The use of radar detector apps, controls, and traffic alerts for mobiles is the order of the day. In this sense, there is no doubt that technology has always been a great ally for drivers. If not, ask your parents or friends what they felt when they found out about the GPS on the road, or if you are a little more rebellious and daring, tell me what you think about the evil radar detectors (which to this day I think they are still illegal, by the way).
Android for its part also contributes its small grain of sand to the cause and offers a commendable number of apps for drivers that alert and report controls, radars, and possible incidents or accidents on the road. These apps are nothing more than small social networks of drivers that leave notices about relevant incidents that they see while they are behind the wheel to alert other drivers. Nowadays the main map apps for Android already include traffic information and warnings, although if you are looking for more precise and extensive information it is always a good idea to opt for a specialized app like the ones mentioned a little below.
Are apps that warn of radars and roadblocks legal?
While I was documenting myself for this article, I have come across several comments from users who question the extent to which the use of apps that warn you of radars and traffic controls can become legal.
Most of the doubts are mainly focused on the alleged illegality committed when informing drivers of the location of road radars. That’s right? In most jurisdictions, it is not illegal to use speed camera apps. Familiarize yourself with the laws of your region to avoid landing in trouble.
The 10 best radar detector and traffic alert apps for Android
It is important to remember that yes, the use of this type of radar applications can distract the driver. Always use them responsibly.
Google maps
For a couple of years now, Google Maps has incorporated the speed camera warning as an extra functionality in its application. Being the most popular navigation tool on the planet, if you already use it to travel and do not want to install additional applications on your Android, this is one of the best (and also free) options that you can currently find to be aware of the radars landlines and mobiles during your journey by car.
A function that is also maintained thanks to its large community, allowing the presence of the radars to be updated by the users of the application in real time. It also has a lot of additional functions, such as downloading maps to use GPS offline, or the famous location history that allows you to know where you have been at any time, any day of the year.
Waze
Very few apps can afford to say they have more than 100 million downloads on Google Play, and Waze is one of them. It is the traffic and navigation app with the largest community in the world. It not only warns of traffic problems, alerts, police controls, or road hazards, it even includes its own music player and is compatible with Android Auto.
Waze also tells you the best routes to get to your destination sooner and even tells you how long it will take to get home. It also informs you of such interesting details such as which are the nearby gas stations with the lowest prices and can ask you for routes that avoid tolls and highways. Wonderful, right?
Radarbot: Free Radar Detector
Radarbot is another radar detector that combines real-time alerts with GPS radar detection. It shows daily updates on mobile and fixed speed cameras thanks to the notices reported by the users of the application. It also warns of radars in tunnels, section radars, cameras at traffic lights, and dangerous points.
The Radarbot app has other interesting functions like these:
- Warnings in the direction of travel (rules out radars in the opposite direction or off-route).
- Sound warning when we approach a radar.
- Warning when exceeding the speed limit.
- Vibration mode for motorcyclists.
It should be noted that the application is free to download, but you have to pay $5.99 to unlock all the functions.
Smart Driver
This is an application with double utility. On the one hand, it warns you of the radars and traffic controls, but it also functions as a video recorder or dashcam for the car. In addition, it doesn’t need to be always connected to the Internet, it is enough to update the database before starting the trip and that’s it.
It warns of speed cameras, photo-red traffic lights, radars that monitor exclusive lanes (public transport), section radars, radars that pursue from behind, fixed police control (sentry box), and police controls or mobile radars. An app that is emerging quite a bit in the Play Store, with an average rating of 4.3 stars and more than a million downloads.
Police Radar
This radar detector is not as well known as the rest, although it has a fairly positive assessment by the Android community. It is an app without frills: it warns of fixed and portable speed cameras, and also of possible road controls when other users detect and report it through the app.
The application is free, does not require registration, and also shows the speed limits on the road sections close to the cameras. As a bonus, mention that it also works as a GPS speedometer.
RadarDroid
One of the first apps to arrive for Android and a true classic. It warns of the location of radars and has an extensive database of a lot of countries (I have not counted them one by one but I would dare to say that they are all or almost). The Lite version is free and highly recommended.
RadarDroid also works in the background, which means that we can use our Android phone to listen to music or any other function. When close to radar or mobile control, you will receive a voice and visual warning about the alert in question.
Although it has been in the Play Store for many years, it continues to receive updates: the latest is from April of this year 2021. Now, it seems that it works better in old terminals than in more modern systems. If you have an Android with a few years behind it, you may get good use out of this app.
CamSam
Another radar warning device, and this one also with a tremendous database of more than 60,000 fixed radars from around the world. It updates automatically every 5 minutes and has sound alerts so you can leave your phone in the car and it will notify you when you have a radar nearby. Very well thought out to minimize distractions while behind the wheel.
It also includes alerts for mobile speed cameras, landscape mode when tilting the mobile 90º, Widget mode, and support for HFP-Bluetooth if we opt for the premium version CamSam Plus (currently it is priced at $4.99 in the Play Store). In any case, with the free version, you will have more than enough for most users.
Coyote: speed cameras, GPS, and traffic
This radar detector, although it is paid, has a very specific feature that makes it stand out above the rest: its active community of users. Despite the 9 dollars that the subscription costs, it has more than 3.5 million users who report the location of radars, accidents, or incidents in real time. Believe me, if you are paying 9 dollars a month and you have so many users, it only makes me think that it has to work yes or yes. The first 30 days of the trial are free.
Among all the information it provides includes fixed and mobile radars, section radars, traffic light radars, belt cameras and mobile phones, traffic jams, slow traffic, moderate traffic, and heavy braking.
With regard to road safety, you will find information on speed limits in each section, notices of stopped vehicles, works, objects on the road, reduced visibility, dangerous weather conditions, etc.
TomTom AmiGO
The TomTom app works like a GPS navigator that incorporates various alert functions, such as a speed camera and road hazard warnings. Based on all this information, it elaborates the best route you can take to reach your destination. It also shows you data such as your average speed and other indicators.
TomTom AmiGO is compatible with Android Auto, includes its own maps, and allows quick access to our calendar or contact list from the AmiGO app itself. It has a community of more than 5 million users who share and ratify the information and it has coverage for a lot of countries: Spain, Italy, France, Mexico, USA, Argentina, e.t.c.
KAZA LIVE
KAZA LIVE is an app that, like many of the ones we have mentioned, provides information on road “dangers” thanks to its community of users, who update the information in real time. The app has its own database and offers information on helicopters, mobile, fixed, section, traffic light radars, in tunnels, etc.
It includes a map mode to be able to anticipate any problem before reaching that section, although it can also work in the background while using a GPS navigator such as Google Maps. It has a free period of 15, and then we can choose to pay a subscription or continue using the app for free but with ads.
