes
• Your phone application version, for support purposes

How do you use my data, and is it shared with anyone else?

This information will be used by Confused.com and may be used by certain insurers to assess your driving behaviour and provide a motor insurance premium based on that information.

What if my phone loses its GPS signal

We won't be able to monitor your journey if you can't get any GPS signal. Try and find the best spot in your car for getting GPS. You'll probably find that using an in-car cradle gets the best results.

It won’t negatively affect your score if your phone loses its GPS signal from time to time. But having a good signal for the whole journey is the best way to ensure a fair and accurate score.

Is my data secure?

Absolutely. We take the security of data very seriously. For more information, please read our privacy policy.

What constitutes good driving?

Broadly speaking, good driving involves driving at an appropriate speed for the road. It also requires good levels of anticipation in relation to other drivers when in traffic. And not driving aggressively, as this can often surprise other road users.

Do I need to use a charger?

The phone doesn't need to be connected to a charger when using the app. However, the device does drain the battery more quickly when GPS is in use. So it's not a bad idea to use our in-car cradle and charger.

What happens if I get a phone call?

The app will continue to record your trip if you get a phone call. It’ll carry on recording until you press the "Stop" button on the app, regardless of what else the phone’s being used for.

I think the total recorded miles I’ve travelled is too low. What’s happened?

Although your individual journey scores are usually available to you within a few minutes, the total mileage is updated at the end of the day. So if you think your total mileage is too low, there’s a good chance that your current day’s journeys have yet to be added.

There may also be a slight difference between your app’s mileage and that of your car. This is because the app can only record your journey once it’s achieved a GPS lock.

The app seems to run in the background even when I close it. Why?

The app will run in the background for three minutes after you’ve closed it.

This gives you the chance to reopen the App to start recording your journey.

If, on the other hand, you don’t start recording your journey, after three minutes the app will stop running.

Can I use MotorMate by Confused.com on other forms of transport?

In all but exceptional circumstances, you can’t. When you use MotorMate, your GPS data is plotted to a road map. So if you’re on a plane or a boat, MotorMate won’t record your trip. Not that you’d want it to, as you’d probably get quite a low score that way!

MotorMate will, for the most part, not record a trip when you’re on a train. There are very rare circumstances where it might, however – so it’s best not to start a trip on the app while travelling by rail.