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MotorTrend Names Rivian App Best Automaker App Again in 2026 Best Tech Awards
MotorTrend just named the Rivian mobile app the Best Automaker App in its 2026 Best Tech Awards, and yes, this is the second year in a row. They did not stop there either, calling it the best overall automotive tech of the year.
According to MotorTrend, the app stands out for its clean design, lightning fast performance, and features that feel genuinely indispensable. From day to day vehicle controls to charging and real time status, it is one of those rare car apps you actually want to use.
This is a great example of Rivian getting software right. Thoughtful, fast, and deeply integrated, it shows how important a strong app experience is in the EV era, and why Rivian continues to stand out. For owners, this award really just confirms what we already know. The Rivian app is that good.
This is baffling to me. I’ve owned my Gen2 for over a year.
I exclusively use the app as my key. I never know when the doors will open or not. It is entirely inconsistent. About 50% of the time (at home, where I leave the it unlocked), the vehicle won’t sense the key or drive until I open the app on my phone.
The charging history has never worked accurately. The charging times are always whacky (wrong). The charge events are delayed… Sometimes I’ll be a week+ into the new month before the current months events start populating.
Same experience with mine. And it’s almost impossible to view the cameras and takes like 4 minutes to load a still frame.
I have never had such an experience with our Gen 1 2024 R1S. We keep it to not sense keys at home, so there is that – but away from home it senses keys correctly and all the time. Charging is always accurate, so are charging times and estimates.
I’ve noticed much better unlocking behavior with the UWB key added in the 2025.46 update. Now it senses me well before I’m at the vehicle. I haven’t had to take my phone out to unlock via the app since this update.
I guess they never actually used the app. Sure, it looks good but it barely ever works. Try to do something “vehicle offline” or some other error. Trying to remotely turn on the HVAC or view the cameras… Works less than half the time.