CarPlay and Android Auto: FactsLane in the car

A commute is one of the best times to catch up, and one of the worst times to look at a phone. Version 1.7 brings FactsLane audio to the car screen.

What you get

On both platforms the app shows two sections on the car display:

• Digests, the day's summaries.
• Podcasts, the weekly shows such as Good Week, Science Week and Tech Week.

Pick something from the list and it starts playing. A Now Playing screen shows what is on and gives you the basic playback controls, with cover art.

Built for the road

We used the standard screens that Apple and Google provide for audio apps, rather than custom interfaces. That keeps the car screen simple, familiar and safe to use. There is nothing to read or tap in a hurry.

How to set it up

• iPhone. Update to FactsLane 1.7, connect to CarPlay, and open FactsLane from the CarPlay home screen.
• Android. Update to FactsLane 1.7, connect to Android Auto, and find FactsLane among the media apps.

Your audio is the same as in the app, so what you add to the queue in one place is ready in the other.

Why it matters

It means a morning drive can be a calm catch-up instead of a blur of radio chatter, and you can do it without touching your phone.